Mike James, managing director of Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd (LRQA), has been elected chairman of the Independent International Organisation for Certification (IIOC), with immediate effect. The chair of IIOC is elected annually by all IIOC members.

IIOC is an independent organization, committed to drawing together the worlds of standardization, certification and accreditation to benefit the business community.

“From our inception back in 1993, IIOC has grown in both size and influence,” notes Marcus Long, chief executive of IIOC. “One of the primary aims of IIOC is to create a strong, credible industry network that genuinely represents the certification industry to support the IIOC’s commitment to certification excellence. Mike’s appointment is a testament to this commitment and will bring additional technical insight and expertise to enable us to further promote global awareness on the benefits of accredited certification.”

IIOC consists of nine of the world’s leading certification bodies; ABS, BSI, Bureau Veritas, DEKRA, DNV, LRQA, SAI Global, SGS and Tüv Süd. The organisation’s commitment to robust accredited certification is highlighted through:

Managing director level involvement on the IIOC Board and

Senior technical expertise on the IIOC Technical Committee, whose aim is to help shape the standards and schemes that underpin the certification industry.

The IIOC Technical Committee undertakes technical representation work with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), the European Aerospace Quality Group (EAQG), the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA), and the Pacific Accreditation Co-operation (PAC) as well as collaboration at a senior level with a variety of these organizations, most notably ISO and the IAF.

Mike James will continue as the Managing Director of LRQA.