Sustainability Practitioners Who Have Tackled These Challenges
Mayor Tom Barrett; City of Milwaukee
As Milwaukee's Chief Executive, Tom Barrett has prioritized safety, jobs, equity and quality of life. His work has strengthened Milwaukee neighborhoods with planning, strategic investments and innovative programs. Mayor Barrett has promoted his vision for a more sustainable Milwaukee by establishing the Environmental Collaboration Office, which advances cost-effective sustainability practices that meet environmental, economic and social needs while enhancing economic growth. He is recognized as a national leader on stormwater mitigation, sustainable manufacturing and urban agriculture. Tom Barrett attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his B.A. in economics, and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. He served five terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 5th congressional district.
Nicholas Abel, Manager, Sustainable Investment Services; Wespath Benefits and Investments
Nick joined Wespath in October 2016. As a manager of Sustainable Investment Services, Nick is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of Wespath's organizational plan to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into capital markets to promote a more sustainable investment future. Previously, he was a senior investment analyst at RVK Inc., where he performed ESG-product portfolio analysis, capital market research and investment due diligence for institutional investors. He received his bachelor's degree in Finance from Western Washington University and is a FSA Credential Holder.
Sharon Basel, Senior Manager, Sustainability; General Motors Inc.
Sharon is the Senior Manager of Sustainability at General Motors. In this role, she leads the global reporting and non-financial disclosure strategy for the company's sustainability initiatives worldwide, including development of the company's annual sustainability report and its investor rating, ranking and assessment responses. In addition, she leads General Motors' stakeholder engagement process through its partnership with Ceres. Sharon has worked in a variety of functions in GM in her 37 years with the company, including manufacturing, product development, vehicle safety, and product and sustainability communications. She earned a B.S. in industrial management and engineering from Purdue University.
Libby Bernick, Global Head of Corporate Business; Trucost, part of S&P Global
Libby is the Global Head of Corporate Business for Trucost, part of S&P Dow Jones Indices. Trucost assesses and prices risks relating to climate change, natural resource constraints and broader ESG factors, enabling companies and financial institutions to understand exposure to ESG factors, build more resilient business models and identify transformative solutions. Libby is responsible for global new product development, research and sales, including company ESG disclosure to investors. She holds an M.A.S. in civil (environmental) engineering and a B.S. in chemistry and biology.
Patrick Boyle, Director, Corporate Sustainability; Sloan Valve Co.
Patrick Boyle is the Director of Corporate Sustainability at Sloan Valve Company. He has 20 years of experience in the environmental health, occupational safety, and sustainability field, during which he has championed Triple Zero campaigns for zero water wasted, zero waste to landfill, and zero energy growth. He has developed corporate responsibility strategy plans, implemented programs to drive corporate citizenship, and championed environmental stewardship throughout his companies to foster a culture of sustainability. Boyle holds a master's degree from the Stuart School of Business at Illinois Institute of Technology in Environmental Management and Sustainability.
Declan Croucher, Senior Director, Advisory Services; Verité
Declan's background is in global human resources and business management with multinational manufacturers in the consumer electronics, building products and renewable energy sectors. He has extensive factory and division-level international human resources management experience as well as a track record of creating business partnerships and alliances across multiple sectors and geographies. With Verité, Declan's work is focused on helping companies and their advisors detect and prevent forced labor and human trafficking in global supply chains through risk assessments, code of conduct and compliance plan development, communications and training, reporting and internal control mechanisms, investigations, monitoring and evaluation of program effectiveness.
Cynthia Cummis, Director, Private Sector Climate Mitigation; The World Resources Institute (WRI)
Cynthia Cummis is the Director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation in WRI's Business Center. In this role, she manages various projects working with businesses to reduce GHG emissions, including GHG Protocol's suite of corporate GHG accounting and reporting standards, the Science-Based Targets Initiative and the Portfolio Carbon Initiative. Ms. Cummis is a well-known expert in GHG accounting and brings more than 18 years of experience working on global climate change. Cynthia holds an M.P.A. in environmental policy from Columbia University and a B.S. from Cornell University.
Diane Curelli, Manager, Environmental Risk & Sustainability; General Mills Inc.
Diane is responsible for helping develop global manufacturing sustainability strategies to enable General Mill's sustainability goals, writes environmental and sustainability standards, and supports efforts to reduce overall environmental risk for the corporation. She leads General Mill's Zero Waste to Landfill initiative, is responsible for the corporate Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting and manages the environmental metric data system. Diane earned a B.A. in Geology and an M.S. in Environment, Health and Safety, both from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.
Rob Currie, Senior Director, Corporate Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability; Baxter Inc.
Rob Currie is currently the Senior Director of Corporate Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability with Baxter Healthcare Corporation and has been with Baxter for over 30 years. He is responsible for Baxter’s environmental engineering, compliance and proactive environmental programs globally, as well as the global sustainability program. He also has primary responsibility for all product environmental compliance programs and proactive product stewardship programs. Prior to working for Baxter, he worked for Shell Oil Company as a Process and Project Engineer for five years, and spent one year with an environmental consulting firm. He has a B.S. in chemical engineering and an M.S. in environmental engineering, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana.
Edan Dionne, Vice President, Environmental, Energy & Chemical Management Programs; IBM Corp.
Edan Dionne is a VP with IBM's Corporate Environmental Affairs staff. She leads a team that is charged with defining IBM's strategy, establishing and maintaining its global environmental management system, and setting requirements and goals for environmental, energy and chemical management. She and her team advise, and are responsible for driving environmental leadership performance across IBM's business operations including research, product development, manufacturing, real estate management, procurement, logistics, services, and solutions. Edan Dionne received a Bachelor of Science Degree in chemical engineering, Magna cum Laude, from the Far Eastern University in the Philippines. She earned a Master of Science Degree in chemical engineering from Michigan State University. She joined IBM in 1983.
Carl Ganter, Co-Founder & Director; Circle of Blue
J. Carl Ganter co-founded and is managing director of Circle of Blue, the award-winning journalism, science, data, design and convening organization that reports on global resource issues. He is also co-founder of Designing Water's Future, a global initiative that activates the best creative and technological talents to tackle the global freshwater crisis. He is a journalist and photojournalist whose work has appeared in most major magazines, newspapers, and television and radio networks, and holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University.
Jim Goudreau, Head of Climate; Novartis
James Goudreau serves as the Head of Climate for Novartis Business Services. He crafts strategy and policy for Novartis to increase climate resilience, reduce GHG emissions and increase energy resilience across their global operations. These efforts include managing a diverse portfolio of efforts in technology, partnerships and procurement designed to achieve efficiency, resilience and greater shareholder value. Prior to joining Novartis, he culminated a military career as a U.S. Navy Captain working on energy and climate resilience issues in the Pentagon. James holds a B.S. degree from Norwich University, a Masters in Management degree from Troy University and has completed the Tuck Executive Program at the Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business.
Frank Hawkins, Director, Biodiversity; The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Frank is a conservation biologist and policy advisor with many years of experience working with governments, finance institutions, civil society and local communities in Africa and around the world. Since 2013, Frank has been the director of the IUCN office in North America. The North America office supports the 130+ members in the region, and works with domestic foundations, policy offices and government institutions. Frank focuses on policy work, particularly in the use of natural capital data in investment decision-making, and on bringing the North American conservation community together to drive changes in international conservation. Prior to joining IUCN, Frank was Senior Vice President at Conservation International (CI), where he worked closely on green economy policy and land-use planning issues. He has written or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed papers and 10 books.
Michael Hershkowitz, Global Director, Product Sustainability; International Flavor & Fragrances Inc.
Michael is responsible for building and driving product sustainability strategy for IFF's taste, scent and nutrition solutions. He works cross-functionally to embed its Circular Design philosophy into the product development process, collaborating with R&D and Creative & Applications teams to design products that enhance IFF's overall circularity. He is passionate about finding ways for disruptive technologies to help drive the sustainability mission, seeking out new partners and enablers to help IFF and its customers better support healthy people and a healthy planet. He has a degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.B.A from North Carolina State University.
Elizabeth Hittman, Environmental Sustainability Program Coordinator; Milwaukee Sustainability Department
Elizabeth directs ECO's solar program, Milwaukee Shines, and is working to make it easier for home and business owners in Milwaukee to install solar. Elizabeth also works on green infrastructure and sustainable water projects with the goal of establishing Milwaukee as America's Water-Centric City. She received her undergraduate degree in Natural Resource Management from UW-Stevens Point and a master's degree from UW-Milwaukee in Urban Geography. Prior to joining ECO, Elizabeth served as the Executive Director for the Wisconsin chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2011 she joined the Midwest Renewable Energy Association as the Director of their Milwaukee office and worked on three U.S. Department of Energy grants expanding solar training across the Midwest and reducing the soft costs of solar.
Matt Howard, Vice President, Water Stewardship; The Water Council
Matt oversees The Water Council's sustainability and stewardship initiatives, which focus on rolling out the Alliance for Water Stewardship's International Water Stewardship Standard in North America. Matt has 10 years of experience in sustainability program development and management, including five years as Milwaukee's Sustainability Director. He has an M.A. from George Washington University and a B.A. from Valparaiso University.
Tim Juliani, Director, U.S. Corporate Climate Engagement; The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) US
Tim has worked over 15 years at the nexus of climate, energy, policy and corporate sustainability. He is Director of US Corporate Climate Engagement at WWF US, partnering to drive climate solutions, demonstrate leadership and transition the world to a low-carbon economy through initiatives such as Climate Savers, Science-Based Targets, and We Are Still In. Tim was previously Director of Corporate Engagement & Sustainability at Edison Energy, an advisory firm where he engaged with clients on their sustainability and renewable energy strategies, and helped them achieve ambitious targets, improve reputation and manage risk. Prior to Edison Energy, for 10+ years Tim worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies through his work at C2ES, previously the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, where he directed the Center's business council.
Alexis Ludwig-Vogen, Director, Environmental Sustainability & Compliance; Best Buy Co.
Alexis Ludwig-Vogen is the Director of Environmental Sustainability and Compliance for Best Buy, a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services. In this role, Alexis oversees the company's environmental strategy and programs, including advancing sustainable products, reducing carbon footprint, and complying with environmental laws and regulations. Prior to Best Buy, Alexis was a manager at Accenture in business process and technology consulting. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of California at Berkeley and was a University of Minnesota Policy Fellow in 2016-2017. Currently, Alexis serves on the board of the Minnesota Land Trust and resides in Minnesota.
James Margolis, Senior Partner; Environmental Resources Management (ERM)
James Margolis is a Senior Partner with ERM and a nationally recognized expert in EHS&S governance and management systems. He has helped numerous companies develop and implement EHS&S strategy and policy, conduct product lifecycle assessments, develop more sustainable supply chains, become listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and much more. Prior to joining ERM in 2001, Jimmy spent 11 years with Arthur D. Little and six years with Deloitte. He started his career as an engineer at an oil refinery and petrochemical plant.
Kim Marotta, Global Senior Director Sustainability and Alcohol Policy; Molson Coors Brewing Co.
Kim Marotta is the Global Senior Director of Sustainability and Alcohol Policy for Molson Coors, a position she has held since December 2016. In her role, she is responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives that promote sustainability, protect the company's reputation, deliver cost savings and manage long-term risk. Kim joined the beer business in 2004 and has held similar positions for MillerCoors and Miller Brewing Company. Kim completed her undergraduate degree at Marquette University and is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.
Jess McGlyn, Founder & President; Catalynics LLC
Jessica is Founder and President of Catalynics, a consultancy with the mission to help organizations catalyze smart strategy, partnerships and external relations to achieve sustainability goals. Prior to Catalynics, Jessica established the World Business Council for Sustainable Development's (WBCSD) first North American office. In her capacity as Director, she recruited and engaged global companies from over 20 sectors in a variety of sustainable development programs and policy initiatives. She also led WBCSD's Sustainable Lifestyles Initiative. Jessica has also worked in a variety of corporate engagement and policy roles at World Wildlife Fund. She began her career in the private sector, serving in several sustainability and operational roles at International Paper Corporation. Jessica holds a Masters in Forest Science from Yale University.
Nancy Meyer, Director, Corporate Engagement; Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
Nancy Meyer is the Director of Corporate Engagement at C2ES, leading their Business Environmental Leadership Council, a select group of major companies promoting practical and effective climate change solutions. She was previously a director at IHS Markit, where she conducted research on environmental issues affecting the energy sector and led their Climate and Carbon Service in North America. She is a seasoned stakeholder engagement professional and has led engagement activities with industry, government and civil leaders to discuss research, trends, policy and best practices on energy and environmental issues. She is also a published author and has written multidisciplinary reports as well as cutting-edge research on climate-related financial risk and the energy sector. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Indianapolis with a B.A. in international business and has an M.P.A. from Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Daniel Nielsen, Managing Director / Senior Portfolio Specialist / Head of ESG & Responsible Investing; Great Lakes Advisors
Dan Nielsen is a Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Specialist at Great Lakes Advisors where he is an integral part of the firm's investment teams and is involved in new product development. He also oversees the firm's ESG integration and responsible investing initiatives, working to identify and incorporate material ESG factors into investment strategies and to create socially responsible investment portfolios that align with clients' values and performance goals. He was previously the Director of Socially Responsible Investing at Christian Brothers Investment Services, where he developed and implemented investment screens, directed corporate engagement activities and managed proxy voting. He has focused on sustainable and responsible investing since 2005. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Chinese language and literature from the University of Maryland.
Jason Pelz, Vice President, Circular Economy, Americas & South Asia, East Asia & Oceania; Tetra Pak
Jason and his team work with a range of stakeholders across various geographies to help grow recycling and collection of post-consumer cartons. He is responsible for executing Tetra Pak's Circular Economy strategy throughout the Americas, South Asia, East Asia and Oceania. Jason also serves as Vice President of Recycling Projects for Carton Council of North America, where he works with food and beverage brand owners, local municipalities and communities, and other third parties such as recyclers and paper mills to increase the availability of carton recycling in the U.S. and Canada. Pelz attended the University of California at Los Angeles and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish.
Dr. Alexandra Ralevski, Director of AskNature; Biomimicry Institute
Alexandra Ralevski, Ph.D recently completed her postdoctoral work at Yale University in plant biology and neuroscience. She is currently the Director of AskNature at the Biomimicry Institute, where she uses inspiration from nature to drive solutions to design challenges in academia and industry.
Michelle Redfield, North American Director for Environment and Safety/Environment Process Improvement; Schneider Electric SE
As the North American Director for Environment and Safety/Environment Process Improvement for Schneider Electric, Michelle and her team direct the company's North American environmental and sustainability initiatives and strategy, leading environmental and safety programs such as compliance, management systems, water reduction, zero waste to landfill, CO2 Neutrality, data management and environmental recognition. She is the leader for Schneider Electric's Safety, Environment and Energy management system global certificate. She has also led Schneider Electric's global safety and environmental data management system program as well as its global safety standardization and process improvement programs — converting a growing company of over 200 separate brands into a single safety program.
Craig Riley, Director, Sustainability Services; AECOM
Craig Riley is AECOM's Director for Sustainability Services and is the global lead for the company's sustainability services technical network. With more than 20 years of diversified environmental and sustainability management consulting knowledge, Craig's experience in multiple sectors ranges from executive-level strategic planning to sustainable infrastructure projects. In addition to degrees in environmental science, chemistry, and business, he is also a credentialed LEED AP and ISSP-CSP sustainability accredited professional with a certification in the GRI Sustainability Reporting Process.
Maria Sepulveda, Director, Sustainability; Flex Ltd.
Maria Sepulveda is passionate about driving a positive impact in communities and the environment. Her experience includes more than 10 years in the sustainability field. She has developed and implemented global sustainability programs by collaborating with approximately 100 manufacturing and logistics sites worldwide. She has helped drive sustainability transparency efforts, including Flex's GRI report, participation in DJSI, and CDP climate change and supply chain programs. She has also helped advance programs focused on the adoption of the U.N. SDGs. Prior to this appointment, she was global manager of corporate sustainability and global citizenship. She has also served as regional environmental and CSR supply chain lead.
Julia Silberman, Manager, Supply Chain; CDP
Julia Silberman is a Manager on CDP's Supply Chain Team. She works closely with supply chain members in the consumer goods, information technology and telecom sectors to engage suppliers, reduce the environmental impacts of their supply chain, and achieve their supply chain sustainability goals. Previously, she worked as a Sector Lead on CDP's Disclosure Services Team. In this role, she worked with companies to support first time responses to CDP programs, share best practices in environmental management and disclosure, and highlight leadership opportunities. Prior to joining CDP, Julia worked as the Marketing Director for a sustainability software startup and earned her B.A. from Tufts University.
Sarah Smith, Senior Manager, Global Sustainability; The Kellogg Co.
Sarah joined Kellogg in 2012 and has held roles in Integrated Planning and Procrement. In her current role, she leads the strategic direction of the company's work in Human Rights and Forests, with particular focus on the commodities palm oil, sugar cane, and cocoa. In this role, Sarah works closely with many cross-functional teams, including procurement, communications, legal, and ethics, to support internal and supply chain engagement activites. Sarah is also the company representative in a number of collaborative industry group platforms, including the Consumer Goods Forum, the RSPO, and SEDEX. She serves on the Leadership Team for the group AIM-PROGRESS and is co-chair of the Human Rights Working Group.
Brian Tomlinson, Research Director, Strategic Initiative; CECP (Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose)
As Research Director to CECP's Strategic Investor Initiative, Brian develops leading research to accelerate the development and impact of long-term plans as a key element in corporate-shareholder communications. Through proprietary research, analysis of the presentations at CEO-Investor Forums and structured collaborations with supporting organizations, he helps develop decision-relevant, user-friendly tools for investor and corporate stakeholders. Brian's work on sustainable business and investment has been widely published. He has an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School and a degree in politics, philosophy and economics from the University of Oxford.
Marco Ugarte, Sustainability Consultant; Antea Group
Marco Ugarte is a Certified Supply Chain Professional and Sustainability Consultant at Antea Group. He previously led environmental sustainability at MillerCoors, including the development and delivery of its 2025 Global Sustainability Goals, and he developed several strategic domestic and international partnerships with key corporate, governmental, academic, and non-profit stakeholders in alignment with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Marco holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability from Arizona State University.
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About NAEM
The National Association for Environmental, Health and Safety, and Sustainability (EHS&S) Management (NAEM) empowers corporate leaders to advance environmental stewardship, create safe and healthy workplaces and promote global sustainability. As the leading business community for EHS&S decision-makers, we provide engaging forums, a curated network, peer benchmarking, research insights and tools for solving today's corporate EHS&S management challenges. Visit us online at www.naem.org.
