Press Release

Josh Floum passes Earth Island leadership roles to Francisco Martinez and Ariela St Pierre

Berkeley, CA (January 14, 2025) — After eight years of leadership, Josh Floum has stepped down as chair of Earth Island’s Board of Directors (effective January 1, 2025). During his tenure, Earth Island experienced significant growth, doubling in size, adding a legal division, and modernizing governance practices. Under Floum’s guidance, the organization also successfully navigated its first executive director transition. A dedicated advocate for the planet for over 35 years, Floum first served as lead trial counsel for the International Marine Mammal Project in their groundbreaking lawsuits to end dolphin-killing fishing practices. His legal expertise also advanced efforts to protect sea turtles, release whales and orcas from captivity, protect marine mammals from harmful navy sonar, end warm wastewater discharge from the San Onofre Nuclear Plant, and hold global plastic polluters accountable. Though stepping down as chair, Floum will continue to serve on the board.

Following this transition, Francisco Martinez and Ariela St. Pierre, are now leading in new capacities on the Earth Island Board of Directors. Martinez, formerly vice chair, will play a more prominent role as the chair. St. Pierre will now serve as vice chair.

Martinez served on the Earth Island Institute Board for two years as vice chair and almost eight years as a board member. He has overseen the Finance and Development Committee and led the Succession Planning Committee, which managed the organization’s first executive director transition in 2023.

“It’s been a privilege serving as Board President,” Floum said. “Earth Island is in great shape, and it is time to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.”

Martinez is an impact investing and philanthropic strategy specialist with extensive experience helping corporations, foundations, nonprofit organizations, families, and individuals structure their giving and maximize their impact. He most recently served as the director of Giving & Advocacy Operations at Genentech, spent six years at BNP Paribas as vice president of Impact Solutions in the Wealth Management division, served as associate director of managed organizations at Arabella Advisors, lead for business operations at Amplifier Strategies, and as an advisor at Tides.

Martinez grew up in San Salvador, El Salvador, and has a dual bachelor’s degree in economics and East Asian studies from Harvard University. He is also a trained vocalist. In addition to his native Spanish, he is fluent in English and speaks conversational Japanese.

St. Pierre served on the Earth Island Institute Board for seven years as a board member and has overseen the Governance and Nominating Committee, as well as serving as an active member on the Finance and Development and Litigation Approval Committees.

“The Board is extremely appreciative of Josh’s leadership and we are glad he has chosen to stay on as a director,” stated Martinez. “I have learned a lot from Josh; I am humbled to step in for him and continue to serve the organization by assuming this increased responsibility.”

St. Pierre most recently served as the senior vice president, deputy corporate secretary, and governance counsel for Bank of the West, part of BNP Paribas S.A. From 2010 to 2015 she was the senior vice president, chief governance counsel, and corporate secretary of Visa Inc., having previously served as associate general counsel and assistant corporate secretary of the company since 2005.

St. Pierre was a litigator for over eight years, representing companies and NGOs in commercial, antitrust, and environmental litigation and appeals. This included the successful, multi-year litigation with Floum on behalf of Earth Island Institute against the Department of Commerce and National Marine Fisheries Service (Brower v. Daley), regarding their failure to follow laws to protect dolphins. She also sought to protect endangered sea turtles harmed during shrimp harvesting, on behalf of the Turtle Island Restoration Network, ASPCA, the Humane Society, and Sierra Club (Turtle Island Restoration Network v. Evans).