About Global Electronics Council

Ms. Gillis has more than 20 years’ experience leveraging sustainability to increase competitiveness, reduce risk and foster innovation in both public and private sector organizations. Prior to joining the Global Electronics Council, Nancy was the Global Lead for Resilient and Responsible Supply Chains with Ernst & Young (EY) and managed sustainable procurement engagements for Fortune 100 companies.

She joined EY from the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Federal Government’s procurement agency that oversees approximately $45 billion of annual spend. At GSA, she served as the Director of the Federal Supply Chain office, responsible for expanding the use of sustainability criteria and ecolabels in federal procurements.

Nancy has a graduate degree in Communications Technology from Georgetown University.

Cara supports and manages the oversight of EPEAT’s Conformity Assurance Bodies and their participating manufacturers, by providing program support, technical expertise, quality management functions and training to ensure consistent implementation of EPEAT criteria and policies.

Cara has over ten years of experience in ecolabeling and conformity assurance programs, working with manufacturers around the world in a wide range of industries, including: chemical products, renewable energy, electronics, building materials and furniture. Prior to this role, Cara managed the EPEAT registration and verification processes for GEC’s Conformity Assurance Body. Before joining GEC, Cara worked as a Program Manager of an internationally recognized ISO 14024 Type I ecolabel. Cara has extensive experience in building and training teams and promoting the growth of sustainable manufacturing.

Cara is Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certified and has a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Carleton University. She is based in Ottawa, Ontario.

As GEC’s Senior Manager, HR and Operations, Julia is a member of the Executive Team and oversees human resources and operations activities. She leads the identification of highly qualified professionals and manages activities that reflect GEC’s commitment to staff development and work/life balance. Julia has over fifteen years of experience in human resources and administration and has devoted her career to the public and non-profit sectors. She received her BA in Spanish and International Studies from the University of Oregon.

As Senior Director of EPEAT Criteria and Category Development , Patty oversees the surveillance and development of new product categories for the EPEAT program and manages multi-stakeholder processes that build sustainability standards for implementation on the EPEAT Registry. She brings an understanding of diverse environmental and technical issues to these processes, helping participants develop consensus-based solutions. Her most recent standards development projects include the IEEE-NSF joint server standard and NSF photovoltaic module standard. She also manages the development of the EPEAT benefits calculators.

Patty has over twenty-five years of research, facilitation, and program management experience in standards development, environmental policy and business strategy with extensive work in electronics, plastics, and packaging. She has a long history of involvement in the standards that form the foundation of the EPEAT Registry, first as a stakeholder invited to participate in the development of the initial computer standard, and subsequently, as chair of the IEEE 1680.3 television standard. Before joining GEC, Patty was an independent consultant, a part-time program manager at the Northeast Recycling Council, where she managed the State Electronics Challenge and Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, and a research associate at Tufts University.

Patty holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering from Tufts University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tufts University.

Alex Dolan is GEC’s Senior Director of Global Outreach and Marketing. In this role, he leads GEC’s outreach and marketing, including global campaigns and events planning.

Alex brings more than 15 years of marketing and communications experience to his role. Most recently, Alex was the Head of Marketing Communications for OMRON Robotics and Safety Technologies, the largest robotics company based in the United States. Previously, at Energy Recovery Inc., he drove marketing in the global energy sector at a time when the company was named the highest performing stock in California.

Alex was the Public Relations Director at Current TV, a national television network co-founded by Al Gore that sought to bring user-generated content to broadcast media. He also headed communications for The Synergos Institute, a Rockefeller-family global anti-poverty organization; and for Columbia University’s ICAP program, an HIV/AIDS initiative across 16 countries.

He has a master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and a BA in International Relations from Trinity College.

Erik plays a critical role in the communications and promotion of GEC. He strengthens and deepens connections to its stakeholders around the world, with an emphasis on designing and executing both live and virtual events. He also specializes in the creation of compelling content and managing digital communications.

His experience covers both traditional print and digital marketing and communications. Prior to joining GEC, Erik was the Marketing Coordinator at Binary Fountain, which ranked as the 7th fastest-growing Virginia tech company on the 2020 Inc. 5000 List.

Erik has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from North Carolina State University.

Lauren manages the EPEAT registration and verification process for GEC’s Conformity Assurance Body. Her main focuses are conformity assurance activities, process management and improvement, and client engagement. Lauren works with client manufacturers to provide technical support, register new products, and complete verification rounds. She also helps maintain GEC CAB’s ISO/IEC accreditation.

Prior to joining GEC, Lauren worked in a laboratory setting. Most notable was her time spent in an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited environmental laboratory as the Chemistry Technical and Quality Control Manager. Daily activities included monitoring quality assurance practices and proficiency tests, maintenance of quality control spreadsheets, analytical method development and validation, and staff continuing education. She was also responsible for the preparation of laboratory audits and inspections.

Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. In her spare time, she enjoys biking around the city, crafting, and reading a multitude of fiction novels.

As Manager of Global Communications and Outreach, Sydney creates more visibility and excitement about the impactful, mission-driven work of GEC. She is working to create and implement vibrant communications strategies to continue to build the GEC brand.

Prior to joining GEC, Sydney worked at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation headquarters supporting their work in policy & advocacy. She brings with her an arsenal of innovative ideas for social media, earned media, global relationship management, internal communications and more.

Sydney is a Mississippi native and earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an emphasis on International Relations from The University of Mississippi. She works out of GEC’s Washington, D.C. office.

Terrance supports federal organizations seeking to develop or improve their sustainable procurement activities. Prior to joining GEC, Terrance worked in the private sector as a climate change and sustainability researcher at ICF International, supporting greenhouse gas accounting and international development projects. Terrance has also worked in a communications and outreach capacity with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to share emergency preparedness resources within the U.S. water sector.

Terrance earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Maryland. He spends his free time learning new acrobatic skills, attending concerts, and reading science fiction.

As Director of Finance, Val is responsible for managing the financial functions of the organization. Val ensures the integrity of the organization’s financial information and partners with senior management to develop sound fiscal plans that support and maintain GEC’s programs.

Val brings over 20 years of combined financial reporting experience with over 10 years in the nonprofit sector. Her experience ranges from small, privately held companies to Fortune 500 corporations across a variety of industries including professional services, commercial real estate, specialty insurance, and distribution.

Val holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wright State University, a Master’s of Professional Accountancy from Indiana University – Indianapolis, a certificate in Sustainable Business Practices from UC San Diego, and is working towards her professional certification from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Academy.

As Senior Manager, Global Purchaser and Manufacturer Relations, Debbie Graham-Clifford drives and measure purchaser demand and manufacturer supply for sustainable IT products and services. Debbie is a sustainability professional who most recently worked with Sims Lifecycle Services, assisting global clients by maintaining transparency in their global supply chain related to the disposition of IT assets.  

She has landed million-dollar contracts and grown a global subcontractor network by 150% across Canada and Latin America. She pushed to move the organization into the global space, championed a global service delivery model process, and forged impactful partnerships with Fortune 500 enterprises to devise strategies to drive revenue back into their businesses utilizing innovative recycling methods and reuse and resale opportunities. Debbie recently completed an Executive & Organizational Leadership Program through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education.

As Senior Manager, Registry Systems, Kim creates synergies between organizational strategy, customer experience, and software development as core drivers of growth for the EPEAT Registry and GEC.

Kim brings 15 years of experience leading projects and process improvement initiatives across a variety of industries. Most recently, she maintained the continuous alignment of a portfolio of commercial real estate projects to revitalize the town center in Columbia, MD. As a project leader, Kim has a bias for action and takes a holistic approach to problem solving, leveraging her training in design thinking, systems practice, and agile and lean methodologies.

Kim holds a Master of Science in Management and Predictive Analytics from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Maryland at College Park. She is passionate about the intersection of sustainability and regenerative community development and plans to pursue doctoral studies researching key drivers of social impact in those fields.

Susan oversees GEC’s suite of ecolabeling and manufacturer resources. She ensures that the veracity of products registered under the EPEAT ecolabel can be relied on by institutional purchasers, and that brands have the training, resources and underlying support needed to participate.

Susan has more than 25 years of experience designing and implementing conformity assurance programs, building capacity through training and education, performing life cycle-based research, developing environmental leadership standards, and overseeing large multi-stakeholder engagement processes. She has worked with a wide range of clients around the world in a diverse range of industry value chains including consumer electronics, renewable energy, forestry and pulp and paper, consumer packaged goods and consumer chemical products. Her focus has been to find practical approaches for their unique sustainability challenges.

Prior to joining GEC, Susan worked with Terra Choice to ensure the organization’s assurance and advisory services had the scientific rigor and responsiveness depended on by government, purchasers, stakeholders and the public. She managed the EcoLogo Program, the world’s second oldest Type 1 ecolabelling program; spearheaded the development, implementation and launch of a new validation-services subsidiary; and oversaw all scientific and technical activities relating to Terra Choice’s diverse suite of programs.

Susan holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, and undertook postgraduate studies in mechanical and biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto. She spends her time in both Ottawa, Ontario and Portland, Oregon.

As the Manager, Finance and Operations, Becca supports GEC’s financial and executive operations. She works closely with Director, Finance and Contracts Manager to manage GEC’s financial operations. She also serves as the liaison to GEC’s Board of Directors.

Becca has over five years of experience working in the non-profit sphere. Prior to joining GEC, Becca worked as a bookkeeper at Susan Matlack Jones & Associates (SMJ), specializing in non-profit financial statements. At SMJ she was responsible for the creation of monthly financial statements for several Oregon non-profits.Prior to working at SMJ, Becca has worked at various non-profits helping them streamline their processes and procedures.

Becca has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and History from University of California, Santa Cruz. She is currently undergoing a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Portland. In her spare time, Becca enjoys reading, hiking, camping, exploring Portland and volunteering.

Beverly works with client manufacturers in GEC’s Conformity Assurance Body to provide technical support, ensure that conformity assurance activities are completed, and to complete verification rounds. In addition, Beverly manages and trains auditors and maintains the GEC Conformity Assurance Body’s ISO 17020 accreditation.

Beverly has over 25 years of experience managing environmental health and safety compliance and implementing management systems in the electronics reuse and recycling, food processing and electronics manufacturing industries. She has extensive experience auditing business units for conformance to environmental, health and safety, quality and energy management systems, as well as conducting recycling chain audits. She has expertise in environmental permitting for air, hazardous waste, storm water, and waste water programs. Her experience in the health and safety arena includes managing industrial hygiene programs, developing and implementing employee training programs, and managing safety risk.

Prior to joining GEC, Beverly worked to implement e-Stewards and R2 certification programs in the electronics recycling industry. She holds master’s degrees in Chemistry and Public Health and is based in Corvallis, Oregon.

Ben Levin manages GEC’s technology assessment process that identifies potential new categories for the EPEAT ecolabel and other opportunities for GEC to fulfill its mission. For selected technologies, he designs strategies to leverage the buying power of institutional purchasers, and develops sustainability criteria that reduce the lifecycle impacts of the technology.

Prior to joining GEC, Ben spent three years at Deloitte consulting helping his senior public sector clients work across organizations to develop and implement technology and data strategy. A veteran, Ben served in the U.S. Navy for six years as an intelligence analyst and Arabic translator. He then continued public service as a civilian in the U.S. Department of Defense for more than a decade. Throughout his career, he built a track record of bringing agencies together across organizational boundaries to achieve transformational innovations in the development, acquisition, operation, and integration of technology systems ranging from cyberspace to space-based sensors. His history of success earned Ben a number of professional accolades including the Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, a Joint Service Commendation Medal, and a National Intelligence Certificate of Distinction.

Katherine plays a critical role in ensuring the credibility of the EPEAT Program, and supports manufacturers as they seek to increase the availability of sustainable electronics globally. Katherine manages the continuous monitoring EPEAT-registered product claims, develops EPEAT policies and implementation guidance regarding conformity assurance and technical decision-making, and expands the tools and resources available to participating manufacturers.

Katherine has over 10 years of experience as a sustainability professional, providing customized sustainability advice and solutions to a wide variety of organizations and industries ranging from multinational food and beverage companies, and technology sector clients, to small non-profits. Prior to joining GEC, Katherine lead the extended producer responsibility and recycling efforts at a large global retailer. Having served as the Secretariat Manager of the Global Ecolabelling Network for several years, Katherine has a deep appreciation and understanding of the very important role ecolabels play in increasing the production and consumption of more sustainable products.

Katherine holds a Master of Science in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from Queen’s University. She resides in Ottawa, Canada and spends most of her down time exploring the city with her young family.

As Senior Manager, Technology Assessment and Resource Development, Erica manages criteria development and maintenance for new and existing technology categories. She works on a full range of activities in GEC’s Category Development function, from developing business cases for new technologies and State of Sustainability research, to criteria development and the creation of tools and resources to support the procurement of sustainable electronic products and services.

Erica has over 25 years of professional experience in business strategy, project management, environmental policy and standards development, including participating as a stakeholder in the development of the original IEEE 1680.2 imaging equipment standard and serving as co-chair of the environmentally sensitive materials subgroup (IEEE 1680.2/1680.3 combined working group). She has experience executing workplace chemical exposure risk assessments and leading environment, health and safety audit teams, as well as facilitating product environmental compliance, specifically e-waste, chemical material restrictions and eco-labels. For the past decade, Erica has worked across disciplines and geographies to facilitate development and communication of consensus policy positions for a range of product environmental issues in the ICT industry, from eco-design to responsible end-of-life.

Prior to joining GEC, Erica held various positions including Senior Director of Policy with the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and most recently as a Senior Product Environment Regulatory Engineer with Dell Technologies. Erica has a B.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology, an M.S. from the University of Rochester and a Masters in International Public Policy (MIPP), environmental policy focus from Johns Hopkins University.

As a Technology Research and Sustainability Impacts Assessment Fellow, Hema conducts research on technologies of interest to GEC, their relevant markets, supply chain and sustainability impacts to support the development of business cases for new product categories and sustainability performance criteria for the EPEAT ecolabel.

Hema is a currently doing her Ph.D. in Sustainability at the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Her research at RIT focuses on improving material characterization and life cycle water impacts of consumer electronics. She also has a M.S in Chemical Engineering from Northeastern University and a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Andhra University (India).

Grant plays a critical role in the success of GEC’s Conformity Assurance Body (CAB) by implementing conformity assurance and quality management system activities while providing a high level of client-focused services.

Prior to joining GEC, Grant worked in the private and public sectors within the building, construction, and electronic markets as an Environmental Project Manager for UL Environment. Within that role, Grant assisted global manufacturers in navigating the collection, validation, technical analysis, and public disclosure/transparency of their products’ environmental footprints. He accomplished this through 3^rd party validation of Product Life Cycle Assessments, Environmental Product Declarations, and Material Health Assessments. As a Sustainability Specialist in the hospitality/travel industry at the Grand Canyon, Grant acquired additional experience in environmental auditing, regulatory compliance, sustainable material procurement, green design, pollution/climate change mitigation, and energy, water, and waste conservation best practices.

Grant holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communication with certification in Sustainable Business Strategies from the University of Montana. He also earned a Master of Science in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Additionally, he is an accredited LEED Green Associate from the United States Green Building Council.

Mr. Emmanuel Nwodo is GEC’s Senior Manager, Recognition and Awards. In this role, he drives engagement with stakeholders to stimulate the demand and supply of sustainable IT products and services. He is a project management professional with over eight years of experience in government affairs and business operations.

Prior to joining GEC, Emmanuel worked with NIRSAL. He led a special duties team in partnership with the Togolese Government to establish the Togolese Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending. Earlier in his career, he worked as the Legislative Director to the House of Representatives Chairman on Banking and Currency in the Nigerian National Assembly.

Emmanuel is based in Washington, DC, and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from American University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Howard University. Emmanuel is also a Certified Prince2 Practitioner in Project Management. 

As Senior Manager, Purchaser Network, Matilde works within the Marketing & Outreach function to develop and manage a system for institutional purchasers around the world to connect with each other and share knowledge and best practices.

Matilde brings over 20 years of experience working in digital platforms. She has a background in journalism creating content and reporting events as well as managing digital verticals. Prior to joining GEC, she supervised national social impact campaigns for a leading media network. Matilde developed the strategy and execution of digital destinations, including a bilingual website with innovative educational tools. She was also the lead in civic engagement campaigns that used digital tools to leverage engagement among youth.

Matilde holds a master’s degree in Strategic Communication from Columbia University and a BA in Communications and Linguistics from Paul Valery University. She was a JSK Knight fellow at Stanford University.

As Senior Manager, Technology Assessment and Resource Development, Rachel manages criteria development and maintenance for new and existing technology categories. She works on a full range of activities in GEC’s Category Development function, from developing business cases for new technologies and State of Sustainability research to criteria development and the creation of tools and resources to support the procurement of sustainable electronic products and services.

Rachel has over 12 years of experience partnering with industry to research and assess the sustainability impacts of chemicals, materials, and products. She has worked on projects for the electronics sector and beyond, utilizing a range of techniques, such as product life cycle assessment, and chemical alternatives assessment, to identify opportunities for improvement.

Prior to joining GEC, Rachel served as the Director of Supplier Engagement for the Green Chemistry and Commerce Council, where she facilitated industry and government stakeholder groups to promote the commercialization of safer, more sustainable, chemicals. In this role, as part of the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Sustainable Production (LCSP), she also published research on alternatives assessment, a framework to assess the advantages and disadvantages of prospective solutions to replace chemicals of concern.

Rachel holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Sustainable Manufacturing from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Math from Sonoma State University.

Shela Gobertina von Trapp is GEC’s European Representative. In her role, she leads several global initiatives, including the GEC Purchaser Commitment and participation in the Circular Electronics Partnership (CEP).  

Shela brings 20 years of sustainability experience, spanning the nonprofit, government, and corporate sectors. She spent a decade at a retail Fortune 500 company where she was recognized for her contributions toward the development of the office supply industry’s first comprehensive product green rating system and first green reporting analysis tool for customers. She was also significant in the company being awarded the #1 Greenest Large Retailer in America by Newsweek’s Green Rankings three years in a row, as well as assisting on the first Gold-certified LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance in a retail setting. 

Additionally, Shela served on several boards including The Sustainability Project (TSP) in Santa Barbara, California, and SOFEA (Sustainable Office European Association) based in Brussels, as well as being a founding member of the European Commission’s Organization Environmental Footprint (OEF) Retail Pilot.    

Shela holds a Masters in Energy & Environmental Analysis from Boston University. During her collegiate years, she interned at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) in Washington, DC. 

Carl E. Smith heads Call2Recycle Inc., North America’s first and most successful consumer battery recycling program. In this capacity, he oversees the organization’s strategy, partnerships and management of its national promotion and education efforts, serving as a model for product stewardship. Working directly with its Board of Directors, Carl leads the overall direction of the company.

Carl has extensive experience in strategic marketing, brand positioning, product / business development and environmental leadership. He previously served as the CEO of GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, a non-profit organization that develops and promotes indoor air quality standards and programs. Before that, he was a senior marketing and general management executive with several Fortune 500 companies and served in various capacities on Capitol Hill.

Trisa currently serves as an Advisor to Pledgeling Inc, a charitable giving platform for the corporate world. In this role, she provides strategic advice on corporate needs, as well as growth opportunity areas for the business.

Trisa also recently retired from Dell, where she was a Senior Vice President and the Chief Responsibility Officer from 2008 to 2018. In this role, Trisa created and directed the company’s long-term strategic CSR plan, the 2020 Legacy of Good. Trisa reported regularly to Dell’s Governance and Nominating Committee, as well as to the Executive Leadership Team. Under her leadership, Dell became a global leader in driving innovative circular economy practices. By driving these practices across the company, Dell received the first large corporate World Economic Forum Circular Award.She took a new perspective on sustainability initiatives, working across the business, focusing on customer needs and business objectives, while simultaneously saving money and reducing the company’s footprint. Under her leadership, Dell was recognized for many awards, including, among others, 2018 CES Innovation Award, 2017 Environmental Leader Award, 2017 Fortune Change the World List, 2014 Keep America Beautiful Award, and the 2015 World Economic Forum Circular Award.

Prior to becoming Dell’s CRO, Trisa was a Senior Vice President in Dell’s legal department. Trisa served as the general counsel for the US Public business ($9B+), the Americas Large Corporate Sales Business ($35B+), the global Consumer Business ($5B+) and the Global Operations Team ($50B+). At Dell, Trisa spent much of her time helping the company grow internationally, from setting up global call centers to negotiating multi-billion dollar complex deals to managing key trade compliance issues and a global product recall. Her broad corporate law, compliance, and business technology background, as well as her strong leadership skills, make her an asset to any board on which she serves.

Prior to her time with Dell, Trisa was a partner with Seyfarth Shaw in Washington, DC, where she specialized in federal, state, and local procurement law and litigation. There, she represented major DoD, technology and other suppliers on issues ranging from bid protests and litigation to the TAA and false claims. Trisa has appeared in federal and state courts, as well as before numerous administrative agencies. Trisa has been recognized for her efforts, both professional and philanthropic, in national, state, and local arenas.She has also been a featured speaker at numerous events. The National Diversity Council honored Trisa with their Most Powerful and Influential Women of Texas Award and named her one of the Top 50 Women in Technology in the United States in 2014. Trisa was honored as United Way’s Volunteer of the Year Award (2008) and was a finalist for the Austin Business Journal’s Profiles In Power Award (2005). Trisa was one of GirlStart’s 2018 “Austin Women in STEM” honoree, and Austin’s “Net Zero Hero”. She was also awarded the 2019 Integrity Award by the First Tee of Greater Austin. She has been a featured speaker at events and conferences including the Vanity Fair’s Founders Fair, Fast Company Innovation Festival, The Business of Green: An Atlantic Forum, The Economist Sustainability Forum, Exponential Manufacturing Forum for Singularity University, and SXSW.Interviews with Trisa appear in media outlets including Law and Technology News, Corporate Counsel Magazine, Fortune, Forbes, CGTN America, Business Insider, GreenBiz, CSR Vision, TriplePundit, Sustainable Brands,Huffington Post, The New York Times, and, most recently as a key note speaker at the NACD 2019 Annual Summit. She was a Tech Advisory Panel Member for Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures and McKinsey & Company: “Rebooting Representation”, 2018. Trisa was also a judge for the Circulars Awards at the World Economic Forum, 2015-2018.

She earned a J.D. with honors from The National Law Center, George Washington University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Boston University, magna cum laude.

Trisa currently serves on the boards of directors for LifeWorks Austin and The Miracle Foundation. In the past, she has serves as the chair of the board for Zachary Scott Theatre and KLRU – TV. She has also served on the board of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the American Red Cross National Advisory Board, The United Way, Central Texas Advisory Board and I Live Here, I Give Here Board of Governors.

Through her positions at EMC and leadership in organizations such as The Green Grid and EICC (Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, now Responsible Business Alliance), Kathrin provided a decade of systems thinking, sustainability strategy and leadership to her company and to the broader IT industry. Known for her authentic voice, she is a frequent speaker and consultant on the integration of sustainability into corporate culture, strategy, governance, and day-to-day operations. Kathrin currently serves as an Editor-at-Large for GreenBiz and on the boards of directors for the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and Net Impact, a nonprofit mobilizing new generations to use their talent to drive transformational social and environmental change.

Kathrin has spent her career in a variety of systems-oriented technical and business roles in the technology industry including Consultant Software Engineer for Network Systems Integration at Digital Equipment Corporation, Principal Consultant at Renaissance Worldwide, and Senior Director of Hardware Product Management at EMC, as well as technical marketing and engineering lead in two early stage startups.

In 2014, Kathrin was honored with the Anita Borg Institute Women of Vision Award for Social Impact in recognition of her contributions to innovation, leadership, and sustainability in the field of information technology.

Richard accelerates collaboration among businesses, governments, and non-profits when they work together to solve big problems. During his career, Richard has worked across the private, public, and civil sectors to co-create high impact solutions to shared problems at lower cost and in less time than traditional approaches. Over the course of his career he has worked with many Fortune 500 firms, foreign and domestic governments, international organizations, chambers of commerce, and numerous large and small non-governmental organizations.

Seeing firsthand how many multi-stakeholder collaborations often fall short of their goals, Richard developed the CollaborateUp Formula to help organizations collaborate more effectively. Richard has a proven track record of engaging stakeholders and leading co-creation initiatives across multiple organizations, sectors, and societies.

Richard serves a Senior Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University where he teaches public-private partnerships. He served as a Senior Fellow for the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation and as a featured lecturer on social innovation at Georgetown University and the Harvard School of Public Health. He serves on several boards, including the Green Electronics Council, the Listen Learn Care (formerly the Office Depot) Foundation, and the Programme Committee for the UN World Data Forum. Richard is an alumnus of both George Washington and the Harvard Business School.

Mark Buckley founded the One Boat Collaborative in 2018, a sustainability consultancy located in Essex, Massachusetts.

Mark is known a systems thinker bringing diverse groups of stakeholders to the table in uncommon collaboration to address some of business’s most pressing sustainability challenges. He has the ability to identify innovative, practical, pragmatic and scalable solutions in support of a more circular economy unlocking economic, social and environmental potential.

Mark previously directed Staples’ global environmental commitment and sustainable business practices as VP Sustainability. He was responsible for driving the company’s sustainability efforts in five major areas: the development of more sustainable products, packaging and services; customer recycling solutions; internal waste reduction; the development of global carbon reduction and renewable energy strategies; as well as environmental education for customers and associates focused on sustainable business solutions. A 28-year Staples veteran, Buckley had been in this role for 16 years and was previously Vice President of Facilities Management and Purchasing at Staples where he directed company-wide recycling and energy conservation programs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Anselm’s College. He is an active member of several environmental and non-profit organizations, these included the Advisory Council for the Product Stewardship Institute, Former board member of Earth Force a national environmental education organization and the John Andrew Mazie Foundation, and current board member of the Belantara Foundation and the REMADE Institute.

Jean Cox-Kearns has spent the past 20 plus years working in the areas of Environmental Compliance, Policy development and implementation, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. She spent 17 years with Dell running Environmental Compliance programs and a commercial Asset Recovery Business as Director of Global Take Back. She spent 3 years with the Reverse Logistics Group, headquartered in Munich, Germany as Exec Vice President of their Environmental Compliance Services Division working with customers that spanned IT, Automotive, Retail, Sports and Healthcare. For the past two years she has worked as CEO of an Education Charity focused Digital Inclusion, delivering Impact in Education utilizing IT with Education Hubs in 5 countries in East Africa, the UK and Ireland. Over the past 20 years Jean has worked extensively across Europe, US, South America, Asia, Australia, and both West and East Sub Saharan Africa.

Jean currently leads her own business, Sustainability Care Ltd., headquartered in Ireland supporting organizations with the development and/or implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility strategies and Regulatory and Standards Compliance activities, with a goal of supporting businesses on their journey to be more circular and sustainable.

Currently retired from IBM where he worked during 15 years in the IBM Corporate Environmental Affairs as Manager of Environmental Policy and Programs covering EMEA, ASEAN and Japan. He also managed globally the process to responding to client environmental inquiries, as well as to environmental and sustainability assessment entities and reporting organizations (EcoVadis, Enhesa, C2P, 1-report, BSR, etc.). He also led the gathering and assessment activities of environmental legislation in Latin America.

Following his start in IBM in 1982 in the IBM plant in Valencia (Spain), as Product Safety and Reliability Engineer, he held relevant management responsibilities at country and European level in the environmental, ergonomics, product safety, certification and standards areas. He led the certification of the Valencia Plant operations with ISO 9000 quality standards, and created, managed and achieved national and European certifications of an IBM Product Safety Testing Lab. He was the Management Representative for the ISO 14000 registration of IBM Spain.

He was the Project Manager of the IBM implementation of the EU WEEE directive, Vice Chair of the Steering Committee of the International Electronics Recycling Congress, member of the steering committees of waste and water management trade fairs in Spain and chairman of their Innovation Awards Review Board.

He has been leading environmental legislation advocacy in EU Institutions in sectoral and employers’ associations as Digital Europe/EICTA, Business Europe, and at country level in his home country (AMETIC, CEOE), where he was IBM representative and issue leader. He has also been the IBM representative in different associations and think tanks as Tech America Europe and World Resources Institute.

Also served during four years in the IBM Management Consulting Group as Engagement Manager in the Business Process Re-engineering and Quality Practice with clients in the automotive, banking, car dealership, food processing, airlines, pharmaceutical sectors.

Daniel Kreeger is co-founder and executive director of the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) and has a unique familiarity of climate change and sustainability initiatives being undertaken across the public and private sectors. Dan has led ACCO’s programming efforts since its founding in 2008, as well as the establishment of its certification and training programs. In 2017, Dan co-founded the nation’s first state-run climate change institution, the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy. Dan is a recognized expert on institutionalizing climate change into decision-making in the public and private sectors, and counsels numerous public and private sector entities on building organization-wide capacity on climate change.

Over the years, Dan led ACCO’s partnership with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to twice produce their flagship conference on sustainability in Federal agency operations, the GreenGov Symposium, and also served as a co-founding steering committee member for the consortium that jointly administered EPA’s Climate Leadership Awards from 2012-2015. He has also served as a reviewer for the IPCC 5th Assessment in 2014 and numerous Federal agency grant committees. An accomplished business executive with more than 20 years of cross-functional experience in change management and enterprise business strategies across sectors, Dan focuses upon the human capital, economic and operational implications of environmental and public health issues. Dan serves on the Dean’s Council of Advisors at the FIU College of Architecture and the Arts and frequently lectures at graduate and executive education programs nationwide.

Dr Jeanne Ng is the Founding Chair of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals Limited (HKIQEP) and Director of the CLP Research Institute. Jeanne holds a BSc in Toxicology from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Environmental Management from the University of Hong Kong. Prior to joining CLP, she had accumulated a decade of consulting experience in Hong Kong’s environmental industry as one of Hong Kong’s foremost experts in air and greenhouse gas emissions inventories, including developing Hong Kong’s first greenhouse gas inventory manual for the HKSAR Government.

She joined CLP in 2003 and was involved in starting up its Group Environmental Affairs and Group Sustainability functions. In addition to establishing the foundation for the delivery of CLP’s award-winning Sustainability Report, she was also involved in setting up CLP Group’s first: renewable energy targets, Climate Vision 2050 carbon reduction targets and CLP’s Sustainable Development 2030 targets.

In 2015, she became the Founding Chair of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals (HKIQEP), which was formed to support the development of the environmental professional industry in Hong Kong and beyond.

Her current international engagements include being a Board member of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU), the International Electric Research Exchange (IERE) and the Green Electronics Council (GEC).