Winners of the Futur/io CSO Awards North America Revealed in New York
The most important Chief Sustainability Officers of the United States and Canada were announced at the Futur/io CSO Awards last night, during a gala dinner at One World Center in New York.
NEW YORK, September 24, 2024 /3BL/ - The most important Chief Sustainability Officers of the United States and Canada were announced at the Futur/io CSO Awards last night, during a gala dinner at One World Center in New York.
Michael Kobori, Chief Sustainability Officer from Starbucks received the CSO Award in Gold. Additional CSO Awards were presented to Suzanne Dibianca from Salesforce (Silver), and Sophie Beckham from International Paper (Bronze). The Grand Jury also awarded three Special Honors Awards to Emma Stewart from Netflix, Melanie Nakagawa from Microsoft, and Ann Tracy from Colgate-Palmolive.
Cassandra Garber from Dell Technologies was granted a special Sustainable Supply Chain Award presented by premium partner IntegrityNext. The Peer Award, chosen by the live audience of the CSO Awards gala ceremony, went to Victoria Emerick, of Bristol Myers Squibb, and was presented by Phil White, the supporting partner of Grounded World.
The CSO Awards North America is an initiative of the Futur/io Institute, a pioneering organization dedicated to nurturing and inspiring leadership in sustainable innovation and building the most impactful network of Chief Sustainability Officers globally. The European version of the CSO Awards takes place every year during the World Economic Forum week in Davos.
“In a week when New York feels like the center of the world, hosting Climate Week and the UN General Assembly, we are honored to celebrate the Chief Sustainability Officers of North America in this iconic location,” said Harald Neidhardt, CEO & Curator of the Futur/io Institute. “In this pivotal moment in history, we must keep our spirits high and collaborate to solve the challenges that lie ahead. Tonight, by celebrating the people who are role models in sustainability, we hope to inspire others to be optimistic and work on building the desirable futures we want to live in.”
Vandinika Shukla, Deputy Director of Global Programs at the Obama Foundation, gave an inspiring keynote speech on the importance of intergenerational decision-making. She also reminded companies that corporate responsibility is, ultimately, essential for survival.
Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of the Club of Rome, spoke about the need for a new economy, highlighting that there is no point talking about the environment if we forget that humanity is part of nature. She urged the audience to address wealth inequalities and other systemic problems.
“Let’s go get them!” said Michael Kobori, of Starbucks, when he received the Gold CSO Awards. "We're all winners," he added. "We're all making it happen, and we have to make it happen faster as we're running out of time!"
After the CSO Awards Announcement, the guests enjoyed live music by Donna Grantis, a Canadian activist and musician who presented "The humanNATURE Project", her musical endeavour in which she credits "The Earth" as her co-writer. Grantis' project is part of the Earth/Percent Initiative, through which artists donate part of their income to fund organizations fighting the climate crisis. The initiative was introduced by Cathy Runciman, executive director of Earth/Percent.
The awards celebration also featured speakers such as Jan Artem Henriksson, from the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), Massamba Thioye, from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Parneet Pal, from Systematically Well.
The Awards Criteria
The winners of the CSO Awards were chosen after a rigorous selection process developed by Futur/io and scientific partner Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School, and supported by knowledge partners Denominator, specialized in human-centric data, and Rainforest Partnership, focused on biodiversity.
From an extensive database including all the major companies of the USA and Canada, the most relevant names were selected using a four-quadrant model criteria, taking into consideration the maturity of corporate behaviours, regulatory performance on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) criteria, environmental and human impact and also a self assessment survey.
The Top 20 ranking CSOs were then assessed by a Grand Jury, who selected the final winners. The CSO Awards North America Grand Jury is composed of stellar names such as John Elkington, known as “the Godfather of Sustainability”, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, co-president of the Club of Rome, Vandinika Shukla, deputy director of Global Programs at the Obama Foundation, Livio Scalvini, co-founder and executive director of the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College London, and Niyanta Spelman, founder and CEO of Rainforest Partnership. Other members are Katja Iversen, CEO of the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, Larry Adams, founder of BLKFAM.tv and XStereotype, and Raj Joshi, Professor of Columbia University. The Chair of the Jury is Harald Neidhardt, CEO and Curator of the Futur/io Institute.
The CSO Awards North America is supported by premium partners IntegrityNext and Celonis.
Photos/videos by Tom Clark/Kirsten Potts
AWARD WINNERS
Gold Winner - Michael Kobori
Chief Sustainability Officer - Starbucks
As Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks, Michael leads the company’s efforts to become resource-positive, engaging 350,000 partners and millions of customers globally. He also serves as an independent Director of Bunge Ltd., a major agricultural company delivering more sustainable food, feed, and fuel worldwide.
Previously, Michael was Vice President at Levi Strauss & Co., where he helped establish the company as a sustainability leader in the apparel industry. He has been active in industry collaboration, serving on a number of boards and advisory commissions, including the U.S. Cotton Board, Better Cotton Initiative, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, ILO Better Work Programme, and Levi Strauss Foundation Board.
Before Levi’s, Michael worked at BSR and The Asia Foundation, supporting human rights and economic development in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam. He has taught corporate sustainability at UC Berkeley's Haas Business School and is the Executive Producer of Utopia Theatre Project, a social justice theater company.
Michael holds a Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley, where he also completed his undergraduate studies in Asian Studies and Psychology. He studied at International Christian University in Tokyo and sustainable finance at Oxford University.
Silver Winner - Suzanne Dibianca
EVP ESG/ Sustainability and Chief Impact Officer - Salesforce
Suzanne DiBianca leads Salesforce’s stakeholder capitalism strategy, including the company’s global corporate relations, sustainability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy, with a depth of focus on climate action programs on the global journey to net zero emissions. Suzanne also oversees Salesforce’s corporate philanthropy initiatives, which include supporting nonprofits focused on climate resilience, education, and workforce development.
With over 20 years at Salesforce, Suzanne was Co-Founder and President of the Salesforce Foundation and Salesforce.org. Under her leadership, the 1-1-1 model of corporate philanthropy was adopted by tens of thousands of companies across 130 countries. She also led Salesforce’s Ventures Impact Fund, which invests in cloud companies driving social change, and managed the Salesforce military program, aimed at upskilling veterans.
Suzanne serves on multiple UN and World Economic Forum councils and is a board director at the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and South Pole. She also advises Pledge 1%, the Jane Goodall Institute, and Lightrock. Recognized by TIME as one of the 100 Most Influential Climate Leaders in Business for 2023, she holds a degree in economics from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Bronze Winner - Sophie Beckham
VP & Chief Sustainability Officer - International Paper
Sophie Beckham is VP and Chief Sustainability Officer at International Paper (IP), where she works across the enterprise to advance sustainability strategy development and Vision 2030 goal achievement. She also serves as the company’s primary external spokesperson and thought leader on issues related to sustainability and stewardship.
Her career has been dedicated to driving sustainable business outcomes through purposeful leadership in consumer goods and forest product manufacturing sectors. Sophie has been advancing IP's planet stewardship initiatives since 2013, serving in various roles throughout her time with the company.
She holds a Master of Forestry degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, now known as the Yale School of the Environment.
SPECIAL HONORS
Special Honor - Emma Stewart
Sustainability Officer - Netflix
Emma Stewart, Ph.D., is Netflix’s first Sustainability Officer, where she works to achieve net zero carbon emissions, raise environmental awareness through film and television series, and drive climate action among Netflix’s global audience. She previously led urban energy and climate initiatives at the World Resources Institute, served on the U.S. Green Building Council Board, and taught at UC Berkeley and Stanford business schools.
She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford and a B.A. with Honors from Oxford University. Throughout her career, she helped many Fortune500 companies in developing sustainability strategies, advised start-ups, led research at top NGOs and think tanks, and served on Boards of Directors. She also pioneered the “Intrapreneurship for Sustainability” courses at Stanford and UC Berkeley and developed the first global methodology for “science-based targets,” a concept now adopted by over 10,000 companies.
Selected as an Aspen Institute Fellow, her work appeared in top publications like The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. She has been named a “Badass Woman in Sustainability” by GreenBiz, a “top 3 speaker” by The Economist Summits, one of FORTUNE’s “most powerful women under 45,” and one of the “Top 10 Women in Sustainability” by American Builders.
Special Honor - Melanie Nakagawa
Corporate Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer - Microsoft
As Microsoft’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Melanie Nakagawa leads the company’s commitments to become carbon-negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030. She brings nearly two decades of experience at the nexus of policy, business, and technology, most recently serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate and Energy on the National Security Council at the White House.
Prior to the White House, Melanie helped launch Princeville Capital's inaugural global growth equity climate technology fund, investing in companies delivering transformative solutions to climate change. She also served as a strategic advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry on climate change and environmental issues and held roles in the U.S. Senate and with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Melanie has a JD and MA from American University and an AB from Brown University.
Special Honor - Ann Tracy
Chief Sustainability Officer - Colgate-Palmolive
As Colgate-Palmolive's Chief Sustainability Officer, Ann is a member of the company's Senior Leadership Team and leads its Global Sustainability strategy and key initiatives. She integrates a strong technical foundation across Colgate's Sustainability & Social Impact Strategy, focusing on its Core Ambition pillars: Driving Social Impact, Helping Millions of Homes, and Preserving Our Environment.
Ann holds a BA degree in Applied Science, a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master's of Engineering degree in Manufacturing Systems. Most recently Ann has completed a Certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She currently serves as the Chair of the Board of the UNGC Network USA.
Sustainable Supply Chain Award - Cassandra Garber
Chief Sustainability Officer - Dell Technologies
Cassandra Garber has more than 20 years of experience building and leading global, enterprise-wide sustainability, ESG, marketing and communications programs and teams across a variety of industries. She is responsible for driving global ESG strategy and integration across the organization – from products and services to operations and stakeholder engagement.
She oversees the teams and activities leading sustainability, ESG reporting and operations, giving and volunteerism and Dell’s signature social innovation programs. Cassandra and her team are responsible for helping the company deliver on aggressive 2030 goals and targets – as well as creating outsized impact in priority areas including climate action, circular economy and digital inclusion.
Her entire career has been spent in large organizations, most of which working specifically on impact strategy and actions. That experience has helped her develop an understanding of the opportunities and pitfalls businesses, and their stakeholders, face when tackling new, complex challenges within the boundaries of available resources, social dynamics and as part of a much broader system.
Peer Award - Victoria Emerick
Executive Director & Global Head, Corporate Sustainability Strategy and Operations - Bristol Myers Squibb
Victoria Emerick has a PhD in Biochemistry and certifications in Project & Change Management as well as Lean & Six Sigma. Over the last 25 years, she’s focused on strategic operations, continuous improvement, & enterprise-level project planning & management. As the Executive Director and Global Head of ESG-Sustainability Strategy and Operations, Victoria is responsible for developing innovative approaches to advance ESG-Sustainability awareness, commitments, efforts, and investments across the global Bristol-Myers Squibb enterprise.
She is the Chair-elect of the Sustainability I Council Executive Committee for The Conference Board, a member of the Biopharma Sustainability Roundtable, Sustainability Leadership Forum, IFPMA Working Group for ESG, and the CSR Board and has served as the BMS leader for engagements involving the UN Global Compact, including the Lead 2030 collaboration with One Young World and the UN Young SDG Innovators Program.
MUSICIAN
Donna Grantis
Donna Grantis is an acclaimed Canadian artist and musician. From 2012-16, she performed and recorded with music icon Prince as the co-lead guitarist in his funk-rock trio 3RDEYEGIRL and supergroup New Power Generation. Grantis composed the title track to 3RDEYEGIRL’s 2014 release, PLECTRUMELECTRUM, which reached #1 on the Billboard Rock Chart. Notable performances include a history-making eight-minute segment on “Saturday Night Live;” three nights headlining the Montreux Jazz Festival; headlining the Essence Festival at a sold-out Superdome in New Orleans; and a historic performance at The White House for President Barack Obama and family.
Grantis is passionate about music as a force for social change. Her current creative endeavour – The humanNATURE Project – fuses art and activism, bringing world-renowned musicians together with environmental leaders and the sounds of Nature itself – whales, coral reefs, trees, glaciers, insects, wild spaces, birds and other species. In partnership with EarthPercent, Grantis gratefully credits “The Earth” as a co-writer of music she creates. Earlier this year, she participated in the launch of Sounds Right, a groundbreaking music initiative to establish Nature as an official artist on streaming platforms. Developed by The Museum for the United Nations – UN Live, in partnership with The Listening Planet, VozTerra and a broad coalition of creative and institutional partners, the initiative aims to spark a global conversation about the value of nature and support millions of music fans to take meaningful action to protect the planet.
About Futur/io Institute
We believe in co-creating desirable futures where ideas and innovation drive a regenerative economy that benefits people and the planet within the planetary boundaries.
The Futur/io Institute is a pioneering organization to serve the most impactful network of Chief Sustainability Officers dedicated to transforming businesses to drive positive impact for people, planet and prosperity. We do this through publications, podcasts and convening at inspiring locations like Davos, Basel, Lisbon, Venice and New York.
With a mission to inspire ambition, action and cross-pollination to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the institute provides a platform for thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers to shape the futures of business and society.
Futur/io works with organizations like the UNFCCC or corporations in leadership training and curates Executive Programmes to inspire future leaders in sustainable innovation. Each year in Davos, the institute organizes executive receptions and recently debuted the annual CSO Awards to shine a light on the leadership role of Chief Sustainability Officers.
Futur/io is based in Hamburg and works as a think-tank with a selected international and diverse faculty of 100+ leaders in sustainability. The most recent book “Leadership for Sustainable Futures” was published in May 2024 with Murmann Publishers. CEO & curator Harald Neidhardt hosts the CSO Impact Podcast, which launched in June 2024.
Additional Info
Website: https://www.csoawards.org/north-america
Grand Jury: https://www.csoawards.org/north-america/2024/grand-jury
Top 20 List: https://www.csoawards.org/north-america/2024/top-20-csos
Selection Criteria: https://www.csoawards.org/north-america/2024/criteria
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