Media and Entertainment

Laura is a global expert on corporate sustainability, with two decades of experience in strategy consulting and has advised senior executives at global companies across a range of industry sectors and sustainability issues.

As Chief Impact Officer (CIO), the first in the organization’s 30-year history, Laura focuses on maximizing the impact of BSR’s work with its network of over 300 members, both through direct engagement on project work and as a mentor for teams throughout the organization. She also oversees BSR’s Collaborative Initiatives and Membership, and is a recognized thought leader and innovator in strategic business.

She has been an instrumental leader in BSR’s organizational growth and impact. She launched BSR’s financial services practice and New York office, and she served as Chief Operating Officer for five years, leveraging her strengths in strategy, organizational change, and people management. Laura works with leading global companies to develop and enhance their sustainability strategies to maximize value for business and society, and she is sought after to facilitate senior-level strategy workshops and multi-stakeholder collaborations.

She previously worked for Deloitte Consulting, where she acquired extensive strategy experience advising multinational financial services companies. She also worked on several community and economic development projects in Latin America.

Laura holds a MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is an adjunct professor in the Bard MBA in Sustainability program, a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and a member of the UN Global Compact Expert Network.

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Recent Insights From Laura Gitman

• Harnessing AI in Sustainability: Emerging Use Cases / September 17, 2025 / Reports
• Beyond the Business Case Debate: Reasserting the Strategic Value of Sustainability / July 30, 2025 / Insights+
• Sustainability Goal Setting: A New Chapter / January 21, 2025 / Insights+
• CSOs Are All Business: The Role of the CSO in a New Context / January 9, 2025 / Blog
• Racing Past the Crossroads: How Sustainability Leaders Can Reassert Ambition / October 31, 2024 / Blog

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With more than 20 years of sustainability experience, Asako advises global technology companies as well as BSR members and partners in Japan to better integrate sustainability into core business strategies.

Prior to joining BSR, Asako was Head of the CSR Management Section at Sony Corporation, and she has more than 10 years of experience leading global sustainability strategies. She has experience in sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, supply chain management, and responsible mineral sourcing and human rights. She also played a key role in shaping the industry framework for the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition.

Asako holds dual master’s degrees in Business Administration and Science from the Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan.

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Recent Insights From Asako Nagai

• The EU AI Act: 11 Recommendations for Business / May 21, 2024 / Blog
• The EU AI Act: What It Means for Your Business / April 25, 2024 / Blog
• BSR19 Summary for Japanese Market / December 13, 2019 / Blog
• New Collaborations for Japanese Companies (Japanese only) / September 23, 2019 / Blog
• Business and Human Rights Consultation Meeting on Country-Specific Action Plans (Japanese) / June 20, 2019 / Blog

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