Our People

Giulio brings over 15 years of expertise in advancing corporate climate and nature work. A member of BSR’s leadership team, he leads the Climate & Nature team strategy and works with BSR members across advisory services, collaborative initiatives, and grants implementation.

Giulio oversees BSR’s work on the future of climate action in an evolving landscape​, the application of Futures and Foresight work to Climate & Nature topics, and new business models that create business value while advancing people and planet goals. Since joining BSR in 2018, he has focused on targets, strategies, and transition plans; climate risk and adaptation; value chains, including Scope 3 implementation through supplier engagement; business model transformation; and nature-based solutions strategies with social integrity.

He brings deep knowledge of the climate and nature ecosystem and landscape, having supported the development of the first SBTi Net Zero Standard as a member of the Expert Advisory Group. He also led and supported the development of widely used open-source guidance, such as the 1.5°C Supplier Engagement Guide, Transform to Net Zero, and Climate Fit.

Prior to joining BSR, Giulio spent seven years with EcoAct between France and Kenya, focusing on climate advisory work on GHG mitigation, target setting and climate strategies, climate risk assessments, and carbon offset project development.

Giulio holds an MS in Sustainability from HEC Paris School of Management. He also holds a double degree MS in Management and Industrial Engineering and a double degree BS in Technology and International Business from Politecnico di Torino and UIC Barcelona.

Hugh Brown is the Global Head of BSR’s Financial Services practice and Head of BSR membership for the Americas, leading advisory services with private equity, banks, and multinational corporations on corporate strategy, sustainability, and long-term value creation. A member of BSR’s leadership team, Hugh strengthens executive partnerships and deepens engagement with C-suite leaders and boards through economic value creation while advancing market expansion initiatives across regions.

Hugh has 20 years of investment management experience and has worked with companies on portfolio strategy, corporate governance, operations, consumer experience, product development, and marketing using a core risk mitigation lens to drive business value. Prior to BSR, he was a senior director at Ceres, where he led portfolio value creation strategies with global institutional investors representing over $20 trillion in assets under management, shaping investor strategies on portfolio resilience and natural capital. Earlier in his career, he worked on the buy side at the $250 billion Florida State Board of Administration pension fund and Morgan Stanley, focusing on corporate governance in public companies, investment strategy, risk management, and liquidity.

Hugh is a U.S. Air Force veteran, former technology startup founder, private company and non-profit board member, and holds an MBA from Nova Southeastern University and a BA from Florida State University.

As Director, Collaborations, Charlene develops and implements strategies to engage BSR member companies and other stakeholders in high-impact collaborations for sustainable development. She specializes in building collaborative approaches between consumer-facing companies and their value chains to embed long-term sustainability, build resilience in the face of disruption, and increase equity, inclusion, and justice.

Charlene brings over 20 years of experience in sustainability, systems change, futures, and collaboration. Prior to BSR, Charlene was associate director for sustainable value chains and livelihoods with global sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future, where she directed collaborative system change initiatives in cotton, tea and other commodities, and led strategy projects with partners across the fashion and textile, agricultural and food sectors.

Charlene has an extensive background in futures, including working with the UK government’s futures unit developing and testing strategies across government departments.

Charlene holds an MSc in Sustainability and Responsibility from Ashridge Management College (UK), a BA in International Relations from the University of Puget Sound (US), and a Diploma in Organisation Development from Henley Business School (UK).

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.

Chhavi leads BSR’s global engagement with governments and foundations, building cross-sector partnerships that mobilize business, philanthropy, and the public sector to address urgent sustainability challenges. He works with partners around the world to identify shared priorities, unlock collaboration, and advance practical solutions for a more just, resilient, and sustainable economy.

Chhavi has developed large-scale, multi-million-dollar, multi-country partnerships with companies and donors, translating shared ambition into initiatives with tangible impact. He previously served as a lead for corporate engagement and financial inclusion for HERproject, now RISE, where he worked with companies and partners to advance inclusive business practices and improve outcomes for women in global value chains.

Chhavi brings a multidisciplinary background spanning sustainable finance, corporate sustainability, operations, and international development. Prior to joining BSR, he worked at a socially responsible investment firm, integrating financial and environmental, social, and governance analysis to develop sustainable investment recommendations. He also served as an operations manager for Oracle across the Asia-Pacific and Americas regions, where he helped launch a new operation in India.

His advisory experience includes developing sustainability strategies for companies in Mexico, India, and Saudi Arabia, as well as supporting public health initiatives as a freelance consultant for the Institute of Public Health. He speaks English, Spanish, and Hindi.

Chhavi holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and an M.A. in International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a B.A. in English and Computer Science from Rutgers University.

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.

As Director of People and Culture, Dian leads BSR’s global human resources (HR) strategy, including talent acquisition, learning and development, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. He partners with senior leadership to foster an inclusive culture, ensuring employees thrive and advance BSR’s mission for a just and sustainable world. Dian also strategically manages workforce initiatives to ensure the organization consistently attracts, develops, and retains skilled professionals aligned with BSR’s long-term objectives. 

​Dian is a seasoned HR leader with extensive experience in multinational consulting and technology organizations. Specializing in the fields of people management, HR, and leadership development, he has successfully led ambitious people and culture projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; North America; and the Asia-Pacific region. Dian believes strongly that people management is integral to creating high-performing teams and providing service excellence to member companies. 

Dian holds a B.A. degree in Human Resources, a B.A. Honors degree in Industrial Psychology, and a B.Psych degree in Psychometrics at the University of the Free State. Dian was awarded the HP Langenhoven and PPS prizes for outstanding academic merit for Industrial Psychology and Psychometrics respectively. Dian also holds a M.B.A. degree from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. 

Salah leads BSR’s global human rights and inclusive business practice, supporting companies in implementing human rights due diligence programs across industries and sectors. His work includes developing human rights strategies and governance models; aligning company due diligence programs with regulatory, investor, and other stakeholder expectations; and executing field-level Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIAs).

Salah brings significant experience in supply chain engagement across a range of sectors, including consumer goods, mining and minerals, information and communications technologies (ICT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data center-related supply chains. Salah is a regular contributor to the Human Rights Working Group, the Labor Rights in the AI Data Supply Chain collaboration, and Action for Sustainable Derivatives (ASD), among others.

Prior to joining BSR, Salah worked at a major media conglomerate where he oversaw alignment with international human and labor rights standards across the company’s manufacturing supply chain. He also worked with a standard-setting organization that developed the first auditable program for labor standards enforcement in manufacturing. Additionally, he practiced as an attorney in New York City, focusing on civil rights issues.

Salah holds a JD from the American University Washington College of Law, and a BA in Political Science, Spanish, and Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Michigan.

David partners with corporate boards, executives, and investors to develop high-impact sustainability strategies. As part of BSR’s Transformation team, he co-leads engagement with boards of directors to promote effective board governance and leadership ambition on sustainability. 

Having previously led BSR's Financial Services team, David continues to work closely with financial companies on sustainability, ESG integration, and impact investing. David has led engagements in nearly all of BSR’s focus areas and major industry groups. This includes leading climate scenarios workshops with boards, creating net-zero road maps for investment firms, designing and operationalizing a leading impact investing fund, conducting materiality assessments, undertaking human rights impact assessments, and co-authoring research on topics like ESG for emerging public companies and responsible investment policies for private equity firms.

Before joining BSR, David worked in strategy and management consulting at Bain & Company.

David holds a BA in History from Amherst College.

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.

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.

David leads BSR’s marketing and communications initiatives, working with a global team to amplify the organization’s mission and showcase its activities, impacts, and thought leadership to members, partners, and the wider business and policy community.

David previously worked for The B Team, a group of global business and civil society leaders working to catalyze a better way of doing business for the well-being of people and the planet. Throughout his 20-year career, he has worked with businesses and nonprofits in economic development, public health, and sustainability to define and communicate their purpose and impacts. .

He has built high-impact communications campaigns for a collaboration to improve maternal health in Zambia and Uganda, driven top-tier media coverage for a major economic development project in upstate New York, and helped strengthen parliamentary capacity and voter education efforts in South Africa and Zambia. He began his career as a newspaper reporter.

David earned his M.A. from The Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University and his B.A. in Journalism and Political Science from Michigan State University.

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.

Matthew helps to scale BSR and its impact through translating strategy into implementation, overseeing delivery of the work, and improving the efficiency and effectiveness of operations.

Matthew has a long history of leading and growing mission-driven enterprises. Prior to BSR, he was Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board and the Value Reporting Foundation, which pioneered sustainability disclosure standards for the capital markets. Before that, he held COO and senior operating roles at a mix of nonprofit and for-profit organizations in education and health care, where he built products and launched businesses as well as overseeing their operations.

Matthew holds a BA from Grinnell College and a MPA in management and public policy from Columbia University. He speaks Spanish and English and has lived and worked in the US, Spain, and Latin America.

Richard leads BSR's Responsible Technology team and portfolio, working with companies across sectors to take a responsible approach to the design, development, use, and governance of technology, aligning innovation with international human rights and environmental standards.

He brings deep expertise on the relationship between technology and society, with a particular focus on translating international human rights law and standards into practical approaches for the development and governance of AI and other emerging technologies. He has supported companies with human rights due diligence of new technologies and high-risk markets, the development of AI governance, and impact and risk assessments.

Drawing on his background as a practicing lawyer, Richard has particular experience helping companies understand and address the impacts of emerging technologies while navigating evolving regulatory requirements. He has worked with many companies undertaking risk assessments required under the EU Digital Services Act and the UK Online Safety Act.

Prior to joining BSR, Richard led the legal and policy team at Global Partners Digital, an international human rights organization focused on the impacts of digital technologies on human rights.

Richard holds an LLB in Law and European Law from the University of Nottingham and is a qualified lawyer in England and Wales.

Mike provides leadership and oversight to the finance and information technology functions of BSR. His work is crucial in helping the organization achieve its mission, grow its activities, and operate efficiently. He also serves on the organization’s Executive Committee. 

Mike has more than 25 years of financial management experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. He served in similar roles at Pathfinder International, Jhpiego, and American Refugee Committee. Mike was the director of finance and administration for Habitat for Humanity International in Pretoria, South Africa, and before that, he was director of finance and administration for the U.S. Peace Corps in Guinea. He speaks three languages and has broad international experience, having lived in eight countries and worked in more than two dozen. In 2010, Mike was named Chief Financial Officer of the Year by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal.

Mike holds an M.B.A from Aspen University and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Northwestern Ohio.