Our Team
Our people are at the heart of how we are making change happen in the consumer goods industry. Meet the passionate people behind our work below.
Aaron Di Silvestro is the Director of Higg Products at Cascale, 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 Cascale, 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 Cascale 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.
Adrián Branco is the Senior Manager of Higg Index Brand & Retail at Cascale. He ensures that the program is developed and launched successfully, and he also leads the development of strategies to increase its adoption and expansion within our industry. He also ensures that Cascale’s members are involved and coordinated through the Strategic Council and Member Expert teams. He is based in Barcelona, Spain.
Before joining Cascale team, Adrian was Sourcing and Sustainability Manager at Desigual, where he worked on merging both areas to establish a common agenda aligning sourcing with sustainability, enhancing its synergies. As part of his responsibilities, he led the project that has increased the visibility of the supply chain and improved traceability, and established a new roadmap. Previously, he worked in various positions, from product health and safety technician to buyer.
Adrian holds a degree in Chemistry from the University of Santiago de Compostela and an MBA from IESIDE. He enjoys playing (and winning) board games, gardening, or working in his workshop in his spare time. He loves tussling with his three children and, whenever possible, a nice rainy day.
Ahan Takkar, the Higg Index Verifications Associate, leverages 4 years of industry experience, focusing on coordinating between teams, revising technical documents, managing verification program operations, and providing special project support.
Ahan’s primary experience lies in providing technical support for projects intersecting in the fashion supply chain and analytics domain. He focuses on enhancing systems, solving problems, documenting solution effectiveness, managing change, and aligning with team requirements. He completed his undergraduate degree at NIFT, New Delhi (2018-2022), studying Bachelors of Fashion Technology.
Outside of work, Ahan has a passion for traveling, especially going on road trips to discover new places. He also enjoys playing badminton whenever he gets the chance. On the flip side, he is not particularly fond of loud music. He is also absolutely terrified of horror movies and really dislikes the summer weather in North India.
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 Cascale 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 Cascale, 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.
Angela is Cascale Higg Facility Tools Director.
Previously, she worked at Cascale 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.”
Aoife Ashford is the Assistant – Executive Operations at Cascale. She provides administrative and operational support to the EVP and wider Executive team, helping them achieve their goals and objectives.
Before joining Cascale 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. She’s also learning to salsa!
Ashley Buchalter is manager of global membership development at Cascale. She is responsible for expanding our membership base and for fostering proactive engagement to drive sustainable change. In her role she strengthens our coalition of committed industry leaders by helping members find their shared interests in working collaboratively and transparently to meet strategic priorities. She is based in New YorkCity.
Prior to joining Cascale, Ashley was business development manager at Lenzing, the producers of sustainable cellulosic fiber for textiles and nonwovens. She is passionate about innovative technologies and methodologies that support our global efforts to cleanup how we make, use and circulate consumer goods. She holds a MA in Global Governance from The New School, and has continued her education at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Zeis Textiles at NC State and at the White Oak Legacy Foundation.
In her free time, Ashley is an active volunteer at many civil society organizations working to bolster the democratic process. She is fascinated by the impact grassroots organizing can have at the legislative level and enjoys karaoke as much as she does going to bed very early.
Beatrice Thumi is the Communications Officer at Cascale, 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 Cascale 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.
Betty is the Senior Manager of Membership Engagement, APAC at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Canélia is the Member Engagement Manager for the Asia Pacific region (APAC) in Hong Kong.
Prior to joining the Cascale 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.
Carmel is the Event Production Manager at Cascale. She manages and executes all aspects of the events at Cascale, including working on partner events. She is based in San Francisco, California.
Before joining Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Carolina van Loenen is the Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Cascale. 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 Cascale’s international stakeholders and represents Cascale at international external stakeholder events. Carolina is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which is also her country of residence.
Before joining Cascale 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.
Cassandra is the Manager of Data Reporting and Analytics at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
As the Research, Grants, and Funding Manager, Challa is responsible for research management and academic engagement strategy at Cascale. She serves as the point of contact for academic communities and research partners. Another aspect of her role involves co-developing and implementing a grant and funding strategy, as well as managing and communicating progress on grant projects across functions.
Before joining Cascale, Challa worked at international development and humanitarian organizations, including the FCDO of the UK, AAR of Japan, and UNDP, for various roles in grants and research management. Recently, she completed her MBA from Warwick Business School (WBS) with distinction for her dissertation on decarbonizing global supply chains in the consumer goods sector in collaboration with IBM. Challa is PRINCE2 project management certified and proficient in design thinking, monitoring, and evaluation. She holds an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Based in Leamington Spa, UK, Challa enjoys hiking, reading, playing the piano, and lindy hop and blues dancing in her free time.
Chris Marshall is the Director of the Transparency Program at Cascale, 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 Cascale 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
Christina Fleming is the Manager, Event Programs and Content at Cascale. She oversees the development of all event programs, content and marketing. She is based in Orlando, Florida, USA.
Christina started her career at Cascale as the Executive Assistant to the CEO and Executive Operations Manager to the Executive Team and Board of Directors. Prior to Cascale Christina worked as the Communications Specialist and Marketing Manager for an ecosystem of organizations known as Orlando Opportunity Fund, Brand Advance, Orlando Entrepreneurs and Bright Impact. During this time she led their public relations, marketing, communications and administrative initiatives across all organizations.
Alongside her communications career, Christina is a certified yoga and meditation instructor and violinist. She loves spending time outdoors – especially if she can bring along her lovely pup, Cleopawtra.
Chu Ching is a coordinator of the Decarbonization Program at Cascale. She ensures that Cascale’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 Cascale, 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.
Dani is the Senior Member Engagement Manager for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Cascale. She is responsible for ensuring Cascale 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 Cascale team, Dani worked at Cascale 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 Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Deepak Kashyap is the Senior Manager, Higg Facility Tools at Cascale. His key responsibilities include: project management of the Higg FEM and FSLM, collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders, and facilitation and coordination of Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Demith Gooneratne is the Senior Manager – Higg Facility Tools at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Devin is the Higg Index Strategy & Operations Manager at Cascale. She works with the Higg Index team to support the development of strategies, contributing to tool development planning and execution with the goal of growing Cascale’s Higg Index tools and programs. Devin is based in Denver, Colorado.
Prior to her role on the Higg Index team, Devin was the Member Engagement Manager for the Americas region. While on the membership team she was responsible for ensuring Cascale members were supported as they utilized the Higg Index tools and achieved their impact goals. Before joining Cascale team, Devin worked at American Rivers, an environmental conservation organization focused on rivers and clean water, assisting on conservation projects like AR’s Most Endangered Rivers 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, Devin is hiking around Denver; she is an avid biker, hiker, and paddleboarder who has a goal of visiting every US National Park.
Dhawal works at Cascale as the Director for Verification, Training & Insights. Dhawal joined Cascale in July 2019 as the Senior Manager for Training and Verification. He is responsible for building, maintaining, and improving verification and training programs for the Higg Index suite of tools and ensuring that the Higg Index and its related tools are trusted and credible measures for sustainability performance and benchmarking.
Prior to joining Cascale, 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 environmental 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 and Life Cycle Analysis, as well as internal and external sustainability communications.
Dhawal holds a Masters in Fashion Technology (Apparel Production) from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi and a Bachelor of Engineering in Textile Technology from the MS University of Baroda.
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.
Elisabeth is the Senior Director, Public Affairs for Cascale. She is leading our global activities in public affairs, policy and advocacy, including heading and further developing the public affairs team. She is leading Cascale working engagement with the Policy Hub and other like-minded partner organizations. She is based in Brussels, Belgium.
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 Cascale, 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 is the Senior Director of Membership & Corporate Engagement at Cascale. Together with her team, which includes Cascale’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 Cascale 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.
Ellie is the Memberships Coordinator for the EMEA Region at Cascale. She works to provide a foundation in the region for a harmonious, effective value added member experience. This involves supporting efficient, relevant and streamlined engagement to Cascale members. She is based in London.
Before joining Cascale team, Ellie worked at ASOS where she provided support to partner brands in their progression against the company’s sustainability requirements, including setting carbon reduction targets. She implemented robust processes to improve partners’ resilience to social and environmental regulatory changes. In this role, she was instrumental in driving engagement across internal teams by creating training materials, used to raise awareness and engagement with the company’s sustainability strategy. Before this she completed a Masters in Sustainability and Business at the University of Leeds.
When she’s not working, Ellie’s always finding time to travel and loves to explore new places. When at home you’ll find her hunting out independent coffee shops, meeting up with friends (and their dogs) and enjoying sport.
Emily Croneberger is the Higg Index Communications Manager for Cascale. She reports directly to the Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications, Lee Green. She is responsible for communicating news and updates about the Higg Index tools for the organization. She also ensures collaboration between relevant stakeholders, internal teams and external partners as it relates to the Higg Index. She is based in Cary, North Carolina in the United States.
Before joining Cascale team, Emily was the Manager of Marketing & Industry Programs at Cotton Incorporated. In this role, Emily was responsible for marketing strategy and worked closely with internal and external teams to coordinate and implement brand messaging and strategies across global brands and retailers. Emily also served as the liaison between the technical and marketing teams at Cotton Incorporated. Emily is a graduate of North Carolina State University’s College of Textiles and holds a B.S. in Fashion and Textile Marketing. She continued her education at North Carolina State University by earning a M.S. in Textiles, focusing her research on sustainability.
In her free time, Emily enjoys hiking and exploring new places with her husband and two boys. She also enjoys painting, listening to audiobooks while walking her dogs, and volunteering at a local cat shelter.
Emily is the Project Management Office (PMO) Director for Cascale and is responsible for creating and developing our Project Management Methodologies and supporting project delivery. She is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining Cascale, she was working for an international software consultancy managing their Project and Programme teams. She worked across the organisation and was responsible for culture initiatives and improving employee wellbeing. She has a strong Project Management background having worked for over a decade in project delivery and is considered a global expert within the PMI and DPM Experts community. She regularly delivers webinars and speaks at conferences on Project Management best practices and wellbeing.
Emily loves keeping active and travelling with her children. She’s loves amateur photography and can often be found outside exploring or running.
Erlinda Lee is the Director, Global Membership Development at Cascale. In her role, she ensures the growth of Cascale’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 Cascale 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.
Erwan Berthou is the Director of Membership & Corporate Engagement at Cascale. He is responsible for managing engagement strategies and protocols that enable members to achieve their impact goals and to empower his team driving overall member satisfaction. Erwan is based in Amsterdam.
Erwan brings 15+ years of marketing and merchandising experience with the Apparel and Footwear industry in brands such as Nike, Burton, G-Star Raw and ASICS. In the last 5 years, he led the global customer success team at Myagi in driving user engagement on their (Saas) Digital platform that enables 200+ brands to remotely train at scale with their retailer’s front line associates.
Outside of work, Erwan’s interests range from exploring planetary health solutions, studying human psychology, following global affairs and being active outdoors with his family and friends.
Gabriele Ballero is the Policy & Public Affairs Officer at Cascale. He supports the Senior Director of Policy & Public Affairs in coordinating and undertaking key work streams of Cascale Public Affairs Strategy, delivering widespread and effective government engagement and education to ensure that Cascale and the global consumer goods industry gives more than it takes. He is based in Brussels, Belgium.
Before joining Cascale team, Gabriele was a Consultant in the Healthcare and Lifesciences practice, where he worked on multi-stakeholder projects related to infectious diseases. Prior to that, Gabriele worked in Regulatory Affairs for medical devices in a Brussels-based consultancy. He is a law and global governance graduate at ESADE University in Barcelona with a Masters in European Politics and Governance at the College of Europe, specializing in European Public Policy Analysis.
In his free time Gabriele loves to travel and has unique stories to share about his experiences. He also speaks multiple languages and loves to learn new ones due to his multicultural upbringing. Gabriele is a native Spanish speaker, and he is also fluent in Catalan, Italian, English, French, speaks some Russian and is now learning Dutch.
As the EMEA Manager for Candidate & Member Engagement, Hamza is primarily focused on driving a better member experience, supporting member adoption of the Higg Suite of Tools, and assisting in member roadmaps all while cultivating a positive member relationship from onboarding forward. He is based in the Berkshire County of United Kingdom.
Prior to joining Cascale, Hamza worked for 10 years at Primark. In his last role he led Primark’s Compliance and Reporting efforts globally through developing Primark’s environmental due diligence criteria for suppliers, significantly advancing adoption of industry tools and pioneered novel solutions in the supply chains. Hamza was also involved in shaping Primark’s environmental sustainability strategy and creation of the ambitious sustainability goals under their flagship programme called “Primark Cares”.
Hamza grew up in Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh where he completed his BSc on Environmental Management from Independent University of Bangladesh and moved to the UK in 2017 to complete his MSc on Environmental Management from Coventry University. He is a proud father of a boy and a girl who were born 18 months apart. In his free time, he loves to cook, cycle, and spend time looking after a local nature reserve.
Hanna Griesbeck Garcia is the Stakeholder Engagement Manager – EMEA at Cascale. She works on the implementation of Cascale Stakeholder and Policy Engagement Strategy as well as the development of internal policies. As a key point of contact for global partners she ensures successful collaboration and alignment amongst external and internal stakeholders. Hanna is currently based in London.
Before joining Cascale, Hanna was the Impact Manager for hylo Athletics, where she implemented and managed the brand’ social and environmental sustainability strategy. Prior, she has worked for Ace & Tate and Fashion For Good as well as taking some time of to explore and travel. She holds a MSc in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh and a BSc in Liberal Arts and Sciences – Global Challanges from Leiden University Collage.
Outside of work, Hanna enjoys spending time with friends, being outdoors and working through her ever growing list of local bakeries and restaurants. She has recently taken up pottery and dabbles in gardening.
Hannah Heyworth is the Digital Communications Manager at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Hilary Strickland is Chief of Staff at Cascale. She reports to the CEO and is their right-hand in managing the Board, and organization-wide projects, and initiatives, such as the strategic plan. In addition, she serves as a thought partner to the executive team. Hilary is based in the US in the Washington, DC area.
Prior to joining Cascale, Hilary was VP and Chief of Staff for the March of Dimes President and CEO for more than five years. In this role she served as a strategic executive advisor, managed the Board, and oversaw the strategic plan, and many other projects and initiatives. Before this role, she held various roles touching on internal communications and change management, as well as advocacy positions focused on maternal child health and early childhood education policy issues.
Hilary is mother to two amazing daughters, who make sure there is never a dull moment for her and her husband, Erik. When not running her daughters around, she enjoys audible books, walking, gardening, cooking, and any opportunity for live theater.
In his role as Cascale’s Senior Manager, Public Affairs APAC, Howard manages and implements policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement and public affairs strategy for Greater China and the APAC region. Together with the team, he fosters collective action with members, strategic partners and external stakeholders aligned with our PA strategic objectives.
Howard has advised multinationals and governments at APCO, a global public affairs consultancy in 2016-2023 in Greater China and APAC including VF Corporation, Estee Lauder, Pernod Ricard, Select Florida. Howard served as Executive Officer for the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2009-2013 and provided strategic counsel to Bloomberg, UN Development Program China Office and WHO.
Howard graduated with a master’s degree in International Public Management at Sciences Po Paris and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communications at Chinese University of Hong Kong as well as a CFA Certificate in ESG Investing.
Howard is passionate about marathon running with seven completed races, cooking healthy and delicious cuisines, exploring impressive flat white, bagels, seafood dishes around the world. He lives in Hong Kong and look forward to running a 10K at the 2024 Paris Olympics Marathon Pour Tous on August 10.
Igor is the General Counsel at Cascale. He ensures that all legal matters of relevance to Cascale are covered. He is based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Before joining Cascale 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.
Jade Connor is an administrative assistant at Cascale. She provides administrative support both internally and externally, manages communications with Cascale members and assists in the management of projects. She works within the membership team and is based in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Jade has worked as a project analyst for the New South Wales Electoral Commission, applying voter data patterns to ensure the running of fair and accessible elections across the New South Wales area. Prior to this, Jade worked at the National Transport Authority of Ireland, monitoring and reporting on the performance of bus routes within the public transport network, and highlighting KPIs to government and service providers.
Jade has also spent time as an independent contractor, drafting data and legislation driven applications for the provision of crisis accommodation for those suffering from domestic abuse in areas of Dublin.
While in University, Jade received an Earth Sciences Undergraduate of the Year award for her work on her thesis, relating to people’s perception of self-driving cars and their impacts on their environment.
Jade has been an ultimate frisbee player for many years, playing in multiple countries and having won several national titles in Ireland. She enjoys spending time with her cat, Dotje, and in her spare time can be found cycling, drinking coffee and taking trips in her recently self-converted camper van.
James previously focused on transparency and traceability initiatives at Fashion for Good’s Innovation Platform, working alongside innovators, brands, suppliers, and other ecosystem partners to guide and coordinate traceability implementation and multi-stakeholder projects.
With an academic background in supply chain sustainability, he completed his Masters in International Development Msc at the University of Amsterdam, focusing on ESG governance of agricultural commodities (focus on Cocoa in W. Africa). After, he worked for Tony’s Chocolonely’s impact team on traceability for impact-driven cocoa projects in Ghana. Then moved to PVH as a sustainability coordinator in their supply chain team, before joining Fashion for Good. His working and academic interests are in supply chain sustainability, traceability systems, circular business models, international development, and social anthropology.
James was born in Winchester, near the south coast of the UK. He enjoys great music from RnB, to jazz fusion, and loves talking sampling and production. He loves travelling and absorbing new culture, and was lucky enough to travel Russia, China, and Oceania before his masters studies. He is fascinated by how the world works, in terms of governance and how to improve the equitable development of societies. Hobbies include, piano, travelling, sports (basketball, football, ultimate frisbee), and eating lots of Syrian, Lebanese and Moroccan food in Nieuwe West – Amsterdam.
Fun fact – When James was a young boy, at his uncle’s wedding, he thought he could float on lily pads like a frog. So, he jumped onto the lily pads in the pond in the garden of the wedding reception, only to find that he wasn’t a frog, and his wedding outfit became very wet and extremely muddy.
Jeremy Lardeau is the Senior Vice President of the Higg Index at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Joël Mertens is the Director of Higg Product Tools at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Joyce Tsoi is the Senior Director of the Decarbonization Program at Cascale. She is based in Hong Kong. She manages all of Cascale’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 Cascale 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.
Kaley Roshitsh is the first-ever editorial director at Cascale where she will be responsible for guiding the organization’s distinctive voice across content and live media operations. This includes the development and execution of the organization’s editorial strategy as well as the streamlining of existing reporting, storytelling, external communications and collaborations for a future-positive industry.
Joining Cascale’s rapidly growing communications team at a pivotal point in its evolution, Kaley is excited to leverage her journalistic expertise to do what she knows best – shine a light on progress, tell stories that matter and inspire systemic change. Prior to joining Cascale, she built the sustainability beat at WWD including the novel “Sustainability Scene” section, live sustainability summits, newsletters and the like. An activist inside and outside of the workplace, she’s written for U.N. Women USA NY, served as an advisory member for the 2023 U.N. Conscious Fashion Campaign & Lifestyle Network and shared her perspective on various media outlets (Yahoo Finance, Cheddar, The Associated Press and TEDx “Countdown,” among others). Before joining the fashion bible, she spearheaded an award-winning chapter of Her Campus Media where she led a team of 55 writers and founded an independent magazine called “ThriftEd Mag” at her alma mater Virginia Tech.
Though she’s forever indebted to a fast-paced career of purpose (and New York City for its lasting spark), her sense of equilibrium comes from the simpler things in life: gardening, running, thrifting and whatever her latest curiosity.
Kelci is the Senior Member Engagement Manager for the Americas. She is responsible for ensuring Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Kelsey Cashman is the Global Operations Project Manager at Cascale. She serves as the resident project management expert and plays an essential role in ensuring Cascale 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 Cascale, 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.
Laura Helland is the Global Operations Project Manager at Cascale. In her role, she is responsible for standardizing and promoting best practices for project management across Cascale, developing internal operations, and providing guidance, support and tracking of multiple cross-functional projects across the entire organization. She is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Before joining Cascale team, Laura was the Client Relationship Manager for Sicora Consulting where she supported clients in their organization development goals, including strengthening employee engagement and building leadership skills. Prior to that, she worked as an independent consultant with Cascale on a variety of projects, including membership development, membership recruitment, and Board related priorities. Before that she worked in client services at Blu Skye Consulting, where she helped bridge operations with the sustainability consulting teams for the best results. She holds a Masters in Public Policy in Environmental Policy from Mills College, and a BS in Political Science from Santa Clara University.
Outside of work, Laura enjoys exploring the many lakes and trails in Minnesota with her husband and two sons. She also enjoys playing sports with her family and loves to unwind by listening to podcasts.
Lee Green is the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications at Cascale. He is responsible for overseeing all communications and marketing activities at the organization, ensuring the work of Cascale is effectively communicated to all stakeholders and that Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Lisa Domoney is the interim Senior Director of Membership & Corporate Engagement at Cascale. Together with her team, which includes Cascale’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 organization’s corporate membership base. Lisa is based in the UK.
Prior to joining Cascale, Lisa was Director Responsible Sourcing for Walmart and Asda. She was part of the central leadership team, responsible for strategically positioning and implementing the global programme across 5 countries. She was architect for the Asda modern slavery strategy and board led steering committee and then went on to facilitate the separation from Walmart with the design of an independent responsible sourcing programme and Asda’s inaugural ESG report.
Earlier in her career, Lisa was at the forefront of social engagement projects at Sainsbury’s and Debenhams and is most proud of the accomplishment in her role on the board of the Bangladesh Accord which was instrumental to the legacy work accomplished on factory safety in Bangladesh and India.
In the last year, Lisa founded AVD Consulting, fulfilling a long-held ambition to take the expertise she developed throughout her 25 year career in global manufacturing and multinational retail, her passion for the apparel industry and support organizations to create real change.
Outside of work, Lisa spends time in the country with her dog, traveling with family, painting, and keeping fit. She is also trustee for a charity which is focussed on long term care for modern slavery survivors.
Lizzie Hineman is the Manager, Communications at Cascale. She oversees Cascale’s membership communications, reports, and special projects. As a liaison between the Marketing Communications and Membership departments, she leads how Cascale’s global membership receives news and updates from the organization. She is based in Chicago, Illinois.
Prior to joining Cascale 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.
Mackenzie Roach is the Sr. Global Contracts Manager for Cascale. 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 Cascale, 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.
Maggie is the Senior Global HR Manager for Cascale. In her role, she provides broad HR support throughout the organization. Maggie is based near Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Prior to joining Cascale, 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.
Maravillas Rodriguez Zarco is the Senior Director, Higg Index Strategy & Operations, at Cascale. As part of her role, she ensures that the Higg Index tool strategy and tool development roadmap are aligned with Cascale’s overall impact strategy and priorities, and that the different tool development roadmaps are integrated with each other and with other external programs. She also coordinates the Higg Index team’s internal operations to ensure the effective delivery of the team objectives across the different Higg Index teams. She collaborates across the organization to ensure coherent strategy execution, fostering alignment and operational effectiveness.
Before her current role, Maravillas was the Director, Higg Brand & Retail at Cascale. Her responsibilities included managing the Higg Brand and Retail Module and coordinating with Coalition members, facilities, and stakeholders to scale the implementation of this tool globally. Prior to her time at Cascale, she served for 10 years as the CSR & Sustainability Manager at Desigual, where she managed key projects aimed at minimizing the company’s environmental impact, while promoting ethical trading and human rights. This ensured the company operated responsibly across all facets. She also built strong relationships with stakeholders, fostering transparency in the company’s sustainability initiatives.
Prior to her tenure at Desigual, Maravillas worked as a Sustainability & CSR consultant, and she is a professional with over 15 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.
Mary is the Manager of Finance for Cascale. She manages the Accounts Payable functions and works with Rhys Jones to support other financial operations for the organization. She is based out of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Prior to Cascale, Mary was the Financial Director for a chain of dental practices as well as the Accounts Payable Team Lead for a large US-based medical lab. She has a BS in Textiles from North Carolina State University, where she worked on numerous projects regarding textile and apparel sustainability.
In her free time, Mary loves spending time outdoors with her husband and her dog. She loves to travel and to play board games with her friends. Her dream is to visit every continent at least once in her lifetime (especially Antarctica)
Marya is Cascale Member Engagement Manager for the AMER region. She is focused on strengthening member engagement and management by driving a better member experience, supporting member adoption of the Higg Suite of Tools, and assisting in member roadmaps all while cultivating a positive member relationship from onboarding forward. She is also responsible for providing broad membership team support through contributions and project management, developing and implementing team improvements in cross-organizational ways of working, and providing support in AMER strategy both with teammates and members.
Before joining Cascale, Marya worked as a Program Manager on the sustainability teams of a number of companies, including Reformation and Walmart. Her work experience has focused on the development and implementation of programs and systems to support and report on environmental responsibility within complex supply chains and brand level operations. She managed membership development and reporting with Cascale for both Reformation and Walmart and led engagement with suppliers and internal cross-functional teams to adopt the Higg Suite of Tools.
Marya grew up in the Ozark Mountains and is a graduate from the University of Arkansas, where she received her M.S. in Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences from the Dale Bumpers College and a Graduate Certificate for Sustainability in Business from the Walton Business School. She is passionate about scaling sustainable regenerative production systems, ecosystem dynamics, inclusivity, and artistic expression in all its forms.
Melissa O de León is the Higg Index Product Tools Senior Manager at Cascale, 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 Cascale 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.
Olga leads the Strategic Design work at Cascale. As part of the Higg Index Strategy and Operations team, she is in charge of supporting the Higg Index team, and other teams as needed, in discovering and realizing opportunities for continuous improvement in our organization’s services and offering. Prior to this role, Olga was the Service Design Manager for the Higg Brand & Retail Module (BRM), where she played an active role in the design and rollout of the BRM 2022 Major Update. She is based in Barcelona, Spain.
Before joining Cascale, 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 holds a postgraduate degree in Strategic Management from HEC Lausanne. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature, practicing yoga, reading a good book, supporting purpose-driven projects, and definitely traveling around the world to discover new people, places and cultures.
Orine Dsouza is the Senior Manager of Higg Tools for Cascale. She is 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 Cascale 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.
Porcha Roets is the Global Human Resources Manager at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Prasanth Nandakumar is the Stakeholder Engagement Manager for APAC at Cascale. He is responsible for developing the right network of relationships to support the delivery of Cascale Strategic Plan and implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Strategy. As one of the key Cascale contacts for identified stakeholders, he ensures proactive engagement and cooperation among Cascale’s members, the broader industry, and strategic stakeholders. He is based in Bangalore, India.
Prior to joining Cascale, Prasanth worked as a Research Specialist for ESG rating providers such as Sustainalytics (Morningstar) and S&P Global. During this time, he supported investors and NGOs with the ESG performance analysis of global companies. Overall, he brings more than eight years of experience in ESG risk assessment, human rights due diligence, and stakeholder interviews. Prasanth has an academic background in Journalism, and he worked with a newspaper for five years before moving into ESG Research.
In his free time, Prasanth enjoys travelling and listening to podcasts and music. He also enjoys long walks and playing badminton.
Quinten Geleijnse, Manager of Product Tools at Cascale, plays a central role in shaping the strategic direction of the Higg Index Product Tools. By coordinating and facilitating engagements across Cascale network, he gathers valuable feedback to prioritize initiatives in alignment with Cascale’s vision. Quinten is responsible for various Higg Product Tool workstreams from launch to completion. By expanding training materials for the tools, Quinten aims to foster adoption and maximize the tools’ impact.
Prior to joining Cascale, Quinten was a sustainability consultant at Sustainalize and ERM. Through his experience with managing various Life Cycle Assessment projects for apparel brands, Quinten brings project management skills as well as technical knowledge on LCAs and impact measurement methodologies. Quinten has played a key role in developing Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable badge, which was awarded the 2023 World Changing Ideas award by Fast Company. Quinten holds a Master’s degree in Energy & Sustainability Management.
Quinten lives in Utrecht, The Netherlands. While playing casual football and padel matches during the week, holidays are all about the adrenaline rush as Quinten enjoys mountain biking, kayaking and hiking amid scenic mountains. When winter sets in, Quinten’s love for intricate board games takes center stage, sharing the joy with friends and family.
Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff is the director of communications at Cascale. She is responsible for all member-focused communications, developing Cascale- and member-led content that successfully weaves together the organization’s past, present, and future into a clear, cohesive narrative. As one of Cascale’s key brand ambassadors, Rachel maintains relationships with members, stakeholders, influencers, and academics and helps to spread Cascale story to external audiences, supporting the organization’s strategic goals. She is based in Los Angeles.
Prior to joining Cascale, Rachel was the communications director at the Product Stewardship Institute, where she worked on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). She was executive director of the nonprofits Healthy Child Healthy World and the 5 Gyres Institute and gave two TEDx talks on plastic pollution. Rachel co-led a microfibers legislation project with Jared Blumenfeld, now California’s Secretary of Environmental Protection. She holds a MA in journalism from USC and annually teaches communications at UCSB, her alma mater.
Also known as the blogger Mommy Greenest, Rachel appeared on “CNN” and established the Shop Drop Challenge, sponsored by ThredUp, to raise awareness about fashion’s environmental impact. In her free time, Rachel is pursuing an MFA and completing her second novel, which imagines a less dystopian and more hopeful future.
Rhys is the Director of Operations at Cascale. He leads the development and implementation of strategies to ensure that Cascale 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 Cascale 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.
Ringo Yu is the Manager of Manufacturer Climate Action Program (MCAP) at Cascale. He is responsible for building, implementing, maintaining, and improving this capacity building program to accelerate the efforts of apparel, footwear and textile manufacturing companies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As one of Cascale’s key climate action drivers, Ringo delivers crucial support directly working with manufacturers on setting and validating science-aligned targets (SATs) for commitment and disclosure. He is based in Hong Kong.
Prior to joining Cascale, Ringo was the Senior Manager of Sustainability at Concept4 Limited, where he worked on science-aligned targets (SATs) application for verification, B Corp Certification and EcoVadis assessment and Climate Disclosure Project (CDP)’s climate change survey. He got substantial working experience in sustainability compliance, supply chain sustainability, climate resilience and mitigation, net zero strategy formulation, complex stakeholders collaboration, marketing the sustainability initiatives from various industry sectors, substantial consultancy involvement of sustainability reporting covering the businesses in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Asia Pacific Countries.
Ringo holds a MSc in occupational safety and health from University of Greenwich. He is an ISSP Sustainability Excellence Associate certified by International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), a Professional Member of World Institute of Sustainable Development Planners (WISDP), an EFFAS certified Environmental Social and Governance Analyst (CESGA®) certified by the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies and a Chartered Sustainable Supply Chain and Logistics Professional (CSSCLP™) certified by Chartered Institute of Professional Certifications.
Samia Ngeow is the Global Operations Manager at Cascale. 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 Cascale, 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.
Sara Warren is the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff & Executive Team at Cascale. She is based in the US in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Before joining Cascale 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.
Sary Oszerowicz is the Higg Index team Coordinator at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Shelby is the Finance Manager for Cascale, and is responsible for accounts receivable, grant management, revenue recognition, and financial reporting for the organization. She oversees the financial aspects of all grants, including compliance and budgeting. Shelby manages and maintains member and stakeholder accounts for Cascale and supports accounts payable, budgetary planning, audits, and other accounting processes across the organization. She is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Before joining the Cascale team, Shelby was the Vice President of Finance & Human Resources for an industry leading provider of diagnostic healthcare services for over 13 years. She was wholly responsible for all accounting, financial, and human resources functions for the company and successfully streamlined their accounts receivable and cash flow processes, enhanced benefits structure, and improved the culture of the organization during her tenure. Shelby began her career in the nonprofit industry and supported organizations with mission work ranging from animal welfare to human services.
Shelby holds Bachelor’s Degrees in both Psychology & Sociology and has a Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology with a specialization in Nonprofit Management. As a nature and animal lover, Shelby enjoys hiking, spending time with her pets, and sustainable living. She loves walking her dog, working out, and traveling somewhere new every year.
Soni Khatri is the Manager, Higg Index Verifications at Cascale. She ensures building, maintaining, and improving verification programs for the Higg Index suite of tools to ensure that the Higg Index and its related tools are trusted and credible measures for sustainability performance and benchmarking, with scores that can be leveraged for performance improvement and public facing communications. She is based in Bangalore, India.
Before joining Cascale team, Soni was the Program Manager at Google where she ensured suppliers’ adherence to Google’s supplier code of conduct (SCOC) by developing and managing various programs. Overall, she brings more than 10 years of experience in sustainability and responsible sourcing with a focus on Ethical Supply Chain Audits, Sustainability Assurance, Sustainability & ESG Advisory, and ESG Due Diligence. Soni has advised clients on ensuring sustainable supply chains. She holds a Masters degree from TISS, Mumbai.
In her free time Soni enjoys exploring the outdoors with her spouse and dog.
Sophia Ellis is the Senior Manager of Transparency at Cascale. In her role she leads research and project management for the implementation of various Transparency workstreams.
Sophia is concerned with how sustainability information can be used to communicate, educate, and most importantly play a positive role in the system change of the industry. Sophia is a proponent of using transparency and dialogue as drivers of accountability and change.
Sophia holds an MSc. in Environmental Sustainability and BSc. in Marketing, Technology and Innovation. She brings expertise from her career within Consumer Buying and Product Merchandising functions of global brands to Cascale team.
Sophia is a bookworm, creative and mindfulness enthusiast, all mixed up in the body of an outdoors lover. She is based in Amsterdam.
Sophie is Partnerships Coordinator for Cascale. She coordinates the apparel alliance, a partnership of four organizations (Apparel Impact Institute, Textile Exchange, ZDHC and Cascale), 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 Cascale, 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.
Soumya Inumella is the Manager of Membership Operations at Cascale. She is responsible for the operational efficiency and improved optimization of Cascale’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 Cascale 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.
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 Cascale members.
Before joining Cascale, 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.
Wendy is the Chief Operating Officer and oversees the Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Operations, and Program Management Office (PMO) functions at Cascale. As part of the executive team, Wendy and her team ensures that the organization has the resources and foundation required to build and implement the Higg Index, the industry’s leading sustainability standard, as well as engage Cascale’s growing membership. She is based in the US out of Austin, Texas and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Before joining the Cascale team, Wendy spent over 25 years in the technology and fashion industries focusing on sustainability, operations, and I/T. She was the Chief Operations Officer at Raven + Lily, PBC, a Benefit Corporation 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.
In her role as Cascale’s Events Director, Yael oversees all organizational events and implements the broader event strategy. This includes managing global membership conferences and regional events for diverse audiences. Together with the team, she ensures exceptional attendee experiences and logistics coordination to guarantee seamless operations. She actively fosters organizational partnerships and closely collaborates with the Marketing & Communications team to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
With over 15 years of event management experience, Yael excels in planning and executing diverse international events. Previously at the European Space Agency, she oversaw end-to-end project management, strategic planning, leading the team in executing memorable events. Her background encompasses Event consulting for Liberty Global and managing events for multinational corporations, including conferences, tradeshows, outreach programs, and celebrations. Yael holds a degree in International Communication Management.
She is an avid health enthusiast, practicing daily yoga and Pilates. She’s a passionate foodie, enjoys cooking, and exploring culinary delights. Fascinated by psychology, she pursued a coaching degree. She lives in Amsterdam and enjoys traveling, nature, and cultural exploration.
Yasotharan Manivel is the Manager of the Decarbonization Program at Cascale. 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 Cascale 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.
Zita Abila is the Senior Manager of Digital Communications at Cascale. She oversees the strategy and day-to-day running of Cascale’s key digital channels. She is based in the UK.
Before joining Cascale, 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 writing fiction, illustration and making sculptures.
We are looking for a diverse range of outstanding talent to help us shape the future.
