| Angela Adams Senior Sustainability Consultant Quantis Angela Adams is a Senior Sustainability Consultant and the new apparel sector lead at Quantis. Since she joined Quantis in 2012, she has managed many projects in various sectors. Currently one of her main focuses is the development of the WALDB (World Apparel and Footwear Life Cycle Database), which aims to deliver robust data for environmental impact assessment and footprinting with the help of a pre-competitive consortium of leading organizations and companies from the apparel and footwear sector. | |
| Nick Allen Traceability Manager Patagonia Professional with expertise in supply chain traceability and compliance issues with experience in research, development, training, and client development and service. Program development and field experience in the following topics: C-TPAT, Wood Legality, Conflict Minerals, Country of Origin and Brand Protection/Grey Market diversion. Currently focusing on raw material traceability, sourcing and supply chain management,. Specialties: Supply chain compliance program development and management, risk assessment and mitigation, field audits, training and capacity building, client development, and research. | |
| Birgit Altmann Associate Economic Affairs Officer UN Economic Commission for Europe Birgit Lia Altmann is an Associate Economic Affairs Officer working in the Forestry and Timber Section of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), where she focusses on Forest Sector Outlook Studies and Sustainable Fashion. With respect to the latter, she and her team have organized several events related to “Forest for Fashion” and established the “UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion” including 10 different UN organizations. Prior to UNECE, Ms. Altmann held positions at UN ECLAC, the German Federal Ministry of Finance, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the Permanent Mission of Germany to the UN, and the European Parliament. Ms. Altmann received her MSc in Economics from the Stockholm School of Economics and Sciences Po Paris. | |
| Marty Anderson Director Sales and Tech Support Recover/Hilaturas Ferre Over 25 years experience with spun yarns, 18 focused on developing awareness and use of recycled fiber yarns. | |
| Philip Attard Director Gostwyck Partners During the past 18 years, Philip has focused the development at Gostwyck towards increasing animal health and welfare and soil and pasture health. Born in Malta and has lived in Australia since 1974. Philip spent 33 years in IT before moving to the family farm, where a major infrastructure change was made to ensure that pastures were rested, stock received fresh pastures every few days and clean water. Mulesing was stopped in 2005. Animal and soil health continue to improve and pasture growth has increased 40% plus, thus increasing productivity. The wool type is now itch free ultrafine merino. It is used in Babywear. (www.henryandgrace.com )He is Chairman of Practical Systems, an Agricultural software company of 25 years experience, the Managing Partner of Gostwyck Partners and Managing Director of Gostwyck Group. | |
| Roian Atwood Director of Sustainability Wrangler Roian Atwood is the Director of Sustainability for Wrangler, Lee, Redkap, Bulwark FR, and Horace Small. Atwood leads brand sustainability strategy, engages suppliers globally to drive greater social and environmental performance, and works cross functionally with product development and marketing to create more sustainable products and share brand relevant stories. With fifteen years’ experience in footwear & apparel sustainability, his diverse project management experience includes implementing renewables and energy efficiency measures to project managing materials innovation pilots and leading teams into an action-oriented, results driven approach to corporate sustainability. Atwood’s undergraduate work was in Complex Systems with Naropa University, and he holds a Master’s of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. | |
| Jamie Bainbridge VP Product Development Bolt Threads Jamie engages the best minds in the textile industry to tackle every aspect of yarn and textile development. Previously, Jamie was Director of Product, Textiles and Sustainability for Nau Clothing. Her past experiences include research and development and innovation work at Nike and Patagonia. She serves as the chair of the advisory council for the Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group and as a member of the Chemicals Management working group of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. Jamie prefers to experience life unhindered by shoes and rarely lets a day go by without knitting. | |
| Joanne Beatty Director, Sustainability Services KPMG LLP Joanne Beatty is a Director with KPMG based in the US and an experienced sustainability and environmental health and safety professional. Joanne has over twenty five years xperience working across government and corporates on sustainable development. Joanne led the KPMG team who in partnership with the Textile Exchange developed the Threading the Needle report. | |
| Claire Bergkamp Worldwide Director of Sustainability and Innovation Stella McCartney During her tenure at Stella McCartney, Claire has helped establish the brand’s leadership and reputation in sustainability. She has developed its robust environmental and social improvement strategy and worked across the brand and its supply chain internationally to implement it. Claire has focused particularly on sustainable raw material development and procurement, as well as driving alternative materials and innovation. As such, she works closely with innovators, start-ups and universities to find new sustainable business models and solutions. A key element of her sustainability approach includes supplier engagement and the ongoing improvement in social welfare across the supply chain. Within this context, she also oversees Stella McCartney's ethical trade and community outreach programmes. | |
| Nanda Bergstein Director Corporate Responsibility Tchibo GmbH Nanda Bergstein is the Director Corporate Responsibility at the German Consumer Goods and Coffee retailer Tchibo since 2018. Before she joined Tchibo in 2007, she worked at the sustainability consultancy Systain. She holds a BA in International Relations and an MSc in ‘Gender, Development and Globalisation’ from the London School of Economics. Nanda Bergstein and her team are responsible for transitioning the company towards a 100% sustainable business as part of the overall corporate strategy. Her work focuses on human rights and environmental protection in all Tchibo supply chains and products as well as contributing to society and social change at a larger level. | |
| Maria Teresa Betti Communication and Sustainability Professional Radici Partecipazioni SPA After a relevant experience in the Corporate Marketing and Communication Department of RadiciGroup, in 2010 Maria Teresa Betti was involved in the “RadiciGroup for Sustainability” Project, aimed at creating and strengthening sustainability practices in the company. Now she is a communication and sustainability professional with experience in multi-cultural projects, with strong focus on corporate environmental and social issues. She is specifically in charge of RadiciGroup Sustainability Report and she is involved in stakeholder engagement strategies and plans along with engagement activities. | |
| Marc Binder Integrated Sustainability Solutions Thinkstep Marc Binder is a VP at thinkstep. He is responsible for EMEA and APAC regions as well as the consulting services organisation. He joined thinkstep, a Germany based consulting, data and software provider helping companies to succeed sustainably, in 2001. He brings more than 20 years of experience in the sustainability field. Prior to his time at thinkstep, he worked for DaimlerChrysler for 4 years also in the Design for Environment field where the emphasis of his work has been on integration of ecological requirements into the development/ design process and analysis/optimization of design options. His focus is on product sustainability, development of environmental strategies, and integration of environmental aspects into the design process as well as supply chain solutions. During this period he was managing and working on a wide variety of product sustainability projects in different sectors, for example renewable materials and fuels, energy, transportation and logistics, apparel and sustainable building. | |
| Mattias Bodin Business Sustainability Expert H&M Mattias Bodin has worked for H&M since 2003 managing areas such as restricted substances, quality assurance, regulatory product compliance, product safety and material environmental impact. Mattias is today based at the Global Sustainability Department at the Head Office in Sweden but has previously spent several years in China and Bangladesh and worked with the supply chain. Mattias main focus today is to secure the evaluation of material’s environmental profile and traceability and to engage the company with material and process innovations that are needed to achieve its 2030 goal of only using recycled or other sustainably sourced materials. Mattias holds a M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. | |
| Sandra Bohne Volunteer Textile Exchange Volunteer for Textile Exchange | |
| Brad Boren Director of Innovation & Sustainability Norrona He has worked at Norrøna Sport for 20 years where he held the position of Director of Research, Design & Development before taking on his current challenge as Director of Innovation & Sustainability. | |
| Meredith Boyd Vice President - Brand Sales Unifi Manufacturing, Inc. Meredith Boyd is a more than ten-year veteran at Unifi, a global supplier of resin, fiber and filament offerings, with a key emphasis on value-added and sustainable solutions. She drives international growth as Vice President-Brand Sales where she plays a pivotal role in the conception and execution of comprehensive strategic capability and product solutions for brand and retail customers. Prior to her current role, Meredith held key positions within Unifi including Quality, Technical, Product Development and leading the Global Business Development division. | |
| Sandra Brandt Director International Platform for Insetting Sandra Brandt joined the International Platform for Insetting in 2018 as Director of the initiative. Sandra is working closely with members of the multi-stakeholder collaboration to further set the path for achieving their collective vision of establishing insetting as an effective strategic approach for companies to harmonize corporate activities with the ecosystem they depend upon. In her role she leads the development and implementation of the organisation’s strategic direction, engages with stakeholders to build new partnerships and manages the different collaborative workstreams. Sandra’s background is in the apparel sector, where she worked for more than 12 years for the adidas Group in different roles with the focus on embedding sustainability into the core processes along the value chain. | |
| Julie Brown Director, Higg Index Sustainable Apparel Coalition Julie is on the Product Team at the SAC and is responsible for building and maintaining product-related Higg Index tools, expanding data coverage, and improving data quality for Higg. This entails collaborating with SAC members, NGOs, governments, academic experts, contractors and the SAC staff to collect and disseminate data through Higg in ways that make sense to various member audiences. The focus is on building transparency into the environmental impacts produced in the footwear, apparel, and home textile supply chains. Julie is a serious pianist and taught piano to students of all ages and levels for seven years. She also holds a commercial pilot certificate and instrument rating. | |
| Holly Browne Head of Sustainable Product and Story Made-by Holly Browne is the Head of Sustainable Product and Story at MADE-BY where she oversees the UK and US Markets. As part of her role she works on the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, a UK commitment engaging with 60% of the UK Clothing sector to reduce the carbon, waste and water footprints of clothing they supply or receive in the UK by 15%, starting from a baseline year of 2012 as well as on other key client relationships, specialising in work around brand strategies, products, sustainable fibres and circularity. Prior to joining MADE-BY Holly had 11 years of experience within fashion brands and held positions in Sustainability and Compliance at Thomas Pink and Ted Baker. She holds a BA (Hons) IND in Fashion Design from the University of Leeds. | |
| Marianella Cervi Head of Sustainability & Responsibility Timberland Marianella is the Head of Sustainability & Responsibility for Timberland EMEA. In this role, she leads and drives Timberland’s Sustainability strategy ensuring it is an integrated part of the business. Marianella is a professional with solid experience in Sustainability, gained over 10+ years in the Food and Apparel sector, in global business environments. She joined Timberland on March 2018, after having spent eight years in Germany, where she worked for Fairtrade’s certification body (FLOCERT). Marianella spent the first years at FLOCERT focusing on global supply chain auditing and certification (managing the Europe & North America teams) and then moved to the Sustainable Innovation team to support companies build their sustainability strategies & code of conduct. Marianella’s first steps in Sustainability were made at Nike Hq. EMEA (in the Netherlands), where she worked for the EMEA CSR team. | |
| Cara Chacon VP, Social and Environmental Responsibility Patagonia As Patagonia’s VP of Social and Environmental Responsibility, Cara leads a global team of professionals that set strategy and implement Patagonia's sustainability initiatives. Cara is the co-chair of Patagonia's Footprint Council, a group of executives that make corporate wide sustainability decisions. Cara also sits on Textile Exchange’s Board of Directors and was on the Fair Labor Association’s Board of Directors from 2012 to 2016. Since 1998, as an executive, consultant, trainer and auditor, Cara has helped hundreds of companies reach their sustainability goals in 35 countries and 25 industries. Cara has a Master’s degree in International Affairs from California State University, Sacramento. | |
| Binay Choudhury Chairman Control Union - India Binay has over 12 years experience managing teams and is a dynamic sustainability expert in textile, feed, food and agricultural both in research and business activities. Binay has been involved in the research and field development of organic formulation related to aquaculture, poultry, food and ruminants, receiving various awards and patent related to the development and process of such. Experience in Integrated management System(ISO-9001:2008, ISO-14001:2008, ISO-50001), Binay has extensive knowledge on dyes, auxiliary and processing aid with respect to Bluesign, Reach, Oekotex, GOTS and successfully management of chemical business in control union to new heights. Binay is an active member of various government committees. He holds various advisory roles and has presented at international forum such as TE, GOTS, Bremen Government, SAC, Various government projects. He has been awarded several national and international awards, fellowship for research and is involved as advisor for various forum. As a certification expert, he has audited more than 500 farms and 1000 textile projects related to organic cotton in various countries. | |
| Charlene Collison Associate Director, Sustainable Value Chains and Livelihoods Forum for the Future / Cotton 2040 Charlene Collison, Associate Director of Sustainable Value Chains and Livelihoods, Forum for the Future. Charlene leads Forum's Challenge Lab focused on to transforming supply chains to be sustainable, responsible, and fair – and ultimately, regenerative. She has led multi-stakeholder collaborative initiatives across a range of sectors and themes, and supports Forum’s thought leadership on collaborative and systemic change. Her portfolio includes leading Cotton 2040, a cross-industry collaborative initiative integrating and accelerating efforts on sustainable cotton, as well as a range of futures and scenario building initiatives across the apparel industry. | |
| Sabine Content Director GRI Global Reporting Initiative GRI is an international independent organization that helps businesses, governments and other organizations understand and communicate the impact of business on critical sustainability issues. GRI produces the world’s most trusted and widely used sustainability reporting standards. As Director of Corporate & Stakeholder Engagement, Sabine is responsible for all global corporate engagement, as well as raising awareness and building relationships between GRI and key partner organizations and stakeholders. This includes the GRI GOLD Community Program, GRI’s core network of supporters, made up of over 550 organizations in more than 60 countries. Sabine is from the Netherlands and worked for over 15 years in the international apparel and textiles industry. | |
| Caterina Conti Ambassador Textile Exchange Caterina A. Conti is a sustainability expert and Ambassador for Textile Exchange working on advancing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in apparel and textiles. A former apparel senior executive and lawyer, Ms. Conti also spearheaded a number of successful and award-winning social, environmental and manufacturing initiatives, including a program that merged sustainability with lean manufacturing principles; an in-store, consumer-facing transparency tool and app; a digital short to drive consumer awareness; and a number of b2b product marketing tools and campaigns. Ms. Conti started her career as a corporate finance lawyer and then Partner at a major international law firm and has since held a number of executive positions and advisory roles in several industries. | |
| Jennifer Cooper VP of Client Services NativeEnergy Jennifer leads NativeEnergy’s client strategy team, collaborating to understand each company’s unique needs and helping build solutions that deliver impact and results. Since 1998, Jennifer has been busy in corporate sustainability – from Volvo Car Corporation in Göteborg to Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey. Jennifer holds an M.S. from Lund University in Sweden and a B.S. from the University of Guelph in Canada. She has lived in both of those countries, as well as in Germany and Scotland. But she is currently trying out life in the USA with her husband and two young children in Pittsburgh, where the mountains are just rocky enough for racing her mountain bike, and just high enough for teaching her children to ski. | |
| Betty Cortina-Weiss Ambassador Textile Exchange Betty is a South Florida- and New York City-based strategic communications and content expert. She has worked for and managed creative teams and projects at some the country’s top media properties, including People, Entertainment Weekly, O, The Oprah Magazine, Latina, NBC and more. She has created content for print and video platforms, and worked extensively in sustainability and corporate responsibility communications. She worked on the creation of Anvil Knitwear’s award-winning TrackMyT website, a digital tool that traced children’s apparel, from farm all the way to consumer. She developed all of its original content and guided its creative direction. In addition, she was instrumental in the production of Anvil’s award-winning CSR report. She is currently working with Textile Exchange on the development of key strategic marketing and communications messages, and an overall strategic communications plan for 2018 and beyond, including branded content and an editorial calendar. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida, and an Associates Degree in Culinary Science from Johnson & Wales. | |
| Andrea Crespi Managing Director EUROJERSEY Spa Andrea Crespi is Managing Director of EUROJERSEY Spa, the leading Italian company specialized in the patented warp knit Sensitive® Fabrics' range. He joined the company in 1991 with different roles and in 2008 he became CEO with the decision to embark on a challenge of a sustainable production project: the mission consisted in converting costs into values by turning the investments for a purchase of advanced machineries into efficiency advantage, also resulting into a lower environmental impact into the production cycle. Since 2015 he became Delegate for Sustainability in Sistema Moda Italia (Italian Fashion & Textiles Federation) and today is the President of the Sustainability Committee. | |
| Maurizio Crippa CEO gr3n Recycling Maurizio Crippa, PhD in Materials Science, CEO, founder and inventor of the gr3n technology. I worked many years in academia developing organic materials for opto-electronic, conductive polymers and hybrid inorganic materials for different applications. My interests are focused on providing technological solutions to solve environmental issues. | |
| Brent Crossland Ambassador Textile Exchange Brent Crossland is the past Head of Fiber Development for Seeds at Bayer CropScience and is based in Valencia, California, U.S.A. Brent has worked in the plant science industry for the past 37 years with experience in crop protection, product development and launch, seed production and the global textile supply chain. He has held past positions with academia, independent consulting, product development and research and sales and marketing in the cotton industry. For the past fifteen years, Brent has also been very involved with the downstream market development of FiberMax and Stoneville cotton fiber for the apparel and home furnishings industry. Brent was instrumental in the development of the global Certified FiberMax traceability program. He developed and managed the e3 Sustainable Cotton Initiative. A very well-known expert on the cotton supply chain, Brent has presented globally on sustainable initiatives to many world cotton organizations. He is a past recipient of the Bayer CropScience Luminary award for distinguished achievement and the “You Can’t Pick Better” award for initiatives in the cotton seed business. In addition, Brent was also awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence from Texas A&M University. Brent holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Texas A&M University and a Master’s of Agriculture degree in Plant Science from West Texas A&M University. | |
| Helen Crowley Head of Sustainable Sourcing Innovation Kering Helen is a Conservation & Ecosystem Service Specialist at Kering, owners of Puma and many other brands such as Stella McCartney, Gucci, Yves St Laurent, and Volcom. She has worked in the international conservation and development arenas for over 25 years. Most recently, Helen has focused on integrating biodiversity and ecosystems into corporate sustainability strategies including exploring ways for small scale producers to participate in global supply chains. She spent many years working on projects in Africa and Madagascar for the Wildlife Conservation Society including developing the first REDD project in Madagascar and a program of organic cotton production with local communities in Zambia and Madagascar. Helen has a PhD in Ecology at the Australian National University and is on the Board of the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network. | |
| Jesse Daystar Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Cotton Incorporated Dr. Jesse Daystar is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Cotton Incorporated, an Instructor at the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment, and an adjunct Assistant Professor in Forest Biomaterials at North Carolina State University. He is an expert in life cycle analysis as it is applied to sustainability. He received a PhD in Forest Biomaterials and a BS in Paper Science and Engineering and a BS in Chemical Engineering from North Carolina State University. | |
| Hanna Denes Senior Manager of Standards Textile Exchange Originally from Sweden but living in the UK, Hanna Denes has been with Textile Exchange since 2010. Hanna works as a Sustainability Specialist focusing on Integrity and Materials. Hanna has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London, and 15 years’ experience working in environmental management and sustainable development. | |
| 0 | Simonetta Di Tommaso |
| Austin Dickerson Research Analyst World Resources Institute Austin Dickerson is a Research Analyst in WRI’s Business Center. He focuses on sustainable consumption within the private sector. | |
| Hao Ding Manager DuPont Industrial Biosciences An ambitious guy with master degree of the science and EMBA degree. Has worked several years in Plastics/Petrochemical industry covered different type of raw materials (polyolefin, engineering plastics) for different applications (film, healthcare, injection molding, blow molding, extrusion coating, wire & cable, masterbatch carrier, rotational moulding, compounding, fibers and so on). Strengths: Has deep and broad technical background and project management experiences. Working for several global companies helps him to accumulate managerial and commercial experiences. Many international working experiences let him know the way to work in multi-cultural atmosphere. | |
| Christian Dreszig Head Marketing & Communications bluesign technologies Christian Dreszig was born in the eastern part of Switzerland close to the Austrian an German borders and in the centre of the European textile industry. After apprenticeship and study textile engineer he worked in different textile mills in Switzerland on manager levels. As project engineer he set up and put in to operation new machines in the biggest textile company in South Africa. After twelve years in the textile industry he worked for a German specialty chemical company in sales and marketing before he became Head Marketing in a Swiss specialty chemical company. Heaving more than twenty years experience in the textile and textile chemical industry, visiting many textile companies in several countries world wide he decided to join bluesign technologies ag and focus on sustainability in the textile industry, where he is working for 10 years now as Head Marketing & Communication. | |
| Frederic Dreux R&D Prestige Packaging Leader Unilever Dr. Frederic Dreux holds a PhD in Chemistry (Polymer Science) and a post graduate in packaging technology from The University of Loughborough (UK). With 15 years of experience in packaging R&D, he has occupied different roles in different segments and categories of Fast moving good company Unilever. As team leader of the material and innovation team, a Unilever R&D cross category capability, he has developed a recognized expertise in Circular economy for packaging and polymeric materials in both mechanical recycling but also chemical recycling. He received a World Star Packaging award in 2016 for implementation of AERO technology in Dove Shower gel bottle (Mucell foaming technology application to HDPE bottle). Further recent technology releases from his team, include easy out technology for Hellmann’s mayonnaise and first injection compression stack tool for margarine tub, also contributing to sustainability. He has recently been appointed as Prestige Brand R&D packaging leader in Unilever bringing innovation and developing sustainability packaging agenda in the fast-growing personal care brand from Unilever. | |
| Deborah Drew Research Analyst World Resources Institute Deborah is the Research Analyst for the Business Center at WRI. She concentrates on sustainable consumption, SDGs, and alternative business models. In a previous position at WRI, Deborah was the Project Coordinator and Research Analyst for the Climate Briefing Service within the Climate Program at WRI. She worked to coordinate outreach and programmatic areas for the project in the lead up to the Paris Agreement. Her professional and academic concentration has focused on business’ role in environmental stewardship, peacebuilding, and social change. Prior to joining WRI, she worked for the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a corporate social responsibility non-profit working to improve factory safety in Bangladesh’s Ready-Made Garment industry. In addition, Deborah has experience working in Kenya on development projects and peacebuilding. Deborah holds a MA in Conflict Resolution from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and a BA in History and French from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, MI. | |
| Carole Dubois Senior Sustainability Consultant Quantis Passionate about making complex data accessible and valuable to businesses, Carole spent more than 10 years supporting organizations who desire to embed sustainability in their strategy, generating long-lasting added value. Carole made her name as a sustainability consultant at Quantis, working with the scientific Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) community worldwide, working with leading worldwide multinational companies in the agri-food and packaging sectors. As leader of the plastic pollution topic, Carole works with supply chain actors engaging in reducing the issues of waste and microplastics. | |
| Charline Ducas Leader Global Circular Economy C&A Charline is leading the development of C&A’s circular economy strategy, which includes sustainable materials and sustainable products, globally. In that capacity, she is able to combine her passion for materials, innovation and sustainability. Charline has over a decade of international experience in sustainability in the fashion industry. Prior to C&A, she has worked for Textile Exchange as their sustainability specialist and adidas in various roles of materials research, development and innovation. Her education background includes a Master's of Science in textile engineering. She is native French and is currently living in Brussels, Belgium. | |
| Jill Dumain CEO bluesign technologies Jill Dumain stepped into the role of CEO at bluesign technologies in January of 2017. She has been a strong advocate and supporter of bluesign since its inception in 2000 and paved the way for Patagonia to be the first brand member. Jill held various senior positions at Patagonia in a career including textile research and development and environmental strategy for more than 27 years. She has also held leadership and board positions at the Organic Exchange, Textile Exchange and the Sustainability Working Group at the Outdoor Industry Association. She was the Chairwoman of bluesign technologies’ Advisory Board from 2011-2017. Throughout her career, Jill has traveled extensively globally giving her a chance to interface with many different types of companies throughout the supply chain committed to performance in textiles and environmental responsibility in the industry. | |
| Karin Ekberg CEO Leadership & Sustainability Karin has more than 30 years of international consulting and industry experience, based out of Switzerland, Brazil, Sweden, and Germany and with extended business projects mainly in North America, China and other countries in Asia. Karin has spent five years in the position as Head of Environmental Services at adidas Group, establishing and maintaining group-wide environmental strategies and programs for group and brands. Furthermore, Karin has had the role of Chair of the Board of Directors at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (2012-2013). Karin has also been engaged during the set-up and first years of the ZDHC, Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals, taking on several leadership roles within the ZDHC collaboration. Karin has a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Chalmers, Gothenburg. | |
| Alexander Ellebrecht Director ChainPoint Alexander Ellebrecht is Agricultural engineer and holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural sciences from the University of Bonn (Germany). For more than 10 years he has worked as an expert in Food Chain Management and IT for ChainPoint. He has been responsible for several international projects to improve sustainability and quality through better collaboration between different stakeholders. | |
| Lisa Emberson Materials Platform Coordinator Textile Exchange Lisa joined Textile Exchange in 2014. As Materials Platform Coordinator, Lisa supports the delivery of Textile Exchange’s Materials Strategy, including the production of TE’s annual market reports and coordination of the Organic Cotton Round Table, amongst other responsibilities. Lisa has a BSc in International Development from the University of East Anglia and joined Textile Exchange after an internship with the UK’s Soil Association researching organic cotton and food security. | |
| Melissa Filion Senior Campaigner & Quebec Director Canopy Mélissa Filion, Senior Campaigner, has worked in the North American and international NGO movement on sustainability, forest conservation and supply chain solutions for the past two decades. With a very persistent focus on reaching tangible outcomes, Mélissa has, over the years, developed strong relationships and partnerships with senior corporate representatives, as well as government and First Nations decision makers. Mélissa drives Canopy’s efforts to protect the Broadback Forest in the heart of Québec’s Boreal Forest and contributes to the CanopyStyle campaign by leading our engagement with the world’s largest viscose producers in support of brand partners’ policy implementation. | |
| Paolo Foglia Research and Development Manager ICEA Paolo has been personally involved in the development of the organic textile sector since 1998 when he developed the first Italian standard for organic textile and the related certification scheme. Paolo organized the first international conference on organic textile in Italy in 1999. He was appointed Textile Certification Manager in 2000. Since then, Paolo has been actively involved and committed in the development of the organic textile sector, managing ICEA’s certification scheme, participating in the development of the Global Organic Textile Standard and attending seminars/conferences around the world. He actively participates in the TE Global Recycled Standard International Working Group as well. Paolo has a master degree in agricultural economics, and more than 20 years of experience in the certification of environmentally sound and socially responsible products and services. Currently he is the Research and Development Manager of the Italian Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification (ICEA) and, at the same time, holds the position of Certification Manager for several sectors including: textile, eco building materials, biofuels, CSR. | |
| Andrea Franchi Chemical Department Manager Buzzi Lab Born in Florence, 1968, July 23rd High school diploma in textile chemistry in 1987 at Buzzi Textile Technical Institute in Prato. College degree in chemistry in 1994 at Florence University. Worked as chemical resercher for some pharmaceutical industries since 2000, then became chemistry teacher at Buzzi Institute in Prato. Chemical department manager of BuzziLab – Buzzi Laboratorio Analisi since 2011 | |
| John Frazier Senior Technical Director Hohenstein Institute America John Frazier serves as the Senior Technical Director for the Hohenstein Institute of America working with brands, manufacturers, and chemical companies to develop tools that enable more sustainable manufacturing of apparel and footwear. Prior to Hohenstein, John served as the Senior Director of Chemistry for Nike, working on greener chemistry, water stewardship, and product innovation. John also has served on the advisory boards for the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute (ACS-GCI), the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council (GC3), and Northwest Green Chemistry (NGC). | |
| Renato Galliano Director Urban Economy and Employment Comune Milano Renato Galliano He currently works for the City of Milan as Director of the Urban Economy and Employment Division coordinating Innovation, Trade, Training and Employment departments. He is in charge of economic development based on innovation and creativity (fashion and design) enhancing startup and incubators networks; sustainable development and circular economy. Previously: Tuscany Region as director of Planning and Landscape, Milano Metropoli Development Agency as general director, Eurada (European Association of Development Agencies - Brussels) as President, Dida*El – web knowledge company- as director. | |
| Dale Galvin Managing Director, Sustainable Markets and Impact Investing Rare Dale Galvin is the Managing Director, Sustainable Markets and Impact Investing at Rare, as well as Managing Member of the Meloy Fund, an impact investment fund for sustainable coastal fisheries. In these roles, Dale oversees the deployment of new market-facing initiatives, strategic partnerships and innovative financial mechanisms with the private and public sectors, designed to catalyze the adoption of sustainable behaviors in our major focal areas of sustainable seafood, water and agriculture. In that latter focal area, Dale oversees Rare’s work promoting climate-smart sustainable agriculture in China. Before taking on this new position, Dale spent over a decade as Rare’s Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw all institutional conservation programs, as well as finance, operational functions, and helped grow the organization at more than 20% per annum. Prior to Rare, Dale held a variety of management roles including Chief Financial Officer of PA Consulting Group North America, and the CEO of two startups, accumulating over 20 years of management experience. Dale holds a B.A. in Economics with distinction from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the MIT Sloan School of Management. | |
| Subindu Garkhel Cotton and Textiles Lead Fairtrade Foundation Subindu Garkhel has hands on commercial experience of working in the clothing industry in India, Bangladesh and the UK. With a Masters in Social development from the top International Development university, she brings in a perspective and sensibility of the challenges and realities of both worlds. She is passionate about participatory and inclusive approach to development. This is aligned with the principles of Fairtrade, where she works. She looks after cotton and textiles here. | |
| Ashley Gill Senior Manager of Industry Integrity Textile Exchange Ashley Gill has been with Textile Exchange since 2010. She works in the Industry Integrity TEam to develop and manage the TE-owned standards and to align the industry in issues dealing with verification of product claims related to sustainability. Ashley leads the International Working Groups for the recycled standards (RCS and GRS) and the Responsible Down Standard. She is responsible for Textile Exchange’s Standard Setting Policies, and she also does key outreach to support companies in their understanding and adoption of the standards. | |
| Anne Gillespie Director of Industry Integrity Textile Exchange Anne is the Director of Industry Integrity for TE. She has worked on standard development, training and education on certification and transparency and is collaborating with other organizations and experts to continually increase the organic integrity of the cotton industry. She has over 15 years of experience working with retail, including 10 years as a product manager at Mountain Equipment Co-op where she converted their cotton program to organic. In 2005, she co-founded Continuum Textiles, a sales agency representing socially and environmentally responsible textile products. | |
| 0 | Sam Gillick-Daniels Research Analyst WRAP |
| 0 | Alan Gorosi Marketing Manager Fulgar |
| Sevilla Granger Project and Program Strategist Textile Exchange Sevilla Granger has worked extensively in various aspects of the sustainable textile and creative fields in the US and Europe and has served on various international working groups such as the Sustainable Textiles Coalition and the Responsible Wool, Down and Leather Working Groups. Her commitment to sustainable textiles sprang from her undergraduate work at North Carolina State University, well known for its Textile program, where she received her degree in Environmental Design with a minor in Textiles. Her professional engagement with advancing sustainability in the industry gained traction during her work at William Sonoma and Gap, Inc. It was further refined with leading US home textile brand Coyuchi, where she lead the team to be the first GOTS certified home textiles brand, as well as achieving Fair Trade certification. | |
| Sarah Gray Research Analyst WRAP Sarah Gray has been Research Analyst at WRAP since 2005. She provides data and reporting support to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, a voluntary agreement between fashion retailers accounting for more than half of the UK market. She is evaluating the LIFE funded European Clothing Action Plan. | |
| Tim Greiner Co-founder and Managing Director Pure Strategies Timothy J. Greiner, Pure Strategies' Co-Founder and Managing Director, specializes in building environmental and social integrity into products, brands, and businesses. Mr. Greiner consults with domestic and oversees manufacturers, socially responsible business, and environmental advocacy groups. Tim is currently working on building sustainability into corporate and brand strategy and sits on several Sustainability Consortium committees. Current and former clients include Seventh Generation, The North Face Timberland, Stonyfield Farm, US EPA, NRDC, Walmart, Millipore, and Dell. Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and masters degrees in Environmental Policy and Business from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a founding member of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Planners Association and a former Board member and President. He is also founder of the Cape Ann Climate Change Network and is a Research Associate at the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production. Tim has work experience in industry as a Process Engineer for Fairchild Semiconductor. He also worked for the Massachusetts Office of Technical Assistance (OTA) as Project Director and Chief Engineer. | |
| Angelika Guldt Sustainability Communications Lenzing AG Communications expert with longstanding experience in corporate communications and media. Interest in sustainability issues, particularly in the textile and fiber industry, as well as in new concepts of holistic economy and lifestyles. 14 years of experience as Corporate Communications Director in the man-made cellulose fibers industry: Public relations – corporate media & TV – sustainability reports – corporate events – annual & quarterly reports – website – intranet – crisis communication – corporate identity 5 years of experience as responsible editor and presenter (TV channel BTV, Austria) | |
| Debra Guo Environmental Sustainability Manager Stella McCartney Debra joined Stella McCartney in 2016 and is the Environmental Sustainability Manager. Before joining Stella McCartney, Debra was a sustainability and climate change consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers where she primarily worked with Kering on their annual Environmental Profit & Loss. The E P&L is an innovative tool that quantifies and monetises the impact a business has on the environment from the production of raw materials used to its direct operations. In her role at Stella McCartney, Debra works with suppliers and supply chain teams to implement sustainable sourcing initiatives and reduce the environmental impact of the supply chain. | |
| Fukumi Hauser Project Director Fung Academy Fukumi Hauser has been involved to positively impact the lives of people who work in consumer goods manufacturing field for more than 20 years. Starting in 1996 at Nike to pioneer the supply chain responsibility programs and most recently to lead the manufacturing excellence programs at Fung Academy, Fukumi designed and implemented programs to inspire people in the industry with the best practices in order that they become competitive, responsible, and sustainable. She believes every human being is capable of learning and contributing to the success of the organization, if effectively facilitated. She is an advocate for respectful and constructive communication and engagement in labor relations in building sustainable enterprise and workplaces. | |
| Jeffrey Hogue Chief Sustainability Officer C&A Jeffrey was announced as the new Chief Sustainability Officer of C&A Global in December 2014. In this role, he is responsibility for heading up the global development, coordination and delivery of C&A’s sustainability strategy worldwide, therefore, helping to drive C&A towards even greater responsibility and transparency. Jeffrey leads a global team of 135 sustainability professionals that deliver the global sustainability framework across 200 retail locations, 60,000 employees, and over 900,000 workers that produce products for C&A suppliers. His team strives toward performance and leadership in sustainable products, sustainable supply and sustainable lives. | |
| Lisa Hook Senior Manager, Women + Water Program, Sustainable Innovation Gap, Inc. Lisa manages Gap Inc.'s Women + Water Program, which works to reduce water use through product innovation and manufacturing processes, and helps provide women with access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in communities where the company does business. In addition, Lisa manages the Gap Inc. partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID): the Women + Water Alliance, with a goal to support the health and well-being of women and communities touched by the apparel industry. | |
| Malvina Hoxha Business Development Manager Knit Markets Lenzing Malvina Hoxha is the Textile Business Development Manager for Knit martket with Lenzing US division. Prior to joining the Lenzing group, Malvina held Product Design & Development roles at Ralph Lauren for a period of six years. She holds degrees in sustainable design & international trade & marketing from the London College of Fashion & Fashion Institute in New York City. Today Malvina joins us to speak about one of the latest innovations from the Lenzing Group, TENCEL(tm) x Refibra(tm) technology | |
| James Huang President Kingwhale Corporation James Huang is the president of Kingwhale Corporation, a bluesign® system partner and OEKO-TEX® certified Taiwanese manufacturer that has been a world-class developer of performance textiles. James is a visionary businessman and enthusiastic about sustainability issues across the industry as well as our living environment. He is the co-inventor of Kingwhale’s proprietary technology platform – L.I.T® Low Impact Technology, which has made Kingwhale highly recognized as one of the most reliable and sustainable textile manufacturers. James loves outdoor sports and is active in various charitable works. | |
| Amy Jackson Director of Membership Better Cotton Initiative As part of the Executive Group at BCI, Amy contributes to shaping and delivering the organisational strategy to transform the cotton sector for a more sustainable future. She is responsible for developing the strategy for the Membership team, overseeing member recruitment and engagement and the integrity of the BCI Chain of Custody. Amy has strong expertise in multi-stakeholder engagement and membership development, having held similar positions at the Ethical Trading Initiative and ISEAL Alliance, where she also led global consultations to develop the ISEAL Credibility Principles and the Claims Good Practice Guide. Amy started her career with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in commercial outreach, eventually leading its global Chain of Custody programme. | |
| Juergen Janssen Program Director Partnership for Sustainable Textiles c/o GIZ Juergen Janssen is program director at GIZ and head of the office of the German Partnership for Sustainable Textiles since 2016. The Textiles Partnership is a multi-stakeholder initiative with around 130 members aiming at improving the social, ecologic and economic conditions along the whole textile value chain. Previously, Juergen was manager and representative of the German Global Compact Network for more than five years. Before that he worked in academia, market research and strategic consulting in and for various industries in Europe and Asia. Juergen is convinced: “The fashion industry is at a crossroads towards a sustainable future. This future belongs to those who not just innovate and market successfully, but also embrace their responsibility for their business models and supply chains.” | |
| Bill Jasper President Two Eleven Associates Mr. Jasper is the President of Two-Eleven Associates, a management consulting firm focusing on improving the value and sustainability of businesses. He was previously the Chairman and CEO of Unifi Inc., (UFI:NYSE), a global textile company. During his time leading the company, Unifi developed and commercialized Repreve®, a rapidly growing, globally recognized family of recycled polyester yarns. Prior to his time at Unifi, Mr. Jasper held several technology, marketing and manufacturing positions at DuPont and led the initial development of biodegradable polyester technologies in the 1980’s. He writes a blog about sustainability in the textile and apparel industries (www.williamljasper.com) and is consulting with the Recycled Polyester Working Group of the Textile Exchange. | |
| Traci Kinden Project Manager Circle Economy An obsession with waste reduction and improving the lives of others drives Traci every single day. Her experience within the global apparel supply chain has uncovered a tremendous opportunity to reduce waste and make a positive impact on the planet and the people on it. After completing a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, Traci dove into the apparel industry, gaining both strategic and hands-on experience in textile embellishment and technology development. During her time as an Innovator with NIKE, she connected a wide range of stakeholders and created cutting-edge customization systems for global production. Her work enabled the production of high-quality, one of a kind products to scale-up while meeting a stringent budget and reducing waste. During her time in the corporate world, Traci fell in love with textiles and the industry’s complex challenges. She launched her consultancy, REvolve Waste, in 2013 to proliferate the understanding of circular textiles and increase collaboration between brands, the textile supply chain, recyclers, and charities. Traci joined Circle Economy to drive pivotal European developments that will serve as the new circular standard for the global apparel industry. | |
| Nicole Lambert Data Analyst Textile Exchange Nicole is working primarily with the Fiber and Materials group, focusing on the annual PFM benchmark and data analysis. Nicole’s background is in environmental health and toxicology and has been working with environmental and health problematics related to industrial emissions and the use of chemicals in goods for 10 years, advising both the private and public sectors. | |
| Ralph Lerner Senior Director Business Development Virent Ralph Lerner is Senior Director Business Development for Virent and has extensive experience in both the bio-based and fossil-based chemicals and fuels industries. Ralph is responsible for developing commercial relationships with partners working with Virent on scaling up and commercializing Virent’s technology. Prior to joining Virent Ralph worked in commercial roles for two biofuels companies developing technology to produce cellulosic ethanol, and for the chemical divisions of BP and Amoco. Ralph earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago, an MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. | |
| Celeste Lilore Director of Industry Engagement Textile Exchange I’m an insatiably curious lifelong learner and a whirling dervish hula hoop phenom. I’m passionate about community, partnership, provenance, ethics, and timeless style. Through stories, I delight in making the complex simple. There’s nothing I like better than connecting in person, good old-fashioned “teeth and eyes time.” My first job (not including babysitting and waitressing) was as the receptionist at Chanel HQ in Paris. It ignited my love affair with both product and fashion while elevating my commitment to service. Since then, I’ve been…. Marketing and Community Director and Entrepreneur in Residence, Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator Regional Director, Green Festival –New York Co-Founder and EcoPreneur, RESTORE Clothing Co-Founder, NOCHAIRS, Inc. Founding Member, Save The Garment Center | |
| Rachel Lincoln Director of Sustainability prAna Rachel K. Lincoln, Director of Sustainability at prAna Living. Over the last 9 years with prAna she has driven the implementation of bluesign certified products, helped to launch Fair Trade certified products and been an instrumental contributor to the company’s four year consecutive double digit growth. She is driven by innovative material technologies, closed loop processes and promotion of a work, life balance. She hails from California and is currently raising two young girls to be strong, independent women. | |
| Zheng Luo Global Environmental Manager Lenzing Broad research experiences in European and international environmental, energy, and industry policies. In-depth working knowledge of European policy making process from the perspective of both policy maker and industry. Management and participation of research projects contributing to EU resource, waste and recycling policies, REACH, Emission Trading Scheme, assessments on energy intensive industry, etc. Joining Lenzing Jan 2017 as Group environmental manager with responsibility including: Advise and support on environmental compliance strategy Advise and support on company environmental/sustainable profiling Group environmental policy and standards Group management guidelines (e.g. waste, waste water) Representing Lenzing in environmental related multi-stakeholder discussion | |
| Jeremiah Magpile Senior Associate KPMG LLP Jeremiah is a senior associate with KPMG’s International Development Assistance Services (IDAS) Institute, a team that developments high-value knowledge products, and strategy and research support to KPMG member firms and their clients, including development agencies, multilateral development banks, foundations, companies, and governments. He is a contributing author to the joint KPMG and Textile Exchange report Threading the Needle: Weaving the SDGs into the textile, retail and apparel industry. | |
| Karla Magruder Founder Fabrikology Karla Magruder has been in the textile industry for more than 25 years with global experience from fiber to finished garments. She founded Fabrikology International, a textile consulting firm, specializing in textile sourcing, education and business development in 2003. The company has worked in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors in building strategic development plans, launching new products, and organizing tradeshow seminars and conferences. Karla has led her team in supporting the development of trade between US brands and retailers and garment manufacturers from Haiti and Africa through USAID sponsored programs. She has worked as a Textile Exchange Ambassador with the mission of facilitating the acceleration of sustainable practices in the textile value chain. Prior to founding Fabrikology International she led the apparel launch of Ingeo fibers, the 1st manmade fiber created from 100% annually renewable resources, launched several performance fabrics and technologies in the outdoor and apparel market and headed the development of an active apparel collection for a global company. She has been a Contributing Editor to Textile Insight and EcoTextile News. | |
| Susan Mair Research Analyst ICIS Susan joined ICIS the beginning of the year as part of the Analytics & Consulting team, focussing on the global polyester chain. Over the last year, her focus has been concentrated on the RPET market, looking into supply and demand. Susan studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh and worked in the consumer goods industry prior to joining ICIS. | |
| Nils Mansson Materials & Innovation Deployment Leader IKEA Nils Månsson has worked at IKEA since 2014 with new supply chain and business set-ups. Nils is today part of the purchasing organization and the management team responsible for global sourcing of textiles. As Material & Innovation Deployment Leader he is responsible for leading the IKEA implementation of recycled and renewable textile materials. Main focus is on, recycled textiles, bio-based polymers, made cellulose fibers and bast fibers. Materials that IKEA will grow to reach the 2030 target of not using any virgin fossil based materials. | |
| Sophie Mather Material Futurist biov8tion Sophie Mather started working on the topic of Microfibre shedding in 2016, with crowdfunded research (#DontFeedTheFish). As the topic scale and complexities increased there was an industry need to form the Microfibre Consortium of which she is a founding director. The Microfibre Consortium is a collaborative approach to address and align on the emerging need for a better understanding of microfibre pollution. Through collaboration, pooling of resources, and supplier engagement, consortium members, have the potential to achieve more knowledge, in a much shorter timescale, to answer the same fundamental questions faced by everyone. The consortium aims to address the microfibre challenge though activities in strategy, integrity, research, and product development. | |
| Ben Mead Managing Director Hohenstein Institute America Ben is the Managing Director for Hohenstein Institute Americas. In this role Ben has OEKO-TEX® responsibilities for the United States and promotes Hohenstein’s expertise as a globally recognized leader in textile research and testing. He also serves as the company’s liaison with governmental agencies, industry collaborations, and trade associations. He previously consulted with a variety of brands and industry associations including Textile Exchange and AFIRM. In those roles, Ben was responsible for content development, training, and establishing partnerships with industry leaders and experts to increase industry engagement in green chemistry and sustainable textile processing. Ben started his career working for Nike, Inc where he helped develop a restricted substances program and was also involved in implementation of both sustainable materials and water programs. Ben has degrees in Chemistry and Textile Chemistry from North Carolina State University and a certificate in Green Chemistry from the University of Washington. | |
| Megan Meiklejohn Sustainable Materials & Transparency Manager Eileen Fisher Megan Meiklejohn is the Sustainable Materials & Transparency Manager at EILEEN FISHER. In her role, she researches and maps the EILEEN FISHER supply chains from farm to garment, verifies sustainable product claims, and analyzes the environmental impacts of fiber and materials. Megan collaborates with various departments to strategize and implement the use of preferred and sustainable materials to meet the EILEEN FISHER VISION2020 goals. | |
| Eliot Metzger Senior Associate World Resources Institute Eliot is a Senior Associate in WRI’s Business Center. He manages research on innovative business solutions to global environmental challenges. His work focuses on opportunities for companies to tackle urgent sustainability issues, such as the implications of accelerating global resource consumption—the “elephant in the boardroom”. Prior to re-joining WRI in 2007, he worked at Eastern Research Group as a consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Eliot holds an M.Sc. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University, and Bachelors degrees in Environmental Science and Business from the University of San Francisco, where he was a Goldwater Scholar. | |
| Paola Migliorini Team Leader Circular Economy European Commission Paola Migliorini, Team Leader Circular Economy at the European Commission, Directorate General Environment, has been working on eco-innovation and circular economy policies since 2012. She is responsible for the coordination of Circular Economy Action Plan implementation (adopted by the European Commission in December 2015). Her present focus in on developing a European policy to make textiles circular. Additional area of interest are best practices on sustainable consumption and production from innovative businesses and public authorities. She has both the experience of the European institutions, which includes funding opportunities for environmental protection, and of the private sector, namely the multinational health industry. Her motto: "explain, listen and make it happen". | |
| Sam Moore Owner Ouroboros Holdings, LLC. Dr. Sam Moore has been active in environmental and sustainability issues in the textile industry since 1980 as Research Director for Burlington Chemical Company, founder of Burlington Research Inc, Managing Director of Hohenstein Institute America and owner of Ouroboros Holdings, LLC. Dr. Moore is an adjunct professor at NC State University College of Textiles and has taught the concepts of sustainable enterprises at various Universities. His research has been targeted at understanding the impacts of textile production on society and the environment and connecting sustainable practices to improved profits for textile and apparel companies. | |
| Jason Morrison Head/President Pacific Institute Jason Morrison joined the Pacific Institute in 1993 and became its president in October 2016. As president, he oversees the Institute and its activities, focusing on broadening and amplifying the organization’s reach and impact. Additionally, Jason serves as the Head of the CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact, and has supported the initiative since 2008 with applied research, event organization, and other services. He is also a co-founder of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), a global initiative that has developed and is now implementing a freshwater certification program to advance responsible water practices by water providers and large-scale users. He previously directed the Institute’s Corporate Sustainability Program, studying the policy implications of private sector sustainability initiatives, with a focus on freshwater-related business risks and on sustainable water management in the business community. Jason received a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s Degree in Energy and Environmental Studies from Boston University. | |
| Bryan Mortensen Global Audit Manager IDFL Bryan Mortensen is the Global Audit and Certification Manager for IDFL Laboratory and Institute. He graduated from Utah State University with dual degrees in International Business and Asian Studies. At IDFL, Bryan has worked in different capacities including Account Manager, Client Service Manager and Textile Testing Manager. Bryan speaks fluent Chinese and has spent the majority of his time in the IDFL Taiwan and China offices. In early 2016, he began his role as the IDFL Global Audit and Certification Manager where he manages IDFL services such as sample collections, product inspections, sterilizations, audits and certifications related to filled textiles. Bryan currently resides in Hangzhou with his wife and 2 little boys - both of which are "made in China." | |
| John Mowbray Founder & Editor EcoTextile News John is the founder of MCL News & Media and brains behind Ecotextile News, the influential B2B magazine launched in 2006. In print, app and online formats, it motivates industry to implement sustainability in supply chains. In 2007 John co-founded the not-for-profit RITE Group with Marks & Spencer that was merged into Leeds University. Since 2009, he’s run the Planet Textile Summit – next year at ITMA Barcelona – with partners the SAC. An award-winning Environmental Biology grad from Manchester University, he’s a keen mountain bike rider and an FA Qualified soccer coach. He supports EOCA (European Outdoor Conservation Association) and Oceanwise – an organisation based at Vancouver Aquarium. | |
| Sabrina Müller Senior Sustainability Manager (Product & Brand) Tchibo GmbH Sabrina Müller has worked for Tchibo since 2012 as Sustainability Manager both in the fields of Coffee as well as consumer goods. Driven by the vision to create an overall business case for all partners in the supply chain, she combines sustainability expertise with a business and brand building perspective. Having involved herself deeply into the question on how to inspire customers to buying sustainable products and on the other hand getting close to the people working in global supply chains through running community projects, Sabrina is now focusing on driving the development of the Tchibo nonfood assortments towards 100% sustainability while activating its brand dimension. | |
| Karen Newman Consultant United Nations Karen Newman has served as a Consultant for the United Nations for more than 10 years-building partnerships and visibility for the Sustainable Development Goals, most recently to launch the new Joint SDG Fund for the 2030 Agenda and prior to this within UNDP for the SDG Fund and UNCDF devising communication and outreach to new partners and specialized industry sectors, including fashion/apparel, health and technology. She has also worked at ECOSOC on the Partnership Forum and programs linked to the Post 2015 Agenda. Prior to this for UN's Business Call to Action. Karen spent two years within the U.S. State Department as a Fellow within ECOSOC and Foreign Press Center. In addition, she has had roles within the UN system, including with the ILO and the Foundation for the Global Compact. Karen’s experience with government includes varied economic development posts for the City of New York and Chicago. In Chicago, she worked as a grantmaker for The Michael Jordan Foundation and United Way. Karen curated the inaugural TEDx UN Plaza and is active in sustainability issues for the Fair Fashion Center and in Crowdfunding. Karen has an MBA and MSW from the University of Chicago. | |
| Sophia Opperskalski Preferred Fiber & Materials Specialist Textile Exchange Sophia Opperskalski has been with Textile Exchange since October 2018. She works in the Fiber and Materials TEam where she supports the creation of the Preferred Fiber and Materials Market Report, the strategic review of the Preferred Fiber and Materials Benchmark program and several further projects. Before joining Textile Exchange, Sophia worked for the sustainability consulting firm BSD Consulting. | |
| 0 | Alex Panizzon Industrial Manager Fulgar |
| Siva Pariti Senior Technical Marketing Officer Sustainable Textile Solutions Dr.Siva Pariti holds 10 years work experience with Dystar Group and STS, being an integral part of the STS Senior Management Team. Dr. Siva engages with the industries’ stakeholders developing the most practical solutions to complex challenges. Being a passionate teacher, Dr. Siva is responsible to ensure excellence of STS services globally and leads the STS training academy. He is member, Advisory Board for ZDHC Academy and is an approved ZDHC Training Provider. He is also an approved Chemical Specialist Verifier and Trainer for Hig FEM 3.0 and had conducted various Higg FEM 3.0 trainings. Obtained his B.Sc. (Tech.) M.Sc (Tech), and Ph.D. (Tech) from ICT formerly known as UDCT in the field of Intermediates and Dyestuff Technology Division. | |
| Giuditta Passini Sustainability Consultant Process Factory s.r.l. Giuditta Passini is a Sustainability Consultant for the textile and fashion industry and collaborates with the ZDHC Foundation and the Italian supply chain for the implementation of Chemical Management systems and training on Sustainability issues and trends. Giuditta is a consultant at Process Factory and 4sustainability, first Italian network specialized in sustainability within fashion and textile sector. | |
| Noel Paulson General Manager Quality Assurance Edcon Graduated from GFD (Gordon Flack Davison School of Design) after completing a 2 year Diploma in Clothing and Fashion Design, since then have held various positions with increasing accountability in both clothing production and Textile related roles. Thereafter joined Edcon as a Trainee Garment Technician and gradually worked up to the current position I hold within the Organisation being the Divisional Executive for Quality; Strategic Sourcing as well as the Offshore Sourcing Production Offices for the Edcon Group. | |
| La Rhea Pepper Managing Director Textile Exchange La Rhea has an extensive background in the organic cotton agricultural sector as well as management and marketing. She is a 5th generation cotton farmer in Texas and her farm has been certified organic since 1991. She completed her BS in Education at Abilene Christian University in 1979 and Master of Business – Organizational Leadership in 2016. La Rhea was one of the co-founders of Organic Exchange and served as Chair of the Board until 2005 and then joined the Management Team with the Exchange. | |
| Laila Petrie Textiles and Cotton Network Lead WWF Laila Petrie is WWF's network lead on cotton and textiles. She works with offices and partnerships around the WWF network to advance WWF's sector strategy and research on textiles, and engages with other sustainability organisations around the world working in the textiles space to support collaboration opportunities and alignment. Before focusing on textiles, Laila has extensive experience on corporate partnerships, water stewardship, sustainable construction, and multiple raw materials issues such as timber and pulp. Laila holds several textiles sector and other sustainability advisory roles, and represents WWF within the European Clothing Action Plan and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. | |
| Maria Teresa Pisani Economic Affairs Officer UNECE Maria Teresa Pisani, is Economic Affairs Officer at the Economic Cooperation and Trade Division of UNECE, where she leads the work on policies and standards for sustainable trade facilitation, and is currently managing a global multi-stakeholder initiative on sustainable value chains in the fashion industry. At UNECE since 2011, she has been focusing on trade and environmental governance and worked to the launch of the pan-European green economy strategy. Before joining the UN, Maria Teresa has been with the European Commission, and the ILO where she managed technical assistance projects to enhance governance for sustainable development in developing countries from all over the world. Maria Teresa is passionate about art and culture as a means of social transformation and enjoys engaging with young talents. | |
| Stefanie Pokorski Integrity & Standards Coordinator Textile Exchange Stefanie’s background includes working in communications and graphic design, primarily with non-profit organizations based in the U.S. and abroad. As Integrity and Standards Coordinator at TE, she provides support to the Integrity and Standards team through website management, communications, design, administrative support, and more. Originally from the U.S., Stefanie is currently based in Ottawa, Canada. | |
| Janne Poranen CEO Spinnova Janne looks at the bigger picture for Spinnova, as he is the CEO and co-founder of Spinnova. Before spinning the business off from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. With Juha Salmela, he headed VTT’s Fibers and Bio-based materials research area. This PhD in physics is a hybrid of scientist, industrial expert and entrepreneur. Janne is adamant that Spinnova can and will be the most sustainable fibre in the world. | |
| Mark Prose Team Manager Textile & Social Compliance Control Union Mark is currently Control Union’s Team Manager for two teams: Social Compliance Assessments and Textile certification. Previously, he worked in the Netherlands for CU as a Program Manager in the field of sustainable textiles, social compliance, green energy and organic and sustainable production programs. He has successfully set up companies for Control Union in Bangladesh (2011-2014) and East Africa, with offices in Tanzania and Kenya (2014-2016). He is an M.Sc. graduate in Sociology and Economics of Rural Development (Wageningen University, the Netherlands), and has worked with NGOs and businesses in South Asia, Eastern Europe and Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Mark has served as a TE Board Member since 2005, and was elected secretary of the board in 2015. | |
| Christina Raab Global Implementation Director ZDHC Foundation As part of the Management team, Christina is globally responsible for the implementation and strategic regionalisation of the ZDHC activities. This includes leadership of the ZDHC training Academy and the Implementation HUB for scaling of impact, grant and business development as well as formation of strategic partnerships. Christina has more than a decade of experience of working at the interface between sustainability, sustainable development and innovation. Prior to joining ZDHC, Christina held leading positions at several forefront consulting firms where she focused on holistic sustainability strategies and responsible value chains. Christina started her professional career at the environmental branch of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and has a PhD in materials chemistry. | |
| Pamela Ravasio Head of CSR & Sustainability European Outdoor Group Pamela Ravasio is the European Outdoor Group (EOG)’s Head of CSR & Sustainability. The EOG is a membership association with over 90 corporate and 10 national associate members. It represents at least EUR 10 billion on retail sales level in Europe alone. Pamela has accumulated around 20 years of global experiences, working for leading businesses, academia, and as a consultant, liaising closely with textile businesses, as well as NGOs. She is a widely published author in the textile field, and holds professional qualifications in corporate governance, textiles, CSR and sustainability, along with a PhD in industrial and production management. Pamela is also the chair of the sustainability committee for the Federation of the European Sports Goods Industry (FESI). She is further a steering committee member for the Global Social Convergence project, which is led by the C&A Foundation, the Sustainability Apparel Coalition together with around 70 global signatory brands and manufacturers. | |
| Claudia Richardson Materials Innovation Manager Patagonia Claudia Richardson leads the Materials Innovation team at Patagonia with a focus on long term advancements in outdoor apparel materials and manufacturing. Through research and collaboration in materials science, fiber technology, textile engineering, and finishing chemistry, her team seeks to improve technical performance and reduce environmental impact of Patagonia products and the greater apparel industry. Richardson has a background in Materials Science and Engineering from M.I.T. and has worked on solving materials problems in various fields from clean energy and battery science to consumer housewares and apparel. She joined Patagonia in 2014 to align her technical pursuits with her passion for sustainability and outdoor exploration. | |
| Felix Romero Value Chain Development Manager FSC Félix Romero works as Value Chain Development Manager at FSC International. In this position he is focused on innovative applications of FSC certified forest products and to transform conventional sourcing into responsible supply chains with forests and people, being textile and fashion one of his priorities. With 20 years of professional experience, he has been Regional Director for Europe at FSC International, Chairperson of FSC Spain and Head of Forest Unit at WWF Spain. Félix is MSc in International Development Aid and NGO management; MSc in Foreign Businesses and International Relations; BSc in Environmental Science and BSc in Forestry. Since 2010, he is also a teacher at EOI Business School (Madrid). Recently, he has also published the novel: El árbol de los pigmeos (The tree of the pygmies). | |
| Naomi Rosenthal Director Sustainable Supply Chains South Pole Naomi is a corporate sustainability specialist with expertise in water, land management and sustainable agriculture. Naomi has supported numerous companies with agricultural supply chains in Africa, Latin America and Asia to shift their raw material production towards more environmentally sustainable systems. This includes the development of insetting approaches that enable companies to decarbonise their business and achieve sustainability targets. The climate-smart solutions deployed through insetting enable corporates to have quantifiable reductions in their scope 3 emissions, and protect farms from water risks, soil degradation and biodiversity loss. | |
| 0 | Bob Rozmiarek Senior Director, Business Analysis and Strategy Virent Bob has extensive experience in process technology development, project management and business analysis. Bob joined Virent in 2005 and has maintained various roles from managing Process Engineering activities through leading Business Analysis in areas such as techno-economics, life-cycle assessments, feedstock evaluations and market analysis. Prior to joining Virent, Bob spent five years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) where he was a Development Engineer for the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering group. At PNNL, he was involved in a broad range of activities including process and catalyst development, process design and economics and reactor design. Bob holds a BS degree from Iowa State University and a MS degree from Washington State University, both in Chemical Engineering. |
| Anna Maria Rugarli Senior Director Sustainability & Responsibility VF Anna Maria Rugarli is Senior Director Sustainability & Responsibility at VF in the EMEA region. She is responsible for developing and implementing the Sustainability and CSR corporate strategy in the Region. She joined VF in December 2010 and holds a strong track record of successfully creating Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility programs at Nike where she worked for 12 years holding a variety of positions within the Sustainable Innovation team. In July 2015, Anna Maria has been appointed as President of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA). Anna Maria currently lives in Lugano with her family. | |
| Sophie Saing Project Manager Texaid TEXAID is a collecting and sorting used-textiles company in Germany and Switzerland for over 40 years. The company is a charity private partnership between six Swiss aid organizations with an entrepreneur. To operate, TEXAID has a network of 15,000 collection bins towards Switzerland and Germany and Austria, in which 80,000 tons of garments are collected per year. At TEXAID, we are working constantly in improving our operations but also to facilitate the recycling solutions. Sophie SAING, Project manager, is working on scouting the new technologies that could be applicable to the used garments TEXAID collects. Aim is to increase the lifecycle of end of use garments and so its circularity. | |
| Kerem Saral Senior Supply Chain Manager Better Cotton Initiative Currently the Senior Supply Chain Manager at BCI, Kerem Saral has 16 years of experience working in different segments of the textile and recycling industries. His areas of expertise include sustainability, recycling, raw material procurement and logistics management. Prior to BCI, he worked as a buyer of yarns and fabrics for multiple mills and a trader of textile and plastic wastes materials. As part of his work, he developed a number of zero-waste and circular economy programmes for textile plants in the U.S. Since joining BCI, he has led the evolution of the Better Cotton Platform and developed key sourcing strategies for retailers and brands. He is an avid believer in technology enabling enhanced traceability and transparency in global value chains and is involved in several blockchain related work streams. | |
| Mauro Scalia Director Sustainable Businesses EURATEX Mauro Scalia is Director of Sustainable Businesses in the European Confederation of the Textile and Apparel industry. In addition to his responsibilities in EURATEX management, he is in charge of the policy area addressing chemicals, resources efficiency, circularity, climate change and sustainable supply chains. Graduated cum laude in Political Sciences with specialization in Politics and Economics at the University of Catania, Italy. Joining EURATEX in 2004 he worked in consulting, industrial research and the European Commission. Italian, is also speaks English, French and German. | |
| Jennifer Schappert Policy Advisor OECD Jennifer Schappert leads the OECD’s work on responsible supply chains in the garment and footwear sectors. Within this role, Jennifer lead the development of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains in the Garment and Footwear Sector, which sets out a common understanding of due diligence in the sector. Jennifer now leads the OECD’s implementation platform to boost industry capacity to carry out due diligence and support the alignment of government and industry initiatives with the OECD Guidance. Prior to the OECD, Jennifer was a manager at Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) where she managed a workplace-based training program for workers in the garment, footwear and ICT supply chains operating in 9 countries. | |
| Liza Schillo Manager, Product Sustainability Levi Strauss Since 2014, Liza has overseen LS&Co.’s climate change and sustainable fiber strategies. She is responsible for achieving 100% sustainably sourced cotton and 40% carbon emissions reduction in LS&Co.’s supply chain. | |
| Patrick Schroeder Research Fellow Institute of Development Studies Patrick Schröder is Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. His main research interests and expertise relates to the global transition to a circular economy within the context of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) systems and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Prior to joining IDS, he was based in Beijing from 2008-2015. He worked extensively in international development cooperation programmes of the European Union, including the SWITCH-Asia Programme, promoting circular economy approaches and sustainable consumption and production practices among Asian SMEs of various sectors, including the textile industry. | |
| Emanuela Scimia Managing Director Thinkstep I have completed my environmental study at the University of Bologna and developed my research competences in spending the initial years of my career with ENEA. After having been independent entrepreneur in this particular field for over 10 years, I am since 2011 leading the Italian operation of the Thinkstep a company specialized in Life Cycle based product and Corporate Sustainability performance management. I am since more than 10 years lecturing Eco-design and Life Cycle Assessment at ISIA in Faenza. I wrote and contributed to around 40 publications. I have been involved in many different sustainability performance improvement projects, both on national and international level, good number of which with and for the European Commission. I am member of ISO/TC 207/SC 5/TG 1 on Life Cycle Assessment. | |
| 0 | Stefan Seidel Head of Corporate Sustainability Puma |
| Simone Seisl Special Projects Textile Exchange Simone studied design and textile engineering in Austria and went for a career in the global fashion and sporting goods industry, held various positions in design, product management, marketing and buying departments, also at the headquarter of adidas. In 2008 she decided to only focus on sustainability topics within the industry, first working as a consultant at the Dutch NGO Made-by, then as head of marketing and sales at Remei AG in Switzerland. She has expertise in leading CR initiatives on brand level, in supply chain transformation and integrity, product innovation and best-practice marketing and communication. Based in Freiburg, Germany, she currently works as a consultant for individual as well as multi-stakeholder projects. | |
| Helene Smits Business Development Recover Hélène Smits builds on more than seven years of experience in Circular Economy and sustainable innovation. In 2014, she set up the Circle Textiles Program at Circle Economy, dedicating herself exclusively to bringing circular economy principles to the textiles industry. Since 2,5 years she works as an independent consultant and drives business development for a leading industry pioneer in circular textiles, Recover©. In this role Hélène is dedicated to educating the industry about Recover recycled cotton and working closely with brands and the supply chain to adopt this sustainable fibre. | |
| Cara Smyth Founder GCYNC Fair Fashion Center Cara Smyth is the Vice President of Glasgow Caledonian New York College (GCNYC), the first international institution of higher education in the United States to receive degree granting authority, and founder of the renown Fair Fashion Center (FFC). With the unique mission to facilitate the incorporation of sustainable practices into fashion, the FFC is proving the business case for sustainability by turning global issues into industry opportunities. In her role bridging the industry, academia and a sustainable future, she now serves on the Sustainability Advisory Council for MarieClaire, is a board member for Glasgow Caledonian University, Sing for Hope, and a Tribeca Disrupter. | |
| Rod Snyder President Field to Market Rod Snyder has served as President of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture since 2014. Field to Market is a diverse alliance working to create opportunities across the agricultural supply chain in the United States for continuous improvements in productivity, environmental quality, and human well-being. Prior to this role, Snyder held positions as Public Policy Director for the National Corn Growers Association and Government Affairs Leader for CropLife America. He is particularly recognized for his work at the intersection of agricultural and environmental issues. He has previously served on the board of directors of the Conservation Technology Information Center, on the steering committee of the Agricultural Nutrient Policy Council, on the executive committee of Field to Market, and as chair of the Pesticide Policy Coalition. He resides on his family’s farm in Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia. | |
| Francois Souchet Lead - Make Fashion Circular Ellen MacArthur Foundation Francois leads Make Fashion Circular, an initiative by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation which brings together key industry stakeholders to create a circular economy for clothing. Francois joined the Foundation in 2016 as a project manager, to support the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Partners in exploring the value creation potential of the circular economy. | |
| 0 | Katy Stevens Sustainability Project Manager European Outdoor Group |
| Megan Stoneburner Product Sustainability Manager GAP Inc. Meg currently serves as Product Sustainability Senior Manager on Gap Inc. Sustainable innovation team. In this capacity, she partners with the Gap Inc. portfolio of brands to develop brand-specific sustainability strategies and goals, in addition to building education and awareness platforms for Gap Inc. employees. She has more than 10 years of experience in product development, working in Inventory Management, Production and Sourcing of apparel and home goods, with the majority of her career working at Gap Inc. Her love for the outdoors has made her career a life mission. | |
| Tina Stridde Managing Director Cotton Made In Africa Tina Stridde is the Managing Director of the Aid by Trade Foundation and its Cotton made in Africa initiative. Tina Stridde studied Business Administration in Germany, France and the USA and specialized in advertising. Prior to joining the Foundation, Tina has worked for the Otto Group. In her last position she was responsible for all sustainable assortments of the Otto Group, including those centred on organic cotton and wood from sustainable forestry, as well as for CSR Communication. Before joining the Otto Group, she worked in strategic marketing for international advertising agencies and for the chemical company BASF. Tina is on the Supervisory Board of the World Future Council. | |
| Evonne Tan Data Management & China Strategy Director Textile Exchange Evonne spent the past 20 years improving data and reporting for companies around the world. From a manufacturing background, she moved on to consultancy with PwC and IBM, project management with Wessex Water before settling into the sustainability sector with CSR Consultancy. A graphic designer on the side, Evonne is passionate about data visualization and using data to tell a story. Evonne started working with Textile Exchange in 2009, leading on data collection, analytics, reporting and consumer engagement. Currently, the Director of Data Management and China Strategy, Evonne holds two different portfolios in the company: one that focuses on creating value from data for textile sustainability and another to promote sustainable fiber and materials growth in the Chinese market. | |
| Phil Townsend Sustainable Raw Materials Specialist Marks & Spencer Working across multiple sustainable raw material initiatives, driving change and formulating policy and strategy. Engaging with NGOs, other brands, retailers, academia and other interested stakeholders, representing Marks & Spencer at external working groups and sustainable initiative working groups and councils. Driving chemical compliance, environmental stewardship in our textile and leather supply chain. Embedding more sustainable manufacturing processes and innovations within our supply chain. Worked in volunteer wildlife conservation with various conservation charities for over 15 years - practical habitat management, biodiversity surveying. | |
| Liesl Truscott European & Materials Strategy Director Textile Exchange Liesl Truscott is the European and Materials Strategy Director with responsibility for developing and embedding Textile Exchange’s preferred materials program. Liesl has specialized in organic cotton and has a deep knowledge of the sector. With a first class degree in Environmental Management from the University of Newcastle in Australia, she has spent over twenty years in the fields of corporate social responsibility, occupational health and safety, and environmental management – working within both the private and public sector. | |
| Matt Tudball Head of European Markets ICIS Matt joined ICIS in 2012 as part of the Editorial team, producing weekly reports on a variety of plastics and solvents for the European market. In 2014, he helped launch ICIS’s Turkish Polyethylene and Polypropylene weekly reports, which began his journey into specialising in the polymers sphere. In 2017, Matt transferred to Business Development, a small, global team of market experts whose role is to engage with businesses and stakeholders across the petrochemicals industry, presenting on and discussing the key topics and issues impacting sectors such as fibre and intermediates and polymers. Matt studied International Relations and Mandarin at the University of Leeds, and has lived in both Hong Kong and Shanghai before settling in London in 2012. | |
| Lee Tyler Senior Manager of Standards Assurance Textile Exchange Lee has been with Textile Exchange since 2008 and is primarily responsible for the consistent application of Textile Exchange standards by certified sites and certification bodies. This includes creating and maintaining an accreditation process, coordinating working groups, as well as providing guidance on the standards. He is also directly involved in the development and revision of standards and their supporting documentation. Additionally, Lee supports the financial and operational aspects of Textile Exchange. He holds a Master’s in Entrepreneurship, a Bachelor’s in Management, and a minor in Spanish from Texas Tech University. | |
| Sally Uren Chief Executive Forum for the Future Sally oversees Forum’s mission to accelerate a big shift towards a sustainable future by catalysing transformational change in global systems. This involves working with global organisations, to address complex challenges in systems such as food, energy, apparel and shipping. Sally is directly involved in a number of projects at Forum including Cotton 2040, a collaboration to accelerate the mainstreaming of sustainable cotton. As well as regularly speaking at conferences and writing for publications, Sally is also an independent advisor on Advisory Boards for several global businesses. In December 2017 Sally received an OBE in the Queen’s New Years Honours List for services to sustainability in business. | |
| Elisabeth van Delden Wool Communicator Elisabeth van Delden Elisabeth van Delden is a wool communications consultant helping wool industry businesses communicate successfully. In addition, Elisabeth runs the Wool Academy Podcast with over 20.000 downloads so far where she interviews members of the wool industry. She also writes about wool products on her Wool Lifestyle blog. With all of these activities, Elisabeth's goal is to communicate the benefits sheep and their wool have for our planet as well as for our health and wellbeing. Elisabeth studied Communications and Fashion Marketing in Berlin and London and worked for a PR agency supporting major German retailers in the area of international corporate communications. Between 2011 to 2016 Elisabeth was the Secretary General of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO). Elisabeth lives with her husband and her Labrador in Bonn, Germany. | |
| Eva van der Brugge Innovative Manager Fashion For Good Eva van der Brugge, Ph.D. serves as Innovation Manager at Fashion for Good, where she scouts, screens and supports start-ups with new sustainable materials and dyeing technologies for the textile and fashion industry. Fashion for Good is the Amsterdam-based global innovation platform bringing together the fashion industry to advance the circular economy. Prior to joining Fashion for Good, Eva worked as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company. | |
| Alfred Vernis Sustainability Manager Inditex Alfred Vernis brings over 25 years of social and sustainability innovation in teaching, research and consulting. He is currently the Sustainability Academic Director for Inditex Group (ZARA). The sustainability team leads Inditex agenda for closing the loop. He is associate professor at ESADE Business School (Spain). He has served in several boards in different Spanish nonprofits, and has published several books about public-private partnerships and social entrepreneurship. | |
| Alison Ward CEO CottonConnect Alison Ward is the CEO of CottonConnect, where she leads a team of 45 employees and over 700 implementing associates in India, Pakistan, China and Peru, impacting the lives of a million farming families. Alison has over 20 years of international experience in sustainability and corporate affairs, shaping system change and translating social impact programmes into commercial value within the FMCG, food and apparel sectors. With a mission to drive scalable change, Alison serves as an Advisory Board Member at Textile Exchange and on Forum for the Future’s Working Group, Cotton 2040. She also sat on the Sustainability Advisory Committee for the London Olympic Games and has been a Coach and Mentor to commercial teams at WWF and the Ethical Trade Initiative. | |
| Marieke Weerdesteijn Senior Policy Advisor Dutch Textile Agreement (SER) Marieke Weerdesteijn represents the Dutch Agreement on Sustainable Garments and Textile (AGT), hosted by the Dutch Social and Economic Council. The AGT is an multi-stakeholder collaboration on International Responsible Business Conduct in the garments and textile sector. The ~70 companies that joined commit to continuous improvement through the process of due diligence, with specific attention to 9 themes (working conditions, to environmental themes as well as animal welfare). Prior to working for the AGT secretariat, Marieke worked with the NGO Solidaridad and as a consultant on sustainability in international value chains. https://www.internationalrbc.org/garments-textile | |
| Francis West Business Learning Program Director Shift Francis West is the Business Learning Program Director at Shift, the leading center of expertise on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. At Shift, Francis oversees Shift’s work providing expert advice to a select group of companies that are serious about doing business with respect for human rights. Prior to joining Shift, Francis engaged with businesses and governments on human rights at Unicef UK, Save the Children, Malaria Consortium and at the UK’s tech trade body. Francis is a member of the FTSE4Good Criteria Committee and is a Board Director at the CORE Coalition. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science. | |
| 0 | Jocelyn Wilkinson Responsibility Program Director Burberry |
| Melanie Williams Director Melanie Williams Consulting Melanie Williams is an expert in sustainability and supply chain traceability. She has been an independent consultant for the past six years working with both companies producing chemicals, food, materials and fuels and Sustainability Schemes. Melanie helps organisations to develop more sustainable products. Marketing, communications and promotion services ensure that new ideas generate impact. Melanie started her career with BP. She spent ten years developing new processes for the chemicals and refining businesses. Melanie then worked for SERCO, leading the Environmental Measurements Group at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK for over seven years. She has a MA in Natural Sciences and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. www.melaniewilliamsconsulting.com | |
| Andrew Wilson Executive Director, Purpose Edelman Andrew helps brands engage on the issues that matter. He works with companies to drive greater economic benefit, stakeholder value and positive societal impact. Andrew draws on 25 years’ experience advising business leaders on strategic approaches to sustainable growth. Prior to Edelman, he was a director at Corporate Citizenship, a global strategy consultancy specialising in sustainability. Before that he ran the Centre for Business and Society at Ashridge, the international business school. Clients include multinational companies in healthcare, property, FMCG and oil & gas. Andrew has written extensively and presented to many prestigious international conferences, helping to shape corporate behaviour and thinking in this fast-moving field. | |
| Jeff Wilson Business Development Director - Sustainabililty NSF International Jeff is Sr. Business Development Manager in the Sustainability Division of NSF International. He leads a team of 4 who are responsible for selling the Sustainability Division's portfolio of sustainability solutions, including standards, auditing, certification, consulting, and software/technology. Jeff was previously with Textile Exchange for 3 years responsible for building membership value and strategic initiatives to accomplish that. Prior to TE, Jeff headed the global sustainability group for action sports brand Quiksilver, Inc, and its 3 brands, Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes. Jeff has a BA in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara and an MBA in Marketing and Strategic Planning from the University of Southern California. | |
| Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu Project Manager, Global Climate Action UNFCCC Lindita has been with the UN Climate Change since 2010, involved in coordinating projects promoting multi-stakeholder engagement in climate action. Currently she manages relationships with a few sectors and corporates as part of the UNFCCC’s Global Climate Action, including engagement with the fashion sector. Lindita has a degree in Electrical engineering and a postgraduate degree in international relations. | |
| Ryan Young Director of Strategy & Program Development Textile Exchange At Textile Exchange, Ryan focuses on strategy and operations as well as program development. For strategy and operations, he ensures that TE’s work is well-aligned, well-coordinated, and focused on achieving TE’s mission and long term goals. For program development, Ryan drives projects that support and enable TE’s strategy and platforms. Prior to joining TE, Ryan led the development of the Higg Index 1.0 and 2.0 at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. He has also consulted on sustainability to leading apparel brands and retailers, as well as to sustainability-related mutli-stakeholder organizations. Ryan started his sustainability career at Blu Skye Sustainability Consulting in 2008; prior to this, he developed a strong track record in general strategy and management consulting. Ryan has a B.A. in economics from Cornell University, and an M.B.A. in strategic management and marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. | |
| Johan Zandbergen CEO ChainPoint Johan Zandbergen is the CEO and founder of ChainPoint. With two decades of experience, Johan Zandbergen is an expert on how technology can help companies improve the sustainability of their supply chain. As of 2018, ChainPoint is being used by 40.000 users worldwide in a variety of commodities such as minerals, cotton, food and animal feed. | |
| Federica Zanetti Assistant Professor University of Bologna Dr. Federica Zanetti received her Ph.D. in Environmental Agronomy from the University of Padua. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Bologna (Italy). Her research focus is on non-food oilcrops belonging to Brassicaceae and Euphobiaceae families. Researches cover different aspects of agronomy and crop physiology evaluating responses of these species to abiotic stresses and introducing promising new oilcrops in typical farming systems with the goal of increasing their productive performances in terms of seed quality and quantity. More recently, her research topics also include biomass and fiber crops (i.e., switchgrass, miscanthus, giant reed) for advanced biofuel production or biocomposites. | |
| Marci Zaroff CEO MetaWear Marci Zaroff coined the term “ECOfashion” in 1995 and is an internationally recognized ECOlifestyle expert, educator, innovator and serial ecopreneur. Founder/CEO of sustainable fashion manufacturer MetaWear, and it's regenerative cotton farm project "RESET", Marci has been instrumental in driving authenticity, environmental leadership & social justice worldwide for nearly three decades. Founder of leading lifestyle brands Under the Canopy and Farm to Home, Executive Producer of “THREAD Documentary | Driving Fashion Forward,” and Co-Founder of Good Catch Foods, BeyondBrands and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, Marci also serves as a Board Member and Officer of the Organic Trade Association and the Textile Exchange (of which she was a founding member in 2002), Board Member and Advisor of Fashion Revolution USA and Cradle to Cradle's "Fashion Positive", Zaroff was a key figure in the development of the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and first Fair Trade Textile Certification. Marci has received countless recognitions — including Retail Touchpoint's "Retail Innovator Award," New York Moves “Power Women Award," Fashion Group International's "Rising Star Award" and the Natural Product Industry’s “Socially Responsible Business Award”. Marci is featured in the book “ECO AMAZONS: 20 Women Who Are Transforming the World” and is a Henry Crown Fellow of The Aspen Institute. Marci 's first book "ECOrenaissance: Co-Creating A Stylish, Sexy and Sustainable World" launches August 2018 (Simon & Schuster). To learn more, visit marcizaroff.com and follow @marcizaroff on Instagram. | |
