Jennifer Evans is the new chair of the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC), the largest regional body to represent and manage a global mutual recognition arrangement (MRA).
Evans has been the CEO at the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) for 11 years, and involved in the accreditation and quality infrastructure sector for more than 35 years.
Evans said, “With a membership of more than 50 accreditation bodies from economies in the Asia Pacific region including the USA, Canada, China, India, and Australia, APAC has a significant role to play at the global level that is reflective of its geographic size and dollar value to global trade.
“I’m delighted to elected chair of APAC and to continue to advocate and promote the role and value of accreditation services to a very diverse range of stakeholders, industry bodies and consumers across one of the biggest regions.”
APAC was established in 2019 by the amalgamation of two former regional accreditation cooperations – the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC). APAC is recognised by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
The MRA facilitates the acceptance of assessment results (test reports, test certificates, inspection reports, and certification) across the region and with other regions around the world.
That means it reduces the need to undertake duplicate testing, inspection, or certification, and therefore saves time and money, increases economic efficiency and helps international trade.
