The We Mean Business Coalition
Our Board, Secretariat and Grants Advisory Committee work together towards our mission to catalyze business and policy action to halve emissions by 2030 and accelerate an inclusive transition to a global net-zero economy by 2050.
Board
The Board is made up of the leaders of our coalition partners: BSR, CDP, Ceres, CLG Europe, Climate Group, The B Team, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). It is co-chaired by leaders from global businesses at the forefront of corporate climate action.
Sir Ian Cheshire
Chair, We Mean Business Coalition
Ian is Chair of Land Securities plc, Chairman of Channel 4, Chairman of Spire Healthcare Group Plc, and Chair of Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund. Ian is also the Chair of We Mean Business Coalition. Previous appointments were Chairman of Debenhams, Barclays Bank UK, CEO of Kingfisher plc, B&Q, Chairman Maisons du monde, Lead Non-Executive Director for the Government and Non-Executive Director of BT Group plc. He was Chairman of the British Retail Consortium, Chairman of the Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, President of the Business Disability Forum President’s Group and chaired the Ecosystem Markets Task Force and GR Task Force. Sir Ian was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to Business, Sustainability and the Environment and is a Chevalier of the Ordre National du Merite of France.
Peter Bakker
President and CEO, WBCSD
Helen Clarkson
CEO, Climate Group
Helen joined Climate Group in 2017 as its CEO. In addition to leading the growing Climate Group team, Helen sits on the boards of the We Mean Business Coalition and the Sustainable Development Capital Energy Efficiency Income Trust. Prior to joining Climate Group, Helen working at Forum for the Future, Médecins Sans Frontières, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte.
Aron Cramer
President and CEO, BSR
Aron is recognized globally as a preeminent authority on just and sustainable business. In addition to leading BSR, which has grown substantially throughout his tenure as President and CEO, Aron advises senior executives at BSR’s 300+ member companies and other global businesses and partners on the full spectrum of environmental, social, and governance issues.
Dr Celine Herweijer
Group Chief Sustainability Officer, HSBC
Steve Howard
Vice Chairman – Sustainability, Temasek
Dr Steve Howard is currently Vice Chairman, Sustainability, Temasek. He first joined Temasek as Chief Sustainability Officer in January 2021. Steve is a board member of GenZero, which he helped establish, and chairs the Investment Committee. He is also a founding board member of the Temasek-BlackRock joint venture, Decarbonization Partners, and is a member of the Investment Committee. In addition, Steve is Founding Chair of the We Mean Business Coalition and a member of the LeapFrog’s Global Leadership Council. He was, until recently, on the Administrative Board of SEforALL. Before joining Temasek, Steve was Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA Group and served on IKEA’s Executive Group Management from 2011-2017. Prior to IKEA, Steve was Founder and CEO of The Climate Group. Steve is trained as an ecologist and has a PhD in Ecophysiology and Environmental Physics based on research in Kenya.
Mindy Lubber
President and CEO, Ceres
Mindy Lubber is the CEO and President of the sustainability nonprofit organization Ceres. She leads the organization’s executive leadership team and more than 225 employees working to mobilize the most influential investors and companies to drive action on the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. She has been at the helm since 2003, and under her leadership, the organization and its powerful networks and global collaborations have grown significantly in size and influence. As a well-known global thought leader on climate change, Lubber has inspired capital market leaders including global coalitions of institutional investors and corporate boards and executives to factor environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices into their overall strategies. In 2020, Lubber was awarded the United Nations ’Champions of the Earth’ Entrepreneurial Vision award.
Leah Seligmann
Interim CEO & Chief Change Catalyst, The B Team
Leah Seligmann is a seasoned sustainability leader who has spent her career working with CEOs and global leaders to catalyze a just, sustainable future. Leah currently serves as Chief Change Catalyst & Interim CEO of The B Team. With nearly a decade of dedicated service to the organization, Leah has been instrumental in shaping and supporting The B Team’s agenda, working closely with B Team Leaders to amplify their impact on the global stage. Leah began her journey with The B Team by leading the collective’s work on climate and just transition.
Eliot Whittington
Chief Systems Change Officer / The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group / CLG Europe, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
Eliot is part of CISL’s leadership team and is responsible for both its Foresight and Convening work. His remit covers CISL’s work developing new insights and analysis and its work bringing business, government and financial institutions together to unlock wider change. Under him are teams delivering the work of CISL’s Corporate Leaders Groups, which bring businesses together to positively engage with EU and UK policy makers; CISL’s Centre for Sustainable Finance, which brings banks, insurers and investors together to shift the financial system and CISL’s research work including The Prince of Wales Global Sustainability Fellowship Programme.
Patricia Espinosa
Independent Board Member
Ambassador Patricia Espinosa is Founding Partner and CEO of onepoint5, an ESG consulting firm specialized in climate change. A career diplomat, she is a respected leader on the global stage with more than 35 years of experience at the highest level in diplomacy, multilateral negotiations, and international relations. Prior to founding onepoint5, Ambassador Espinosa served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (2016-2022), Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico (2006-2012) and Mexico’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany (2013-2016), and to Austria, Slovakia and Slovenia (2002-2006).
Roberto Marques
Independent Board Member
Roberto led the expansion and transformation of Natura into Natura &Co, a purpose-driven cosmetic group formed by Natura, Avon, The Body Shop and Aesop with a global presence, a unique direct to customer, omnichannel approach with over 4,000 stores, 7 million beauty consultants, and a strong digital/e-commerce presence with approximately 35,000 associates. Prior to that, he was Executive Vice President and President for North America at Mondelez International, a company that globally markets snacking brands from Kraft, Nabisco, Cadbury, among others.
Supriya Sen
Independent Board Member
Supriya is a former Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Co and currently serves as Independent Board Director for public and private companies and non-profit foundations in Asia and the Middle East. She has 30+ years of investment and advisory experience in infrastructure finance and sustainability, digital technology innovation, and green finance, working with public and private sector clients in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and China on innovative financing, policy and strategy in transport, energy and sustainable finance.
Sherry Madera
CEO, CDP
Sherry Madera is a prominent thought leader and author on sustainability, with a focus on sustainable finance, environmental data and public policy. As CEO of CDP, a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states and regions, Sherry manages an international team spread across Europe, Asia and the Americas. Prior to joining CDP, Sherry was Founder and Chair of the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance (FoSDA). Sherry held previous senior global roles including Senior Vice President, Public Policy for Mastercard, Chief Industry and Government Affairs Officer, LSEG and Economic Ambassador for the City of London to Asia.
Secretariat
The Secretariat serves the coalition by coordinating the delivery of its strategic objectives and vision. It helps align policy priorities and approaches, calibrates corporate engagement and builds collaborative communications campaigns.
María Mendiluce
Chief Executive Officer
María Mendiluce is the CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition and brings 25 years of experience working in business, international organizations, academia and governments in sustainable development, energy and climate action.
Rasmus Valanko
Chief Program Officer
Rasmus Valanko is the Chief Program Officer at We Mean Business Coalition. He works to implement systemic change by working with companies and partner organizations on climate change.
Lisa Lee
Director of Communications and Impact
Lisa works on the planning and delivery of strategic communications for We Mean Business Coalition.
Josh Harris
Director of Communications and Development
Josh works on the planning and delivery of strategic communications for We Mean Business Coalition.
Jenny Ahlen
Managing Director, Net Zero
Jenny Ahlen directs the strategy, coordination, and execution of the We Mean Business Coalition’s net zero programs and campaigns. She has spent her career working on environmental issues which includes over ten years of experience helping companies set and achieve ambitious climate commitments.
Andrew Prag
Managing Director, Policy
Andrew Prag is Managing Director for Policy. In this role he oversees the Coalition’s policy engagement work, including through major international policy processes as well as with individual countries.
Jean-David Raffenel
Director, Operations
Jean-David oversees the Coalition’s Human Resources globally. He maintains high HR standards by ensuring the approach is aligned with the Coalition’s values.
Vanessa Salinas
Director, Finance
As Director of Finance, Vanessa works to ensure the stability of the organization’s finances by establishing and maintaining the financial strategy and overseeing the finance and accounting operations.
Steven Casey
Deputy Director, Grants
Steve is the Deputy Director for Grants Management in this role he is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the grants management team and advises staff on grants management, structure of grants, and regulatory compliance requirements, and helps to ensure that the right systems, processes, and practices are in place to accomplish the goals and objectives of the Coalition.
Pamela Jouven
Director, SME Climate Hub
As Director of the SME Climate Hub, Pamela works with international partners, multinational companies and governments to accelerate a global movement and develop a one-stop-shop platform mobilizing small and medium-sized enterprises to take climate action on net zero.
Jane Thostrup Jagd
Director, Net Zero Finance
Dr. Jane Thostrup Jagd works with companies to ensure more useful and reliable climate data to investors – and with investors to find better ways to work with the provided data.
Luke Pritchard
Deputy Director, Nature Based Solutions
Luke is responsible for leading the Coalition’s engagement on nature-based solutions, helping develop and deliver the Coalition’s strategy at the intersection of climate of nature.
Molly Walton
Director, Energy
As Director, Energy, Molly directs and coordinates the Coalition’s overall approach to this system, facilitating the journey to the deployment of solutions that put us on a 1.5°C trajectory towards net zero emissions.
Callie Stinson
Deputy Director, Nature Campaigning
As Deputy Director, Nature Campaigning, Callie works across communications, policy, advocacy and business engagement to shape and deliver the coalition’s strategy at the intersection of nature and climate.
Karl Vella
Director, Climate Policy
Karl is a Director for Climate Policy at We Mean Business Coalition. He works to raise climate ambition by working with companies and partners to identify policy opportunities at the international level, such as at the annual COP UN climate conferences.
Gillian Nelson
Director, Policy
Dr. Gillian Nelson is Director of Policy, driving We Mean Business Coalition’s advocacy work towards key international policy objectives, with a particular focus on multilateral forums such as the G7, G20 and UNFCCC. Gillian joined the Coalition in 2018 and has over 15 years of experience working on international climate policy, including with intergovernmental organizations, think-tanks and civil society.
Dominic Gogol
Deputy Director, Policy
Dominic Gogol is a Deputy Director for We Mean Business Coalition where he is helping to deliver the Coalition’s global policy strategy with coalition partners and leading businesses.
Paris Scott
Director, Development
As the Director of Development for the We Mean Business Coalition, Paris leads and implements diverse fundraising strategies that drive financial growth and partnerships. She collaborates with stakeholders to cultivate transformational relationships with funders and partners, identify synergies, and spearhead fundraising campaigns to amplify the coalition’s influence within the climate ecosystem.
Kristen King
Deputy Director, Communications
Kristen oversees the Coalition’s communications for the U.S. She collaborates closely with partners and the secretariat policy and corporate engagement teams to elevate the Coalition’s commitment campaigns and impact.
Sasha Chebil
Deputy Director, Communications
Sasha leads the communication and media strategy for the We Mean Business Coalition’s SME Climate Hub initiative. She works closely with Coalition partners to drive content and media narratives, supporting recruitment efforts of small- to medium-sized businesses.
Mary Whittaker
Deputy Director, Content
Mary leads on and executes strategic content across digital and content communications, including the coalition website.
Glyn Hooper
Deputy Director, Events
Glyn leads on the planning and delivery of the We Mean Business Coalition events strategy.
Pascale Palmer
Deputy Director, Media & Campaigns
Pascale is responsible for the development and delivery of the media strategy for We Mean Business Coalition.
Lydia Elliott
Deputy Director, Supplier Decarbonization
Lydia leads the We Mean Business Coalition’s work on decarbonizing corporate supply chains. This includes a focus on getting smaller businesses the guidance and tools they need to take climate action through the SME Climate Hub.
Daniel Robert Fule
Manager, CEO Office
Daniel is working as the Manager of the CEO Office, supporting the CEO’s internal and external engagements.
Jen Dues
Deputy Director, Impact and Reporting
Jen is responsible for helping the Coalition develop and manage its impact framework, facilitate learning opportunities, and impact reporting for stakeholders.
Jasmine James
Manager, Operations
As Operations Manager, Jasmine works to implement organization-wide processes and procedures that help We Mean Business run thoughtfully and efficiently.
Natalie Shemwell
Strategic Partnerships Manager, SME Climate Hub
As Strategic Partnerships Manager for the SME Climate Hub, Natalie is responsible for developing and managing partnerships with non-profit, corporate, financial, and government stakeholders to accelerate a global movement mobilizing and incentivizing SMEs to take climate action.
Claire McCarthy
Net Zero Manager
Claire is responsible for the coordination and delivery of key net-zero initiatives within the Coalition, including programs that drive companies to commit to bold climate action and that accelerate corporate supply chain decarbonization.
Lizzie Knight
Digital Project Manager
As Digital Project Manager for the SME Climate Hub, Lizzie manages the development of the Hub’s digital platform. Lizzie works closely with our technical teams and key We Mean Business Coalition stakeholders to create a digital environment that enables small and medium-sized businesses to take climate action on net zero.
Mark Foyle
Manager, Digital Project
Mark is responsible for steering the technical and digital strategy of the SME Climate Hub, researching innovative digital solutions, and identifying new opportunities. Mark also works with the wider coalition to bring digital synergy to We Mean Business Coalition’s digital initiatives.
Daniel Altman
Manager, Net Zero Action
Dan is responsible for delivering and coordinating key programmes focused on the guidance and tools businesses need to take net zero action. With a focus on the tools that enable SMEs to take climate action through the SME Climate Hub.
Claire Hilton
Transport Manager, Systems Transformation
As Transport Manager, Claire directs and coordinates the Coalition’s transport portfolio, working closely with partners and stakeholders, to facilitate the journey to the deployment of net zero emissions solutions for transport.
Javier Gonzalez
Manager, International Climate Policy
As Manager, International Climate Policy, Javier works closely with both the Systems Transformation and Policy teams in identifying policy opportunities for corporate advocacy, as well as in the development of frameworks for the Coalition to track and engage effectively on priority policy advocacy opportunities for systems/sectors across various countries.
Santeri Palomäki
MANAGER, INDUSTRY AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Santeri is responsible for leading the Coalition’s development work with partners focusing on industrial manufacturing and the built environment.
Sonia Kaur
Digital Engagement Manager
Sonia works across the Coalition’s full communications portfolio, playing a leading role in the successful delivery of the digital and content strategy, by implementing social media and digital marketing strategies.
Pallavi Ahuja
Manager, Systems Transformation
As a part of the Systems Transformations team, Pallavi supports by providing coherence in the strategy, coordination and execution of the Coalition’s work across systems.
Swapna Patil
Manager, SMECH India
Swapna is responsible for developing and implementing SME Climate Hub’s growth strategy in India, leading project delivery and partnerships.
Emily Huynh
Project Manager, Systems
Emily manages and coordinates the Fossil to Clean Campaign, a global movement of businesses going from fossil fuels to clean solutions.
Liam Finnerty
Manager, Finance
As Finance Manager, Liam develops, implements, and manages financial procedures to ensure compliance with fiscal policies and support strategic decision-making across the organization.
Julia Selig
Associate, SME Climate Hub
Julia manages the SME Climate Hub’s collaboration requests, assists with media relations, and provides project management support across the Hub’s workstreams.
Sebastian Fischbach
Manager, Systems Transformation & Net Zero
Sebastian supports the Systems Transformation Team with research, data collection and analysis, as well as report drafting. He also helps track and evaluate relevant legislation.
Ariele Ladabaum
Associate, Corporate Engagement
Ariele supports and facilitates strategic, coordinated engagement with corporate partners and oversees the collection of key business data for the Coalition. She also provides communication and project management support across the Net Zero team’s initiatives.
Taylor Lowe
Associate, Operations
As Associate, Operations, Taylor provides daily support on both Finance and People Operations administration.
Marco Ronchetti
Assistant, CEO Office
As Assistant, CEO Office, Marco provides support to ensure efficient and agile executive office operations.
Carmen Navarro Gómez
SME CLIMATE HUB CONSULTANT
As part of the SME Climate Hub team, Carmen supports the implementation of the hub globally with a particular focus towards Spain and Spanish speaking countries.
Susan Clandillon
Associate, Digital Content
Susan specializes in digital content creation, campaign development, writing and editing.
Grants Advisory Committee
Fiona Cousins
Principal, Arup
Cate Hight
Expert Partner Sustainability and Carbon Transition, Bain & Co
Bridget Jackson
Business Stakeholder Lead, High Level Champions
Lindsey Larson
Economist, World Bank
Edward Mason
Director, Generation Investment Management
Kristen Molyneaux
Vice President Program Strategy & Learning, Lever for Change
Shawn Reifsteck
Vice President Strategy, ClimateWorks Foundation
Julia Reinaud
Senior Director, Europe, Breakthrough Energy