The Sustainability Consortium announces new board of directors

The Sustainability Consortium logo

ARIZONA, USA – January 8, 2012 – The membership of The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) has recently elected new corporate members to our Board of Directors.

During the inaugural board meeting in late January, The Consortium will welcome four new board members representing the corporate members of TSC: Charlene Wall-Warren of BASF, Karen Hamilton of Unilever, Kim Marotta of Miller Coors, and Kevin Rabinovitch of Mars whose organizations have all been members of TSC for over three years. Andrea Thomas, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Walmart was re-elected for another term.

Kim Marotta, Director of Sustainability for MillerCoors, is responsible for driving and implementing MillerCoors’ sustainability strategy and managing MillerCoors’ responsibility initiatives.

“I am thrilled with the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from the other corporations, researchers, academics, and retailers. The Consortium pulls together some of the best minds in the business and I feel honored to be a member of the board,” said Marotta.

“The Sustainability Measurement and Reporting System is really paving the way for the industry, and it’s crucial for MillerCoors to be at the table with our partners and retailers to discuss sustainability,” Kim Marotta said. “Additionally, many of the Key Performance Indicators (KPI)’s in the SMRS are tied to the agricultural supply chain and this is an area that has a really powerful impact on our business. Working together to create real change for our business, and other CPG companies is exciting.”

“I’m excited about the opportunity to sit together with leading organizations from academia, civil society and industry to collectively shape the future of TSC with the aim of driving sustainability in consumer goods value chains,” Charlene Wall-Warren, Sustainability Director at BASF said. “For BASF, our seat on the Board of Directors is another great opportunity or us to foster science and innovation to help meet the current future needs of society- living our company purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future.”

TSC will also be welcoming back several board members who continue their terms on the Board: Marcela Hahn, Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances for CARE and Helen van Hoeven from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), jointly representing the Civil Society Organizations members of TSC. Dr. Jon Johnson, Academic Director for The Sustainability Consortium at the University of Arkansas will remain the Chairman of the Board and is joined by returning members managing board members Dr. Rob Melnick, Executive Dean, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University and Dr. Aalt Dijkhuizen, President and Chairman, Executive Board of Wageningen UR (the Netherlands).

Kevin Rabinovitch of Mars looks forward to helping TSC achieve its mission. “Our [Mars] strategy is to base the impact assessment of our supply chain on public data sets and methodologies rather than proprietary methods that run the risk of sending conflicting signals to others in the supply chain,” Rabinovitch said. “This will help us move from having general strategic focus areas to having accounting systems for managing and reducing impacts and supporting analytical investments and resource commitment decisions.”

The Consortium appreciates and thanks its outgoing Board members who have provided an enormous amount of time, energy and thoughtful and strategic contributions to shaping TSC into the successful organization it is today. For their service in helping achieve The Consortium’s mission, TSC recognizes Tim Carey, Director of Sustainability and Technology , PepsiCo Beverages; Michael Murphy Director, Environmental Affairs Dell Inc.; Dr. Len Sauers, Vice President, Global Sustainability Procter & Gamble and Mark Spears, Director, Sustainability Business Practices Disney Consumer Products, who has also served as the lead Corporate Director on TSC’s Managing Board to date.

The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) is entering into 2013 with completed knowledge products for over 100 product categories, expansion into China, the launch of the Clothing, Footwear, and Textiles Sector and a newly elected board of directors.

TSC is an organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. TSC develops transparent methodologies, tools, and strategies to drive a new generation of products and supply networks that address environmental, social, and economic imperatives. The Sustainability Consortium advocates for a credible, scalable, and transparent process and system. The organization boasts over 90 members from all corners of business employing over 57 million people and whose combined revenues total over $1.5 Trillion. The Sustainability Consortium is jointly administered by Arizona State University and University of Arkansas with additional operations at Wageningen University in The Netherlands and has recently launched an office in China. Learn more at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Kessler, Marketing Coordinator
The Sustainability Consortium
Arizona State University
[email protected]
(480) 965-3810