On 24 October 2020, Peter Muir became the new President of the UIAA. Muir, elected during the federation’s first ever online General Assembly, is the UIAA’s 14th President (including two Acting Presidents) and the second from Canada.

Peter’s association with the UIAA began in 2014 from when he sat on the Management Committee eventually becoming Continental Representative for North America. He became part of the EB in 2018, initially as General Secretary and then as Treasurer prior to his election as President.

His association with the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) stretches back to 1986 when he joined his local section in Manitoba. A member of the ACC’s national executive committee from 1996 to 2016, Peter held in succession the positions of co Vice–President Activities, Vice-President Access and Environment, Secretary and President.

In his professional career, based in Winnipeg, Canada Peter has practiced law for over thirty years mostly as a commercial lawyer.

Outdoors, as well as his work as a soccer coach, he enjoys traditional rock climbing, backcountry, resort and cross-country skiing, mountaineering, hiking and biking. Peter has received a number of climbing related awards including the Order of the Buffalo-Hut Mantioba in 1992 for the first ascent of Mount Manitoba and in 2015 the AAC’s Wheeler Legacy Award, the highest honour given by the club to its members for outstanding and varied contributions over the years.

Elected to the EB in 2020, Amit Chowdhury has amassed a formidable body of work as a member of the mountaineering community over the last 45 years.

Amit has acted as climber, instructor and administrator, developing knowledge both in technical training and management consultancy. He has served the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, holding the positions of Honorary Secretary (2011-2013), Vice-President (2013-2017) and since 2017, as Chairman of the Mountaineering Steering Committee.

Amit acted as President of the UIAA Safety Commission from 2017 to 2020 and previously was on the UIAA Management Committee.

He has significant climbing experience, having led the successful expedition to Mt Jogin in 1980 and has climbed extensively in the Himalayas, including expeditions to Kamet (7756m) and Satopanth (7075m).

Having graduated from Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 1976, Amit was commissioned in the Indian Air Force. Upon leaving the IAF, Amit established his own Management Consultancy practice and has since been a passionate advocate of mountain safety.

Amit became UIAA Vice President in 2023.

Lode Beckers was elected to the EB in 2019, becoming General Secretary shortly after. He was re-elected in 2023. Over the course of his career, Lode has developed broad knowledge and experience within the world of investment banking, risk management and business strategy.

Born in Boorsem, Belgium, Lode graduated from the University of Leuven with degrees in Law and Political Science. He went on to enjoy a distinguished career with Citibank from 1969-1996 as a prominent banking expert for the construction and engineering and agribusiness and food industries.

Upon leaving Citibank, Lode established LOBO N.V. an advisory and equity investment firm in 1996, where he still serves as Chairman. Lode has served as a member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Belgium and on the Board of Trustees of SITE Foundation.

Since 1991 he has been a member of the Belgium Alpine Club and has served as a member of the Board of Directors since 2005. In parallel with his role as General Secretary, Beckers is also part of a number of the EB’s Working Groups including those dedicated to External Relations, Finance and Communication.

In October 2020, Françoise Jaquet was elected to the UIAA Executive Board as Treasurer. Françoise became President of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) in 2013 and has sat on the UIAA Management Committee for six years until her election to the EB.

Having served as President of of the largest and most historic federations in the UIAA, Françoise has amassed vast experience in management, mountaineering, as well as through her professional career. Françoise has been a member of the SAC since 1987. From 2007-2011 she served as President of the SAC Moléson Section. In 2014, she became a member of the Foundation Board of the Swiss Alpine Rescue (SAR), before becoming Vice-President in 2016.

In her spare time, Françoise enjoys ski-Alpinism and has travelled extensively, mountaineering and trekking across the globe. She has successfully climbed both Mont-Blanc and Cotopaxi.

Françoise obtained a degree in natural sciences and in her professional career has spent over 30 years involved in the clinical development of new medicinal products, acting as the Head of Division Clinical Trials for Swissmedic.

Simon Alden, founder of the Malta Climbing Club (MCC) in 2010, joined the Executive Board in October 2023.

Simon has been an active rock climber for over 30 years. He has climbed extensively across Europe. In 2011, Alden organised Malta’s first bouldering competition, along with weekly climbing meets, clean-ups and climbing workshops.

In 2016, he facilitated a Kids Zone section of the MCC with the aim of introducing climbing to children at an early age. In 2019, the first Maltese youth participants took part in a climbing competition overseas.

He was a founder member of EUMA in 2018 and continues to work on establishing training and certification for climbers and instructors in Malta.

In his professional career, Malta works as General Manager for an electronics manufacturing company he established in 2004.

Before joining the EB, he was a member of the UIAA Management Committee from 2019 to 2023.

Martín Lascano González was elected to the UIAA Executive Board in 2020.

Martín’s association with the UIAA stretches back to 2008 when he became a member of the UIAA Safety Commission (2008-2016). From 2016 he has sat on the UIAA Management Committee as Central and South American representative. The following year he was elected on to the Board of Directors of the Panamanian Council of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC). González served as General Secretary of the Federación Argentina de Ski y Andinismo (FASA) from 2010-2018.

He graduated as an Industrial Designer form the University of Buenos Aires in 1998, before moving to the city of Bariloche to further his passion for mountaineering.

He has climbed extensively throughout the Argentine and Chilean Patagonia, the Peruvian Andes as well as across Europe. Martín has considerable experience teaching rock and climbing courses and has developed and led Wilderness First Responder courses since 2007. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience in emergency training and risk management which he utilises in his professional career as the CEO of Expertia Capacita.

Yongfeng Wang was elected onto the Executive Board in October 2023.

He previously sat on the EB from 2015-2019.

A full profile and photo of Yongfeng Wang will be published shortly.