Sustainability Leadership & Its Impact for Driving Innovation

Sustainability is now a key driver of business innovation. Business leaders are increasingly understanding the need to develop sustainable practices that foster new growth and generate enhanced economic, social, and environmental outcomes. Not only that, sustainability can build brand equity by creating emotional connections and making consumers feel good about embracing sustainable brands.

Knowledge of sustainability and a foundational understanding of an organization’s material issues in the environmental and social domain is not just a C-level requirement. It needs to be a core part of all leadership pathways. With today’s complex, interconnected and ever-changing problems, there is no single solution.

Leaders that pursue sustainability increase their chances of becoming innovative leaders. Innovative leaders foster a corporate learning culture and focus on exploration. They encourage open-mindedness, embrace mistakes, and empower team members. Innovations are crucial for the success of a company and serve as an essential means to succeed. They are the driving force needed to discover and create new products, technologies and materials.

So what actually is sustainability leadership and what impact does it have on driving innovation?

Watch this virtual session, led by our two experts, Ted Chan, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Better Business Bureau, and Ana Ferreira, Global Vice president Supply & Operations at Toshiba, as they discuss what developing sustainable leadership means and how to embrace sustainable practices.

Ted Chan

Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Better Business Bureau

As the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer for the Better Business Bureau, Ted drives the digital transformation of North America's leading consumer protection and ethical marketplace non-profit.  

Ted is currently Chairman of PracticeQuiz.com, a social business that develops high-quality educational materials and makes them available at a low cost. Ted was the Founder and CEO of CareDash, a website used by 3M people a month to search for healthcare. Ted holds a BA from Swarthmore College with High Honors, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Ana Ferreira

Global Vice president Supply & Operations at TAES-JV, Trans-Atlantic Energy Systems Joint Venture, specializing in Nuclear Medical devices, Nuclear and non-nuclear Energy systems and Renewables, Biological and Chemical Warfare Detection Devices, and custom Consumer devices 

Ana Ferreira is the Sr. Global Vice President, Supply & Operations as well as Chief Compliance Officer. Her specialties include global manufacturing operations, public projects and capex construction, capital investments, strategic sourcing and procurement, logistics and distribution, SIOP and contracting for commercial and industrial markets with emphasis in high-mix low-volume, 1-off customer specific designs, as well as high-mix high-volume off the shelf consumer goods and aftermarket replenishment.

Ana has been a global supply chain, manufacturing and investment leader for 20+ years in highly regulated industries and norms such as FDA, DOD, NRC and similar international bodies. Her vast experience has given her the expertise in a number of areas allowing her to develop and lead change in an environment of operational excellence, evidenced by continual improvement in safety, quality, costs and profits resulting in growing operating leverage, increased EBITDA and an unmatched Customer experience.