Collaboration | Sustainable Business Network and Advisory Services

From evolving regulations to geopolitical uncertainty and market pressures, companies are facing increasingly complex and interconnected challenges. In this operating context, the ability to share knowledge, pool resources, and apply collective leverage remains critical to advancing business priorities and creating scalable solutions.

BSR’s business-led collaborations provide a safe, trusting environment for companies to learn from their peers, see a changing world more clearly, and develop and put into practice innovative solutions that benefit both business and society.

We bring companies together in a variety of ways:

Collaborative Initiatives

Year-on-year, pre-competitive, multi-stakeholder collaborations, ranging in format from learning communities to action-oriented collectives across a wide range of issues and challenges.

Roundtables and Multi-Company Opportunities

Shorter-term collaborations which connect sustainable business leaders with their peers to discuss and problem solve today’s pressing issues.

Explore BSR Collaborations

It's really in the formal collaborations where the magic happens. You're getting in a room and there's a clear common goal. There's a sense of purpose, there's a sense of safety, and of ambition.

—Peter Nestor, Global Head of Human Rights, Novartis AG

Evonik Industries AG

Gattefossé SAS

Godrej Group

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA

Innospec Ltd

L’Occitane Groupe S.A.

NUXE

Orkla Home & Personal Care AS

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

SEPPIC

Solvay NV

Stéarinerie Dubois

Nikko Chemicals Co., Ltd.

Cremer Oleo Gmbh & Co KG

INOLEX, Inc.

Stepan

Zschwimmer & Schwarz Italiana

Technip Energies

Tecnimont S.p.A.

Chiyoda Corporation

JGC Corporation

Saipem SpA

Subsea 7 Inc.

TechnipFMC

Wood plc

WorleyParsons

Panasonic Corporation

Partnering for Impact

Over the last 30+ years, BSR has applied its strategic leadership and subject-matter expertise to catalyze, launch, facilitate, and scale more than 50 high-impact collaborations, serving as secretariat, strategic advisor, and facilitation partner.

We work with a wide range of stakeholders, including companies, grantmakers, and partners, to develop and launch impactful collaborations.

Business

In addition to partnering on our existing collaborations, we work with companies to identify new collaboration opportunities around emerging challenges that would benefit from dialogue with like-minded peers.

Funders

We work with funders to explore how BSR collaborations align with their strategic priorities, and how their financial support and programmatic insights can catalyze high-impact partnerships with the private sector.

Advisors and Partners

We work with advisors and partners to gather critical perspectives, insights, and expertise, and to ensure that our collaborations advance systemic solutions to global challenges.

Our Experts

Depth of Experience and Knowledge

Our Collaboration team consists of global experts across multiple focus areas, bringing a depth of experience and knowledge to designing, operating, and facilitating high impact collaborative initiatives.

Ricki Berkenfeld

Associate Director, Supply Chain, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Associate Director, Supply Chain, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Ricki supports BSR’s work on collaborations, with a focus on those related to supply chain sustainability. Her engagements focus on opportunities to scale impact on supply chains through shared learning, common approaches, and coordinated action.

Ricki has extensive experience managing and overseeing BSR’s collaborations on sustainable sourcing of commodities, with a particular focus on consumer sectors industries and agriculture-based supply chains.

She also brings many years of strategy consulting experience, with strong ability to design and execute research, draw business insights, and develop corporate strategies.

Ricki holds a BS in Development Sociology from Cornell University.

Recent Insights From Ricki Berkenfeld

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Charlene Collison

Managing Director, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

London

Managing Director, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

London

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, she 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.

She 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).

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Marion Fischer

Associate, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Associate, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Marion works with the Governments and Foundations team to support the development of concepts and proposals and to contribute to BSR's donor business intelligence process. Her main responsibilities include tracking relevant trends and specific business intelligence from the philanthropic space to support donor engagement.

Marion previously worked as a Coordinator in BSR's Collaborative Initiatives team. Prior to joining BSR, Marion worked for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank in international affairs and global security, managing events and providing programmatic, administrative, and fundraising support to their Washington, D.C. office. Previously, Marion worked for Greenflex in Paris, a consulting company in sustainable development, where she worked to foster and manage relationships with clients and their stakeholders to improve their sustainable practices and analyze human rights violations on clients' supply chains.

Marion holds a Master’s degree in French and common law from the University of Nanterre. She also graduated with an LLM from Boston University and is a member of the New York Bar. Additionally, Marion holds a Master's degree in International Project Management from ESCP Europe.

Claudio Formisano

Global Lead, Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Global Lead, Human Trafficking and Forced Labor, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Claudio leads BSR’s portfolio on addressing modern slavery, human trafficking, and forced labor. He develops guidance for companies seeking to prevent and mitigate human trafficking and forced labor risks and advances policies to scale impact through BSR’s collaborative initiatives like Tech Against Trafficking, the Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and Building Responsibly.

He brings almost two decades of years of experience in managing multidisciplinary programs on criminal justice, human rights, and security in multilateral settings. Prior to joining BSR, he worked at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), establishing and leading the Secretariat of the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT). As a senior advisor to the Special Representative for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), he oversaw country needs assessments in North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa.

Claudio holds a MA in Advanced International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, Austria and an Executive Certificate from Harvard JFK School of Government in building and leading diverse organizations. He speaks English, French, Spanish, and Italian.

Recent Insights From Claudio Formisano

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Chhavi Ghuliani

Managing Director, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Managing Director, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

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.

Recent Insights From Chhavi Ghuliani

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Laura Hansson

Collaboration Development Lead, BSR

Copenhagen

Collaboration Development Lead, BSR

Copenhagen

Laura supports BSR’s Business Transformation work across industries. She has also worked on several of BSR’s multistakeholder collaborations, including the Global Impact Sourcing Coalition and Maritime Anti-Corruption Network.

Prior to joining BSR, Laura was the director of the Copenhagen branch of a global social impact consultancy advising startup companies and social enterprises on fundraising and communications strategies as well as social impact creation and measurement. She also held an internship position at a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the rights of women journalists. Laura speaks German, English, and Spanish.

Laura holds an M.Sc. in Business and Development Studies with a Minor in Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship and a B.Sc. in Business, Language, and Culture, both from Copenhagen Business School.

Recent Insights From Laura Hansson

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Olivia Hughes

Associate, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Associate, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Olivia supports BSR’s Climate and Nature team by facilitating coordination across member initiatives, partner engagement, and high-impact convenings. She also provides analytical support for projects within BSR’s nature portfolio.

In addition, Olivia supports the Climate and Nature Integration Working Group, which helps companies across sectors develop roadmaps for integrating climate and nature strategies into a holistic, resilience-focused approach.

Prior to joining BSR, Olivia held government positions with the United States Secret Service, the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and the New York State Assembly.

Olivia has a BA in Political Science with minors in Public Policy and History from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Recent Insights From Olivia Hughes

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Alexandra Kolev

Manager, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Manager, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Alexandra supports BSR’s Collaborative Initiatives portfolio, facilitating the development and implementation of impactful multi-stakeholder solutions that tackle systemic challenges to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including climate change, economic inequity, and gender inequality. She works across industries, largely within agricultural commodities and consumer products, to drive collective action for supply chain sustainability, responsible sourcing, and ethical trade.

Prior to joining BSR, Alexandra developed global partnerships to foster business transformation, promote responsible business conduct, and scale business action to accelerate progress on the SDGs. Alexandra began her career analyzing trade policy and coordinating international trade and supply chain projects for a global, multi-sector clientele.

Alexandra holds a Master’s in International Public Management, with specializations in Global Economic Policy and Diplomacy, from l’Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in International Affairs and French from the George Washington University. She speaks English, French, and German.

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Ariela Levy

Manager, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Manager, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

New York

Ariela works with BSR member companies across various industries on sustainability management, with a focus on climate change and human rights.

Prior to joining BSR, Ariela was an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow with Sustainable Jersey, where she helped New Jersey municipalities implement energy efficiency projects. Previously, she worked as a consultant with Amnesty International, where she helped develop the organization’s platform on tear gas. Ariela was also a research assistant for the Mexican Ministry of Health, where she researched the impacts of changing climactic conditions on dengue. Ariela’s experiences focus on the intersection of climate change, human rights, and health.

Ariela holds an MPA from Columbia University in Environmental Science and Policy as well as a B.S. in Society and Environment and B.A. in Public Health from UC Berkeley. She is a native Spanish speaker and is proficient in French.

Recent Insights From Ariela Levy

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Alice Pease

Associate Director, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Associate Director, Collaborations and Partnerships, BSR

Paris

Alice works with members across sectors to advance human rights through cross-industry and multi-stakeholder collaboration. She manages several collaborative initiatives, including Building Responsibly, the Global Business Coalition against Human Trafficking (GBCAT), and the Healthcare and Human Rights Forum.

At BSR, Alice has supported members in designing and implementing human rights governance, strategy, and due diligence, with a particular focus on anti-trafficking.

Prior to joining BSR, Alice managed a campaign at the British Parliament on an initiative to strengthen the supply chain transparency requirements of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015. Previously, she had policy and research roles with a human rights focus at the Argentine Council for International Relations, the European Commission, and the Italian National Research Council. Alice is the co-author of Crime and Global Justice: The Dynamics of International Punishment, published by Polity in 2018.

Alice holds an MA in International Relations: Latin America—Europe from the University of Bologna and an MA in History and Spanish from the University of Edinburgh. She speaks English, French, Italian, and Spanish.