Sustainability Conference Speakers

 

Meet this year's speakers.

 

Libby Bernick, Global Head of Corporate Business; Trucost - S&P Dow Jones Indices

Libby is the Global Head of Corporate Business for Trucost, part of S&P Dow Jones Indices. Trucost assesses and prices risks relating to climate change, natural resource constraints and broader ESG factors, enabling companies and financial institutions to understand exposure to ESG factors, build more resilient business models, and identify transformative solutions.

 

Libby is responsible for global new product development, research and sales activities for Trucost corporate programs, including Trucost valuation data and analytical tools, impact analysis of bonds, and company ESG disclosure to investors. She has been a strategic advisor to global multinational corporations, development banks, investors, and foundations on sustainability issues. She has worked for over 25 years integrating sustainability information into business decision-making, and has led the development and implementation of numerous decision-support tools and programs. Prior to joining Trucost, Libby was Vice President, Sustainability Services for Underwriter's Laboratory; previous roles included executive positions developing and commercializing greener products, serving as an environmental manager in a manufacturing facility, and managing water and air pollution programs at the US EPA.

 

Libby holds a M.A.S. in Civil (Environmental) Engineering and a B.A. in Chemistry and Biology, is a licensed Professional Engineer and LEED AP accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council.

 

Helle Bank Jørgensen, CEO; B.Accountability

Ms. Bank Jorgensen brings over 25 years of experience advising Boards, leading global companies, investors, governmental and non-governmental institutions, such as Unilever, IKEA, Nike, Lego, Novozymes, Danske Bank, Novo Nordisk, Shell, Pfizer, Monsanto, the Danish Government and the EU on strategy and reporting. She has also advised many companies, the IFC, the World Bank Group, and SIDA on Responsible Global Supply Chains and Natural Capital Accounting, and is a global board facilitator for the world's largest network of responsible businesses. She is now very involved in SDG Reporting and alignment to other reporting frameworks and standards.

 

She was the creator of the world's first Green Account and later the world's first Integrated Report and first holistic supply chain program. She is the principal organizer for the CEO/Investor-network for Business Ethics and Non-Financial Reporting and has led the CDP-report of the S&P 500 and Improvement of DJSI ranking and investor communication for global and US companies. Further, she was the first in North America to receive Certificate of Achievement for passing the GRI G4 Exam.

 

She serves at His Royal Highness Prince of Wales Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Expert Panel; as chair of eRevalue; at the Release Council for the Future-Fit Business Benchmark; at Cornerstone Capital Global Advisory Council; and is a renowned speaker at leading conferences in North America and Europe. She is the author of many thought-leading articles and books about sustainability, climate change, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the roles and responsibilities of Board members. This includes the featured article “Stability through Sustainability” published by West Point - The United States Military Academy. Further she has been interviewed by Bloomberg and Forbes and Financial Times.

 

Prior to living in Canada, she lived in Denmark and the US, where for 11 years she was a partner with PwC, leading the sustainability and climate change practice. She was appointed as the UN Special Adviser to the Global Compact in 2013 and is also the Founder and CEO of B.Accountability, a certified Woman-Owned business.

 

Carlos Busquets, Director of Public Policy and Stakeholder Engagement; Electronics Industry Coalition (EICC)

Carlos brings over 12 years of global public policy experience with a focus on sustainability, climate change, international trade and investment. He has a diverse background having worked in both the public and private sector, including helping lead policy advocacy for the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris and as a former international trade negotiator at the US Department of Commerce. He has an MA from the School of International Service at American University and speaks English, Spanish and French.

 

William Chernicoff, Senior Manager Global Research & Innovation - Toyota Mobility Foundation; Toyota Motor North America Inc.

Dr. Chernicoff leads efforts at Toyota in technology policy and communication, providing key input into their North American strategy and direction. His work includes analyzing sustainability, climate change, and energy impacts of technology development and deployment coupled with energy and environmental policy on Toyota’s North American vehicle and technology mix. Externally, he chairs the ITS- America Sustainability Forum’s Vehicle, Fuels, & Infrastructure Working Group, the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association’s Transportation Working Group, and is on the KU Transportation Research Institute’s advisory board.

 

Prior to joining Toyota in 2009, Dr. Chernicoff served as the hydrogen and alternative fuel program manager in US DOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration. His work focused on hydrogen and alternative fuel technology safety, development, demonstration, & deployment, and climate change mitigation.

 

Dr. Chernicoff earned a Bachelor of Science degree in materials science and engineering at M.I.T., a Master of Science in manufacturing engineering from Boston Unversity, and his Doctorate in systems engineering and engineering management at George Washington University.

 

Lauren Cope, ESG Analyst; Bloomberg L.P.

Lauren Cope is an ESG Analyst at Bloomberg. She works directly with the ESG data set and integrated Bloomberg Terminal product, developing analytics and engaging with investors and corporations on disclosure and use of ESG data in investment and corporate strategy. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Lauren worked on sustainable finance at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and on global health policy at USAID. She holds a Master's degree in Finance & Economic Policy from Columbia University and a B.S. in International Politics from Georgetown University.

 

Betty Cremmins, Director, CDP West; CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)

Betty Cremmins is director of CDP west at the Carbon Disclosure Project and has an extensive background in green building and environmental policy. She has experienced firsthand the extent of environmental degradation and climate change in the United States and around the world, assisting scientists studying glaciers melting in Antarctica, rebuilding homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and teaching rural women basic sewing and hygiene skills in sub-Saharan Africa. She has pedaled her bicycle across America to benefit affordable housing, and led the construction of 17 units of energy-efficient affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity New York City.

 

She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from New York University, a Masters in Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, and is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP).

 

Stu Dalheim, Vice President, Shareholder Advocacy; Calvert

Mr. Dalheim leads Calvert's shareholder advocacy program, which seeks to improve corporate environmental, social and governance performance through direct dialogue, standard-setting exercises and partnerships, and public policy. Mr. Dalheim has focused on corporate governance, transparency and environmental issues and works with policy makers and regulators to advance the interests of sustainable and responsible investors. He serves on the board of Bethesda Green, the UNEP FI Investment Commission Board and is a member of the Corporate Governance Advisory Council of the Council of Institutional Investors.

 

Mr. Dalheim earned a BA in philosophy from Wesleyan University and is a LEED accredited professional.

 

Holly Emerson, Senior Analyst, Product Stewardship; Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability; Ingersoll-Rand plc

Holly Emerson focuses on long-term strategy development and execution; materiality and risk management; and defining and implementing metrics for operating and innovating in the green space. Her efforts help guide Ingersoll Rand product development and product stewardship. She also collaborates with the Global Integrated Supply Chain group to integrate sustainability into supplier quality and compliance programs. Emerson's external reporting expertise and knowledge has helped the company achieve listing on the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America Indices and the CDP Climate Change Disclosure Leadership Index.

 

Emerson began her career as product engineer in the pump industry with Ingersoll-Dresser Pumps. She joined Ingersoll Rand in 2002 as a market development manager for the renewable markets in the company's microturbine business. She has also been involved in enterprise sales and marketing where she benchmarked sustainability best practices among peer companies and helped launch the company's first sales initiative for green products.

 

She is a member of the GreenBiz Executive Network and Charlotte U.S. Green Building Council and is LEED accredited professional. Emerson has served on the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Advisory Council and the National Science Foundation's Industry/University Collaborative Research Center's Sustainably Integrated Buildings and Sites Industry Advisory Board, on which she was the inaugural chair. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Katie Schmitz Eulitt, Strategic Advisor Stakeholder Outreach; SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board)

Katie Schmitz Eulitt has been exploring and making the business case for sustainable development for over 15 years. Her industry experience is wide-ranging and includes: finance; oil and gas; electric power; renewable energy; fine arts, and; public relations. She has lived and worked in 9 countries on 4 continents. Katie earned her B.A. in Japanese at UC Berkeley, an MBA from Institut Européen d‘Administration des Affaires (INSEAD, France), and a certificate in Sustainable Management from the Presidio Graduate School. Katie is a board member of the Orange County Sustainability Collaborative. Her children and husband teach her some of life's greatest lessons.

 

Taylor Gelsinger, Research Analyst; NAEM

Taylor Gelsinger has been with NAEM since 2013. She executes NAEM's research program, specializing in a range of EHS and sustainability topics, including: compliance, environmental information management systems, corporate responsibility reporting, materiality, metrics and professional development. Taylor graduated with a Master of Environmental Management degree in environmental economics and policy from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University.

 

Jennifer Gerholdt, Senior Director of Sustainability and Circular Economy Programs; US Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Jennifer Gerholdt is the Senior Director of Sustainability and Circular Economy Programs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center. In her role, Jennifer directs high quality programming for business leaders to help them maximize their positive contributions to society's challenges. This includes developing and executing the strategy for CCC's engagement with the private sector on issues including the circular economy, the energy-water-food nexus, and water stewardship. Jennifer directs CCC's signature sustainability conference, workshops, trainings, roundtables, business delegation tours, case study reports, and research.

 

Prior to CCC, Jennifer was Senior Manager of Conservation International's Business & Sustainability Council (BSC), a forum for influential companies that are committed to business and environmental leadership. In her role Jennifer managed corporate partnerships, planned and executed BSC's annual event and oversaw delivery of additional membership benefits, and directed BSC marketing and communications efforts.

 

Prior to Conservation International, Jennifer was the Program Officer with WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network-North America program, working with global companies including Avon, Capital One, Domtar, Johnson & Johnson and Tetra Pak on responsible wood and paper sourcing issues. In her role, Jennifer assisted these companies in understanding the sources of their forest products, developing and implementing responsible purchasing policies, and increasing the proportion of credibly certified material in their supply chains. Jennifer also managed special projects and events, communications products, research and reporting.

 

Prior to WWF, Jennifer served as the Outreach Coordinator for Green America's Better Paper Project, providing technical assistance and expertise to U.S. magazine industry leaders to help them incorporate credibly certified and post-consumer recycled content sources into their magazines to drive responsible paper industry best practices.

 

Jennifer previously served as a Member, Board of Directors, of the U.S. Water Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to advance holistic, watershed based-solutions surrounding complex water sustainability issues.

 

Jennifer holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy from The Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from New Mexico State University.

 

Joan Giuliani, Environmental and Sustainability Engineer; MillerCoors

Joan got her degree in Environmental Engineering at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, Michigan. After college she worked at two consulting companies (Arcadis and ENSR) and earned her Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). She began her career with MillerCoors in 2005 as an intern in corporate before transitioning to the brewery as the Environmental Coordinator in 2007. While at MillerCoors Joan has help install the green roof on building 35 in 2009 with grant money from MMSD. In 2013 she was the leader of the Brewery Fuel, Energy, Water, Emissions, Reduction Team (FEWER) and helped the brewery reduce its water usage by 13% and energy reduction by 4% from 2012. The Brewery became landfill free in the end of 2014 and reduced the trash by 62 tons or 124,420 pounds from 2013 to 2014. Joan is currently working on the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) certification for the Milwaukee Brewery. Which MillerCoors will be the first brewery in the world to accomplish this certification.

 

Carter Hanson, Senior Manager Environmental Affairs & Sustainability; Smithfield Foods Inc.

Carter Hanson has worked in the environmental arena for 20 years. He has experience as a consultant, facility environmental manager and currently in corporate environmental oversight for Smithfield Foods, Packaged Meats Division. He holds an MS in Environmental Management from Ball State University and BS in Environmental Health from Indiana State University. He started his career working in the hot metal industry, then shifted to automotive manufacturing and now food manufacturing. He also served as an Army Reservist retiring after 23 years. During his military career he became an Environmental Science Officer working on projects for the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center as well as the US Army Public Health Command. His passion is industrial sustainability and helping facilities embrace the economic advantages as well as risk reduction that sustainability offers our ever shrinking world.

 

Matt Howard, Vice President; Alliance for Water Stewardship - North America

Matt oversees The Water Council’s sustainability and stewardship initiatives which focus on rolling out the Alliance for Water Stewardship’s International Water Stewardship Standard in North America. Matt has ten years in sustainability program development and management including five years as Milwaukee’s Sustainability Director. Matt came to Milwaukee from Washington, DC where he worked at the U.S. Department of Commerce and spent time as a staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has an MA from George Washington University and a BA from Valparaiso University. He is a LEED and Lean Six Sigma accredited professional and currently serves on the EPA’s National Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology.

 

Rachelle Jackson, Director; Arche Advisors

Rachelle Jackson has nearly two decades experience working on labor, human rights and traceability issues in global supply chains. In this time, she has worked in over 80 countries and conducted more than 1,500 compliance assessments across a range of industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, food processing and extractives. Ms. Jackson has worked with Fortune 500 companies and industry initiatives on such issues as CSR policy development, code of conduct implementation and monitoring protocols. Ms. Jackson has led field assessments with multi-national corporations and NGOs focusing on child labor and forced labor in agriculture in Latin America, Africa and Asia as well as projects examining migrant worker vulnerabilities in the Caribbean, Asia and Mid-East. She recently served on the USDA Consultative Group to Eliminate Child Labor and Forced Labor on Imported Agricultural Products. She is currently a member of the United Nations Global Compact Advisory Group on Supply Chain Sustainability and the Outdoor Industry Association's Down Traceability Task force. Rachelle has conducted over 30 corporate trainings, vendor seminars and supplier trainings in more than 10 countries covering issues such as human trafficking, social auditing and code compliance. She has been a featured speaker on social compliance and human rights at conferences in the US, Europe, Latin America and Asia. She has published numerous articles and contributed to book compilations on supply chain labor standards and social compliance. She has an MA in CSR, Social Auditing and Accountability from the Universitat de Barcelona.

 

Alan Kao, Principal and Global Service Line Leader for Compliance, Strategy and Transaction Services; Ramboll Environ Inc.
Alan Kao is a Principal and Compliance, Strategy and Transaction (CST) Global Service Line Leader, overseeing due diligence, corporate advisory and sustainability services for the acquisition, operation, growth and sale of companies and properties. He has more than 20 years of experience in compliance auditing, strategic regulatory compliance assistance, permitting, air monitoring, pollution control engineering and environmental due diligence for mergers and acquisitions. Alan has conducted or managed EHS compliance audits, risk management plan (RMP) and process safety management (PSM) reviews, as well as Phase I environmental site assessments at over 1,000 industrial, manufacturing and commercial facilities to assess the potential for significant environmental liabilities. He has also assisted companies in identifying and addressing post-merger integration challenges. Alan has provided strategic and technical support to industrial clients for negotiations with state and federal environmental agencies, state attorney general offices and local health departments for enforcement actions involving multimedia environmental compliance issues, including alleged violations of CAA, CWA, RCRA, EPCRA and OSHA’s PSM standard. He also completed numerous projects involving enforcement actions and response to Notices of Violation (NOVs). Alan has developed - and overseen the implementation of - necessary measures to bring facilities into compliance with permit conditions and regulatory requirements.

 

Bob Laux, North American Lead; International Integrated Reporting Council (IRCC)

Bob Laux is the North American Lead for the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The IIRC is a global coalition of regulators, investors, companies, standard setters, the accounting profession and NGOs promoting communication about value creation as the next step in the evolution of corporate reporting. Prior to joining the IIRC, Bob spent 16 years at Microsoft Corporation, most recently as the Treasury Controller. Prior to joining Microsoft in 2000, Bob was an Industry Fellow at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) where he was responsible for coordinating the activities of the Emerging Issues Task Force. Prior to joining the FASB, Bob spent eight years at General Motors. He has a B.A. in Accounting from Michigan State University along with an MBA from the University of Houston.

 

Alexis Ludwig-Vogen, Director, Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability; Best Buy Co. Inc.

Alexis Ludwig-Vogen is the director of corporate responsibility and sustainability for Best Buy Co., Inc., a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services. In this role, Alexis oversees the company’s environmental strategy and programs, including advancing sustainable products, reducing carbon footprint, and complying with environmental laws and regulations. Prior to Best Buy, Alexis was a manager at Accenture in business process and technology consulting. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley. Currently, Alexis serves on the board of the Minnesota Land Trust and resides in Mendota Heights with her husband and three daughters.

 

James McCall, Global Product Supply Sustainability Leader; Procter & Gamble Co.

As the Global Product Supply Sustainability Leader at P&G, James McCall leads the integration of sustainable manufacturing processes across the end-to-end supply chain. In his current role, he is responsible for ensuring P&G's more than 150+ facilities around the world reduce their environmental footprint within energy, climate, water, waste and transportation. James has more than 20 years of experience across engineering, manufacturing and business development at P&G including roles within Family Care (Bounty/Charmin), Pet Care (Iams/Eukanuba) and Connect & Develop (open innovation/know-how licensing).  His most recent contribution to the Company's environmental goals is leading the startup of the $200MM+ Albany Biomass combined heat and power facility that is P&G largest renewable energy partnership to date. James received his BS in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University and lives outside Charlotte, NC with his wife and two children.

 

Anne Munaretto, Manager, Sustainability Services; Ernst & Young

Anne is a manager in Ernst & Young LLP’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice based in Chicago. Anne has more than seven years of experience working with global public and private companies to measure and manage environmental, social and governance risks, opportunities and impacts. Prior to joining the Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice, she joined the firm in 2009 in the Risk Advisory practice, bringing with her experiences in internal auditing, financial auditing and assessments of controls.

 

Anne been working for the past two years on a project with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) to understand and address concerns that sustainability issues are not being adequately incorporated into a business’s risk management, decision making processes and investor disclosures. Additionally, Anne leads a variety of other client projects, ranging from assessing environmental, health and safety risks in the global supply chain to measuring companies’ societal impacts.

 

Anne holds a B.S. in Accountancy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), licensed in Illinois.

 

Michael K. Murphy, Executive Director, Product Compliance, Environmental Affairs and Producer Responsibility; Dell Inc.

Michael is Executive Director of Global Product Compliance, Environmental Affairs & Producer Responsibility for Dell Inc. In this role, he is responsible for leading operations of Dell’s global team of regulations/standards engineers, strategic planning of global regulations and standards engagement, and overseeing Dell’s Design for Environment program. He provides global governance for environmental, regulatory, and safety compliance of all Dell products. He has a passion for increasing Dell’s sustainable product and packaging leadership across its entire portfolio, and is one of the primary authors of Dell’s annual Corporate Responsibility report (http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/cr.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=corp). He regularly engages customers on the sustainability value proposition of Information Communications Technology.

 

Michael has been with Dell, Inc. for sixteen years and held diverse leadership positions in global operations, program management, engineering, regulatory compliance, and environmental affairs.

 

Prior to joining Dell, he served in the United States Army as an officer in the Corps of Engineers and Army Acquisition Corps, where he led a variety of combat engineering and procurement organizations. After active duty, he served as the Director of Contracting for the Texas Army National Guard. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point, is a DAWIA Certified Contracting Officer, holds a TS-SCI Clearance, and has a Masters in Sustainable Business from Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

 

He is a board member of Keep Austin Beautiful, a Strategic Advisory Council member of SPLC, and manages Dell’s board relationships with of The Sustainability Consortium, GEC-EPEAT, TGG, HDPUG, ITIC-ELC, Digital Europe, USITO, MAIT, and iNEMI.

 

James Margolis, Partner; Environmental Resources Management (ERM)

James Margolis is a Partner with Environmental Resources Management's (ERM). He has over 20 years of management consulting experience assisting multinational companies in optimizing their environmental, health, safety and sustainability (EHS&S) programs and obtaining additional business value through improved EHS&S management.

 

Diane Martel, Vice President, Environmental Planning and Strategy TNA - Marketing; Tarkett

Diane Martel is Vice President of Environmental Planning and Strategy for Tarkett North America, responsible for driving the company's sustainable messaging, programs, initiatives, education, training and industry awareness. As Vice President of Environmental Planning and Strategy, Martel serves as an internal and external spokesperson working with all divisions of Tarkett North America to develop and implement an environmental strategy and action plan and to ensure message penetration across the industry.

 

Martel's career with the Tarkett Group began in 1988 when she joined its Domco business. During this time, she worked in several facets of marketing and later assumed the position of Vice President of Marketing with responsibilities in product development, marketing, merchandising and installation services. In 2003, Martel became actively involved in Tarkett's sustainable initiatives, spearheading the development of the company's ReUse/restart™ program which was designed to address the recycling of product samples, installation waste and installed flooring materials in the commercial market. Martel also worked with the company's product development team to redesign existing products to reduce LLC, promote material health and introduce new environmentally friendly products such as SpraySmart, a VOC-free adhesive that reduces installation time, and Smart Pad, created to reduce chemicals and help maintain floors.

 

Martel is a member of the Resilient Floor Covering Institute (RFCI) for Tarkett. She is also a member of the NSF-332 committee for developing a sustainable product standard and ASTM E-60 on sustainability. She holds three bachelor's degrees in education, arts and marketing from Montreal University and the University of Quebec. Martel has written white papers on topics such as recycled content and chain of custody as well as health and wellbeing in spaces. Martel was part of the committee that developed the Floors Score certification. She is currently serving on the AAFA Certification Client Council.

 

Melissa Nandi, Vice President Law, Compliance Officer; Rockwell Automation Inc.

Melissa Nandi is vice president, law, and chief compliance officer for Rockwell Automation. She is responsible for the design and implementation of the Ethics and Compliance Program and acts as an independent and objective body to review and evaluate compliance issues. She manages the company's litigation, and her team proactively works to reduce liability risk and drive efficiencies into litigation management. She also oversees the Environmental, Health & Safety and Product Safety functions, which help advance the company's sustainability and quality initiatives. Prior to her current role, Melissa was the commercial lawyer for the Architecture & Software business segment. She is based in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

 

Before joining Rockwell Automation in 2006, Melissa spent eight years at the law firm Jones Day. Her practice included litigation and corporate criminal investigations, primarily with the United States Department of Justice and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as competition law enforcement agencies in Europe, Canada and Australia.

 

Melissa received her B.A., magna cum laude, from St. Bonaventure University and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Albany Law School.

 

Amy Perlmutter, Principal; Perlmutter Associates and Project Lead, Mainstreaming; Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3)

Amy Perlmutter is an independent consultant whose practice includes strategy, stakeholder engagement, communications, and facilitation to build the green economy. Amy is part of the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3) Team, where she manages a variety of projects, including the Mainstreaming Green Chemistry Initiative, and assists with organizing of the annual GC3 Innovators Roundtable. Prior to consulting, Amy was the founding director of the Chelsea Center for Recycling and Economic Development, working with businesses, researchers, and government to increase the use of recyclable materials in manufacturing processes in Massachusetts. She also served as the Director of Recycling for the City of San Francisco, and the Director of Solid Waste for Passaic County, New Jersey.

 

Katherine Pickus, Head of Global Citizenship; Abbott

Katherine Pickus is divisional vice president, Sustainability Insights and Outreach at Abbott, overseeing the global healthcare company's sustainability initiatives and reporting. Working together with Abbott business leaders, Katherine oversees efforts to maximize the positive impact of Abbott's business in helping people build better lives and stronger communities, while strengthening our business through shared value and reducing our impact on the environment.

 

Prior to joining Abbott, Katherine served as the Special Assistant for National Security Affairs to the Vice President of the United States, focused on advancing development and U.S. relations in sub-Saharan Africa.

 

Katherine began her career at the U.S. Department of State, working with the private sector to advance democratic institution-building programs worldwide. In 1993, she was selected by the United Nations to serve as an election monitor for the first-ever democratic elections held in the Republic of South Africa.
Katherine is a member of the Southeast Asia Advisory Committee at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, where she also served as a member of the Executive Council on Development. In addition, she serves as a member of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council, which focuses on advancing the status of women in Afghanistan. Katherine speaks extensively at conferences and events focused on sustainability, shared value, corporate responsibility, and global health and development.

 

Dawn Rittenhouse, Director of Sustainable Development; DuPont Co.

Dawn Rittenhouse is director of Sustainable Development for the DuPont Company. Ms. Rittenhouse joined DuPont in 1980 and has held positions in Technical Service, Sales, Marketing, and Product Management within the Packaging and Industrial Polymers business and Crop Protection businesses. In late 1997, she began working in the corporate organization to assist DuPont businesses in integrating sustainability strategies into their strategy and business management processes. She leads DuPont's efforts at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the United Nations Global Compact.  She also manages the corporate recognition program for Sustainable Growth Excellence. In 2007 she picked up responsibility for DuPont's efforts on climate change. In 2001 and 2002 Ms. Rittenhouse served a co-chair of the Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) working group that developed the SD Planner?. She has also co-chaired the WBCSD working groups on Energy and Climate, Innovation and Technology and Sustainability through the Market. She is currently sits on the Education Committee of the Delaware Nature Society and is on the Sustainability Council at Penn State's Smeal College of Business. Ms. Rittenhouse has a double major in Chemistry and Economics from Duke University. Ms. Rittenhouse and her son live in Wilmington, Delaware. When Ms. Rittenhouse is not being a taxi service to school, lacrosse and soccer activities, she loves photography and is a runner. 

 

Steve Rochlin, Co-CEO; IO Sustainability LLC

Steve Rochlin is co-Founder and co-CEO of IO Sustainability. IO (Impacts and Outcomes for Sustainable Development) identifies strategic solutions for private, public, and civil sector organizations that maximize economic, social, and environmental value for the long-term.

 

Steve has over 20 years of experience in sustainability and corporate responsibility (S&CR). He has advised leading companies across a wide variety of industry sectors on how to improve sustainability performance in a way that drives competitive success. Steve is co-author of two books on S&CR: Beyond Good Company: Next Generation Corporate Citizenship and Untapped: Creating Value in Underserved Markets. He is the lead author of the landmark research report: Project ROI – Defining the Competitive and Financial Advantages of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, which was described by Forbes as a “Godsend” for the profession.

 

He has been a senior executive at two leading S&CR organizations. For AccountAbility he served as the Director of Global Advisory Services and a member of the Board of Directors. For the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Steve served as the Director of Research and Development. Under his leadership both organizations demonstrated growth in revenues, reputation, and international presence.

 

Steve obtained his MPP from the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and his A.B. from Brown University.

 

Stephanie Saghy, Vice President, Investment Specialist; J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Stephanie is a Vice President and investment specialist of J.P. Morgan Private Bank. Based in Northbrook, IL, Stephanie is responsible for delivering the firm’s investment advice to ultra and high net worth clients. She works across the balance sheet to customize solutions that appropriately fit clients’ shortterm and long-term financial goals. Stephanie has a special focus on developing and delivering J.P. Morgan’s sustainable investment platform to her clients.

 

Stephanie joined J.P. Morgan Private Bank in 2008. Prior to her work with J.P. Morgan, Stephanie worked for Spero-Smith Investment Advisers, Inc in Beachwood, Ohio.

 

Stephanie is a holder of the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. She also holds the Series 7 and Series 66 licenses. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a dual-concentration in Finance and Management from Ohio Northern University. Stephanie is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago. She is a sustainer member of the Junior League of Chicago and has done volunteer work with The Primo Center for Women and Children. Stephanie resides in Chicago with her husband and daughter.

 

Dana Sasarean, Senior Research Analyst; Sustainalytics

Dana Sasarean is a Senior Analyst with Sustainalytics, an independent global responsible investment research firm that specializes in environmental, social and governance (ESG) data and analysis. With over ten years in the ESG research field, Dana's expertise is in the extractive industries, with extensive knowledge of the mining and oil and gas industries. Previously, Dana worked at Innovest, which through a series of mergers and acquisitions was acquired by RiskMetrics Group and then MSCI. Dana has covered some of the world's largest mining and oil and gas companies and developed expertise in several related ESG issues including health and safety, environmental management, energy and climate change, water and local community. Dana holds a Finance & Banking degree from West University (Romania) and a Master in Environmental Studies from York University.

 

Bill Sisson, Senior Director Sustainability; United Technologies Corp.

Bill Sisson is directing UTC's strategic efforts and advocacy for sustainable development for the SVP Science and Technology. He is a member of UTC's Sustainability Council, chartered to align UTC's strategic sustainability initiatives with its business interests. He is leading UTC's product sustainability efforts, with emphasis on deploying refined process engineering goals on design for sustainability and life cycle analysis. He advocates for energy efficiency in buildings and sustainable urban infrastructure by serving on a variety of global organization Boards that support UTC interests. In addition, Bill presently serves as UTC's Liaison Delegate for the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's and is co-chair of their Energy Efficiency in Buildings Project.

 

Since 1985, he has worked for UTC in a variety of technical and business leadership positions. Most recently, he served as Task Leader for Policy, Markets and Behavior at the US Dept. of Energy's Innovation Hub on Energy Efficiency in Buildings in Philadelphia. Prior, he was UTRC Program Leader for Carrier, driving an R&D portfolio for energy efficiency and environment. He was also the Global Product Manager for Carrier's commercial controls at Carrier Electronics.

 

He completed his undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech in Engineering Science and Mechanics, received his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and is an MIT Sloan Fellow where he also received his MBA.

 

John Smieja, Environmental Chemist; Steelcase Inc.

Jon received his Bachelors of Science degree in chemistry from the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN) in 2005 and his Ph.D. in Inorganic chemistry from the University of California - San Diego in 2012. His graduate research involved developing molecules for the electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide and water to liquid fuels. Through this research, Jon published ten original research papers and one review article.

 

Jon started at Steelcase in January of 2013 as a member of the Materials Chemistry team within the Global Environmental Sustainability group where he served as the Environmental Chemist until February 2016 when he transitioned to a role as a Leader of Sustainable Design & Development. His role at Steelcase involves collecting materials chemistry data from suppliers, evaluating that data against human and environmental health criteria, working with suppliers to eliminate chemicals of concern, working on material innovation projects, leading North American Sustainable Design & Development, and communicating with customers in order to provide transparency about Steelcase’s products.

 

Emilio Tenuta, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability; Ecolab Inc.

Emilio Tenuta Ecolab's strategic sustainability journey focused on corporate responsibility, internal environmental stewardship and helping more than 1.3 million customers in more than 170 countries operate more sustainably. Tenuta's 30-year tenure at Ecolab, includes  25 years of technical and marketing management experience in various industries including Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Lodging, Healthcare, Primary Metals and Automotive. He is actively involved in advancing global sustainability practices, with a significant focus on water stewardship. In partnership with Trucost – and a multi-stakeholder advisory group – Tenuta led development of the Water Risk Monetizer, industry's first financial modeling tool to assess water-related risks.

 

Christopher Tilley, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer; Alta Energy Inc.

Chris Tilley is the chief strategy officer and executive vice president at Alta Energy, a company that provides comprehensive renewable energy procurement and management services for corporations looking to streamline the adoption of clean power. With over 20 years of experience in renewable energy and energy technology, Chris leads Alta Energy's strategic planning and new service research and development, along with business development and partnerships activities. He formerly served as CEO of SunLink Corporation, founder and CEO of Porvenir Inc. and president and chief financial officer of Prevalent Power/EI Solutions. Chris has a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue and an MBA from INSEAD.

 

 

Questions?

 

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