As Executive Vice President, Andrew is responsible for delivering strategic and operational leadership for the organization. While continuing to oversee the Membership, Stakeholder Engagement, Collective Action, and Public Affairs teams, as second-in-command at Cascale he is responsible for driving growth of the organization to ensure it can scale impact and deliver value to members. This involves broader strategic development of the organization, including into new verticals / adjacent product categories, development of new revenue streams, and expansions of key partnerships.

Prior to joining Cascale, Andrew was at amfori, the leading business association for open and sustainable trade, where, as VP Services, he was responsible for global operational activities. In addition to a strategic role in the development of the vision and strategy of the organization, Andrew managed membership services, led the implementation of global social and environmental audit assessments, including launching a pioneering audit integrity program, and also the largest capacity building program of its kind for social and environmental performance in global supply chains.

Andrew has a degree in philosophy and theology from King’s College London, an MBA with distinction from the University of Exeter, where he was awarded ‘Dissertation most likely to change global thinking,’ and a postgraduate qualification in team coaching, from UWE, Bristol. During his extensive career, including more than 20 years in global textile manufacturing, Andrew has worked for a multi-national corporation, his own consultancy, and more recently in the education and non-profit sectors.
A highlight of his work and interest is the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, and its philosophy of Gross National Happiness, an alternative progressive values-based model for measuring and guiding economic, societal, and personal well-being. He is currently based in the seaside town of Looe in Cornwall in the Southwest of England.

Liam is Founder and CEO at RESET Carbon Ltd since 2009. RESET offers in-depth solutions to companies seeking to measure and reduce their carbon footprint with a particular focus on Asian supply chains.

Previously Liam was the Director of WWF’s International’s Asia-Pacific Climate Programme, where he built and managed a ten-country team. At WWF Liam also co-led the design and set-up of the Gold Standard, which is now a leading certification system for project level carbon offsets and other environmental and social attributes.

Liam holds a Masters of Science in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London.

Jia Liu is a global sustainability leader specializing in Carbon and ESG business assurance practice. Her work focuses on enhancing transparency and validating companies’ progress toward achieving sustainable development goals and climate targets. With over 20 years of extensive professional experience in sustainability across Europe, the US, and China. Jia is well-equipped to assist global companies in fulfilling their sustainability reporting requirements and achieving environmental excellence from a life cycle perspective. Her technical expertise in sustainability is complemented by her strategic thinking, negotiation and communication skills, multicultural mindset, and stakeholder engagement abilities.

At TÜV Rheinland, Jia leads a team of technical experts dedicated to scaling and operationalizing global service offerings in carbon and ESG. Additionally, she is actively involved in a number of leading industry initiatives across various sectors, such as textiles and hospitality, focusing on sector specific sustainability standard-setting, data measurements and public disclosures.

Jon is leading the Sustainability department at Li & Fung. His primary role consists of driving suppliers and customers’ performance and compliance on different key areas such as decarbonization, water savings, chemical safety, product LCA, ESG related regulations, etc. His team composed of 5 environmental experts, completed by 35 teammates located in production countries (shared with the social compliance department) Jon is part of the Li & Fung ESG committee, where is coordinates the annual reporting for the company and its subsidiaries, and manages different stakeholders’ requirements (CDP, Ecovadis, etc.). Prior to working with Li & Fung, Jon was working for the retailer Etam where he initiated the sustainability journey, and worked in sustainability across different industries before that: green buildings & energy efficiency, hospitality, airlines. Jon holds a Bachelor’s degree in environmental geography and a Master’s in sustainability and environment.

Katy is a seasoned professional with nearly two decades of experience in the outdoor industry, spanning roles in research, product development, and sustainability. Holding a BSc in Materials Science and a PhD in Textile Engineering, she combines academic rigor with hands-on expertise. For the past eight years, Katy has been a key member of the European Outdoor Group, where she now leads as the Head of CSR and Sustainability. In this role, she champions initiatives that drive brands to address the environmental and ethical complexities of the textile supply chain. Outside of work, Katy is an outdoor enthusiast who finds joy in running through forests and hiking mountains, discovering secluded lakes for a swim, and indulging in her passion for needlecraft.

Experienced professional in sustainability strategy development and management, specialising in the fashion, footwear, and Home furnishings sectors on a global scale. Background in product development, lower impact supply chain development, circularity, and data reporting. My expertise lies in crafting and executing impactful sustainability strategies that drive real action and change in the industry.

I take a multi-stakeholder and collaborative approach to strategy development, working closely with diverse teams and partners to create solutions that are both innovative and sustainable.

Scott Raskin is the CEO of Worldly, where he champions the idea that impactful change springs from actionable measures. Leveraging years of leadership experience in tech companies, he steers Worldly toward sustainable growth, providing brands, manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers with solutions to enhance their positive environmental and social impact.

Scott’s commitment to results and customer satisfaction positions Worldly as an essential platform for consumer goods companies seeking to lessen their footprint, adhere to regulations, and promote transparency. His management style, deeply rooted in valuing people and culture, inspires creativity and teamwork. Guided by a firm resolve to create significant change, Scott’s leadership shapes Worldly’s contribution to a more responsible corporate world.

Scott is focused on leading the evolution and expansion of Worldly’s platform to include new capabilities, innovations, and automation to empower sustainability-minded companies to analyze, understand, report, and improve their supply chain and product impacts.

Joël Mertens is the Director of Higg Product Tools at Cascale. He is responsible for managing the Higg Product Tools, including the Higg Product Module, Higg Material Sustainability Index (MSI), and MSI Contributor. He is based in British Columbia, Canada.

Before joining Cascale team, Joël was the Manager of Product Engineering and Compliance at Mountain Equipment Co-op where he worked on embedding product sustainability and product safety compliance into the development process. Among these responsibilities, he developed Preferred Fiber Strategy and Supplier Environmental Assurance programs for the MEC label. Joël holds a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of British Columbia.

In his free time Joël enjoys hiking and camping in the fantastic wilderness of the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. He also spends his time gardening during the (short) summer growing season and developing his “green thumb”. Joël is involved with the East Kootenay Climate Hub, an organization focused on helping local communities take meaningful action on climate change.

Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco is the Senior Director, Higg Index Strategy & Operations, at Cascale. As part of her role, she ensures that the Higg Index tool strategy and tool development roadmap are aligned with Cascale’s overall impact strategy and priorities, and that the different tool development roadmaps are integrated with each other and with other external programs. She also coordinates the Higg Index team’s internal operations to ensure the effective delivery of the team objectives across the different Higg Index teams. She collaborates across the organization to ensure coherent strategy execution, fostering alignment and operational effectiveness.

Before her current role, Maravillas was the Director, Higg Brand & Retail at Cascale. Her responsibilities included managing the Higg Brand and Retail Module and coordinating with Coalition members, facilities, and stakeholders to scale the implementation of this tool globally. Prior to her time at Cascale, she served for 10 years as the CSR & Sustainability Manager at Desigual, where she managed key projects aimed at minimizing the company’s environmental impact, while promoting ethical trading and human rights. This ensured the company operated responsibly across all facets. She also built strong relationships with stakeholders, fostering transparency in the company’s sustainability initiatives.

Prior to her tenure at Desigual, Maravillas worked as a Sustainability & CSR consultant, and she is a professional with over 15 years of experience.

Maravillas holds a degree in Biology from University of Seville and a Masters in Environmental Impact Assessment from University of Barcelona. In her free time she enjoys combining her two favorite hobbies: traveling and trying new food from all around the world. She also teaches Sustainability classes to Business and Communication masters degree students.

Tom is responsible for the policy and stakeholder engagement strategy at SLCP and ensuring the CAF is recognized and aligned with policy and legal developments. Tom also works closely with the data insights and communications teams in developing data-driven publications to ensure the social and labor data is shared with the industry and policymakers to drive policy decision-making. Originally from Australia, Tom has experience working in international NGOs and legal clinics, focusing on business & human rights research and labour rights in global value chains.

Dhawal is Cascale Senior Manager of Training and Verification and is based in Bangalore, India. He is responsible for building, maintaining, and improving verification and training programs for the Higg Index suite of tools and ensure that the Higg Index is a trusted and credible measure for sustainability performance and benchmarking.

Prior to joining Cascale, Dhawal worked with C&A’s sustainable chemicals management team as a senior specialist. His role involved working with manufacturers of varying complexities and building their capacity to implement environment management systems. He has worked with vertically integrated textile manufacturer Pratibha Syntex as a sustainability manager and was responsible for executing sustainability projects like GHG accounting and reporting, life cycle analysis, internal and external sustainability communications.

Dhawal has been recognized in the 2017 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 cohort of global sustainability professionals. Through Sustainability Drinks Bangalore, he convenes the city’s sustainability community for networking and collaboration opportunities.

Erwan Berthou is the Director of Membership & Corporate Engagement at Cascale. He is responsible for managing engagement strategies and protocols that enable members to achieve their impact goals and to empower his team driving overall member satisfaction.

Jeremy Lardeau is the VP of the Higg Index at Cascale. As part of the leadership team, he oversees the strategic direction and development of the Higg Index suite of tools. Jeremy is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Before joining Cascale team, Jeremy was Senior Director of Sustainability Analytics, at Nike, Inc. where he led sustainability reporting, performance management, data products, and reporting. Prior to Nike, Jeremy was a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers’ sustainability practice, successively working out of the Paris, Mexico City, and San Francisco offices.

Jeremy holds a Masters in Industrial Engineering from the Ecole Centrale Paris. In his free time he is known to love travelling, running and alpine climbing, but actually enjoys most horseplaying with his three young boys.

Alison Ward has over 30 years of international experience in sustainability and corporate affairs. Alison is the CEO of CottonConnect, where she leads a team of over 140 employees, impacting the lives of over 770,000 cotton farmers in India, China, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Bangladesh. Under Alison’s leadership the organization: drives supply chain transparency connecting sustainable fibres from farm to store; focuses on the rights and skills of women in supply chains through pioneering gender programmes; and continues to develop innovations at a farm level. She leads cotton strategies and programmes for global brands and retailers.

Previously Alison worked with Mondelez International and Kraft Foods and was the Global Head of Corporate Responsibility in Cadbury.

With a mission to drive scalable change, Alison served as a Member of the Sustainable Cotton Steering Committee for Textile Exchange. She 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. Alison is also a Life fellow of the RSA- Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce

Fiona is the global head of responsible sourcing and has worked at M&S for 26 years. She is a senior ethical, sourcing, sustainability, and technical professional with extensive experience in development programs and management within retail and supply chains. She brings a strong external perspective on global issues, stakeholder management, and an ability to manage and influence issues within the corporate framework. Having developed ethical strategies focusing on emerging social issues, Fiona aims to use this knowledge and experience to help Cascale achieve its goals and shape the future.

Tamar Hoek is Senior Policy Director Sustainable Fashion for Solidaridad. Her European and global agenda on policy influencing and market uptake focuses on influencing the private sector to commit to and implement responsible environmental management, decent work and fair value distribution within their supply chain, and the public sector to enforce national norms and regulatory frameworks for sustainability and due diligence. Important platforms for her policy influencing work are multi-stakeholder initiatives around sustainable fashion, like Cascale and the Policy Hub.

Solidaridad’s cotton and textiles programs focus on working with brands/retailers, factories, farmers and other stakeholders in the supply chain to improve the environmental and social performance of the textiles wet processing sector and the Read Made Garments (RMG) sector, and to increase the uptake of sustainable cotton.

Joyce Tsoi is the Senior Director, Decarbonization Programs, Cascale. She leads Cascale’s Decarbonization programs and activities. She works closely with Cascale members and ecosystem partners to integrate sustainability into their business strategies, prioritize actions on climate change, accelerate sustainable environmental and social impacts and transform our industry into one that gives more than it takes- to the people and the planet.

She brings over 17 years of diverse global industry experience, leading global supply chain sustainability program for multinational companies, driving key corporate and industry-wide sustainability strategies and efforts through the adoption and verification of Higg tools, water and wastewater compliance program, Science Based Targets (SBTs), energy efficiency and renewable energy program across multiple industry sectors including apparel and footwear, electronics, hardgoods, home goods, food and beverage, home goods and toys industries globally. She is also a Honorary Senior Lecturer of the Sustainability Leadership and Governance Program at the University of Hong Kong.

Demith Gooneratne is the Senior Manager – Higg Facility Tools at Cascale. His Key Responsibilities include; Project Management of the Higg FEM and FSLM, in collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders, and facilitation and coordination of Cascale members’ involvement. This role also continues the development of adoption resources that support the global scaling of the Higg Facility Module and QA testing in cooperation with technical teams and coordination of communications and case studies. He is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Prior to joining Cascale team, Demith was the Senior Manager – Environmental Sustainability at Hirdaramani International Exports (Pvt) Ltd; Sri Lanka , where he was largely responsible for the development of their Environmental Sustainability Department, and managing the environmental sustainability initiatives primarily in Sri Lanka for more than a decade and overlooking strategy level implementation in Bangladesh and Vietnam. He Holds a BSc Degree in Physical Science and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka).

In his free time Demith enjoys swimming, watching Sci-Fi Movies and reading articles on new technologies and research findings related to Environment, Renewable Energy and Space Science.

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Franzisca Markschläger, an economist by training, has dedicated her career to the promotion of sustainable supply chains. Previously, she served as a project manager within the multi-stakeholder initiative ‘Partnership for Sustainable Textiles,’ where her role involved supporting brand members in increasing their supply chain transparency and encouraging disclosure. In her current capacity at the Initiative for Global Solidarity (IGS), a project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, she is committed to improving the conditions for credible and comparable data concerning environmental and social risks within global supply chains.

Katrin Perlmutter is a Senior Policy Officer in the Division for the Transformation of Global Supply Chains at the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, where she focuses on fostering circular, sustainable and fair global textile supply chains. Before joining the Ministry, Katrin worked as a Programme Officer at the United Nations Secretariat for eight years driving forward UN Reform and helping to build up data-driven decision-making for support functions in peace operations. Prior to that, she was a management consultant in the private sector at the Boston Consulting Group.

Sophie is a Principal Consultant at RESET. Based out of Hong Kong, she focuses on driving company’s carbon related strategy in the fashion and apparel practice. She also takes the lead on major client projects and strategic relationships linked to practice development.

Before joining RESET Carbon, Sophie was the Head of Sustainability & Sourcing at a French fashion company, where she led the development and execution of the brand’s sustainability and sourcing strategies. Prior to this, Sophie spent a decade at the iconic American retailer, transforming them into an industry leader. She spearheaded their public facing water strategy and played an instrumental role across their fabric development, supply chain and responsible sourcing teams.

Sophie gained both her BA (Hons) in Fashion & Textiles and her PhD degree at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Linn Gjelsvik Rai is the Global Sourcing Manger at Varner and holds the responsibility for Varner’s Sourcing strategies and supplier portfolio. Varner is one of Scandinavia’s largest retailers, and consists of the fashion brands Dressmann, Cubus, Bik Bok, Carlings, Volt and Junkyard.

Linn has a key role in Varner’s journey towards achieving a more transparent supply chain, and strongly believes in working closer with direct and indirect suppliers to make informed and responsible purchasing decisions. Creating internal engagement and cross-function collaboration is something she considers as an enabler to drive the change needed for Varner to be a liable retailer.

Prior to Varner, Linn worked with both textile and hardware at Swix. She has also lived a few years in Nepal, following up garment suppliers on a daily basis. Linn spent her youth on the diving board and has recently transitioned to CrossFit with great enthusiasm.

Patricia is CEO of Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN), a for-benefit CSO that champions human rights in the raw materials found in products we use every day.

Since 2004, Patricia has worked with civil society and shareholder communities to address labor and human rights abuses. She speaks extensively about modern slavery, due diligence, traceability, and value chains. Patricia has contributed to KnowTheChain’s benchmarking reports, OECD’s due diligence guidance, BCI’s forced labor task force, and ICCR’s Equitable Supply Chain Group. She launched RSN’s initiative, YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced, which aims to mitigate forced labor in cotton production globally, and enable yarn and fabric mills to implement a risk-based due diligence approach for all of their sourcing.

Prior to RSN, Patricia managed production at Gap, Inc., encouraged equitable trade for IATP, and trained women’s artisan cooperatives. She has degrees from Fashion Institute of Technology, Cornell, and Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Philipp’s entrepreneurial journey began with the founding of CANO, an ethical shoe brand. His experience with CANO’s supply chain challenges inspired him to co-found Retraced, aiming to provide comprehensive supply chain traceability solutions.

Philipp’s deep understanding of product development and his passion for ethical business practices have established him as a visionary leader in the industry. His strategic insights and ability to foster collaboration make him an exceptional leader and team player at Retraced.

With over 19 years of experience in the Spinning, Weaving, Processing, and Apparel industry, I have developed a deep expertise in sustainability and compliance. My career is marked by a strong commitment to implementing sustainable practices, including Environmental Management Systems (EMS), Energy Management Systems (EnMS), Integrated Management Systems (IMS), Water and Chemical Management, Waste Reduction, and Social Fairness.

I hold an MBA and am a certified Lead Auditor for multiple standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 along with certifications of ZDHC, Higg Index, and BSCI. My skills in negotiation and strategic planning have been instrumental in driving sustainability initiatives that align with both business objectives and environmental stewardship.

Mark Vaessen is a senior partner with KPMG in the Netherlands and the Global Head of Corporate & Sustainability Reporting for KPMG internationally. In that capacity he maintains the relationship with the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and is a member of the Integrated Reporting and Connectivity Council, an advisory body to both the ISSB and IASB. In addition, Mark is currently the President of Accountancy Europe, a Brussels-based organization representing nearly one million professional accountants from across Europe. He previously also was a board member at the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Mark has been a partner in KPMG’s global audit practice since 1999. He lived and worked in London for nearly 20 years, building and leading KPMG’s global international standards network as global IFRS leader. In 2017, he returned to his native the Netherlands where he was Head of Professional Practice until the end of 2022.

Marianne has over 15 years leading food and fashion innovation companies, with a strong focus on how technology, especially traceability, can help make an impact for a sustainable tomorrow.

Patrick brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience to the table. Having founded and scaled three companies, he successfully managed two exits. Throughout his career, Patrick has excelled in diverse roles, including as a member of the executive board, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) across manufacturing, distribution, and retail sectors. His strong customer focus, commercial acumen, and proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams make him the perfect complement to the technology-focused founder of Haelixa.

Colin Browne is CEO of Cascale, a global nonprofit alliance catalyzing collective action toward equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. The organization spans over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, industry associations, and NGO or nonprofit affiliates. Cascale’s membership includes apparel, footwear, home furnishings, sporting and outdoor goods, and bags and luggage companies.

Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, used by 24,000 worldwide. Browne has a wealth of global experience in supply chains and both brand and factory management. Prior to joining Cascale, he was Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of Under Armour, a Cascale member. Browne also served on the boards of the American Apparel and Footwear Association and the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries; he continues to serve as a board member at Worldly, the leader in environmental and social impact data for the apparel and footwear industry and the exclusive platform for Cascale’s Higg Index tools.

His business-oriented approach centers on sustainability and his focus at Cascale is scaling supplier-focused initiatives and driving accountability in the consumer goods industry. Along with his passion for supply chains, Colin is a proud husband, grandfather, and father of three children. He resides in the US though can be found internationally, visiting family in the UK, meeting the growing Cascale team and even squeezing in a triathlon.

Harsh currently serves as a director on a number of boards and advises senior leaders on sustainable business, human rights, environmental practices, trade regulations, as well as innovation in supply chains. Harsh has held leadership positions in global corporations, including Nike and the Fung Group, in many parts of the world, in a career spanning corporate communications, marketing, government affairs, and pioneering corporate responsibility and sustainability.

Ilishio Lovejoy is a seasoned Programme Manager specialising in labour-centred transitions across diverse industries. With a rich background spanning NGOs, academia, brands, and suppliers, she brings a board portfolio of experience to her current role at the Laudes Foundation. Previously, Ilishio served as the ESG General Manager at Simple Approach, a leading multinational apparel supplier, where she spearheaded the development of supplier-led white papers on policy and decarbonization.

Ilishio has also contributed to industry standards and transparency as the former Manager of the Research and Policy team at Fashion Revolution. In this role, she was instrumental in advancing the Fashion Transparency Index, driving industry benchmarking, and leading extensive research and advocacy on EU-level policies.

In addition to this work, Ilishio is currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Innovation at the Cambridge Judge Business School, with a focus on fair processes within industry collective action initiatives.

Achim Loeffler is Business Leader of the global GORE-TEX Ingredient Business at W.L. GORE & Associates.

With more than 20 years of experience in various roles at GORE, he is currently leading the transformation of the GORE-TEX brand from a performance brand to a responsible performance brand.

Prior to GORE, Achim worked for a consumer electronic company and a health service startup.

Krelyne Andrew is currently employed at Sappi Limited and is based in South Africa. She heads up the global sustainability portfolio for Verve, Sappi’s dissolving pulp product which is manufactured in South Africa and North America. Dissolving pulp is used to produce a variety of products, including fibre for textiles and apparel and microcrystalline cellulose for food and pharma applications. She has worked in various roles at Sappi, including heading up the R&D and Technical Services for Verves speciality product portfolio. When Sappi expanded its operations in 2013, she was appointed as business support manager, a role which involved working with operations to ensure that the new products were fit for purpose. In her current market facing role, she is responsible for the development of solutions to improve the sustainability footprint Verve and developing partnerships to promote the use of sustainable raw materials.

She is member of the South African Regional and Global Sustainability Councils which reports to the board accountable Social, Ethics, Transformation and Sustainability Committee. She is also a member the Global Technical Management Team (GTMT) that is responsible for the formulation and delivery of Sappi’s R&D and Innovation strategy.

Her long-standing commitment to equal partnerships and creating shared value is reflected in successful relationships with Verve’s dissolving pulp stakeholders and the implementation of multi stakeholder initiatives.

Sean Cady is Vice President, Global Sustainability, Responsibility, Trade and Government Affairs at VF Corporation. VF Corporations is a global leader in lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. VF is the owner of 12 iconic brands, including The North Face®, Vans®,  Timberland®, Dickies® and Supreme®.

Cady’s direction of VF’s global sustainability strategy has been instrumental in the  implementation of the company’s comprehensive and industry-leading actions to reduce the  environmental impacts of products, direct operations, and the supply chain. In leading VF’s global trade strategy, product stewardship team, government relations and global impact initiatives, Cady ensures best-in-class management of product impacts through design and  manufacturing due diligence, regulatory compliance, traceability, and substantiation of raw materials, while simultaneously representing VF’s interests to eliminate barriers to free trade. Additionally, he oversees the global responsible sourcing team across VF, ensuring the nearly 1 million workers making VF products, which are sold in more than 125 countries and over 1,200 owned retail stores across the globe, are assured fair treatment and a safe workplace.

Prior to joining VF in 2010, Cady led various teams at Levi Strauss & Co. His perspectives have been shared in numerous publications and at recent events such as the Textile Exchange  Sustainability Conference, the Redress Design Awards, MAGIC Las Vegas and the World  Business Forum.

Cady holds an M.B.A. in International Business and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California. He serves on the Board of Directors for Cascale and Worldy and the advisory board for the Business for Impact program in Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Mr. Vidhura Ralapanawe has over 16 years of experience in apparel sustainability and has a background in climate research, energy transition, and renewable energy. Currently, he is dedicated to shaping Epic Group’s sustainability strategy and leading implementation across manufacturing, products, and the supply chain. Previously, he worked for 12 years at MAS Intimates. He is a contributor to resource efficiency, LCAs, green buildings, and sustainable product innovation.

Dalena has more than 20 years’ experience in clothing design, textile manufacturing, merchandising and product sourcing for fashion retail. She served as a board member of a clothing factory for 6 years, before joining the wool industry in 2008. She managed brand developments for South African Merino wool products, including styling, wool textile innovation and marketing projects with retail partners. Dalena was appointed as the Secretary General of the International Wool Textile Organisation, based in Brussels, Belgium, in June 2016.

IWTO is the recognized global authority for standards in the wool industry and has been representing the interests of the wool textile trade since 1930. IWTO Members represent 26 countries and all stages of the wool pipeline. IWTO is a registered AISBL (non-profit).

Lena always wanted a career with purpose. As Chief Operating Officer at Better Cotton, Lena loves that she works for an organisation with a single mission and clear focus that directly benefits cotton farmers around the world. Lena has a background in sustainability and holds degrees in Politics and Geography, and Environment and Development. She is inspired by commitment and by people who follow their values and passions, even if it means taking the road less travelled.

Better Cotton brings together cotton farmer and producer organisations; textile retailers and brands; spinners, mills, gins and other companies in the cotton supply chain; and representatives of civil society, alongside governments and public authorities to help cotton production become sustainable – and so better for the environment, better for the people who depend on it and better for the sector.

Global sales, marketing and sustainability leader with extensive experience building business with premium ingredient brands in performance fibres and textiles. High-level connections across the international value chain including manufacturers, mills, brands and retailers. Passionate about coaching, mentoring, the outdoors and surfing!

Eric is an award-winning leader of global renewable energy and clean-tech initiatives at Fortune 500 companies. He started Ren after his time as Director of Renewable Energy at Nike resulted in the 2018 SCTI #1 ranking in corporate renewables (tied with Apple). Before Nike, Eric developed wind projects worldwide for Goldwind and worked on supply chain clean tech projects for Procter & Gamble focused on materials circularity.

Markus is leading the Climate Team at Gore Fabrics where he has been privileged to work with an outstanding community of Scope 1, 2 and Scope 3 experts. He helped craft the science-aligned climate goal back in 2018, coordinates the broader climate program and recently worked with executive leadership to elevate the climate goal to one of Fabrics three 2030 aspirations, alongside Fabrics’ key financial targets. Previously, he served as a Director at the strategy and communications consultancy firm KekstCNC, focusing on the energy sector and compliance.

Stefan Seidel has been heading Corporate Sustainability for PUMA since 2015.Stefan started his career with PUMA in 2001 as a social and environmental Auditor after which he has held various leadership positions which have included Global Team Head Environmental Affairs and Sustainability Team Lead EMEA amongst others. In his current role as Senior Director Corporate Sustainability, Stefan is responsible for all Corporate Social and Environmental issues for PUMA. Before joining PUMA, he worked at First Data Limited and Siemens.

Stefan represents Puma in industry-wide initiatives, such as the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action which he helped to create.

Veronique Rochet brings over 20 years of international sustainability experience in the apparel, footwear, and accessories industry. Currently, she serves as PUMA’s Senior Director of Sustainability. Together with her team, she has established an implementation strategy to meet the 2025 targets and is now spearheading the development and execution of PUMA’s 2030 sustainability vision and goals for the supply chain.

Chris Marshall is the Director of the Transparency Program at Cascale, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. He is responsible for leading the Transparency Program, which provides a consistent way for brands, retailers, and manufacturers to share sustainability information on apparel and footwear products, across impact categories such as water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and use of fossil fuels. He is based in Amsterdam in The Netherlands.

Before joining Cascale team, Chris was the Senior Director of Merchandising, at PVH where he was tasked with leading a team developing sports performance apparel. Chris comes with 16+ years of experience in the footwear and apparel industry in companies such as Nike, Converse, Vans (VF), Tommy Hilfiger, and Calvin Klein (PVH). His functional experience ranges from planning, sourcing, vendor compliance, and product merchandising.

Chris prides himself on being a lifelong learner and he has recently finished his master’s degree in digital management. In his free time you can find him chasing the sun, wild camping throughout his multi-day hikes in the mountains.

Jeremy Lardeau is the VP of the Higg Index at Cascale. As part of the leadership team, he oversees the strategic direction and development of the Higg Index suite of tools. Jeremy is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Before joining Cascale team, Jeremy was Senior Director of Sustainability Analytics, at Nike, Inc. where he led sustainability reporting, performance management, data products, and reporting. Prior to Nike, Jeremy was a manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers’ sustainability practice, successively working out of the Paris, Mexico City, and San Francisco offices.

Jeremy holds a Masters in Industrial Engineering from the Ecole Centrale Paris. In his free time he is known to love travelling, running and alpine climbing, but actually enjoys most horseplaying with his three young boys.

Deepika Mishra is the Standards and Data Lead for the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, acting as a consultant for the program. As an accomplished scientist and data analytics specialist, Deepika leads on analysis of the Trust Protocol’s environmental metrics. She collaborates extensively with agricultural research institutions, conservation groups, and food and trade organizations, playing a vital role in the establishment of sustainability and social standards within the industry. Deepika earned her Ph.D. in plant and soil science from Texas Tech University, specializing in cotton breeding and genetics. With over a decade of experience, she has spearheaded diverse agricultural projects in both India and the United States, covering crops like cotton, cowpeas, castor, sesame, guar, guayule, tomato, and field pennycress (cover crop). Her contributions also include the development and release of multiple cowpea varieties in India during her M.S. studies in vegetable breeding and genetics.

Dr. Jesse Daystar is the Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Sustainability at Cotton Incorporated and an adjunct professor at the Duke Nicholas School of the Environment. Dr. Daystar leads the cotton industry towards a more regenerative and sustainable future through supporting research and outreach programs aimed at implementing best science and practices in the soil and throughout the supply chain.

At Better Cotton, Lars serves as the Director of Impact, aiding growers in the sustainable production of cotton, a staple fibre in our everyday wardrobe. Enhancing both farmer earnings and their environmental surroundings is vital for evolving toward resilient agricultural models. With expertise in corporate finance coupled with nearly ten years in development work, Lars possesses deep insights into merging farmer financial considerations with the requisite investments for a worldwide shift to agriculturally harmonious practices with Earth.

Rebecka Sancho is the Head of Sustainability at G-Star, where she leverages over a decade of experience in the fashion industry to drive transformative change. With a strong foundation in sustainability, reinforced by an MSc in Sustainable Development from Utrecht University, Rebecka has been instrumental in embedding sustainability into the core of globally recognized fashion brands.

Her career is marked by a commitment to integrating sustainable practices across all facets of business and supply chains, ensuring that environmental stewardship, human rights, and ethical sourcing are not just ideals, but actionable realities. A forward-thinking advocate for sustainable fashion, Rebecka is passionate about innovation and dedicated to championing responsible business practices that inspire others in the industry.

Her expertise in bridging the complexities of fashion with the urgency of environmental and social action has led to the successful implementation of on-ground strategies in ethical sourcing, gender equality, sustainable production, and waste reduction initiatives. As a respected thought leader in sustainable apparel, Rebecka continues to drive positive change, setting new standards for sustainability in the fashion industry.

Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco is the Senior Director, Higg Index Strategy & Operations, at Cascale. As part of her role, she ensures that the Higg Index tool strategy and tool development roadmap are aligned with Cascale’s overall impact strategy and priorities, and that the different tool development roadmaps are integrated with each other and with other external programs. She also coordinates the Higg Index team’s internal operations to ensure the effective delivery of the team objectives across the different Higg Index teams. She collaborates across the organization to ensure coherent strategy execution, fostering alignment and operational effectiveness.

Before her current role, Maravillas was the Director, Higg Brand & Retail at Cascale. Her responsibilities included managing the Higg Brand and Retail Module and coordinating with Coalition members, facilities, and stakeholders to scale the implementation of this tool globally. Prior to her time at Cascale, she served for 10 years as the CSR & Sustainability Manager at Desigual, where she managed key projects aimed at minimizing the company’s environmental impact, while promoting ethical trading and human rights. This ensured the company operated responsibly across all facets. She also built strong relationships with stakeholders, fostering transparency in the company’s sustainability initiatives.

Prior to her tenure at Desigual, Maravillas worked as a Sustainability & CSR consultant, and she is a professional with over 15 years of experience.

Maravillas holds a degree in Biology from University of Seville and a Masters in Environmental Impact Assessment from University of Barcelona. In her free time she enjoys combining her two favorite hobbies: traveling and trying new food from all around the world. She also teaches Sustainability classes to Business and Communication masters degree students.

Dhawal is Cascale Senior Manager of Training and Verification and is based in Bangalore, India. He is responsible for building, maintaining, and improving verification and training programs for the Higg Index suite of tools and ensure that the Higg Index is a trusted and credible measure for sustainability performance and benchmarking.

Prior to joining Cascale, Dhawal worked with C&A’s sustainable chemicals management team as a senior specialist. His role involved working with manufacturers of varying complexities and building their capacity to implement environment management systems. He has worked with vertically integrated textile manufacturer Pratibha Syntex as a sustainability manager and was responsible for executing sustainability projects like GHG accounting and reporting, life cycle analysis, internal and external sustainability communications.

Dhawal has been recognized in the 2017 GreenBiz 30 Under 30 cohort of global sustainability professionals. Through Sustainability Drinks Bangalore, he convenes the city’s sustainability community for networking and collaboration opportunities.

Ms. Linh Cao has a Bachelor’s Degree in business administration and an MBA in sustainable fashion management. She has 11 years of professional experience in textiles and shoes, from the quality field to sustainability. She focuses on environmental performance and circularity at ON Vietnam.

Minh Nguyen s an accomplished professional with 28 years of experience in operations and environmental protection, having held key roles at with industry leaders such as Hanesbrands, IKEA, and Unilever. With a master’s degree from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand, she is committed to continuous improvement and sustainable practices in the industry. Minh Nguyen is passionate about driving initiatives that not only enhance operational efficiency but also prioritize environmental stewardship, contributing to a healthier planet for future generations.

Holding a master’s degree in International Relations and Development Policy, Ms. Saskia Anders has been working in the field of business and sustainability for 15 years. At GIZ she held different positions related to private sector development and sustainable supply chains in Germany and abroad. In her current post she leads the Sustainable Supply Chains and Circularity team at GIZ Viet Nam.

Orine Dsouza is the Senior Manager of Higg tools for Cascale, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. She will be responsible for managing and improving the Higg Facility Environmental Module (Higg FEM), Higg Facility Social & Labor Module (Higg FSLM) and their suite of resources. The goal of this position is to continue integrating the input of Coalition members, facilities, and stakeholders into the tools and resources through effective engagement and facilitation, in order to scale the adoption of these tools globally. She is based in Bangalore/India.

Before joining Cascale team, Orine was the Supply Chain Sustainability Manager for India and Sri Lanka at H&M. This includes setting the strategy, planning, controlling and analysis of impact for the supply chain. She has been a key contributor, providing guidance on strategy, policies, and planning for long-term sustainability. Orine was responsible for leading the team in implementing the Annual Action Plans (Validation, Program and Projects) in cooperation with the business team and suppliers. She also handled any escalation that came from the supplier level, and provided support in managing and mitigating issues.

Orine has a Master’s degree in Social Work. In her free time, Orine loves to see new places and bake/ cook new cuisine.

Tom is responsible for the policy and stakeholder engagement strategy at SLCP and ensuring the CAF is recognized and aligned with policy and legal developments. Tom also works closely with the data insights and communications teams in developing data-driven publications to ensure the social and labor data is shared with the industry and policymakers to drive policy decision-making. Originally from Australia, Tom has experience working in international NGOs and legal clinics, focusing on business & human rights research and labour rights in global value chains.

Gregg Meyer is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Steven Madden, Ltd. and President of the Steve Madden Corporate Foundation.

In his role Gregg oversees global sustainability, corporate responsibility, social mission, community engagement, charitable giving and all ESG initiatives for Steve Madden and its portfolio of brands including Betsey Johnson, Ann Klein, Blondo, Dolce Vita and BB Dakota by Steve Madden.

Prior to his current role, Gregg served as Deputy General Counsel and Vice President for Corporate Social Responsibility where in addition to working on ESG matters he managed various legal issues for the company including international litigation, compliance, product safety and government relations.

Before joining Steve Madden, Gregg commuted between New York City and Burlington, Vermont where he worked in private legal practice as well as for several NGOs and local and state governments focusing on litigation, environmental law, philanthropy, public policy and legislative advocacy.

Magnus is the Head of Corporate Sustainability ABOUT YOU and leads the company’s sustainability work. His responsibilities include ESG reporting, due diligence work, GHG emissions reduction work and calibrating and managing ABOUT YOU’s further sustainability work in alignment with internal decision makers.

With his team, Philipp works to fast-track sustainable transformation in F&SG and Chemicals sector. He joined Quantis in 2021 after 16 years in the sporting goods industry in various role in product creation, sourcing and sustainability. He also served 6 years as a Board Member in the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation. He currently serves as a senior advisor to FLFC, a pre-competitive industry association decarbonizing fashion.

Hilary Strickland is the Chief of Staff at Cascale, where she serves as the CEO’s right-hand in overseeing organization-wide cross-functional projects and initiatives. She manages the Cascale Board, working closely with the Chair, and leads the internal priorities of the Governance and Nominations Committee, including the annual Board elections. Hilary is deeply passionate about Cascale’s mission and its members, and she eagerly anticipates the insights to be gained from the 2024 Annual Meeting. She resides in the Washington, DC area with her husband and two daughters.

Sean Cady is Vice President, Global Sustainability, Responsibility, Trade and Government Affairs at VF Corporation. VF Corporations is a global leader in lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories. VF is the owner of 12 iconic brands, including The North Face®, Vans®,  Timberland®, Dickies® and Supreme®.

Cady’s direction of VF’s global sustainability strategy has been instrumental in the  implementation of the company’s comprehensive and industry-leading actions to reduce the  environmental impacts of products, direct operations, and the supply chain. In leading VF’s global trade strategy, product stewardship team, government relations and global impact initiatives, Cady ensures best-in-class management of product impacts through design and  manufacturing due diligence, regulatory compliance, traceability, and substantiation of raw materials, while simultaneously representing VF’s interests to eliminate barriers to free trade. Additionally, he oversees the global responsible sourcing team across VF, ensuring the nearly 1 million workers making VF products, which are sold in more than 125 countries and over 1,200 owned retail stores across the globe, are assured fair treatment and a safe workplace.

Prior to joining VF in 2010, Cady led various teams at Levi Strauss & Co. His perspectives have been shared in numerous publications and at recent events such as the Textile Exchange  Sustainability Conference, the Redress Design Awards, MAGIC Las Vegas and the World  Business Forum.

Cady holds an M.B.A. in International Business and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California. He serves on the Board of Directors for Cascale and Worldy and the advisory board for the Business for Impact program in Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Tamar Hoek is Senior Policy Director Sustainable Fashion for Solidaridad. Her European and global agenda on policy influencing and market uptake focuses on influencing the private sector to commit to and implement responsible environmental management, decent work and fair value distribution within their supply chain, and the public sector to enforce national norms and regulatory frameworks for sustainability and due diligence. Important platforms for her policy influencing work are multi-stakeholder initiatives around sustainable fashion, like Cascale and the Policy Hub.

Solidaridad’s cotton and textiles programs focus on working with brands/retailers, factories, farmers and other stakeholders in the supply chain to improve the environmental and social performance of the textiles wet processing sector and the Read Made Garments (RMG) sector, and to increase the uptake of sustainable cotton.