Tanya Ashton

Head of Sustainability Walgreens Boot Alliance

Tanya Ashton, Head of Sustainability – Europe, is a multi-award-winning Head of Sustainability with over 15 years’ experience reducing risk through transformational sustainable supply chains. She is responsible for Walgreens Boots Alliance Global Sourcing sustainability strategy across owned and own-brand products, where she is working to embed sustainability into their operations and practices. One of her top priorities is improved supply chain visibility which is where her relationship with TSC and Thesis has grown.

Tanya’s accomplishments include:

• Internal engagement: Developed and implemented internal sustainability engagement program “My Sustainability Plan” where colleagues are building individual plans around 3 buckets; Simple Everyday Sustainability Changes, Getting Curious and Supporting WBA Global Sourcing Sustainability Objectives.

• Carbon Foot-printing: Led colleagues in Boots to launch an inaugural, end to end carbon foot-printing tool which quantifies carbon reduction potential from alternative materials and ingredients as opposed to offsetting.

• Work with TSC: Led the Global Sourcing sustainability team to launch Thesis with WBA own-brand suppliers where in the last 12 months they have recruited >100 suppliers to submit 300+ assessments, enabling WBA to pinpoint the most pressing sustainability hotspots in their supply chains.

• Mentoring: Tanya is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability where she mentors upcoming sustainability stars.

Sheila Bonini

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) SVP Private Sector Engagement at WWF

Sheila Bonini has joined WWF as our new senior vice president of Private Sector Engagement (PSE).

Most recently, Sheila served as the chief executive officer of The Sustainability Consortium, a global organization focused on making consumer products more sustainable. In that capacity, she helped develop more sustainable consumer products across the full product lifecycle.

Prior to joining TSC, Sheila spent more than 15 years with the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company in Europe, South America, and the US. Sheila served as senior expert consultant and co-leader of McKinsey’s Sustainability Transformation Service, and her work at the company focused on the link between social and environmental impact and financial value creation. Prior experience includes investment banking at Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, as well as positions with the Hewlett Foundation and Stanford’s Center for Social Innovation.

Sheila has a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University. She’s a frequent speaker and writer on sustainability, and has a strong network of corporate leaders in this field.

Koen Boone 

Coordinator Sustainable Value Chains, Wageningen University & Research

Koen Boone is Director Europe of The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) and employed by Wageningen University and Research (WUR). He started working for TSC in 2010 and has led many projects implementing TSC tools with European companies.

Koen has 25 years of experience in developing sustainability assessment systems on all kind of levels (product, company, farm, sector). He worked on the Food Processing guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and is a member of several advisory committees on improving sustainability of food supply chains in Europe.

Next to his work for TSC, Koen chairs the Dutch working group that develops an LCA based Ecolabel for all food items sold in the Netherlands and is involved in several initiatives to reach an harmonized Ecolabel on European level.

Heidi Gracie

Chief Operating Officer, Global Futures Laboratory

Ame Igharo

Senior Director Sustainability Strategy Ulta Beauty

Ame Igharo is the senior director of sustainability strategy at Ulta Beauty, the largest beauty retailer in the U.S. In her role, Ame develops and executes Ulta Beauty’s long-term strategy, aspirations, and vision for environmental sustainability while managing Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty™, the retailers’ innovative way to provide transparency and education as guests seek and discover products aligned to their personal wants, needs and values. The leading strategic initiative works across five key pillars: clean ingredients, cruelty free, vegan, sustainable packaging, and positive impact.

Prior to Ulta Beauty, Ame was a marketer at leading beauty companies including L’Oreal, Shiseido and Elizabeth Arden before transitioning into the sustainability sector. She was previously at EDF+Business, partnering with leading companies such as Walmart, Tyson Foods and McDonald’s to accelerate progress on climate. She has served as a board member of the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Poultry and Eggs and currently mentors several next generation climate leaders. Ame is a graduate of Williams College and received her MS in Sustainability Management from Columbia University.

Daryl Sabourin

VP, Sustainability, American Sugar Refining, Inc.

Daryl Sabourin, a retired Major from the United States Marine Corps, enlisted in May 1994 and Commissioned in 2002. Throughout his twenty-year military career, he served in various roles, including working as an Ordnance Repair Technician, CH-46 helicopter pilot, Administration Officer, Legal Officer, Aviation Safety Officer, and Director of Safety and Standardization. Major Sabourin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and a Minor in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He completed a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and earned the title of Environmental Engineer. He ended his career by utilizing his Masters, as the Deputy Director, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs branch, Marine Corps Base Quantico.  After retiring in July 2014, he joined ASR Group at the Domino Sugar Refinery, and since that time has progressed to the role of Sr. Director, Sustainability. Dr. Sabourin obtained his Doctor of Management from Colorado Technical University in 2021, specializing in Environmental and Social Sustainability. His accolades include the Good Conduct Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, and The Sustainability Consortium 2019 Innovator Award.

Roian Atwood

ESG and Sustainability Professional

Roian Atwood is the Director of ESG Data Analytics at Ahold Delhaize USA, spearheading a crucial project to enhance the accuracy and reporting cadence of ESG data in compliance with the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Disclosure Act. With two decades of experience as a sustainability practitioner, Atwood has a proven record of leading diverse projects and teams towards action-oriented, results-driven corporate sustainability practices. His extensive background includes roles in renowned footwear and apparel companies such as American Apparel, Etnies, Thirty-two, Wrangler, and Lee, as well as consultancy work with Pure Strategies, supporting brands like Annie’s Mac & Cheese, Radio Flyer, and Walmart. Atwood holds an undergraduate degree in Complex Systems from Naropa University and a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University. Additionally, he serves as an Executive-in-Residence and Lecturer at Wake Forest University’s Sustainability Graduate Program.

Jon Johnson

University of Arkansas Professor, Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas | Chairman of the Board, The Sustainability Consortium

Jonathan Johnson is the Walton College Professor of Sustainability in the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, where he has been on the faculty since 1996. He graduated with a BS in zoology and an MBA from the University of Arkansas before earning a Ph.D. from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. His research?which has appeared in numerous academic journals?focuses on corporate governance, social networks theory, and corporate sustainability, and he has served on the editorial review board of the Academy of Management Journal. Jon teaches strategy, organization theory, sustainability and ethics. Jon has led several sustainability initiatives at the University of Arkansas, including establishing the Applied Sustainability Center in 2007, and co-founding The Sustainability Consortium in 2009.

Laura Phillips

Strategic Advisor/Consultant, Sustainability

University of Arkansas Walton College of Business

Laura Phillips spent +25 years at Walmart working in various leadership positions across Merchandising, Sourcing and Sustainability. Laura began her career in Walmart US Merchandising, where she led categories across General Merchandise, Consumables and Food as a buyer, Vice President Divisional Merchandise Manager, and then as a Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager. Throughout her career, Laura has been active in advancing Sustainability, helping to start Walmart’s initial Sustainability program in 2005, and implementing Sustainable and Responsible Sourcing programs in her Merchandising roles across various categories. Laura was promoted to SVP, Walmart Corporate Sustainability, and in this position the team launched new ambitious Sustainability programs including Project Gigaton (Walmart’s climate action platform), Sustainable commodity sourcing across food and textiles, and developed new Private Brand Sustainable Packaging goals. Laura last served as SVP, Global Sourcing where she led Business development and created new revenue models selling Sourcing as a Service for International retailers.

Laura received her Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Florida, her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas and completed the Dartmouth Tuck Global 2020 Executive Education program. Laura has served on The Sustainability Consortium Board of Directors and has been an active member of the University of Arkansas MBA Advisory Board.

In her free time, Laura enjoys exploring all the fun activities that Northwest Arkansas has to offer with her teenage children, Jack and Kate, husband John, three dogs and horse.

Patrick Beary

Bruce H. Bailey Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships

Patrick Beary is an accomplished leader in cross-sector partnerships and collaborations for impact. He joined the Atkinson Center in February 2019 and serves as the Bruce H. Bailey Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships. Beary actively engages with Cornell researchers and external private- and public-sector entities—such as NGOs, corporations, and government agencies—in order to create partnerships and consortia that take sustainability ideas from the academy and turn them into real-world impact. While supporting and deepening the center’s current strategic partnerships, he builds and maintains new relationships with organizations committed to joining Cornell in co-creating large-scale, long-term sustainability initiatives.