We’re excited to announce ten outstanding leaders from CEF member companies have been chosen from a highly competitive field of applicants from around the world to form the 2026 cohort of the CEFNext Sustainability Leadership Development Program.
The CEFNext 2026 program is a one-of-a-kind, peer-to-peer immersive experience that leverages deep, real-world perspectives to provoke self-reflection, forge long-lasting relationships, and equip “rising star” executives with the leadership mindsets, skills, and network needed to drive the next practice in corporate sustainability.
The recipients are recognized as corporate sustainability leaders who bring enormous passion, natural leadership abilities, and authenticity to the table. They are at an inflection point in their careers — strong team players accomplished in setting ambitious goals and getting results — and on track to lead sustainability in their organizations.
Congratulations to the winners!
Alex Budgett, Group Manager, Environment & Supply Chain, Apple
Alex Budgett is a Group Manager for Environment & Supply Chain Innovation at Apple, where he leads a global team of program managers driving supply chain decarbonization, circularity, and sustainability strategy across Apple’s products and key components. His work centers on translating ambitious corporate climate commitments into supplier-level action — building the frameworks, tools, and cross-functional partnerships that move a global manufacturing footprint toward Apple’s 2030 carbon neutrality goal. Alex has been a driving force behind Apple’s Closed Loop initiative, expanding recycled content adoption in critical minerals while reducing associated material emissions. He works closely with hardware engineering, product design, procurement, and supply chain teams to build environmental requirements into products from the start. He came to sustainability by way of procurement and commodity management, and holds a B.S. in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University. Alex lives in San Francisco, where he spends his weekends cycling, hiking, and slowly renovating a Victorian.
Andrew Sweeney, Cascade Senior Analyst, Sustainable Aerospace Technology, Boeing
Andrew recently joined Boeing’s Sustainable Aerospace Technology team as the User Adoption & Engagement Lead for the Cascade Climate Impact Model. The team owns and develops a web-based app that enables users to create decarbonization scenarios for the aviation sector, helping decision makers prioritize across numerous technoeconomic factors when considering potential mitigation options.
In his previous role within Boeing’s Global Enterprise Sustainability, he was the Head of Regional Sustainability for the Middle East, Türkiye, Africa and Central Asia. Operating from Boeing’s Dubai offices, he was responsible for regional sustainability strategy, partnerships and engagements. This required regular engagement across aviation, energy and finance sector stakeholders.
Before joining Boeing, Andrew served 12 years in the Royal Air Force (RAF) as an Aerosystems Engineering Officer. He initially led several teams on global and domestic operations as an aircraft squadron maintenance manager – the highlight being his time supporting Boeing’s CH-47. This led to a support role within the UK’s Defence Equipment & Support organization, responsible for the airworthiness of mechanical systems across the RAF’s entire CH-47 helicopter fleet. He then completed a role in the RAF’s headquarters, undertaking workforce strategy and planning for the RAF’s 700 strong officer cohort.
In his final position, he served as the RAF’s Sustainable Aviation Strategy Lead, responsible for addressing climate change and energy transition risks across UK Defence’s aviation sector. In this role he led industry and cross-government collaboration; advised on alternative fuels procurement strategy and test flights; and guided energy system requirements for future aircraft. He was awarded an MBE in the 2025 King’s New Year Honours for his work in this role.
Andrew holds a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton (2012), and a Masters of Philosophy in Engineering for Sustainable Development from the University of Cambridge (2022). Andrew is also a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Arnesh Sharma, Director, Sustainability Performance & Data, Sustainability & Impact, Royal Bank of Canada
With over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, Arnesh is a purpose-driven and empathetic leader, passionate about driving change using the power of collaboration. As the Director, Sustainability Performance & Data, he is responsible for driving RBC’s sustainability disclosures strategy, performance on ESG rating agencies, disclosure-related transformation and operating model initiatives and data & performance management projects. Beyond his core responsibilities, he is actively invested in initiatives that reflect his personal commitment to leadership and inclusion, including serving on the Diversity Leadership Council and participating in RBC’s Leadership Development programs.
Arnesh has experience in driving sustainability excellence in leading banking, asset management and manufacturing organizations in both emerging and developed markets. He has significant experience of integrating sustainability considerations into financial strategy with a focus on disclosures, portfolio performance management, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, policy advocacy & thought leadership. Prior to joining RBC, Arnesh was with Arga Investment Management as Associate Director – ESG, where he integrated sustainability-related risks and opportunities in investment decisions and engaged with portfolio companies on their sustainability performance. Prior to that, he was the Vice President, Sustainable Finance & Reporting at Yes Bank (India), where he led the preparation of sustainability disclosures, authored several publications on sunrise sustainability topics and led policy advocacy & thought leadership forums to engage national and international stakeholders on key sustainability topics.
Arnesh holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science and has completed a master’s in industrial safety and environmental management from India.
On a personal front, Arnesh is married and has an 8-month-old daughter. In his spare time, he likes traveling, cooking, and volunteering. He moved from India to Canada in 2022 and constantly strives to embrace this big change by finding joy in fresh opportunities and providing his unique emerging economy perspective to everyday solutions at work and home.
Athanasia Xeros, Vice President Environmental Sustainability, Mastercard
Athanasia Xeros is Vice President of Environmental Sustainability at Mastercard, where she leads the company’s environmental sustainability strategy, including climate action, and the initiatives to advance sustainable business practices across the organization and its value chain. She works closely with business and industry partners to drive measurable impact and help integrate sustainability into long-term business growth.
Beatriz Berruga, Manager, ESG Reporting and Regulatory Compliance, Qualcomm
Beatriz Berruga is a sustainability leader committed to helping organizations create long-term value through responsible innovation, transparency, and collaboration. She works at the intersection of business strategy, ESG, and regulatory readiness, guiding teams through complex change while building the systems, partnerships, and trust needed to succeed in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Her work is grounded in the belief that meaningful transformation is ultimately about people. By bringing together diverse perspectives and aligning stakeholders around a shared purpose, she helps organizations navigate complexity with clarity and turn emerging challenges into opportunities for lasting impact.
Beatriz lives in Carlsbad, California with her husband, children and dog. Outside of work, Beatriz is passionate advocate for inclusion, education, and disability rights, supporting efforts that expand opportunity and belonging for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Brodie Davis, Corporate Director – Sustainability and Reporting, Northrop Grumman
Brodie leads Northrop Grumman’s sustainability and sustainability-reporting functions, including climate and environmental goal setting, the annual sustainability report, and responses to voluntary and emerging regulatory disclosures. Drawing on her background in financial statement audit and preparation, she has enhanced end-to-end sustainability reporting processes to deliver investor-grade information and clear communication to board-level committees and other stakeholders.
Prior to her current role, Brodie managed the company’s SEC reporting function and quarterly earnings process. She is a licensed CPA in Virginia and previously worked as an external auditor with KPMG. Outside of work, Brodie enjoys introducing her two young sons to some of her favorite passions: being outdoors, cooking, and reading.
Brooke Tvermoes, Director, Climate, Energy and Environment, IBM
Dr. Brooke Tvermoes is a board-certified toxicologist and Director within IBM’s Chief Sustainability Office, where she leads Enterprise Sustainability & Business Transformation. She oversees a multidisciplinary global team responsible for integrating sustainability across IBM’s technologies, operations, supply chains, and business systems, transforming sustainability from a compliance function into a driver of business value, productivity, and growth. Through the strategic application of AI, data, and automation, Dr. Tvermoes and her team advance initiatives spanning energy and climate, sustainable supply chains, chemicals and materials management, environmental management systems, emerging technologies, and regulatory strategy. Working across business units, research, product teams, and external stakeholders, she helps embed sustainability into the systems and decisions that enable IBM to reduce risk, improve efficiency, strengthen resilience, and create long-term competitive advantage.
Caitie Reck, Manager, Standards & Partnerships, Netflix
Caitie Reck is a member of Netflix’s Sustainability Standards & Partnerships team, where she leads work on Generative AI and Net Zero standards development. She focuses on scaling the broader enabling ecosystem for value chain emissions mitigation and serves as a U.S. representative in the international ISO Net Zero Standard development process. Previously, Caitie was a strategy consultant at PwC and ENGINE Impact focused on the intersection of healthcare and sustainability, and she formerly led Netflix’s Scope 3 decarbonization program. An engineer by training, Caitie holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Maria Watson, Chief ESG & Sustainability Officer, Solventum
Maria Watson is the Chief ESG & Sustainability Officer at Solventum, where she leads enterprise sustainability strategy and works across operations, procurement, product development, commercial teams, and other functions to embed sustainability into business strategy and decision-making. In this capacity, she has led climate and decarbonization programs, sustainability reporting and regulatory readiness, environmental claims governance, and the integration of Design for Sustainability into product development. She also created Solventum’s Sustainability Intelligence Hub, using AI-enabled tools to make sustainability and regulatory expertise more accessible across the organization.
Maria has more than 15 years of experience in sustainability, environmental management, operations, and enterprise transformation across global healthcare and life sciences organizations, including Danaher, Pall Corporation, Jabil, and Bausch & Lomb. Throughout her career, she has focused on turning sustainability from a reporting function into a practical business capability that creates measurable value and impact.
Maria holds a master’s degree in Global Sustainability from the University of South Florida and a bachelor’s degree in business management from St. Petersburg College. She is an ISSP Sustainability Excellence Professional and Certified Energy Manager and completed Harvard Business School’s Power and Influence for Positive Impact program in 2026.
Valerie Lisi, Associate Director – Product Sustainability, Carrier 
Valerie Lisi leads Product Sustainability at Carrier and is responsible for the decarbonization strategy for products sold, which accounts for more than 99% of the company’s carbon footprint. With Net Zero product emissions as her north star, Valerie drives initiatives focused on circularity, transparency of product environmental impacts, design for sustainability, and emissions forecasting across evolving regulatory scenarios. Taking a customer-centric approach, her team translates sustainability requirements into product strategies and business models that support a lower-carbon future. With 14 years of experience spanning both the HVAC industry and sustainability, Valerie has built her career at the intersection of engineering, business strategy, and environmental impact. As a cancer survivor, she is driven to leave a positive legacy through both her work in sustainability and her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and fellow cancer patients.
Valerie lives in Buffalo, New York with her husband, two young sons, and two old border collies. Her passion for sustainability stems from a lifelong love of the outdoors, from summers spent as a camp counselor to hiking more than 250 miles on the Appalachian Trail. She is motivated by a desire to ensure future generations can enjoy the same experiences in nature that shaped her own connection to the environment.