Next edie conference to showcase supply chain sustainability

Bringing together supply chain, procurement, and sustainability professionals, edie's fourth annual Responsible Procurement & Supplier Engagement conference will explore the challenges and opportunities of creating a truly sustainable and ethical supply chain.


The 2015 Responsible Procurement & Supplier Engagement conference takes place on 15 September at the Holiday Inn Birmingham City Centre hotel. Register to attend here.

There can be no doubt that achieving supply chain sustainability continues to be a huge challenge across all sectors, public and private.

Embedding and promoting ethical and environmentally sensitive procurement into the supply chain involves the complex management of processes, people, and tools. Issues such as effective supplier engagement, carbon reduction, ethical sourcing, internal stakeholder management, and labour rights remain top of the agenda.

Through a series of new and exciting case study presentations, you will leave this conference armed with fresh ideas to take back to your organisation on how to deal with internal and external stakeholders in embedding principles of sustainability and social responsibility into your supply chain.

Who should attend?

This conference will be of particular interest to directors, managers, and heads of:

  • Procurement
  • Sustainability
  • Environment
  • Supply chain management
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Ethical sourcing
  • Supplier management & engagement
  • Purchasing
  • Corporate social responsibility

The event will also be of interest to representatives of technology and solution providers, academia, NGOs, government, and charities.

Session titles include: –

  • Responsible procurement: The ‘new compliance’?
  • Building bridges and seeking advice: Zero deforestation through collaboration
  • Beyond audit – making more effective use of time and resources
  • Engaging an outsourced supply chain in sustainability: Is it possible to achieve leadership?

Speakers include: –

     

Charlotte Cawthorne, sustainability manager, Innocent Drinks

Charlotte is the sustainability manager at Innocent Drinks. After completing a MSc in environmental technology at Imperial College in 2006, she joined a venture capital finance company to develop avoided deforestation and CDM carbon finance projects in Asia.

Charlotte then undertook a consultancy project with McKinsey and The Climate Group before joining The Prince’s Rainforests Project in 2008, where she worked with a small team to create a large interim public sector finance package for tropical forests ahead of REDD+. After The Prince’s Rainforests Project, Charlotte stayed at The Prince’s Charities to establish a Marine Programme and remained there as the marine programme manager for a further three years. 

       
       
   

Dr. Liz Wilks, European director, sustainability and stakeholder outreach, Asia Pulp & Paper 

 

Dr Liz Wilks has a depth of knowledge in paper, packaging, supply chain management, and sustainability, with over fifteen years of industry experience. Her previous role was with Antalis International as Global CSR Director.

Joining Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) in 2010, Liz’s current role involves communications with stakeholders, media, and customers on APP’s operations including the continued development of the business’ zero deforestation commitments.

       
       
   

Justin Bazalgette, head of environmental efficiency, The Autoglass Group 

Justin Bazalgette worked for four years with Autoglass, first as an internal consultant supporting business change projects, and then as the management link between the support functions and operations. In 1999 he moved to the parent company, Belron, to become head of technical standards, responsible for establishing common technical standards for tools, processes, vehicle specific information, training and field support across the group.

In 2014 he took a new role in Belron as head of environmental efficiency to establish common environmental standards with the main objective of minimising Belron’s impact on the environment through reducing energy consumption and waste, and supporting environmental projects which could add value across the group.

       
       
   

Steve New, associate professor in operations management, Said Business School, University of Oxford

A leading authority on supply chain management, his research takes a multi-faceted approach, analysing the meaning and interpretation of supply chain partnerships, exploring the way in which ethical and environmental issues are reflected in the chain, and on the impact of the internet and rise of B2B commerce.

His current work on the concept of provenance in supply chains was the subject of a recent article, The Transparent Supply Chain in the Harvard Business Review.

       
       
   

Tim Rudin, responsible procurement manager and supplier skills project manager, Greater London Authority/Transport for London 

Tim Rudin has been working in the field of responsible procurement at Transport for London (TfL) and the Greater London Authority (GLA) for the last nine years.

He is currently TfL’s supplier skills project manager, heading up the Supplier Skills Team which supports TfL’s Commercial teams in implementing skills and employment requirements in tenders, and works with suppliers to deliver skills and employment outcomes across London.

       
       
   

Marcel Jacobs, Director, Supplier Sustainability, Philips 

In his current role as director supplier sustainability, he is working within Philips’ Group Procurement and managing specific programs on circular economy, due diligence and communications.

In January 2014, he joined Philips again and the main reason for that is the fact that he can drive and contribute to the next level of Philips’s supplier sustainability strategy and implementation in close collaboration with key stakeholders and partners.

       
       
   

Dexter Galvin, head of supply chain, CDP

Dexter is the head of supply chain at CDP. Dedicated to harmonizing sustainability reporting, Dexter has worked on partnerships with other sustainability reporting organizations such as the DJSI to reduce duplication.

Dexter recently launched a powerful initiative called Action Exchange that will help suppliers around the world to rapidly reduce emissions, and has also expanded CDP’s supply chain program, into other environmental areas like water and deforestation. Dexter‘s supply chain experience is extensive providing tailored logistics solutions to automotive and aerospace manufacturers such as Toyota, Audi, Bosch and Honeywell.

       
       
   

Kevin O’Neill, ethical policy manager, BBC Worldwide

Kevin O’Neill has worked at the BBC for almost 20 years and is currently the ethical policy manager for BBC Worldwide Ltd, the broadcaster’s commercial subsidiary. Kevin was part of the team that set up BBC Worldwide’s Ethical Sourcing Programme and now oversees all aspects of ethical sourcing within the company.

He works with partner licensees and suppliers across a diverse range of product areas, including toys, apparel, homeware, and food, developing practical and sustainable solutions to ethical sourcing challenges within the company’s global supply chain.

       
       
   

Edward Butt, vice president, sustainability, Tate & Lyle

Edward has group-level responsibility for environment and sustainability/corporate responsibility at Tate & Lyle PLC, a global provider of ingredients and solutions to the food, beverage and other industries.

Edward joined Tate & Lyle in 2011 from Reckitt Benckiser (RB) where he spent 10 years. He has previously served two terms as a Council member and non-executive director of the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA).

       
       
   

Gin Tidridge, sustainability specialist, B&Q 

B&Q is the UK’s leading home improvement store – and the nation’s biggest garden centre – operating more than 300 stores. B&Q is part of the Kingfisher group, Europe’s largest home improvement retail chain. B&Q’s sustainability journey started in 1991 when it published its first ever timber policy.

Gin joined B&Q originally in 1992 having worked in a variety of functions including operations, marketing and international. Gin joined social responsibility in 2008 and specialises in bringing products and services to customers that can help them to enjoy better homes. Gin is currently undertaking the UK’s first Circular Economy MBA at Bradford University.

       
   

Hugh Jones, managing director of advisory, The Carbon Trust 

Hugh is an experienced commercial director whose team helps business solve problems around sustainability, resource efficiency, supply chain risk and technology implementation. He has led projects and developed propositions in numerous sectors and disciplines, including (most recently) supply chain sustainability and water impact.

Previously as director of solutions his department enabled private and public sector customers to save 15 million tCO2 and £1.5bn over three years. He has an MA from Cambridge University and an environmental MSc from Imperial College, and has over 15 years of business experience prior to joining the Carbon Trust.

    

View the full list of speakers and agenda here

Luke Nicholls

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