Thirteen outstanding leaders from CEF member companies have been chosen from a highly competitive field of applicants from around the world to embark on a life-changing leadership development journey to Mexico City and Chiapas, Mexico, led by FEMSA Foundation Director Vidal Garza. The winners were deemed to be at an inflection point in their lives or careers with regard to sustainability—ready and eager to take their sustainability leadership to the next level within their communities and/or organizations—as well as being strong team players accomplished in setting ambitious goals and getting results.
Congratulations to the winners!
Julia Arnold, Category Operations Manager, HP
Julia works within HP’s Global Procurement organization as a category operations manager, currently supporting Contingent Labor Services. Her most recent education was obtaining a social and environmental psychology MA degree with an emphasis in consumer behavior. Julia has leadership experience in research design and project management within both academic and corporate settings. She currently serves as president of the board of directors for Sierra Mental Wellness Group and is an active member of the HP Sustainability Network. She has direct experience with statistical software applications, procurement processes, executive presentations, focus groups, instructing, target-setting, and data analysis. In her spare time, Julia enjoys rock climbing, trail running, and other outdoor activities.
Philip Dahlin, Director of Sustainability, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, Johnson & Johnson
Phil’s main responsibility is the operation of Janssen’s Global Citizenship & Sustainability Council, which is charged with the development and implementation of sustainability strategies that are material for pharmaceutical products, operations, and stakeholders—yet support progress toward achievement of Johnson & Johnson’s overall sustainability goals. He joined Johnson & Johnson in 1999 and has worked in the consumer and pharmaceutical sectors. Prior to Johnson & Johnson, he worked for Waste Management. He has over 20 years of experience in the environmental, health, safety, and sustainability fields. Phil holds a BS in environmental science from Syracuse University and SUNY ESF and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upon graduation.
Dorothée D’Herde, Director of Sustainability, McKinsey & Co.
As director of sustainability at McKinsey, Dorothée is responsible for the firm’s sustainability strategy and initiatives globally. She joined McKinsey in 2009 as global head of external relations for the Sustainability & Resource Productivity Practice to help shape and communicate the knowledge agenda on the challenges and opportunities of sustainability and resource productivity. Before McKinsey, Dorothée worked in politics, public affairs, and communications for the Belgian deputy prime minister at the European Commission and at public affairs agency GPlus Europe. She studied literature, linguistics, and European studies and speaks English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, and some German.
Holly Emerson, Senior Analyst,Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Ingersoll Rand
As senior analyst for the Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Holly focuses on defining and implementing metrics for innovation in the “green space.” Her efforts help guide product development and measure revenue derived from energy-efficient and sustainable products. She also has responsibility for reporting to external agencies such as CDP and RobecoSAM. Pursuing ongoing industry involvement, Holly is a member of the GreenBiz Executive Network and Charlotte U.S. Green Building Council, and is a LEED AP. Holly also serves as a director on the Project for Innovation, Energy, and Sustainability, a local green innovation incubator; vice-chair for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Sustainably Integrated Buildings and Sites Center; adviser on the Mecklenburg County department of natural resources’ Stewardship Advisory Council; and director on the Carolinas BMW MOA board.
Kyle Frandsen, Sustainability Project Manager, Balfour Beatty
Kyle has a bachelor’s degree in consumer economics from the University of Georgia. After his undergraduate degree, Kyle worked for two years in sales before deciding to pursue an advanced degree. Kyle earned a master’s degree in construction management with a sustainability concentration from the University of Florida. His master’s thesis was written on integrating safety into the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) scorecard. Throughout his graduate studies, Kyle worked for a general contractor on a campus project pursuing LEED Gold Certification. After graduation, he was hired by Bechtel to work at the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant in Pueblo, Colorado. While at Bechtel, he gained a wide-range of experience working in several different positions, as a quality assurance engineer, subcontracts specialist, and estimator. In 2013, Kyle joined Balfour Beatty Construction as the sustainability project engineer, responsible for implementing corporate sustainability initiatives throughout the Southwest Division. Kyle is currently the sustainability manager and he is responsible for driving cultural change by ensuring the implementation of the company’s best management practices through education, direction, and example. Kyle also pursues and manages energy-related projects, develops/delivers training courses, and assists with “green building” project pursuits. Kyle is a LEED Accredited Professional, Six Sigma Yellow Belt, and certified in Lean Construction.
Dawn Gleiter, Sustainability Specialist, NRG Energy
Dawn Gleiter is a results-oriented sustainability specialist striving to catalyze the shift to a clean energy future. With five years of traditional energy asset management and analytics experience, she is now ready to transform the energy industry from the inside out. Using her regulatory economics (bachelor’s) and finance degrees (master’s), she aspires to maximize economic value while giving equal priority to minimizing negative social and ecological impacts. Prior to her work in energy, she started and managed a small LLC, (a splendid little coffee shop) and conducted pricing strategy for a Japanese ocean shipping company. Originally from a small town in rural Colorado, she learned from an early age while working on her family’s pig farm the value of holistic thinking. She now lives in Oakland with her husband, Nick, and 10 month old son, Johannes. Her hobbies include hiking, yoga, meditation, bike riding, reading, astronomy, and watching re-runs of Star Trek.
Octavio Gonzalez, Lean Enterprise & Sustainability Manager, Bose
Octavio Gonzalez is the lean enterprise and sustainability manager at Bose’s Tijuana, Mexico facility. Octavio is responsible of the lean manufacturing deployment across the Bose Tijuana plant and is also the sustainability initiatives coordinator. He has been with Bose for almost 14 years, previously working as a manufacturing engineer, maintenance manager, engineering manager, and production manager. He was also responsible of different equipment maintenance programs, including the Total Production Maintenance (TPM) system. As TPM coordinator, Octabio was responsible for coordinating all the environmental performance conditions, including noise reduction programs, energy consumption, hazardous waste reduction, electricity reduction, and water consumption reduction strategies.
Jasper Jung, Senior Analyst, Sustainability, General Motors
Jasper Jung is a senior analyst with the Global Sustainability team at General Motors (GM). At GM, Jasper leads the sustainability reporting and disclosure efforts, and is responsible for cultivating the company’s internal community and external partnerships around sustainability. He also helps manage corporate strategies around issues such as climate change and water stewardship. Prior to joining GM, Jasper was with Environmental Defense Fund’s Corporate Partnerships Program. He also worked for a business advisory firm, Public Strategies, Inc., on corporate social responsibility efforts, strategic communications, and public relations campaigns after starting his career in public policy at the White House. Jasper received a bachelor of arts in government from the University of Texas at Austin.
Erica Ocampo, Sustainability Manager, Packaging and Specialty Packages, Dow Chemical
Erica Ocampo joined Dow in 2007, where she spent three years as a plastics technical service and development engineer for the Latin America region’s rigid packaging, pipes, and rotomolding markets. In this role, Ocampo supported customers, implementing new products that addressed the need for polymer performance and efficiency. She also interacted with the global R&D organization to develop products for new and existing applications. In 2010, she began working with the Environmental, Health, and Safety department overseeing environmental regulations and compliance for several units at Dow Texas operations as an environmental specialist. She was responsible for the coordination and administration of existing EH&S programs, determining a facility’s applicability for regulatory and permit requirements, and promoting awareness of department compliance. In 2012, Ocampo became the North America sustainability manager for the Packaging and Specialty Plastics business at Dow.
Steve Stawarz, Principal Solutions Consultant and Sustainability Lead, Oracle
With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Steve is a solutions consultant and sustainability lead for Oracle. He is responsible for showcasing how Oracle’s solutions help companies with their sustainability initiatives. Steve’s main focus is advising firms on how to achieve environmental performance improvement, while also creating business value for Risk and Performance Management, Business Operations, and IT Infrastructure. Steve’s efforts have resulted in his receiving numerous awards. He lives in Oak Brook, Illinois, with his wife Jean, and is actively involved with community and political organizations.
Ran Tao, Senior Manager, Sustainability Strategy, the Coca-Cola Company
Ran Tao recently completed a one-year Energy & Climate Protection fellowship within Coca-Cola’s Office of Sustainability. During the fellowship, he made notable contributions to Coca-Cola’s carbon strategy, clean energy program, and external reporting. In his new role as senior manager of sustainability strategy, Ran will have impact measurement and business integration responsibilities for multiple programs within the Office of Sustainability, including energy & climate protection, the Coca-Cola Foundation, women’s economic empowerment, and more. He brings rich and diverse experience in strategy, finance, and communications to the role spanning civil society, the private sector, the United States, China, start-ups, and multinational corporations. Ran holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Bard College and a master’s degree in environmental management from Yale University. In his spare time, Ran enjoys cycling, music, and games.
Sunil Varma, Director of Environmental Assessments, Disney Worldwide Services
Sunil Varma joined Disney in 2007 with 11 years of work experience in energy, emissions, and regulatory issues both in utilities (Southern California Edison; Salt River Project) and government (Arizona DEQ). Sunil has evaluated environmental impacts and mitigation strategies for a variety of activities, including power generation and transmission, cement plant operations, copper mining and smelting, cruise lines, TV/movie productions, theme park operations, hotel operations, and consumer product manufacturing. Sunil has a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai. He lives in San Gabriel, California, with his wife and daughter.
Brandy Wilson, Enterprise Sustainability Program Manager, CH2M HILL
Brandy Wilson, LEED AP O+M, is responsible for helping CH2M HILL and its clients to improve sustainability performance. Brandy manages the complex production of the company’s “Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship Report,” which won two national communications awards. She also provides sustainability framework consulting, sustainability reporting, public outreach, and environmental communication services for clients in government and private industry. Brandy publishes sustainability articles, such as “Embracing Environmental Stewardship” in livebettermagazine. She was instrumental in piloting the company’s Environmental Management System program; CH2M HILL was among the first in the consulting industry to establish such a program. Working with all disciplines at CH2M HILL, she brings a technical perspective to sustainable business management. She has worked on projects in several western communities and served as a volunteer on the Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission. Her experience has created a unique sensitivity to the intersection between environmental and land-use issues and a deep appreciation for community perspectives.