About CEF
CEF Team
M.R. Rangaswami
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P.J. Simmons
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Jeff Hittner
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Maryann Jones Thompson
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Christine Virsunen
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M.R. Rangaswami
Founder
M.R. Rangaswami is embarking on a new journey with the establishment of the Corporate Eco Forum. His objective is to be a catalyst for Global 500 corporate executives to aggressively challenge and advocate eco strategies. M.R. intends to bring the same energy and enthusiasm in this emerging space as he has in his career as a 25-year veteran of the software and technology industry and co-founder of the Sand Hill Group.
M.R. has been an active participant in the meteoric growth and success of the enterprise software business, including executive positions with Oracle and Baan. As host of the largest and most prestigious software executive conferences, M.R. tackled the industry's pressing issues and helped further the industry's vision. As publisher of the prestigious SandHill.com website, M.R. has brought a unique perspective to the trade media and established a reputation as both a critic and enthusiast.
Contact M.R. at mr@corporateecoforum.com.
P.J. Simmons
Chair
P.J. has worked for over 15 years as a trusted sustainability analyst, strategist, and bridge-builder. After serving as a researcher on environmental affairs at the National Security Council (1993-1994), he founded and directed the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change & Security Program, the Carnegie Endowment’s Managing Global Issues program, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund’s U.S. in the World program. He also directed the strategy practice at Saatchi & Saatchi S, where he advised companies on corporate-wide sustainability strategies in the electric utility, consumer goods, pharmaceutical, and publishing sectors. Major publications include Washington DC's The Greener Business Guide, Managing Global Issues: Lessons Learned, and U.S. in the World: Talking Global Issues with Americans. P.J. served twice as the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Deputy Chair for Energy & Climate Change and remains an advisor to CGI on energy and environmental affairs. P.J. received his B.A. in political science (summa cum laude) from Tufts University, his M.A. from Johns Hopkins SAIS, was a Fulbright scholar, and holds a Certificate in Conservation Biology from Columbia University. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Contact P.J. at pj@corporateecoforum.com
Jeff Hittner
Deputy Chair and Director of Research
Jeff Hittner joins the Corporate EcoForum after more than five years at IBM where he led the Corporate Social Responsibility consulting practice for IBM Global Business Services. In addition to his role consulting with clients on the integration of sustainability into core business strategy, he developed IBMís thought leadership on the topic, acting as a key media spokesman quoted in more than 200 news and feature articles worldwide and publishing byline articles in Forbes, Businessweek, Environmental Leader, GreenBiz, Boardmember and other publications. He has co-authored 3 major studies on the topic including Mastering Carbon Management which focuses on carbon reduction strategies in the supply chain, and Attaining Sustainable Growth Through Corporate Social Responsibility and Leading a Sustainable Enterprise both of which focus on the role of sustainability in corporate strategy. Jeff has more than 10 years of experience as an entrepreneur, teacher and business strategist. He received his Masters in Cultures and Development Studies from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and a Bachelor of Business Administration from The College of William and Mary in Virginia and is the Chairperson of the Carnegie New Leaders Program at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
Contact Jeff at jeff@corporateecoforum.com
Maryann Jones Thompson
Editor
Maryann has over 15 years of experience in writing, editing and research in the publishing industry. She was the founder and editor of The Industry Standard's "Metrics" section, and had written extensively for the Sand Hill Group, Business 2.0 and Red Herring. Maryann has also performed editorial and marketing research for IDG, PC World, Tokyo Journal, Popular Science and the Los Angeles Times. She holds a business degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she studied marketing research.
Contact Maryann at maryann@corporateecoforum.com
Christine Virsunen
Events Director
Christine brings over two decades of experience in managing meetings, events and large-scale productions for major corporations as the founder of Encore Productions. She works meticulously to incorporate the highest standards in green meeting design and practices at all CEF events. For logistical information relating to CEF events, including travel and accommodations for the annual meeting, please contact Christine directly.
Contact Christine at christine@corporateecoforum.com