BSR London Member Dialogue with CEO Diederik Timmer

Diederik has been a recognized leader in sustainable business for more than 20 years. He joined BSR following a distinguished career, including several leadership roles as President, Europe at Glass Lewis & Co; EVP at Morningstar Sustainalytics; and Chair of US Social Investment Forum (US SIF). He currently serves as Chair of the Board at Knology, a nonprofit focused on knowledge and learning.

Throughout his career, Diederik has innovated and scaled organizations, serving in both client and member-centric roles, building the tools and capabilities that help investors and companies align their decisions with governance and sustainability priorities.

Prior to joining BSR, as President, Europe at Glass Lewis, Diederik oversaw the firm’s climate buildout and European business. In this role, he set up and launched Climate Intelligence, which uses human-centric AI to support analyst evaluations of corporate transition strategies and their execution.

Before joining Glass Lewis, as Founder and Principal at &values, Diederik partnered with leadership teams to navigate the complexities of sustainability and climate, regulatory shifts, and the use of AI. He also served as Managing Director of Corporate and Climate Solutions at Morningstar Sustainalytics, where he oversaw rapid growth and geographic expansion, and built out Sustainalytics' corporate solutions and climate offerings business. 

Diederik has been a frequent speaker and lecturer at institutions including Yale University, Columbia University, and Bard College. His work has appeared in publications such as the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and the Journal of Business Ethics.

Christine leads BSR’s Business Transformation team, helping companies to manage sustainability throughout their business and across their supply chains and to develop resilient business strategies that leverage insights from BSR’s Sustainable Futures Lab.

She works with companies across sectors and geographies to structure a sustainability management approach that mitigates risk and captures emerging opportunities, creating strategic advantage for their businesses, while contributing to a more just, sustainable world. Christine also co-leads engagement with boards of directors to promote effective board governance and leadership ambition on sustainability. 

She brings over 20 years of experience in leading brand, sustainability, public affairs, communications, and reputation management with multinational corporations at the executive leadership level. This also includes overseeing corporate relations with external stakeholders, such as the World Economic Forum, the UN, European institutions, and investors.

Previously, Christine was Head of Brand Strategy at Nokia. She has also held major roles at Alcatel-Lucent and Alcatel, leading Brand and Corporate Sustainability and European Affairs. Christine has also served on various boards, including as a chair of the Telecoms Industry Dialogue on human rights, as an advisory board member of Reuters Events Sustainability, as a member of the Alcatel-Lucent Foundation, and on the European Internet Foundation.

Christine holds a MA in History and a BA in History and International Politics from the University of Ottawa. She completed the Management Acceleration Program (MAP) at INSEAD, and she achieved the ESG Competent Boards Certificate and Global Competent Boards Designation (2021). She speaks English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

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Recent Insights From Christine Diamente

• Safeguarding Human Rights in High-Risk and Conflict-Affected Areas / April 14, 2026 / Audio
• ESRS Revisions Mark a Turning Point Toward Principle-Based Reporting, With Open Questions / September 23, 2025 / Insights+
• Ten Lessons on Developing Effective Sustainability Strategies / August 5, 2025 / Blog
• Beyond the Business Case Debate: Reasserting the Strategic Value of Sustainability / July 30, 2025 / Insights+
• EU Omnibus: It’s Time to Shift Focus from Compliance to Impact / March 10, 2025 / Insights+

Full Bio

Elisa is a member of BSR’s global leadership team and leads the organization's European member portfolio, partnering across BSR’s cross-sector membership with companies in consumer, technology, financial services, and other industries. She drives strategic growth, partnerships, and senior advisory engagement, supporting organizations in navigating complex market and societal shifts while building long-term value.

She advises executive leaders on strategies at the intersection of growth, responsibility, and resilience, embedding sustainability into core business strategy, governance, and value chains. Elisa brings deep expertise in the luxury sector—including watch and jewelry, fashion, beauty, and hospitality—where brand value, desirability, and trust are critical to performance. She also designs and leads multi-company, multi-stakeholder initiatives that enable pre-competitive collaboration, including BSR’s Responsible Luxury Initiative (ReLI).

Elisa is a sought-after speaker and trusted voice on sustainable business and responsible luxury, regularly cited in international media, and was named to the Vogue Business 100 Innovators list.

Prior to joining BSR, Elisa was an account manager at CHANEL and a consultant at Accenture and Ernst & Young.

Elisa is French-American. She holds an MBA in Luxury Goods Marketing and Management from Sup de Luxe, an MA in International Relations from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques Paris, and a BA in French from the University of Pennsylvania.

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Recent Insights From Elisa Niemtzow

• Fashion’s Key Takeaways From Climate Conference ChangeNow / April 2, 2026 / News
• How Sustainability Teams Can Make the Most of the Creative Reset / January 20, 2026 / News
• The Vogue Business 2025 100 Innovators: Sustainability Thought Leaders / September 8, 2025 / News
• “Emerging Luxury: Cultivating Relevance in a Changing World”: Interview with Alexia Tronel and Elisa Niemtzow / April 25, 2025 / News
• She’s Mercedes unveils the creation of the Bertha Benz Prize, dedicated for its first edition to responsible innovation / January 11, 2025 / News

Full Bio