Doing Sustainability Baker

In this new installment of the Doing Sustainability podcast, Alison joins Gary Baker and Roxanne “Rocket” White to discuss the importance of considering the interaction between values, culture, and ethics in creating positive or negative feedback loops, as well as why she believes that companies should focus on solving problems within their own operations before making big promises about solving societal issues. Alison is clear on the need for a better conversation that focuses on the core issues and challenges of sustainability. She believes that companies should center their ethical efforts on treating human beings with dignity and respect, which she acknowledges may seem obvious but is often overlooked.

Alison works at the intersection of corporate integrity, risk, and responsibility. She is a clinical professor at NYU Stern School of Business, where she teaches professional responsibility, sustainability, and leadership classes to undergraduate, MBA, and Executive MBA students. Alison is also Executive Director of Ethical Systems (which is part of NYU Stern School of Business) and is currently writing a book for HBR Press on how the landscape for business ethics is transforming.

As well as working at NYU Stern School of Business, Alison holds Senior Advisor roles at BSR, Zai Lab, KKR, and Pictet Group, and is a member of the WEF Global Future Council on Good Governance 2023-24. She has contributed to Harvard Business Review, WSJ, Quartz, Reuters, Barron's, MIT Sloan, and Forbes, and is a renowned keynote speaker.

Randy Burns believes in the importance of human decision-making when initiating sustainable actions. As Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer at O-I Glass, he is well-placed to understand leadership’s role in driving change, as well as the value of collaboration. In this installment of the Doing Sustainability podcast, Randy joins Gary Baker and Roxanne “Rocket” White to discuss the concept of sustainability as a value creator, how sustainability can relate to behavioral psychology, and the tendency to focus on "shiny objects" as solutions.

Randy Burns is the Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer at O-I Glass, an innovative sustainable glass company. O-I Glass is made in over twenty years, and partners with the world’s leading food and beverage companies.

Before working at O-I Glass (where he has been since 2017), Randy was a shareholder partner and associate with several law firms, including Edwards, Burns & Krider, and Baker Botts. He got his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and also attended Stanford and the Executive Education

In this episode of the Doing Sustainability podcast, Gary Baker and Roxanne “Rocket” White are joined by Susan McPherson, the Founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies. Join them as they explore how to build meaningful relationships, the intersection of communication and social impact, and supporting women-led startups. Susan also discusses her experiences in the marketing, public relations, and sustainability communication sectors.

Susan is the Founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies, a communications consultancy firm focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. McPherson Strategies is women-owned and led, and provides storytelling, partnership creation, and visibility to corporations, NGOs, and social enterprises including The New Profit, Dell, Zoetis, Ford Motor Co., Nike, and The Women's Philanthropy Institute.

Susan is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships and speaks regularly at industry events including Massachusetts Conference for Women, BSR, DLD, Worth Women and Techonomy. She also received Forbes magazine’s 50 over 50—Impact 2021 award and Worth Media’s Worthy100 award.

In this episode of the Doing Sustainability podcast, Gary Baker and Roxanne “Rocket” White are joined by Geoff Trotter, the CEO of ESG Excel. Together they explore the concept of regenerative growth, the shift from a mono-capitalistic to a multi-capitalistic economic system, and the role of leadership in tackling climate disruption. Geoff also discusses the challenges of achieving long-term change and the importance of ESG disclosures in generating business and brand value.

Geoff is the CEO of ESG Excel, a RegTech SaaS platform designed for companies in any industry to support their ESG measurement, monitoring, and reporting. ESG Excel also ensures compliance with relevant regulations.

Furthermore, Geoff is the Co-Founder of Regenerative Business Live, a series of events hosted at the United Nations with a focus on driving UN Sustainable Development Goals. Also, in 2009, Geoff founded KMPact, an independent Management Support Organization that helps create impact and shared value through multi-platform stakeholder engagement and cross-functional organizational capacity building.

In this episode of the Doing Sustainability podcast, Gary Baker and Roxanne “Rocket” White are joined by the Founder and Chief Catalyst of illumine.earth. Together, they explore the importance of purpose, action, and connection in creating a positive impact on people and the planet. Karimah also explores the idea of regenerative leadership and the need to integrate sustainability into business practices.

Karimah has over twenty years of experience in the Fairtrade and corporate sustainability sectors. In 2023 she founded illumine.earth which advises organizations on scaling their environmental, social, and governance impact, and encourages leaders to scale up their positive impact on people and the planet.

Before illumine.earth, Karimah was the Senior Director of Partnerships and Engagement at Nike, the Global Sustainability Lead and Associate Director of Mondelēz International, and Head of Asia at Fairtrade International.

In this episode of the Doing Sustainability podcast, Gary Baker and Roxanne “Rocket” White are joined by Joe Rozza, Chief Sustainability Officer at Ryan Companies. Join them as they discuss net-zero carbon commitments, the future of sustainability, and its impact on market value and brand reputation. Joe also delves into the significance of sustainability reporting and why organizations without a net-zero commitment may face vulnerabilities in the market.

Joe is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Ryan Companies, a national real estate development, design, construction, and management firm. His primary responsibilities include strategy development/management, public affairs, communications, reporting, innovation, governance, capability development, government relations, and business development.

Joe has thirty years of experience in delivering “transformational sustainability performance” which includes reducing risk, increasing productivity, and giving organizations the edge. He was published in the Journal of Management and Sustainability in 2013, has given a TED Talk on ‘Industry’s Role in Solving Water’, and is a registered professional engineer.