Community Updates

Sustainable Brands Announces Newest Members of its Advisory Board

SAN FRANCISCO, November 16, 2016 - Sustainable Brands® announces 5 new members of its global Advisory Board. In total, 43 sustainability and brand leaders from diverse industry sectors represent the Sustainable Brands Advisory Board. “We are honored to have a dedicated Advisory Board that not only embraces the spirit of our community, but also embodies our promise to deliver brand value creation through sustainability at scale,” states KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands. “Each and every one of them brings talent, expertise and energy to the table as we work together to shift the world towards a sustainable economy.”

Published 8 years ago | About a 4 minute read

“We are honored to have a dedicated Advisory Board that not only embraces the spirit of our community, but also embodies our promise to deliver brand value creation through sustainability at scale,” states KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, founder of Sustainable Brands. “Each and every one of them brings talent, expertise and energy to the table as we work together to shift the world towards a sustainable economy.”

Advisory Board members ensure the integrity of Sustainable Brands and its operations. Their task is to provide insight into the critical skills required to scale its impact on brands, its community and the world, as well as catalyze the constant innovation needed to maintain leadership in the field.

Newest members include:

John Viera, Global Director of Sustainability & Vehicle Environmental Matters at Ford Motor Company, develops global sustainable business plans; communicates the company's environmental and social performance; and leads the company's engagement with non-government organizations (NGOs) and other key stakeholders. John also serves on the advisory board of the Graham Institute of Environmental Sustainability and is Co-Chair of the Erb Strategic Advisory Board, both at the University of Michigan. Carrie Majeske, Associate Director of Global Sustainability Integration at Ford Motor Company will be sharing this seat with Viera. As John explains, “I’ve had the pleasure of being part of the SB network as a member company for 5 plus years, having gained fantastic insights while providing some best practices as well. We learn and grow so much with the network of member companies. I’m honored to join the SB advisory board and I hope to help shape new ways member companies can create a better world together.”
Kevin Moss is Global Director of the Business Center at the World Resources Institute (WRI), a program to help the private sector develop strategies to support sustainability and drive growth. In 2013 Kevin was included in the Trust Across America Top 100 Thought Leaders and Guardian Sustainable Business’ 30 Most Influential Sustainability Voices in America. He also received the 2009 award for CSR Executive of the Year from PR News. According to Kevin: “Brand is perhaps the most powerful corporate asset that can be brought to bear to transform our society into a sustainable one. I am looking forward to having the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most impactful brands to help catalyze that transformation.”
Dave Stangis, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Chief Sustainability Officer at Campbell Soup, leads the company’s strategies and external engagement related to CSR Strategy, Responsible Sourcing, Sustainable Agriculture, and Operational Sustainability. Dave was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics by Ethisphere Magazine in 2008 and 2013, and has been included in the Trust Across America Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior for 4 years in a row. Dave says "It is an honor to be able to lend my voice to this group of visionary leaders who have been driving the world’s sustainable economy."
Sonali Sharma is Senior Director of Sustainability & Engagement at Johnson & Johnson, with past experience as the Director of Global Brand Management at FINCA International, the Director of CSR/Social Impact at Cone Communications, and the Co-Founder of a web-based corporate giving platform Gively, Inc. In addition to having an MBA from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, India, Sonali also gained her MPA, with a focus on CSR, Sustainable Development and Social Innovation, from the Harvard University Kennedy School.
Santiago Gowland has more than 15 years leading global sustainable business and innovation at some of the most admired organizations in the world. He drove the integration of sustainability into Unilever brands and led the corporate brand strategy, created the first corporate 'Systems Innovation' function at Nike to drive market transformation on materials, chemistry and manufacturing; served in the executive team of The Nature Conservancy; and currently leads global corporate innovation at Estee Lauder Companies.

New Advisory Board members will join existing members at the upcoming bi-annual meeting in New York City on December 14th. At this meeting, board members will focus on bringing Sustainable Brands’ “Redefining the Good Life” initiative to life, which is to be launched at SB’17 Detroit next May. They will also engage in project work which ranges from strategizing the overall health and design of SB, to engaging stakeholders, to advising on cutting-edge content, brand, and marketing communications. Further information about the Advisory Board can be found by visiting the Sustainable Brands website, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1.415.626.2212.