Cascale Welcomes New Board Members
AMSTERDAM, HONG KONG, and OAKLAND, Calif., July 10, 2024 /3BL/ - Cascale, formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, is proud to announce the election of a new board member and the re-election of two incumbent board members to serve on the Cascale Board of Directors. The parity-based Board of Directors is pivotal in steering Cascale’s strategic direction, driving transformation, and furthering the organization’s mission to create a more restorative and equitable consumer goods industry.
Cascale congratulates the following individuals on their re-elections to the board:
Vidhura Ralapanawe, Epic Group
Ralapanawe is the executive vice president, innovation & sustainability for Epic Group, focusing on emissions, water, chemicals, and sustainable product innovation. With 18 years of experience in apparel sustainability, he is also a renewable energy and climate activist. His expertise covers facility design, product LCA, and standards design. He is an advocate for equal partnership in the apparel industry as it transitions towards sustainability. Ralapanawe will continue representing Cascale’s manufacturer voting member category.
Lena Staafgard, Better Cotton Initiative
As the chief operating officer at BCI, Staafgard leads Better Cotton’s global operations, ensuring their work delivers positive change and impact for cotton farmers around the world. She joined BCI during its first year of operation and has helped guide the organization towards becoming the largest cotton sustainability initiative in the world, with programs in multiple countries that have reached millions of smallholder farmers. Staafgard will continue representing Cascale’s affiliate voting member category.
Cascale is also pleased to welcome the following new board member:
Fiona Sadler, Marks & Spencer
Sadler 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, Sadler aims to use this knowledge and experience to help Cascale achieve its goals and shape the future. Sadler will represent Cascale’s brand, retailer, and holding group voting member category.
Cascale CEO Colin Browne said, “We are thrilled to welcome Fiona Sadler of M&S to the Cascale Board and continue working with BCI’s Lena Staafgard and Epic Group’s Vidhura Ralpanawe. Equal representation in the value chain is more important than ever, and their unique perspectives, valuable insights, and vast expertise will be incredibly important as Cascale continues to evolve and drive transformative change in the industry.”
Harsh Saini, Cascale board director and governance and nomination committee chair, stated, “The 2024 class of directors is uniquely equipped to serve the future of this organization. Their combined experience and dedication to sustainability and ethical practices will further strengthen our board’s ability to guide Cascale’s strategic plan. We look forward to their contributions as we strive to realize our mission for an even greater impact in our industry.”
The incoming class of directors will be seated on the Board in September 2024.
Cascale also extends its deep gratitude to the outgoing board director Pascal Brun, vice president of sustainability and diversity and inclusion at Zalando. Brun’s dedicated service and contributions have been instrumental in guiding the organization’s strategic initiatives throughout his tenure.
For more information about Cascale’s governance and to view the current Board of Directors, please visit our website.
ABOUT CASCALE
Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance empowering collaboration to drive equitable and restorative business practices in the consumer goods industry. Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale owns and develops the Higg Index, which is exclusively available on Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data and insights platform. Cascale unites over 300 retailers, brands, manufacturers, governments, academics, and NGO/nonprofit affiliates around the globe through one singular vision: To catalyze impact at scale and give back more than we take to the planet and its people.
