Arlington, VA, August 17, 2005 - The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) has named Steven J. Cole incoming president and CEO of the CBBB.
Mr. Cole is currently senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of the CBBB. He will assume leadership of the organization in October, following the departure of Kenneth J. Hunter. Mr. Hunter has accepted the opportunity to head a philanthropic business venture.
"Steve Cole has the experience, vision and commitment to BBB ideals to be a successful leader and enthusiastic champion of the BBB's mission, in the United States, as well as the international arena," said Tom Ryan, who chairs the CBBB Board of Directors.
In addition to heading the Council's Legal Department and coordinating government affairs activities, Mr. Cole has played a major role in the BBB's initiatives to encourage consumer trust and confidence in the online marketplace and has successfully steered the Council's international activities for several years.
Mr. Ryan thanked Ken Hunter for his leadership the past six years, noting that many innovative programs were launched during his tenure, including the BBB Wise Giving Alliance charity seal program, BBB MILITARY LINE, cross-border dispute resolution programs, the BBB Advertising Pledge Program and working partnerships with the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Commerce and other agencies here and abroad to address issues impacting trust in the marketplace.
"Steve Cole will no doubt build on these successes, continuing to expand the breadth and value of the services the BBB system provides to consumers, businesses and charities," according to the CBBB Board Chair.
About Steve Cole
Steve Cole first joined the Council of Better Business Bureaus in 1987. His present position is senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. He is also general counsel to the National Advertising Review Board, the U.S. advertising industry's voluntary self-regulation program.
A widely acknowledged expert in Internet consumer confidence and privacy issues, Mr. Cole is frequently invited to speak at international conferences. He was instrumental in the founding and growth of BBBOnLine, the BBB's "trustmark" program launched in 1996 to provide businesses and consumers with tools to encourage a trustworthy online marketplace. Two years ago, he founded the Global Trustmark Alliance, whose members include BBBOnLine and other online trustmark programs in Europe, Asia and South America.
For several years, he has led the BBB system's international activities. Through his efforts, the CBBB granted an operating license to Romania's Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is expected to become operational later this year, and he is involved in ongoing discussions to license use of the BBB name in other countries.
Mr. Cole co-chairs the US delegation to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) work groups developing international standards for codes of conduct and dispute resolution. He has served on Federal Trade Commission advisory committees on dispute resolution and Internet privacy and security, and as a private sector representative to the E-Commerce Experts Committee for the Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations.
From 1983-1987, Mr. Cole was director of consumer and investor affairs in the Maryland Attorney General's Office where he was responsible for both the Consumer Protection and Securities Divisions. He has also held positions with the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare and the Center of Social Welfare Policy and Law.
He is a graduate of the Columbia Law School, where he was an editor of the Law Review. He is a member of the New York, Maryland and District of Columbia Bars, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mr. Cole serves on the board of the American National Standards Institute and the Hyde Public Charter Leadership School.
Mr. Cole is married to Adele Blong and has one child, Bobby.
About the CBBB
Founded in 1970, the CBBB is the national organization for Better Business Bureaus. Through the network of BBBs in the United States and Canada, and its membership of 275 national corporations, the CBBB provides voluntary self-regulation and consumer and business education programs, including national and cross-border dispute resolution, national advertising review, BBBOnLine trustmark programs, BBB Wise Giving Alliance charity review and BBB MILITARY LINE. Since the founding of the first BBB in 1912, the Better Business Bureau system has grown to become the most recognized advocate for promoting ethical marketplace business and advertising practices, providing more than 60 million instances of service to consumers and businesses in 2004.