Professor Steve Evans joined academia in 1988 after 12 years in various industries. He has led the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability bring together Cambridge, Cranfield, Loughborough & Imperial College. He has led over £40m in grant research including the UKs 1st grant studying how multi-disciplinary teams innovate, and the 1st grant in  sustainable business models and what we now call Circular Economy (in 1995). Steve is Director of the Centre for Industrial Sustainability at the University of Cambridge, and leads research across many aspects of the transformation toward a sustainable industrial system, he is also a visiting Professor at the Royal College of Art. Steve has founded various cleantech start-ups. He has been Special Adviser to the House of Lords, as well as holding many policy informing roles in the UK and globally. In 2019, Steve was recognised by his peers for academic excellence by his election as Member of Academia Europaea. Steve is particularly proud of his students who include two current female PVCs and the UKs first female Head of a Business School. He is a father of two and a black belt at judo.

Appointed to Pernod Ricard HQ in August 2017, Vanessa is responsible for the creation and global implementation of the Group’s new 2030 ‘Good Times from a Good Place’ Sustainability strategy Before joining the HQ, she held the position of Global Communications Director for Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët and prior to this, she spent 17 years in a number of Communications roles in the UK for Pernod Ricard, including Global Communications Director for Chivas Brothers, the Scotch Whisky and Gin business. During her career, she has also worked for a number of luxury and food & drink consultancies and spent 5 years as a Senior Press Officer for The National Farmers Union. Vanessa has been awarded The Cambridge Institute Business Sustainability Management Certification. She is a Master of the Keepers of the Quaich, a Liveryman for the Worshipful Company of Distillers and is a past Chairman of The Benevolent, the industry charity. She is an experienced scuba diver and has a passion for protection of the sea and environment.

Andreas Ahrens, MSc in Engineering, leads the climate agenda for Inter IKEA Group (the IKEA franchisor) and the full IKEA value-chain – from raw material extraction to product end-of-life. He is the main spokesperson for climate – internally and externally – for the total climate agenda at IKEA. He also leads the connected strategic initiative to secure that IKEA develop the organisation to meet the set strategic commitments and targets to become climate positive by 2030 by reducing more greenhouse gas emissions than the IKEA value chain emits, while growing the IKEA business. He has previously worked extensively with sustainability integration into both product development and supply chain management, with special focus on climate and circular economy.

Dr. Stefanos Fotiou is the Director of the Environment and Development Division in the United Nations ESCAP. Stefanos is responsible for the planning and implementation of the UN ESCAP work on natural resources management, climate change, sustainable urban development, green economy as well as for the overall coordination of the follow up and review of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. Highlights of his work in his current post include successfully leading intergovernmental negotiations resulting in specific normative outcomes, establishing new initiatives on technical cooperation and capacity development as well as ideating and steering analytical work in the substantive areas of his responsibility. Prior to this he worked for 10 years in the UN Environment Programme in various roles in the Economy Division and in the Asia-Pacific office. Before joining the UN, he had worked for the private sector and academia on issues of regional sustainable development. Throughout his career, Stefanos has taken leading roles in international fora, has conceptualised and led the development of regional and national strategies on environment and sustainable development and his work has been published and referenced. He holds a PhD in Natural Resource Economics, a Master of Science in Information Systems, and a Master of Science in Forestry and Natural Environment.

Susan Mizrahi is a senior sustainability strategist and has some 20 years’ experience working in Asia, Europe, North America, as well as domestically, on international, business and human rights issues. She is committed to leading positive, systemic change on social and environmental issues and has achieved this through working collaboratively across and within the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Susan has particular expertise in business human rights obligations, sustainable supply chains, forced and child labour, and the China-Tibet issue. She is skilled in strategy, communications, public policy and advocacy, and is actively committed to advancing the UN Global Compact principles and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Susan is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Australia Post and acts as Chair of the London Benchmarking Group. She is also a member of the UN Global Compact Human Rights Leadership Group and GCNA’s Modern Slavery Community of Practice.

David was appointed to the role of Chief Experience Officer in 2016 and most recently the newly created role of Chief Sustainability Officer in 2018 for The Warehouse Group. He comes from an international background of developing innovative marketing solutions for global brands and retailers such as Sears, Kmart, Sephora, L’Oréal and The Estée Lauder Companies. Prior to joining The Warehouse Group, David was CEO of Hyperbolic – a New York based digital agency and innovation lab. There he led strategy and creative developments for global brands and technology start-ups. David is passionate about corporate social responsibility and sustainable development, with expertise spanning both corporate and non-profit organisations. He is an advisory board member of the New Zealand Sustainable Board Council. In his role at The Warehouse Group, David oversees the transformation the Group’s engagement methods to deliver on the TWG vision of building a sustainable and flourishing New Zealand.

Troy Powell was appointed to his current role of Head of Sustainability at Orica in February 2019. He joined after six years with Telstra, and has compiled over 20 years’ experience across industry and consulting reinforcing a career as a customer-centric, entrepreneurial and high achieving sustainability leader. He creates competitive advantage by capturing the value between sustainability and business strategies to achieve cost savings, improved culture, enhanced brand and reputation, product differentiation and customer outcomes. He truly believes in the potential for digital solutions to enable positive social and environmental impact, and is currently a student mentor with The Smith Family and serves on the Green Building Council of Australia Expert Reference Panel for Climate Resilience.

Siobhan Leach joined global health care provider, Ramsay Health Care, in 2020 as the Group Sustainability Officer. Working with the global sustainability leads, Siobhan’s role is to deliver the Ramsay Cares sustainability strategy across three sustainability pillars of: caring for our people, caring for our planet and caring for our community. Siobhan has worked in sustainability and environmental management for over 20 years and has a wide range of experience in sustainability strategy, reporting and governance. Siobhan is excited to be working in the health care sector at this challenging time helping to deliver stronger communities, healthier people and a thriving planet.

Sue Panuccio is the National Environment Manager for Ramsay Health Care Australia. This role supports 72 hospitals and health care facilities across Australia. During her short time in this role, she initiated the establishment of an Environmental Sustainability Fund enabling individual facilities to seek funding for and to progress sustainable projects. She was also the instigator of a national initiative to ban a range of single use plastics items and converting to more sustainable options. This is estimated to include over 24 million items per year, Sue has over 20 years experience in senior roles in organisation management, and her varied roles including hospital CEO and key roles in Corporate and Community Services, Corporate Social Responsibility and Project Management provide her with a unique perspective and adaptability. Her passion for sustainability and the environment is also evident in the eco-accommodation retreat she co-owns and manages. The retreat was one of the first such sites in Queensland to achieve globally recognised advanced eco certification. She has created a gazetted private nature refuge on her property and is part of the Koala Conservation and Land for Wildlife programs. She spends much of her spare time exploring incredible natural places in Australia and overseas.

Janette joined QBE in 2017 to establish and lead their global sustainability function. Her career started in strategy consulting and she has worked in several countries as a consultant and in senior leader roles related to strategy, sustainability, transformation and HR. She has worked for global companies including Andersen Consulting, PwC and NAB. Janette is currently on the Prince of Wales Accounting4Sustainability expert panel and the Arise Leadership Circle. She is a non-executive director of the PwC Foundation and a board member of the UNEP Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI).

As Head of Sustainability for David Jones and Country Road Group, Eloise leads the retailers’ Good Business Journey sustainability strategy. This program embeds sustainability into every aspect of the David Jones and Country Road Group brands, including their work with suppliers, partners and customers across eight key areas: ethical trade, sustainable farming and sourcing of raw materials, energy efficiency, waste reduction, water stewardship, social development, health and wellness, and people and transformation. Eloise and her team work with suppliers to maintain high ethical and social standards in the supply chain and to ensure the use of responsibly sourced fabrics.

Amanda Visser is the Head of Sustainability for The Star Entertainment Group and is the sitting Chair of the City of Sydney’s Sustainable Destination Partnership. With more than 14 years’ experience Amanda has led The Star to achieving the global leadership position within the ‘Casinos and Gaming’ industry of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the past four years. Amanda is the 2019 winner of the National Association of Women in Construction’s Contribution to Sustainability award, a 2019 finalist for Architecture and Design Magazine’s Women in Sustainability award, a Green Star Accredited Professional and holds a Masters of Sustainable Practice.

David Inall has 25 years of experience in leadership roles in Australian and International agricultural peak bodies. Starting as a policy manager with the NSW Dairy Farmers Association, he spent 6 years learning the policy and advocacy trade during a period of industry deregulation. David has also held the position of Chief Executive Officer with the Cattle Council of Australia (Canberra), and Livestock Export Manager (Asia & Australia) for Meat & Livestock Australia/Livecorp (Sydney). His career experience has given him insight to state-based, national and international organisations, working on both the lobbying and levy-collecting sides. With demonstrated leadership, policy management and advocacy at the most senior level, David has experience working with highly complex issues and is capable of balancing distinctly different needs. Results-focused, and highly collaborative, he has a proven record in multi-stakeholder engagement including working with and for a Board. David also has extensive experience working with members, the broader industry and government on strategic policy matters, including animal welfare and sustainability as well as issues related to the federal political strategy. With a passion for agriculture, David believes his strong industry links and love of livestock will assist in supporting the dairy industry to seize upon future opportunities. David has a Bachelor in agricultural science from the University of Western Sydney and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ryan is the Head of Sustainable Development at Officeworks, helping shape the company’s long term sustainability and responsible sourcing strategy, whilst supporting the business to achieve their short term objectives. Ryan’s role includes leading Officeworks’ approach to upholding and respecting human rights across their global goods and services supply chain, and their response to environmental issues such as climate change, the transition to a circular economy and more sustainable purchasing. Prior to this, Ryan was a Buying Manager for Global & Responsible Sourcing, with a background in buying across various retail sectors. Ryan’s approach to solving complex social and environmental issues is to establish progressive partnerships, work collaboratively and think creatively. Being part of the solution is what motivates him each day. Ryan holds an MBA in Strategic Carbon Management, from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, and a Bachelor of Business from Monash University.

Matt Nicholas has been Head of Major Projects and Sustainability since November 2018. In this role, Matt is responsible for leading Tennis Australia’s Sustainability function and engaging with the United Nation’s Sport for Climate Action Framework. Matt has delivered a number of strategic projects, including the Sydney Ken Rosewall Arena Redevelopment, the Adelaide Memorial Drive TC Redevelopment, and the ATP Cup Host City bidding process, as well as sitting as Tennis Australia’s representative on the COMPPS Steering Committee. Prior to his current role, Matt was Senior Legal Counsel at Tennis Australia from November 2014, with remit over Media rights – including the delivery of the record Nine broadcasting deal – alongside providing wide ranging commercial and sports governance advice. Matt was formerly Legal Counsel at the Australian Grand Prix Corporation and a Lawyer at Lander and Rogers. For the past five years, Matt has coached senior amateur Australian rules football with the Victorian Amateur Football Association.

Margaret heads Corporate and External Relations at Nestlé Oceania, where she is responsible for communications and public affairs across the region. In this role, Margaret manages issues shaping Nestlé’s operating environment in areas as diverse as nutrition, human rights, environmental sustainability, water and rural development, working across a portfolio of iconic food and beverage brands. She has a broad corporate affairs background, particularly in the healthcare, food and agribusiness sectors, including senior leadership roles in Novartis, Syngenta and Schering-Plough. Recently, Margaret has also served on key advisory groups in areas such as human rights and packaging.