About Us

Amina Razvi

Chief Executive Officer

As SAC Executive Director, Amina is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the organization. She leads the executive team and works with the board of directors to develop and implement the organization’s strategic plan.

Previously, Amina was the Vice President of Membership at the SAC, a leadership role in which she focused on providing exceptional customer service, account management, member value and business development for the organization. Amina worked with global members to increase adoption of the Higg Index and improvement of Higg scores through impact solutions.

Prior to joining the SAC, Amina was a senior manager on the Global Sustainability team at Gap Inc. where she led environmental initiatives across owned and operated facilities as well as in their supply chain. She led the development of Gap’s environmental sustainability strategy and the creation, execution and achievement of ambitious enterprise goals on energy and waste at owned and operated facilities. Amina also led the first large scale deployment of the Higg Index across Gap’s supply chain, and has been involved in the creation, development, piloting and rollout of the Higg since its inception.

Trained as an architect, Amina has designed and managed construction of retail stores, skyscrapers, houses, hotels, and museums. She has a B.S. in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois and a Master of Architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Zita Abila

Senior Manager, Digital Communications

Zita Abila is the Senior Manager of Digital Communications at the SAC. She oversees the strategy and day-to-day running of the SAC’s key digital channels. She is based in the UK. 

Before joining the SAC, Zita had built over 9 years’ experience in shaping and executing digital marketing strategies across several industries, including working as a Digital Consultant with the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network. Most recently, she was a Digital Engagement and Content Manager at BI, where she managed website development projects and content creation. She holds an undergraduate degree in Law (with French Law) from King’s College London, and a Master’s in Literature and Culture from the University of Birmingham.

Outside of work, Zita loves doing anything involving visual arts, including designing jewellery, making sculptures, drawing, and painting. She also loves reading and writing.

Aoife Ashford

Administrative Assistant

Aoife Ashford is the Administrative Assistant, Board & Leadership, at the SAC, where she supports both the Board of Directors and the Leadership Team. Aoife is the organization’s administrative liaison to the SAC’s Board of Directors, and provides administrative support to ensure efficient operation of the board and board committees.

Before joining the SAC team, Aoife was an Executive Assistant at a busy commercial property firm in Dublin, Ireland. She provided administrative support to six company directors across the firm. She was instrumental in preparing proposals and presentations that brought in new business and was a key team-member involved in the successful rebranding of the company, running client competitions and company events. She is a Masters graduate of NUI Galway, and also holds a B.A. Int. in Arts.

Aoife loves yoga, spending time outdoors, traveling, cooking and speciality coffee. As a certified Yin Yoga and Meditation teacher, Aoife teaches private and group classes in her free time. She’s also learning to salsa!

Dani Baker

Senior Manager, Membership Engagement, EMEA

Dani is the Senior Member Engagement Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at the SAC. She is responsible for ensuring SAC members have the support they need to fully utilize the Higg Index tools, achieve their impact goals, and contribute to the sector’s progress. She is currently based in London.

Before joining the SAC team, Dani worked at SAC brand member ASOS, where she was responsible for the adoption and strategic deployment of Higg Index tools, and for delivering ASOS net zero strategy for supply chain scope 3 emissions. Dani also founded and chaired the UK SAC Brand Forum, bringing together 14 members to accelerate change through sharing best practice and seeking aligning pre-competitively. Prior to ASOS, she led the sustainable strategy at SAC member F&F Tesco Clothing, working closely with apparel industry affiliates and industry working groups. Dani always champions collective action, seeking a common approach to drive sustained change. 

In her free time Dani loves going out and about with her two young children, as well as travelling with her family. When she gets a chance she loves river kayaking and spending time in the great outdoors. Dani has recently achieved a diploma in Herbal Medicine and is always introducing new herbs, flowers, fruit and veg to her little garden. 

Kelsey Cashman

Global Operations Project Manager

Kelsey Cashman is the Global Operations Project Manager at the SAC. She serves as the resident project management expert and plays an essential role in ensuring SAC team members understand and utilize project management best practices. Kelsey also works on developing internal operations and cross-team processes, including managing and training out key operational software and streamlining quarterly metrics reporting. 

Before joining the SAC, Kelsey was a Senior Product Developer at EO Products, where she led a large cross-functional team in creating and launching safe and effective personal care products. She has spent her career leading product development and merchandising projects for both large corporations and start-ups, including EO Products, Brandless, Mattel, and Target. Kelsey has a passion for sustainability and has led initiatives to drive more sustainable business practices, including launching the How2Recycle® program at Brandless to help simplify the recycling process for consumers.

Kelsey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Retail Merchandising from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors, whether camping with friends or tending to her small vegetable garden. She is located in Minnesota, USA.  

Chu Ching

Collective Action Programs Coordinator

Chu Ching is a coordinator of Collective Action Programs at the SAC. She ensures that the SAC’s collective action strategy and programs are planned, implemented, and monitored, while also collaborating with the program team, Higg Index team, and global membership team to conduct research, respond quickly to member inquiries, and update communication platforms. She is based in Hong Kong.  

Prior to joining the SAC, Chu worked as sustainability development assistant at Allied Sustainability And Environmental Consultants Group Limited. She was specialized in ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) consulting, green building, and decarbonization strategies planning. She graduated with a master’s degree in environmental management from the University of Hong Kong.  

Chu enjoys public engagement that enhances people’ environmental awareness. Besides joining regular beach cleaning, Chu designed and launched an online educational game-based project to educate the public about local agriculture in Hong Kong recently. The program drew 16,000 site visitors in two months and the project was covered by the local newspapers. 

Kelci Degnian

Senior Manager, Membership Engagement, AMER

Kelci is the Senior Member Engagement Manager for the Americas. She is responsible for ensuring SAC members have the support they need to fully utilize the Higg Index tools, achieve their impact goals, and contribute to the sector’s progress. She is currently based in Houston, Texas.

Before joining the SAC team, Kelci was the Projects & Partnerships Manager at the Allegheny County Library Association, maximizing social impact for the 71-site federated member system. She led myriad initiatives aligning partners from the private sector, nonprofits, boards of directors, and government to deliver value and ensure member success. Previously, Kelci was part of the Public Affairs team at Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles. 

Kelci is a graduate of the University of Queensland, Australia. A passionate rock climber, she’ll take any excuse to travel and climb around the world. With few mountains in Texas, Kelci has turned her attention to mountain biking and coffee science. 

Aaron Di Silvestro

Director of Higg Products

Aaron Di Silvestro is the Director of Higg Products at the SAC, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. He liaises between the Higg Index subject matter experts and the Higg Co technical teams, develops roadmaps for tool integration, and eases the transition from expert insights to implementation. He works out of Portland, Oregon.

Before joining the SAC, Aaron worked for Nike’s Global Sustainability organization implementing and delivering the tools required to make more sustainable business decisions. Often working in collaboration with the SAC and Higg, Aaron managed the development of the internal Higg MSI implementations and corporate footprinting applications.

In his free time Aaron is a passionate back-country skier and an unapologetic fan of the Seattle Sounders.

Wendy Dittmer

Senior Director of Operations

Wendy is the Director of Operations and oversees the Human Resources, Finance, Legal, and Operations functions at the SAC. As part of the leadership team, Wendy ensures that the organization has the resources and foundation required to build and implement the Higg Index, the industry’s leading suite of sustainability tools. She is based in the US out of Austin, Texas and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Before joining the SAC team, Wendy spent over 25 years in the technology and fashion industries focusing on sustainability, operations, and I/T. Recently, she was the Chief Operations Officer at Raven + Lily, PBC, a Benefit Corporation apparel and lifestyle brand headquartered in Austin, Texas. In that role, she oversaw supply chain partnerships, sales and marketing, and distribution and logistics, leading the company to greater efficiencies and performance. At the Responsible Business Alliance, an industry coalition focused on supply chain responsibility, she led external communications and stakeholder engagements, working on behalf of the industry members. While at Dell, she led work in supply chain sustainability, supply chain I/T, and call center technology.

Wendy has a Masters of Science in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University, and a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science from Purdue University. While she loves working in the fashion industry, software coding will always hold a special place in her heart. She enjoys traveling the globe with her husband, and as an avid long-distance runner, is always looking to pair a trip with a race.

Orine Dsouza

Senior Manager, Higg Facility Tools

Orine Dsouza is the Senior Manager of Higg tools for the SAC, 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 the SAC 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. 

Sophia Ellis

Manager, Higg Index Transparency Program

Sophia Ellis is the Higg Index Transparency Program Manager at the SAC. She is responsible for driving growth and value of the suite of product transparency claims supported within the Higg Index Transparency Program. She is based in Amsterdam. 

Before joining the SAC team, Sophia was a Buyer and Product Merchandiser within the sporting goods industry for more than 6 years. During this time she gained experience of the product funnel, supply chain and merchandising/buying practices within global brands such as Nike, Adidas & Reebok. She holds a BSc. in Marketing, Technology and Innovation and is currently undertaking her MSc. Environmental Sustainability. 

In her free time, Sophia can be found reading non-fiction and getting creative in her studio. In addition, time spent outdoors and practicing mindfulness contribute greatly to her happiness.

Christina Fleming

Manager, Event Programs & Content

Christina is the executive assistant for the SAC. She reports directly to executive director Amina Razvi and provides her support. Christina serves as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders on all matters pertaining to the executive director. She also serves as a liaison to the SAC Board of Directors and the SAC Executive Team. Christina organizes and coordinates executive outreach and external relations efforts and oversees special projects.

Prior to joining the SAC, Christina was the director of communications for Bright Impact, a consulting, software and fund management firm. She provided administrative support and coordinated events. She developed strong relationships and contributed educational material for the startup while processing internal and external communications for the team. With a marketing and public relations background, Christina spends her time brainstorming on new techniques and strategies to stay on top of the rapidly changing trends within media and digital marketing.

Christina is a graduate from the University of Central Florida. She regularly pursues her passion for yoga and meditation. She currently stands as a 300-hour certified registered yoga and leadership instructor in the Orlando-area.

Demith Gooneratne

Senior Manager, Higg Facility Tools

Demith Gooneratne is the Senior Manager – Higg Facility Tools at the SAC. 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 the SAC 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 the SAC 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.

Lee Green

Senior Director of Marketing & Communications

Lee Green is the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications at the SAC. He is responsible for overseeing all communications and marketing activities at the organization, ensuring the work of the SAC is effectively communicated to all stakeholders and that the SAC is regarded as a key partner for transforming the industry to positively impact people and planet. Lee is based in the historic city of St Albans in England, UK.

Before joining the SAC team, Lee was Director of Communications at The Consumer Goods Forum, where he spent 10 years. During his time there, he led the re-branding of the organization and oversaw all communications related to the organization’s eight Coalitions of Action and five global events. This included building narratives on the industry’s approach to sustainable supply chains, plastic waste, deforestation, forced labor and consumer health, amongst others, and working with consumer goods retailers and brands to communicate about their positive actions.

In his free time, Lee enjoys playing and watching sports, especially football (soccer) and darts. Lee also enjoys watching movies and going for trail walks and runs. Lee loves to travel and has spent most of his adult life living outside of the UK; having lived in China for over 10 years and France for eight years.

Hannah Heyworth

Digital Communications Coordinator

Hannah Heyworth is the Digital Communications Coordinator at the SAC. She is responsible for supporting internal and external communications, as well as special and ongoing initiatives and projects. She also works on brand strategy, member communications, and media relations and outreach, and brings a global perspective to the Marketing & Communications team. Hannah is based in Madrid, Spain.

Before joining the SAC team, Hannah was the Program Manager at ESCP Business School, a private business school with campuses all over Europe. She was responsible for the coordination of two specialized masters programs, and worked predominately in Spanish. Prior to that, Hannah worked as a primary school teacher at a British school in Madrid, and was the Assistant Head Teacher.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Santa Barbara, California. In her free time, Hannah enjoys traveling and exploring new places. She’s a foodie and tries the local cuisine wherever she goes. She loves languages and is a bilingual Spanish speaker, and is slowly learning Italian. When in Madrid, Hannah can be found outside enjoying the sunshine, reading a book, or baking something sweet.

Lizzie Hineman

Manager, Communications

Lizzie Hineman is the Manager, Communications at the SAC. She oversees the SAC’s membership communications, reports, and special projects. As a liaison between the Marketing Communications and Membership departments, she leads how SAC’s global membership receives news and updates from the organization. She is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Prior to joining the SAC team, Lizzie spent over 10 years producing marketing communications for mission-driven organizations and small businesses. Most recently, she is the founder of a creative studio specializing in brand and marketing consulting. Before that, she was the Marketing & Communications Manager for Alpha Phi Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting Alpha Phi members and their communities through scholarship, crisis aid, and cardiac research grants. She has experience developing effective resources and communications to help membership organizations thrive, and has also led various social media, fundraising, and brand awareness campaigns.

Lizzie is an Indianapolis native and a graduate of DePauw University. In her free time, you’ll find her exploring Chicago’s ever-changing food scene, volunteering at the Farmers Market, hosting friends and family, and walking along the boulevards with her partner and Great Dane.

Devin Hurley

Manager, Membership Engagement, AMER

Devin is the Member Engagement Manager for the Americas (AMER) at the SAC, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. She works with the Membership team providing support to member involvement and experience in the Americas region. Devin is based in Washington DC.

Prior to joining the SAC team, Devin was the Program Assistant and Board Liaison at American Rivers, an environmental conservation organization focused on rivers and clean water. She served as the liaison to the AR Board of Directors, assisted on conservation projects, and managed AR’s Most Endangered Rivers 2020 campaign. With a background in sustainability, she has previous experience developing and implementing an internal sustainability program and strategy.

Devin is a Chicago native and graduate from the University of North Carolina- Wilmington. In her free time she likes to explore DC’s many bike trails and hiking National Parks. Devin is an avid biker and hiker who has a goal of visiting every US National Park.

Soumya Inumella

Senior Manager, Membership Operations

Soumya Inumella is the Manager of Membership Operations at the SAC. She is responsible for the operational efficiency and improved optimization of the SAC’s membership requirements. She also helps connect the Memberships team to the operations of other teams to improve synergies. She is based in Haarlem, The Netherlands.

Before joining the SAC team, Soumya was the Global Implementation Lead at FedEx Express where she led the global rollout of their latest application to drive adoption & migration, with a strong focus on understanding customer needs. She specialized in strategic project management, building efficiencies and leadership communication. Prior to FedEx, she worked across a variety of organizations, ranging from an art gallery to a consumer goods company.

Outside of work, you’ll find Soumya traveling with her husband, adding to her growing book collection, or binge-watching Marvel movies. She’s also a semi-professional photographer with her favorite subjects being her two little dogs and the occasional human.

Laura Jans

Member Engagement Coordinator, EMEA

Laura is the Member Engagement Coordinator for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at the SAC, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. She supports the membership team by providing a harmonious, effective, and value added member experience for members in the EMEA region. She is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 

Before joining the SAC team, Laura interned and worked with one of the SAC’s members in the Netherlands, De Bijenkorf, where she supported the implementation of their sustainability strategy. This is where Laura got in touch with the SAC for the first time. A year later, when pursuing her Master of Science in Global Business and Sustainability at Erasmus University Rotterdam, she wrote her thesis on the SAC, titled “How multi-stakeholder initiatives foster supply chain transparency in the fashion industry: A case study of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition”. 

Laura also holds a Bachelor of Science in International Business Administration from Radboud University Nijmegen, and she went on exchange to Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jogjakarta, to explore her (half) Indonesian roots. In her free time, it is important to Laura to stay healthy and active. She enjoys a variety of sports including hiking and running. She also loves cooking, practices yoga and mindfulness, and has a big passion for photography.

Rhys Jones

Director of Operations

Rhys is the Director of Operations at the SAC. He leads the development and implementation of strategies to ensure that SAC utilizes tools and processes that enable efficient collaboration, effective workflows, consistent record-keeping, vendor management, and information sharing. Additionally, Rhys has oversight to the financial health of the organization, working with on-staff and outsourced financial resources. He is based in the US out of Chicago, Illinois.

Before joining the SAC team, Rhys spent 20 years working in various Legal and Operations roles. Most recently he was the SVP Operations at CDM Media, a B2B Marketing company, where he helped oversee the Human Resources, Finance, Procurement/Vendor Management, Legal, and Operations functions. Before that, he spent time at several international law firms where he worked on various Corporate, Commercial, Property and Tax projects.  Rhys is a qualified UK attorney, a graduate of both Cardiff and Glamorgan Universities, and the former Athletic Union President at Cardiff University. 

In his free time Rhys is an avid sports fan, and loves to travel with his family whenever possible. 

Clara Kamphorst

Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator

Clara Kamphorst is the Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator at the SAC. She supports the Stakeholder Engagement team by coordinating key activities, monitoring & researching relevant social and environmental trends, in addition to managing and updating all related databases, reports and initiatives. She helps the SAC to build partnerships and alliances to advance the cause of sustainability in the apparel & footwear industries. Clara is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Before joining the SAC team, Clara worked at the Bangladesh Accord, an agreement between brands and trade unions designed to build a safe Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) Industry.  She helped the Accord’s International Secretariat to ensure all policies and protocols were implemented, while liaising with key stakeholders. Clara holds a master’s degree in Public International Law from Leiden University and a bachelor’s degree in Law from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG). 

In her free time, Clara is an avid podcast listener, who loves to cook and to experiment with new vegetarian recipes. When she is not hosting dinners for her friends, she can be found taking long walks in the city and exploring local cafés.

Deepak Kashyap

Senior Manager, Higg Facility Tools

Deepak Kashyap is the Senior Manager, Higg Facility Tools at the SAC. His key responsibilities include: project management of the Higg FEM and FSLM, collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders, and facilitation and coordination of the SAC members’ involvement. This role will also continue the development of adoption resources that support the global scaling of the Higg Facility Module, QA testing in cooperation with technical teams, and coordination of communications and case studies. He is based in New Delhi, India. 

Prior to joining the SAC team, Deepak was a senior member of the sustainability compliance team at IKEA, India, where he led the development and maintenance of Social & Environment requirements and more sustainable agenda at South Asia supply chain. He has been a key contributor to sustainability projects and Supplier Sustainability Index for textile supplier at South Asia level working together with business partners. Deepak was also responsible for tools related to risk mapping, planning, supplier review at South Asia level and a tool related to supply chain traceability and impact assessment at the global level in IKEA. He studied Environment Law and Policy at National Law University, Delhi. 

In his free time Deepak enjoys watching movies and exploring sustainability initiatives around the world.  

Jeremy Lardeau

Vice President, Higg Index

Jeremy Lardeau is the VP of the Higg Index at the SAC. 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 the SAC 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.

Erlinda Lee

Senior Manager, Global Membership Development

Erlinda Lee is the Senior Manager, Global Membership Development at the SAC. In her role, she ensures the growth of SAC’s corporate member base. She will develop and foster proactive engagement within the apparel and footwear industry, educating non-member companies about the value of membership and its associated benefits, so that they join and further strengthen our coalition. 

Before joining the SAC team, Erlinda was the Development Manager at GoodHout BV, an impact startup company producing a wood alternative bio-composite material made from coconut husk fibers. She led the business development process, and created strong contacts while opening up new opportunities to expand the business. Additionally, she created marketing communication tools for the launch of the material and the ‘go-to-market’ strategies. As a curious person, Erlinda spends her time analyzing information and translating them into actionable plans. 

In her free time, Erlinda likes to do sports such as running and tennis. She also enjoys travelling to Asia (particularly Indonesia) where her roots lie, and continues to travel down under to Australia where she grew up. Erlinda studied at the University of New South Wales.

Betty Li

Senior Manager, Membership Engagement, APAC

Betty is the Senior Manager of Membership Engagement, APAC at the SAC. She leads the APAC region, ensuring that members have the guidance and support needed to reach joint goals and to utilize the Higg Index tools to drive their sustainability strategies forward. She is based in Hong Kong.

Before joining the SAC team, Betty was part of the K11 sustainability team with a dual role as the Community Manager at K11’s Nature Discovery Park – Hong Kong’s first urban biodiversity museum to inspire action towards the UNSDGs. With a focus on stakeholder engagement, she launched the K11 Sustainable Tenancy Pledge to engage and empower tenants on adopting sustainable retail and F&B practices while supporting internal teams on improving operational practices and communications around sustainable building. She graduated as a Marketing major at UBC and completed her MBA at HKUST.  

Outside of work, Betty hosts meet-ups to connect like-minded people as the founder of the Hong Kong Sustainability Club, and co-organiser of the local chapters of Green Drinks and Podcast Brunch Club. She also enjoys solo traveling, climbing and has most recently picked up sailing.

Ruth Lin

Manager, Finance and Operations

Ruth Lin is the SAC Finance and Operations Manager and works on the Apparel Impact Institute, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and Social & Labor Convergence Program. She oversees account receivables, communications with members and prospective members regarding payments, and operational support. She helps with each organization’s budgeting, financial statements, monthly reports, and audits.

Prior to joining the SAC, Ruth was an accountant at a supply chain technology start up, Elementum, which is focused on revolutionizing the supply chain industry and streamlining each part of operations onto mobile apps. Ruth was focused on internal support and she also implemented sustainability changes by creating a compost program in two offices and introduced more recycled products. She volunteers as an Ethical Detective with Good on You, which rates how sustainable each fashion brand is.

Ruth has worked at Australian Volunteers International, which is focused on sustainable development. She volunteered with wildlife in California, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Great Barrier Reef. Ruth graduated with a B.S. degree in accounting from Case Western Reserve University and studied abroad in New Zealand.

Cassandra Lindow

Manager, Data Reporting and Analytics

Cassandra is the Manager of Data Reporting and Analytics at the SAC. She reports to the Director of Higg Products, Aaron Di Silvestro. She creates and manages data reports and works cross-functionally with the team and stakeholders to drive industry and Higg Index insights. She is based in Toronto, Canada! 

Before joining the SAC team, Cassandra was a Senior Analyst at the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) where she used analytics in both credit strategy decisions and pricing initiatives in automotive finance. She has used her expertise to close gaps between RBC and their competitors to reduce risk and increase market share. She was also part of the internal committee that helped with onboarding, organizing department networking sessions, and team charity events. She finished her undergraduate degree in Biology at Queen’s University and has always had a keen interest in the environment. 

In her free time, you can find her reading, running and cooking. She likes to test out new recipes with her family and has joined a running club with friends from University.

Maggie Lumpcik

Senior Global HR Manager

Maggie is the Senior Global HR Manager for the SAC.  In her role, she provides broad HR support throughout the organization. Maggie is based near Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Prior to joining the SAC, Maggie was an HR Manager for RCS focusing on improving the employee experience through increased employee engagement, policy creation and refinement, and system improvement. She has also worked in behavioral health and education. Maggie holds a BS in Psychology from Wright State University and an MBA from Western Governors University.

In her free time, Maggie enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. She enjoys hiking, running, reading, and traveling.  She has a goal to visit as many National Parks across the globe as possible.

Heather Lynch

Manager, Global Membership Development

Heather Lynch is the Manager, Global Membership Development at the SAC. In her role, she is focused on the growth of SAC’s membership base by articulating and demonstrating the benefits of joining the coalition. By building and leveraging relationships, she gathers knowledge to help advance and strengthen the coalition’s (and thus the industry’s) impact across the globe. She is based in Vermont.

Heather joins the SAC with over fifteen years of experience in the higher education sustainability sector where she led the sustainability initiatives at Saint Michael’s College as the first Director of Sustainability. She maintained the college’s greenhouse gas inventory, completed its first sustainability assessment and taught in the Environmental Studies department. Prior to joining the SAC, she worked as the Membership Development Manager for AASHE (the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability), which developed the first higher ed sector-wide sustainability assessment, STARS. She has a B.S. in Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire and a M.S. in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College.

In her free time, Heather enjoys being outside as much as possible whether it is hiking in the mountains (in all seasons), cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing or gardening. She is a certified Extension Master Gardener and grows her own sustainable crop of garlic. She hopes to hike the John Muir Trail one day.

Dhawal Mane

Director, Training and Verification

Dhawal is the SAC 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 SAC, 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.

Yasotharan Manivel

Manager, Collective Action Programs

Yasotharan Manivel is the Manager of Collective Action Programs at the SAC. He is based in Chennai, India. He ensures that to drive large-scale, industry-wide environmental and social sustainability programs aimed to deliver exponential positive impacts to people and environment in the value chain. He will play a key role in setting Science Based Target and developing GHG/ carbon reduction roadmap, facilitating dialogue among stakeholders with diverse perspectives, build key short to mid-term plan based on consensus collected from the apparel, footwear, and textile industry.

Before joining the SAC team, Yasotharan was the Operation Process Manger – Sustainable Development at Decathlon for India. Where he is responsible for the implementation of Decathlon’s overarching Sustainability Strategy with a special focus on Labour, Health & Safety, Worker Well Being, and Environment management to the supply chains. He responsibly implemented decarbonized supply chain programs to identify useful solutions and develop strategy to deploy plans for textile & Footwear industries such as CO2 Measurement, Target Set, and Energy efficiency Project & Renewable energy procurement. He developed and monitor the Supplier Autonomy Projects (Human Rights & Environment) and adopt the programs based on regional.

He holds a Master Degree (MBA) in Environmental Management from Bharathidasan University. He is certified ISO 140001 Lead Auditor and he recently completed Strategy & Sustainability course from IESE Business School, University of Navarra. He enjoys spending time with family and kids and running. 

Chris Marshall

Director, Transparency Program

Chris Marshall is the Director of the Transparency Program at the SAC, 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 the SAC 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.

Andrew Martin

Executive Vice President

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 the SAC 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 the SAC, 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.

Canélia Mbida

Member Engagement Coordinator, APAC

Canélia is the Member Engagement Coordinator for the Asia Pacific region (APAC) in Hong Kong.

Prior to joining the SAC team, Canélia worked at Lacoste as the Supplier Management Coordinator. During her 3 year tenure, she mobilized the brand’s suppliers management tools, and led the task force to integrate sustainability KPIs in the suppliers’ evaluations.

Trilingual in French, English and Mandarin, Canélia graduated from both NEOMA Business School (France) and the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE, Beijing). She has lived in France, Cameroon, Mainland China, and Hong Kong.

She spends her free time taking long walks and biking around. Having strong interests in tech and startups, she’s also involved in the Ladies Who Tech chapter in Hong Kong.

Joël Mertens

Director, Higg Product Tools

Joël Mertens is the Director of Higg Product Tools at the SAC. 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 the SAC 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.

Angela Ng

Director, Higg Facility Tools

Angela is the SAC Higg Facility Tools Director. Previously, she worked at SAC brand member Columbia, where she focused on sustainability in the social and labor program. Angela was also responsible for managing Columbia’s supply chain sustainability performance and initiatives. Implementing the Higg Facility Environmental Module was central to Angela’s efforts, from scaling adoption of the tool to integrating Higg FEM into Columbia’s business functions. Angela has been working with the Higg Index since its inception. She brings years of supply chain and industry experience. Angela lives by the mottos, “Make a difference” and “pay it forward.”

Samia Ngeow

Global Operations Coordinator

Samia Ngeow is the Global Operations Coordinator at the SAC. She ensures successful software and technology implementation via supporting the Global Team in training and maintaining key operational software, as well as administration in business operation management. She is based in Manchester, UK.

Before joining the SAC, Samia was the Technical Quality Coordinator at GANT where she worked closely with cross functional teams to launch supplier management tools and develop technical processes. She previously worked in operations and production for brands including 31 Bits, Little Green Radicals and AAKS where she gained hands on experience through the tiers of the supply chain and where her passion for ethical responsibility grew.

In her free time Samia enjoys being outdoors whether to hike or enjoy a slow morning outside a coffee shop. She also enjoys photography and you’ll find her unceasingly capturing memories when traveling.

Melissa O de León

Manager, Higg Product Tools

Melissa O de León is the Higg Index Product Tools Manager at the SAC, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. Melissa ensures that the methodology and content of the Higg Product Tools are meeting member needs. She supports industry stakeholders in submitting data through the MSI Contributor, and works with members to identify data gaps and opportunities to solicit high-quality life cycle assessment data. Melissa is based in the US in Austin, Texas.

Before joining the SAC team, Melissa co-founded Regenerate, where she worked as sustainability consultant for fashion SMEs to some of Brazil’s largest textile producers. In her role she developed the training tool ‘Sustainable Fashion Cards’, and co-authored the research report ‘Fashion Threads’, funded by the Laudes Foundation.

At a previous role at the Hessnatur Stiftung in Berlin, Melissa conducted ESG assessments for several european companies, and evaluated the textile industry’s criteria of the ‘Siegelklarheit’ platform from the German International Development Agency (GIZ).

Melissa believes in the power of education, and has volunteered in adult literacy, ESL, and community education projects. Most recently she developed a learning module about Sustainability in Fashion for the social entrepreneurship program Yunus&Youth. In her free time, Melissa enjoys sewing and learning traditional Mexican weaving techniques.

Tamina Ogrin

Administrative Assistant, Stakeholder Engagement

Tamina, who is based in the Netherlands, is responsible for providing administrative support to the Stakeholder Engagement team in order to enable efficient operations. She reports to Carolina van Loenen, Senior Manager for Stakeholder Engagement. Tamina ensures that the Stakeholder Engagement team’s communications and work procedures are more efficient by utilising a variety of technological platforms. She also serves as the organization’s administrative liaison with SAC members. 

Before joining the SAC, Tamina was a project intern at ASKV, a non-profit organisation that provides legal and social support to undocumented refugees. She was responsible for maintaining contact with participants and volunteers, establishing partnerships with other initiatives alike, recruiting participants, and conducting intake interviews. Prior to that, Tamina worked for a children’s organisation in Ljubljana for several years, coordinating the planning and execution of numerous private and school events for children, in addition to other administrative and office duties.

Tamina completed a bachelor’s degree in analytical sociology at the University of Ljubljana before earning a master’s degree in sociology at Utrecht University with a focus on criminology and safety. Tamina enjoys exploring new places, attending cultural events, having game nights with her friends, and bouldering in her free time.

Sary Oszerowicz

Higg Index Team Coordinator

Sary Oszerowicz is the Higg Index team Coordinator at the SAC. She reports directly to VP Jeremy Lardeau and will support the Higg Index team operations, from ensuring team activities and milestones are planned, tracked and reviewed to helping schedule MET and SC meetings, and maintaining appropriate documentation of all member interactions.

Before joining the SAC team, Sary was the Research & Insight Director, at Materia Gris, Media Agency, where she was in charge of qualitative and quantitative brand studies, consumption habits, exposure to media and segmentation by lifestyle; being part of new products/brands lunching with great success. She organizes different studies at a regional level that contributed to the growth of the client portfolio.

Sary is based in Barcelona but is originally from Colombia where she graduated in business administration from the University Externado de Colombia, then she had the opportunity to start her career in advertising in Mexico City where she lived for more than 10 years. Sary is passionate about history and how customs, culture, ideas and ways have changed through fashion. She loves to try different flavors; she is married to a chef for a reason.

Mackenzie Roach

Senior Manager, Global Contracts

Mackenzie Roach is the Sr. Global Contracts Manager for the SAC. She is part of the Global Operations team. She is the lead on all global contractual matters and agreements. She manages the flow of each contract from negotiation to execution, and any disputes that may arise. Mackenzie is located in New York City. 

Prior to joining the SAC, Mackenzie was an attorney at a boutique law firm working on several cultural heritage and art law cases. Most notably, she worked on the successful restitution of a painting looted by the Nazis during World War II and cultural claims made by Native American tribes. While at the firm, other work included the representation of non-profit organizations in their compliance, litigation, and lobbying matters and representation of small business owners in contractual and litigation matters. 

Mackenzie received her juris doctorate from the University of Wisconsin Law School and her bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Edgewood College. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and exploring the city with her small rescue dog. 

Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco

Director, Higg Brand & Retail

Maravillas is the Director, Higg Brand & Retail at the SAC, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. She is responsible for managing the Higg Brand and Retail Module and its suite of resources. She works closely with our Coalition members, facilities and stakeholders to scale the implementation of these tools globally. Meaningful collective action is her main priority. She is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Before joining the SAC team, Maravillas was the CSR & Sustainability Manager at Desigual, where she developed the strategic planning and oversight of the global CSR and Sustainability strategy of the company. Among her responsibilities she led projects aimed at improving Product sustainability, developing a more responsible Supply Chain and reducing the Environmental Impact of the Company’s activity. Prior to Desigual she worked as a Sustainability & CSR consultant and she is a professional with 12+ 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.

Porcha Roets

HR Coordinator

Porcha Roets is the HR Coordinator at the SAC. She will work closely with Hiring Managers by supporting them throughout the recruitment process. She will manage the candidate experience from their application right up to the Onboarding stage and ensure that they are provided with clear communication throughout the talent acquisition cycle. She will provide reports to Hiring Managers on recruitment metrics and she will also be responsible for recruitment and HR-focused projects. She is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Before joining the SAC team, Porcha was the HR Business Partner at St Vincent’s Private Hoslital Melbourne, where she developed strong relationships with her Stakeholders by providing them with strategic and operational advise. She was responsible for the end-to-end talent acquisition cycle for the two Hospital campuses that she supported and she successfully lead various Talent Management Projects. Porcha holds a Bachelor of Commerce with specialisation in HR and Labour relations management from the University of South Africa. 

In her free time Porcha enjoys the outdoors and goes on regular walking trails with her husband and 2 young sons. She also loves travelling and exploring new places. She loves reading and listening to various genres of music.

Sophie Roos

Partnerships Coordinator

Sophie is Partnerships Coordinator for the SAC. She coordinates the apparel alliance, a partnership of four organizations (Apparel Impact Institute, Textile Exchange, ZDHC and the SAC), which involves keeping up to date the alliance workplan and tracking its deliverables as well as coordinating progress reporting and the alliance budgets. Additionally, she provides further support to the Stakeholder Engagement team. She is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Before joining SAC, Sophie was Project Officer for Euclid Network, a European network for social enterprises, where she led two European projects related to social enterprise internationalisation. During her studies, Sophie fulfilled various part time roles such as working for the Fashion For Good Museum and the VU Sustainability Leadership Hub, a platform for sustainability education at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Sophie is a graduate from the University of Amsterdam and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and holds two MSc degrees; in Environment and Resource Management and Leadership and Change Management.

In her free time, Sophie likes to go to dance classes, particularly ballet and contemporary dance. She is also an enthusiastic baker, frequently explores new hotspots in Amsterdam with her friends and loves to break away from the city to recharge in the green.

Igor San Juan

General Counsel

Igor is the General Counsel at the SAC. He ensures that all legal matters of relevance to the SAC are covered. He is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Before joining the SAC team, Igor was Legal Director and General Counsel a.i. with the Swarovski Group for almost 10 years, overseeing legal matters ranging from intellectual property rights to corporate law to contracts, marketing and retail distribution legal matters. Previously, he was Legal Counsel at G-Star Raw, a denim and apparel manufacturer and retailer, and before that he was Legal Counsel EMEA at Foot Locker, a global footwear distributor.  

In his free time he likes spending time hiking, and learning about computer science and artificial intelligence. 

Olga Sganzerla

Manager, Service Design, Higg Index Brand & Retail Program

Olga is the Service Design Manager for the Higg Index Brand & Retail Program at the SAC. Working closely with colleagues from different departments, she ensures that the services provided within the Higg Brand and Retail Module are designed to provide our members with the support they need to achieve their sustainability goals and contribute to our vision for an industry that gives more than it takes – to the planet and its people. She is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Before joining the SAC team, Olga was Business Designer at NOBA Ventures, an innovation agency with a global outlook, and Service Designer within the Group CX Innovation & Strategy team at Zurich Insurance. In these roles, through the launch of new and improved value propositions and capability building programs, she supported corporates in accelerating their transformation and innovation journeys towards becoming more human-centric, nimble, and innovative organizations.

Olga is a graduate in Strategic Management from HEC Lausanne. In her free time, Olga enjoys spending time in nature, practicing yoga, reading, supporting purpose-driven projects, and travelling around the world to discover new people, places, and cultures.

Carmel Tenenbaum

Events Project Coordinator

Carmel is the Events Project Coordinator at the SAC. She supports, manages, and executes all aspects of the events at the SAC, including working on partner events. She is based in San Francisco, California. 

Before joining the SAC team, Carmel was a student at UC Berkeley, where she majored in international relations. She also spent time in Bologna, Italy, studying event and museum management at the University of Bologna. Carmel has previously worked on the SAC Annual Meeting in 2021, where she assisted in the logistical and technical coordination of the event. Carmel is a strong advocate for making events enjoyable and informative to attendees while utilizing new and upcoming technologies. 

In her free time, Carmel enjoys snowboarding and teaching others how to. She believes that there is nothing better than a day on the mountain after a fresh snowfall.

Beatrice Thumi

Public Relations Analyst

Beatrice Thumi is the Public Relations Analyst at the SAC, the apparel, footwear, and textile industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production. She is the primary contact person for all media inquiries, providing up to date press materials and information as needed. She is also responsible for media outreach, managing media lists platforms, and follow ups for story placements. She is in charge of monitoring and tracking media coverage, providing ongoing reports and industry insights. She is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. 

Before joining the SAC team, Beatrice was the Account Director at Oxygene Marketing Communications Limited where she led the PR department. She managed an account portfolio of market leading organizations such as EABL, SEACOM and Sanlam, providing a variety of PR and communication services including specialist areas such as crisis management and reputation management. She has extensive agency experience, steering teams through the development of complex communication strategies, providing support for execution and delivery based on specific client requirements. 

 In her free time, Beatrice likes to keep active and regularly works out. She is a makeup and skincare aficionado and loves creating content for her blog. She is passionate about her faith, personal growth and constantly striving for self-improvement.  She is also an avid reader, enjoys listening to music and podcasts and loves a good cup of coffee.

Joyce Tsoi

Director, Collective Action Programs, APAC

Joyce Tsoi is the Director of Collective Action Programs, APAC at the SAC. She is based in Hong Kong. She manages all SAC’s Collective Action programs and activities, support members and EcoSystem partners to prioritize actions, accelerate sustainable environmental and social impacts and transform our industry into one that gives more than it takes- to the people and the planet. Through building strong industry partnership and collaboration with our Ecosystem and strategic partners from all sectors across our value chain, our aspirational goals could be achieved together: 45% GHG emissions reduction in line with Science Based Targets by 2030 against a 2020 baseline to combat climate change; supports workers’ rights, safety and livelihoods by 2025. 

Before joining the SAC team, Joyce was the Senior Manager, Supply Chain Sustainability at VF Corporation where she spearheaded the key supply chain sustainability program. She’s actively involved in driving corporate and industry sustainability strategies and efforts through the adoption and verification of Higg Index FEM environmental impact measurement activities, Global Wastewater Compliance program, Science Based Targets (SBTs), energy efficiency and renewable energy program aiming to improve the environment, workers and communities and build climate resilience. In addition, she brings over 16 years of diverse global experience across multiple industry sectors including apparel and footwear, electronics, hardgoods, home goods, food and beverage, home goods and toys industries in Europe, US and Asia.

Joyce graduated from University College London, U.K. with a B.Eng. (Hons) degree in Chemical Engineering. She holds a Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London, U.K. and a PhD. in Sustainability and Environmental Management from the University of Hong Kong. 

She is a passionate supporter of education, she believes a love of learning should be encouraged where students are inspired and empowered to make a difference. As a working mum with 3 kids, Joyce has served as a parent representative of Quarry Bay School, Hong Kong for the past 9 years. As an alumnus of the University of Hong Kong, she continues to practice teaching on “environmental management systems and audits” course and supply chain resource management course of the Sustainability Leadership and  Governance Program. She enjoys spending time with family and kids, cooking different types of local cuisines, hiking, and swimming on Big Wave beach.

Carolina van Loenen

Director, Stakeholder Engagement

Carolina van Loenen is the Director of Stakeholder Engagement at the SAC. She leads the global Stakeholder Engagement team and develops stakeholder and policy engagement strategies. Hence, she also ensures integrated and aligned strategy delivery by overseeing the implementation of related internal and external policies and processes. As a key senior stakeholder engagement contact, she fosters proactive engagement and cooperation among the SAC’s international stakeholders and represents the SAC at international external stakeholder events. Carolina is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which is also her country of residence. 

Before joining the SAC team, Carolina as Public Sector Partnerships Manager at WWF-Netherlands and contributed to realizing food, forestry and governance objectives within conservation goals by initiating and developing multi-stakeholder public sector partnerships and advising on complex frameworks, guidelines and standards. Carolina has ten years of experience managing programs and projects, complex processes and customer operations, mostly in sustainable value chains and governance at international NGOs, as well as public and private sector organizations. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations and Human Rights.  

In her free time, Carolina enjoys music concerts, restaurants or cultural events in the Netherlands or when traveling abroad. She loves to explore nature by bike or foot and loves to discuss current international affairs, technology and South American culture.

Elisabeth von Reitzenstein

Senior Director, Public Affairs

Elisabeth is the Senior Director, Public Affairs for the SAC. She is leading our global activities in public affairs, policy and advocacy, including heading and further developing the public affairs team. She is leading the SAC engagement with the Policy Hub, the American Apparel & Footwear Association, and other like-minded partner organizations. Fittingly to her role, she is based in Brussels, Belgium – the center of European policy making.

She has more than a decade of experience in decision-making procedures and public affairs and has acquired extensive expertise in sustainability legislation. She is specialised in strategically positioning members’ interests through targeted stakeholder alliances and constant dialogue with policy makers. Before joining the SAC, Elisabeth was head of the Brussels office of a public affairs consultancy and led the sustainability department at the EU association Independent Retail Europe. 

Elisabeth holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from Maastricht University in the Netherlands and a Master’s in Management, Economics and International Relations, from which she graduated with distinction. In addition to her native German, she speaks English, French and Spanish. Elisabeth loves to travel and getting to know new people as well as cultures. Coming from a region close to the German alps, she also very much enjoys hiking, climbing, and skiing.

Eliza Ward

Senior Director, Membership & Corporate Engagement

Eliza Ward is the Senior Director of Membership & Corporate Engagement at the SAC. Together with her team, which includes the SAC’s member engagement, development and operations teams, she is responsible for ensuring the active engagement and overall satisfaction of members, as well as growing the organisation’s corporate membership base. Eliza is based in London, UK.

Before joining the SAC team, Eliza was at the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) where she was responsible for growing the organisation’s membership, revising and improving its membership offer and representing the organisation publicly. Prior to ETI, she held senior roles at Fairtrade, leading on global partnerships such as with Mondelez International and Ben & Jerry’s, and with the UK’s major supermarkets. Eliza holds an MA in Human Rights from University College London, and a BA in Politics from Newcastle University.

In her personal life, Eliza is a passionate cook who owns an ever-expanding set of recipe books. She loves to travel and experience new places as a local, particularly by sampling local cuisines, and she likes to keep up with current affairs by listening to podcasts.

Sara Warren

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Sara Warren is the Executive Assistant to the CEO at the SAC. She reports directly to Amina and provides her support. She is based in the US in  Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Before joining the SAC team, Sara was the Chief of Staff  at Powerplay Retail where she supported the president of the organization, kept the office running, and helped rebuild the culture.   

In her free time Sara spends most of her time getting her 8-year-old daughter, Raya, from activity to activity, playing with her Chipoo, Rusty, and spending any extra time with her husband, Marc. In the summer Sara will do anything to be outside in the garden, at the pool or just soaking up the vitamin D.