MONTREAL 13 SEPTEMBER – The Board of Directors of the World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) is pleased to announce that Mr. Christophe Bourillon has been appointed as new Executive Director (ED).
Bourillon comes with 25 years of solid experience in senior management and communication at the national and international levels. He founded and led various industry associations, such as the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). He drove other organizations through major transformations, such as the Uranium Institute, the European Biofuels Association, and the European Robotics Association.
“I am honored to become the new Executive Director of the World Federation of Science Journalists,” Mr. Bourillon said. “I am very conscious of the challenges the global science journalists and science writers’ community face.”
As a world-class manager, his entire career has been in communication, including media, government relations, public affairs, events organization, etc. Bourillon was an accredited expert to the United Nations for more than fifteen years, where he contributed actively to the global negotiations on climate change. He is aware of the difficulties of translating complex scientific reports into information that can be understood and used by non-scientific audiences. As CEO of EWEA he launched the magazine Wind Directions.
“The role and the legitimacy of journalists are being eroded daily and questioned publicly. The appearance of the concept of “fake news” has in some way taken the journalist community by surprise. The growing strength of this concept must be addressed and tackled by editors, journalists and media owners across the world,” Bourillon said. “Because of the tendency where emotion and passion – not facts – have become major media drivers, the reporting of science journalists and writers is, and must continue to be, strongly rooted in facts and verified information. Science journalists are the ultimate fact checkers and the wider world ought to know about the strong ethical standards adhered to by our community.”
Christophe Bourillon stood out among the candidates due to his strong international background managing science and technology-driven membership associations.
“The WFSJ and the science journalism profession find themselves on an important crossroad. We are convinced that Mr. Bourillon has the skills and background required to steer the organization into the future and help our community to further unite and grow,” said WFSJ President, Mohammed Yahia.
Christophe will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the Federation. Under the guidance of, and in close cooperation with, the President and the Board of Directors, he will implement the future strategic plan and develop new activities for the WFSJ.
“Between the development of additional services to the members, increasing revenue, growing the membership and developing new outreach activities – there is much for us to do. In addition, our community has a good story to tell and the WFSJ is also its collective voice. Together with the staff and with existing and future members, we will continue to work towards a better recognition of the role of science journalists and writers in enabling more informed debates and in promoting democracy,” said Mr. Bourillon.
MEDIA CONTACT
Christophe Bourillon – World Federation of Science Journalists (WFSJ) +33 613 209 277 – cbourillon@wfsj.orgPRESS RELEASE Download a PDF-version of the Press Release here.