Ellen O'Kane Tauscher has been named the independent chair of its board of directors by a group of leading retailers and brands who make up the North American Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. The Alliance also said it has been joined by three more companies namely Costco, Intradeco Apparel and Jordache Enterprises, bringing the total to 20 apparel companies, retailers and brands.   With the new members, more than $45 million has been committed to administer the programmes developed by the Alliance over the next five years to help improve factory safety conditions for garment workers in Bangladesh.

The Alliance expects to announce the selection of its operating team, including the executive director for the program this September. Tauscher has worked for the US Department of State. She was appointed by President Barack Obama as under-secretary of state for arms control and international affairs, serving in the role from 2009-2012.

"The respect Tauscher has earned in Congress, the State Department, and the private sector will serve her well in the role as an independent leader and convener who can work with Alliance members and governments to pursue the critical safety mission and aggressive implementation schedule," said Ambassador James Moriarty, an Alliance board member and former US Ambassador to Bangladesh.

The board also includes three other stakeholder representatives, including Mohammad Atiqul Islam, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturing and Exporters Association (BGMEA); Randy Tucker, global leader of the fire protection and safety team at CCRD, a Houston-based engineering firm; and Muhammad Rumee Ali, managing director of enterprises at BRAC, the international NGO founded in Bangladesh.