Decision Makers
| Name (plus bio) |
Position |
| Christopher J. Richard |
President & CEO, Interface Fabrics Group |
| Daniel T. Hendrix |
President & CEO |
| Lindsey Parnell |
President & CEO |
| Robert A. Coombs |
President & CEO |
| Patrick C. Lynch |
CFO & Senior Vice President |
| Claude Ouimet |
Senior Vice President |
| John R. Wells |
President, Interface Americas & Senior Vice President |
| Kenneth Parnell Lindsey |
Senior Vice President |
| Pieter Van der Toorn |
Senior Vice President of Sales |
| Raymond S. Willoch |
General Counsel, Secretary & Senior Vice President, Admin |
| D. McNeely Bradham |
Vice President, Business Dev |
| D. Neel Bradham |
Vice President, Business Dev |
| Eric Nelson |
Vice President, Strategic Alliances, Interface Americasrequest This Speaker |
| Jeffrey Roman |
Vice President |
| Scott Landa |
Vice President, Sales & Logistics |
| Steve Arbaugh |
Vice President |
| Tim Riordan |
Vice President, Supply Chain, Interface, Inc.Request This Speaker |
| Tracy Cook |
Vice President, Marketing |
| Jim Hartzfeld |
Managing Director |
| Amory Lovins |
|
| Amy Lukken |
|
| Bill Browning |
|
| Bob Fox |
|
| Daniel P. Goleman |
|
| Daniel Quinn |
|
| Greg Colando |
|
| Janine Benyus |
|
| John Picard |
|
| Jonathon Porritt |
|
| Judy Pike |
|
| Karl-Henrik Robert |
Professor |
| Kim Matsoukas |
|
| L Hunter Lovins |
|
| Paul Hawken |
|
| Peter Senge |
|
| Walter Stahel |
|
Board of Directors
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
President & CEO, Interface Fabrics Group |
Current |
| Guilford of Maine Marketing Company |
CEO |
Current |
| Interface Fabrics |
President & CEO |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President |
Former |
Lindsey Parnell is Senior Vice President for Europe Floorcoverings, with overall responsibility for modular flooring operations in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Within each region, his role involves steering the business toward long term growth.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from Hull University, Lindsey began his career in the steel, printing and automotive sectors. He also spent three years as a consultant with an international accounting firm.
Lindsey joined the carpet industry with Firth Carpets in 1996, which was acquired by Interface in 1997. In 1998, Lindsey was promoted to Vice President of Operations for Interface’s modular floorcovering operations in the UK and in 1999 he became Senior Vice President of Operations for the entire European modular flooring operations. In 2002, he was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of the European modular division of Interface, Inc.
Under Lindsey’s lead, InterfaceFLOR’s mission has found widespread recognition across the region, including being awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development in both 2003 and 2008. In June 2008, Lindsey was appointed Chairman of the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI’s) Yorkshire and Humber Council.
As Senior Vice President for Asia-Pacific Floorcoverings, Rob oversees all of Interface’s Asia-Pacific operations. Rob has more than a quarter of a century of experience in marketing and senior management positions, including approximately 20 years with Interface companies.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Melbourne in 1979, Rob began work in product marketing management. In 1988, Rob moved to the UK and joined Interface as UK Marketing Manager, moving to The Netherlands two years later as European Marketing Manager.
Having left the company at the end of 1993 to return to Australia, Rob rejoined Interface in 1996 as Managing Director of Interface Australia and in 1998, was appointed to the role of Senior Vice President, Asia-Pacific.
Rob returned to Europe with Interface in June 1999 and in February 2001 was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, Interface Europe and Asia-Pacific. In October 2002, Rob returned to Australia to resettle his family and, following the formation of a separate Asia-Pacific division of the company was installed as President and Chief Executive Officer of this division.
Rob is a member of the Board of the Green Building Council of Australia, contributing a manufacturer perspective on the need to create a built environment in harmony with nature.
Patrick C. Lynch joined Interface in 1996 and was promoted to Assistant Corporate Controller in 1998. In 2000 Patrick became Assistant Vice President and Corporate Controller and was promoted to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in 2001. He was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2007. Prior to joining Interface, Patrick previously held the title of Senior Accountant at a national accounting firm providing assurance, tax, financial advisory and consulting services to private and publicly traded businesses.
A CPA by training, Patrick possesses a unique strategic vision and expertise in financial matters. With responsibilities for accounting, internal audits, SEC and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, investor relations, commercial and investment banking, tax, and insurance, Patrick also gives credit to his team as a major force behind the growth of Interface.
Patrick’s undergraduate work was completed at The Citadel in Charleston, where he graduated cum laude earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1992. He then graduated from Georgia State University in Atlanta, simultaneously earning both a Juris Doctor Degree in Law and a Master of Business Administration Degree in 1998. Patrick resides in Atlanta with his wife Erica and their two daughters, Emily and Molly.
Claude is the Senior Vice President and General Manager for InterfaceFLOR in Canada and Latin America, overseeing all sales, administrative, and manufacturing operations. Claude's 20-year career with Interface includes roles in both manufacturing and sales. Claude's mix of manufacturing, sales, and marketing knowledge gives him a unique perspective for integrating sustainability throughout the InterfaceFLOR corporate culture. He brings his passion for environmentally sound practices not only to manufacturing technology and practices, but also to sales strategies and marketing concepts that reflect the company's Mission Zero.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
President, Interface Americas & Senior Vice President |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Interface Inc. |
President, Sales |
Former |
| Prince Street Tech Ltd. |
President |
Former |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
bachelor's degree in Industrial Management |
Former |
| The University of North Carolina |
Executive Education Program |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Senior Vice President |
Current |
As Senior Vice President of Sales for InterfaceFLOR, Pieter oversees sales operations and account representatives in eight regions of the United States. Pieter has served in a number of leadership marketing and sales positions with Interface since 1987. Pieter speaks to a number of customer groups, trade associations, and corporate teams each year on sales strategies and managing and servicing global accounts, including leveraging purchasing power and product offerings around the world. He also talks about Interface's strengths-based culture as it relates to recruitment and training of a world-class sales force.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Senior Vice President of Sales |
Current |
Ray serves as Senior Vice President - Administration, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Interface, Inc. He has overall responsibility for the legal affairs of the company and its various subsidiaries, as well as corporate responsibility for mergers & acquisitions, human resources, compensation & benefits, purchasing and facilities.
Ray joined Interface in 1990. Before joining Interface, Ray worked for six years with law firms in Atlanta, Georgia, concentrating in mergers & acquisitions, public company administration and contracts. He also spent a year in the management program at BellSouth.
Ray graduated summa cum laude and as valedictorian from Oglethorpe University in 1980. While at Oglethorpe, Ray also played intercollegiate basketball and tennis. He earned his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, in 1984 from the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the Georgia Law Review.
Ray’s professional and community activities include serving as Chair of the Corporate Counsel Section of the State Bar of Georgia, and as a member of the Board of Trustees and as Chair of the President's Advisory Council at Oglethorpe University.
Ray is a native of Atlanta, where he resides with his wife Florrie and their three sons, Scott, Bryan and Price.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
General Counsel, Secretary & Senior Vice President, Admin |
Current |
| The University of Georgia |
Juris Doctorate degree |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President, Business Dev |
Current |
Neel is the Vice President of Business Development for Interface, Inc., with responsibilities for strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, new venture development and corporate communications. He also has overall management and oversight of Interface’s global sustainable strategy group and the new venture, InterfaceRAISE. In this position he oversees a team focused on providing technical assistance, measurement and data management, program development, and communications and marketing support to Interface’s global businesses.
Neel also is currently on assignment in Europe as the acting Directeur Commercial of Interface, Inc.’s InterfaceFLOR business in France and is a member of the Interface Europe Executive Team.
Before joining Interface in 2003, Neel held positions in the investment banking and strategy consulting industries, the most recent of which was as a member of Ernst & Young’s Consulting Practice in Atlanta, GA., where he focused primarily on developing and delivering traditional business, turn-around, growth and customer strategies, across a variety of industries.
Neel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1993, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Georgia in 1999, where he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Terry College of Business.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President, Business Dev |
Current |
As Vice President of Strategic Alliances for Interface Americas, Eric is leading Interface's efforts to maintain strong relationships with critical suppliers, as well as seek strategic potential suppliers both within and outside of our industry. In 2007, Eric took over a new and important business for Interface called ReEntry 2.0, Interface's closed-loop process that recycles all types of carpet yarn and carpet backing and remakes them into beautiful products. As part of this process, Eric works closely with Interface's vendors (such as Universal Fibers) to understand and fulfill their strategic business needs and to see how their services may be aligned into this new business model.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President, Strategic Alliances, Interface Americasrequest This Speaker |
Current |
Jeff Roman is Vice President of Information Services for Interface, Inc. He has overall responsibility for the company’s information technologies.
Jeff joined Interface in June 1995, as General Manager of Interface Modernform Company Ltd. in Thailand. In October 1996, Jeff was promoted to Vice President of Manufacturing for Asia operations. In October 1998, Jeff was transferred to Interface Americas to implement the Y2K compliant manufacturing system in all North American operations. Jeff was named Vice President of Technical Development in February 2000 for Interface Americas, where he assumed responsibility for all product development and custom product development. In June 2001, he assumed his current role.
Before joining Interface, Jeff worked for 10 years in operational management positions in other broadloom and modular carpet businesses.
Jeff’s unique background in technology and manufacturing position him to leverage technology to maximize production and efficiency within Interface’s business units. In addition, he speaks to corporate and audiences on leveraging technology to reach customers and to connect associates at Interface throughout the world.
Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1985. A native of Dalton, GA, Jeff and his wife Diana, along with their three children, Mackenzie, Alec and Cooper, now live in Peachtree City, GA.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President |
Current |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
bachelor's degree in Industrial Management |
Former |
As Vice President Sales Logistics, Scott is responsible for sales training and several sales team support activities. He also provides sales and marketing leadership for the company’s government end-use market segment. In his role, he actively engages with internal and external customers to provide information to sell the company’s products and services. Scott has approximately 28 years of experience in sales, customer service, product management, marketing, and product pricing positions.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President, Sales & Logistics |
Current |
| Interface Flooring Systems Inc. |
Director, Marketing |
Current |
A veteran of brand marketing and communications, Steve Arbaugh serves as Vice President of Brand Alignment & Experience for the Americas division of Interface, Inc. As Vice President, he works with the InterfaceFLOR (commercial), FLOR (consumer), and Bentley Prince Street brands to integrate and leverage brand assets across all mediums, overseeing branding and communications, both externally and internally. Steve explains to audiences that the key to successful brands lies in the ability to engage key stakeholders by not only helping them understand key brand attributes but also the creation of memorable brand experiences.
As Vice President of Supply Chain for Interface, Tim is responsible for leading Interface's global supply chain improvement initiatives focused on: (1) improving overall working capital performance, (2) reducing total costs, and (3) advancing sustainability within the supply base. Tim is also responsible for leading Interface's Resource Efficient Transportation Team and managing Interface's global real estate portfolio.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Vice President, Supply Chain, Interface, Inc.Request This Speaker |
Current |
As Managing Director of InterfaceRAISE, Jim leads this important corporate consulting resource for Interface, Inc., which was created to educate others seeking to implement the necessary steps for becoming sustainable. For over a decade, Jim has been pursuing the objective of equipping others through education and knowledge to make sustainability understandable and accessible in the marketplace. Now leading the newly formed venture InterfaceRAISE, Jim is formalizing the knowledge he has gleaned to bring the tools for technical and cultural transformation to other companies who seek to follow Interface's lead to become more sustainable.
Amory Lovins is cofounder and CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute (www.rmi.org), an independent, entrepreneurial, nonprofit applied research center in Old Snowmass, Colorado. RMI fosters the efficient and restorative use of natural and human capital to create a secure, prosperous, and life-sustaining world. Lovins also founded and chairs RMI’s fourth for-profit spin-off, Hypercar, Inc. (www.hypercar.com), and cofounded its third, E source (www.esource.com). A consultant physicist educated at Harvard and Oxford, he has received an Oxford MA, eight honorary doctorates, a MacArthur Fellowship, the Heinz, Lindbergh, World Technology, and Hero for the Planet Awards, the Happold Medal, and the Nissan, Mitchell, "Alternative Nobel," Shingo, and Onassis Prizes; held visiting academic chairs; briefed 16 heads of state; published 28 books and several hundred papers; and consulted for scores of industries and governments worldwide. The Wall Street Journal’s Centennial Issue named him among 39 people in the world most likely to change the course of business in the 1990s, and Car magazine, the 22nd most powerful person in the global automotive industry. His work focuses on transforming the car, real-estate, electricity, water semiconductor, and several other sectors of the economy toward advanced resource productivity. He co-authored “Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution” with Paul Hawken and L. Hunter Lovins, (www.natcap.org), and “Small Is Profitable: The Hidden Economic Benefits of Making Electrical Resources the Right Size.”
As Director of Market Research and Educational Learning for InterfaceFLOR, Amy's responsibilities include researching and analyzing industry data and trends for the company's sales force and senior management. In addition, her public speaking role falls under Interface's Social Sustainability mission, which allows Amy to give back to communities and organizations by sharing her invaluable market research.
William D. Browning received a bachelor’s degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado specializing in energy-conscious architecture and resource management. He has a Masters of Science in Real Estate Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was awarded the MIT Center for Real Estate’s 1991 Public-Sector Fellowship, and, in 1995, the Charles H. Spaulding Award. He has been involved in the design of a number of projects, including advanced multi-story solar greenhouses using Buckminster Fuller’s last structural system, and an American Institute of Architects sponsored joint Soviet/American team for an award-winning youth exchange camp in the Republic of Georgia.
In 1991, Browning founded Rocky Mountain Institute’s Green Development Services, a program that researches and provides consulting on environmentally responsive real estate development. His consulting projects include new towns, resorts, building renovations, a bug zoo, Wal-Mart’s Eco-mart, the White House, the Grand Canyon National Park, Lucasfilm’s Letterman Digital Center, and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Village. He has worked on a number of U.S. Department of Defense facilities, including the Pentagon Renovation, the Navy Yard, the Air Force Academy, and the Pacific Air Force Headquarters. Browning has given numerous lectures and workshops for such organizations as the American Institute of Architects, CERES, the Councilors of Real Estate, the Urban Land Institute, the International Facilities Managers Association, MIT, Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Peking University, and Yestermorrow Design Build School.
In 2006, Browning partnered with Bob Fox and Rick Cook to found Terrapin, a firm dedicated to creating high-performance sustainability strategies for governments, corporations, and large-scale developments.
In 2003, Robert Fox joined with Richard Cook to form "Cook+Fox Architects", a firm devoted to creating environmentally responsible high performance buildings. Winner of the prestigious Urban Visionary Award from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (2002), Bob's work has been featured in exhibitions and publications internationally. He has been a Guest Lecturer at, among others, the National Building Museum, the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, the American Institute of Architects, and the United Nations Health and the Environment Conference, and has taught at both Cornell University and the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He received an Official Citation from the State of Connecticut "in recognition of his exemplary efforts to promote clean energy". A founding partner of Fox & Fowle Architects, Bob guided that firm to a prominent position of national leadership in the design of sustainable high-rise buildings and urban design. Under his direction, Fox & Fowle completed more than 30 major projects in New York City. Among them was the influential 4 Times Square - Conde Nast Headquarters, which set new standards for energy efficient high-rise buildings, received the coveted National Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects, and has been featured in hundreds of publications worldwide. Beginning in 1999, Bob directed a team that created Green Residential and Commercial Guidelines for the Battery Park City Authority in New York City. The Authority controls a 71-acre site at the south-western edge of Manhattan on the Hudson River and requires that these seminal documents be followed for all future residential and commercial construction. Bob continues to be the lead Sustainable Design Consultant for the New York City Transit Authority. He is involved in the conceptual planning of major projects and, with the Transit Authority, created their Design for the Environment Guidelines that are followed on all projects. Bob led the Sustainable Design Team for the proposed 8-mile, 16-station, 2nd Avenue Subway. Bob also created the Master Plan for the Corona Maintenance Project, a 100-acre facility in Queens adjacent to the Hudson River for the maintenance and cleaning of the No. 7 subway trains. Bob's keen interest and insight into Green Design are reflected in his active Board memberships and participation in various organizations. Bob has served on the Advisory Board to the College of Architecture, Art and Planning at Cornell University, and is the former Chair of the Van Alen Institute. He is currently a member of The Seminar on the City at Columbia University, and serves on the Advisory Boards for the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center at Syracuse University, the Indoor Environment Center @ Penn State, the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, and Green Ground Zero. Bob is the founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council/NY Chapter, and is a member of the "Green Team" for Interface, Inc., as well as the Co-Chair of the Sustainable Design Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York. He has served as a board member of De La Salle Academy since 2003. In addition, he is a member of the American Institute of Architects. Robert Fox received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University and a Master of Architecture from Harvard University. He and his wife Gloria live in Connecticut and the Hudson River Valley in New York.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| New York City Transit Authority |
Lead Sustainable Design Consultant |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
|
Current |
| American Institute of Architects |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| De La Salle Academy |
Board Member |
Current |
| Van Alen Institute |
Chair |
Former |
| Harvard University |
Master of Architecture |
Former |
There was a time when IQ was considered the leading determinant of success. In this fascinating book, based on brain and behavioral research, Daniel Goleman argues that our IQ-idolizing view of intelligence is far too narrow. Instead, Goleman makes the case for "emotional intelligence" being the strongest indicator of human success. He defines emotional intelligence in terms of self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, and the ability to love and be loved by friends, partners, and family members. People who possess high emotional intelligence are the people who truly succeed in work as well as play, building flourishing careers and lasting, meaningful relationships. Because emotional intelligence isn't fixed at birth, Goleman outlines how adults as well as parents of young children can sow the seeds.
Daniel Quinn is best known as the author of “Ishmael,” the novel that in 1991 won the Turner Tomorrow Fellowship, established to encourage authors to seek “creative and positive solutions to global problems.” Published by Bantam Books in 1992, Ishmael has appeared in 20 languages and is used in hundreds of classrooms all over the world. He subsequently published four more novels and two nonfiction works. His most recent novel is “The Holy.”
As President of FLOR, Greg oversees all operations for Interface's fast-growing modular carpet business for the consumer, which was launched in 2003. He is directly responsible for defining FLOR's vision, developing its business plan, and directing sales and operations. Drawing on more than 25 years of expertise in floor covering sales, management, and product development, Greg leads a relatively new business model for Interface, having launched FLOR in 2003. The new direct-to-consumer marketing model has resulted in innovative marketing methods and tools to reach the growing consumer market segment for Interface.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| University of Montana |
|
Current |
| Natural Logic, Inc. |
|
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
|
Current |
| The Natural Edge Project |
|
Current |
| New Jersey & Company |
Degrees In Natural Resource Management |
Former |
| Rutgers University |
Degrees In Forestry |
Former |
| New Jersey & Company |
Degrees In Forestry |
Former |
John Picard was the first member of the Interface Dream Team. Picard is one of the preeminent Energy, Technology, Telecommunications and Real Estate infrastructure advisors in North America and Asia and the founder of e2. e2 has become a leading voice and catalyst for the integration of these disciplines in establishing successful campaigns for world-class companies and significant real estate developments. Picard began integrating these principles with design and construction of several prominent residential projects in Southern California. In 1991, he designed and built the first of several of his own homes, incorporating renewable power and energy efficient technology with sustainable building design and IP-based monitoring systems. e2 has evolved and initiated breakthrough advances utilizing energy, technology and communications systems to create operational efficiency and superior profitability. As a visionary and futurist, Picard is a regular keynote speaker for Fortune 500 Companies, universities and technology events. He has been extensively published in major trade publications, and is affiliated with the Compaq Black Box Team and the MIT Media Lab.
Jonathon Porritt is a regular columnist for BBC Wildlife Magazine, NFU Countryside Magazine and the Gloucestershire Echo. Mr. Porritt's numerous appearances on television and radio, countless public lectures and many hard-hitting articles in newspapers and magazines have made him probably the best known "green" in Britain today. His first book published in 1984, Seeing Green, remains one of the most important expositions of green politics. Mr. Porritt directed Friends of the Earth (FoE) for six years, transforming it into one of the most powerful lobbying and research organizations. Partly, as a result of his approach in directing FoE, Mr. Porritt was appointed by the British Prime Minister as Chairman of the new Sustainable Development Commission in July 2000. For the past seven years, Mr. Porritt has been an Environmental Advisor to The Prince of Wales' Business and Environment Programme. Mr. Porritt also is a Trustee of WWF UK, vice-president of the Socialist Environment Resources Association (SERA), and chairman of the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust. Mr. Porritt continues to campaign actively on behalf of many smaller organizations. In 1996, Mr. Porritt established Forum for the Future, together with fellow Programme Directors, Sara Parkin and Paul Ekins. Mr. Porritt has written several books and his latest book, Playing Safe: Science and the Environment was published in May 2000. For more information, see web site: www.forumforthefuture.org.uk
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| BBC Wildlife Magazine |
Columnist |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
|
Current |
Judy Pike is a dedicated individual who brings passion and determination to Bentley Prince Street's movement towards sustainable commerce. As Director of Sustainability and Supply Management, Judy is responsible for sustainability initiatives and all supply chain management functions, including the company's Greening the Supply Chain program. Since 1996, Judy has been the driving force behind the company's sustainability initiatives, which have received awards and praise from the State of California.
Professor Karl-Henrik Robert, M.D., Ph.D., is one of Sweden’s foremost cancer scientists who, in 1989, initiated an environmental movement called "The Natural Step." In 1984, Robert won the Swedish Hematological Association Research Award. He headed the Division of Clinical Hematology and Oncology at the Department of Medicine at the Huddinge Hospital from 1985 until 1993. Robert has authored numerous scientific publications concerning leukemia, lymphoma, lung cancer and their clinical implications. His research on damaged human cells provided a platform for his interest in environmental questions. Later, with Dr. John Holmberg, he developed first order principles, the "system conditions," for ecological sustainability. Together with a growing network of scientists and decision makers in business and politics, the system conditions have been elaborated into a concrete framework for strategic planning towards sustainability. At the launch of The Natural Step (TNS), Robert edited educational material and distributed it to every household and school in Sweden. Thereafter, he initiated a number of independent professional networks to support the framework of The Natural Step. Business executives from major Swedish companies such as, IKEA, Electrolux, Swedish McDonalds, construction companies, the leading supermarket chains of Sweden, insurance companies, banks and a large number of other business corporations and municipalities have begun to incorporate the TNS framework into their business practices. In 1999 Robert received the Green Cross Millennium Award for International Environmental Leadership and in 2000 he won the Blue Planet Prize for scientifically laying out the systems perspective needed to plan strategically for sustainability and for changing the environmental awareness of business, municipalities and others. Robert has written many books, articles and scientific publications on the environment and sustainability that encourage an understanding of the linkage between ecology and economy.
As the Sustainability Manager at Bentley Prince Street and a LEED Accredited Professional, Kim is passionate about managing the company's programs on internal waste elimination (QUEST), end-of-life reclamation (ReEntry), and climate neutral products (Cool Carpet). Additionally, she is responsible for producing internal and external sustainability reports, including the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, organizing community projects, and communicating Bentley Prince Street's sustainability programs both internally and externally.
L. Hunter Lovins, Esq., helped establish and for six years was Assistant Director of the California Conservation Project (Tree People), an innovative urban forestry and environmental education group. She was one of the original cofounders of Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), which she co-directed from 1982 until 2002, an independent, nonprofit, entrepreneurial applied research center with a $4.8 million annual budget, half of it earned by programmatic enterprise. Areas of interest and expertise include Natural Capitalism, globalization, governance, land management, energy, water, green real-estate development, and community economic development. Lovins has co-authored nine books and dozens of papers, and was featured in the award-winning film, “Lovins On the Soft Path.” Her book, “Natural Capitalism,” co-authored with RMI’s CEO, Amory Lovins, and business author Paul Hawken, was released in September 1999 and is in its fourth printing. She co-authored “The Human Dimensions of Natural Capitalism” with Walter Link. Lovins was a 1982 Henry R. Luce Visiting Professor at Dartmouth College and has taught at several other universities and has shared a 1982 Mitchell Prize for an essay on reallocating utility capital, a 1983 Right Livelihood Award (often called the “alternative Nobel Prize”), a 1993 Nissan Award for an article on Hypercars, and the 1999 Lindbergh Award for Environment and Technology. In 2000, Lovins was named a Hero of the Planet by Time magazine, and received the Loyola University award for Outstanding Community Service. In 2001, she received an honorary doctorate of public service and the Leadership in Business Award and was also named one of four people from North America to serve as a delegate to the United Nations Prep conference for Europe and North America for the Earth Summit conference. She also received the 2001 Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing Research, and the LOHAS Leadership in Business award. Lovins serves on the boards of one government, two private corporations, many public interest groups and advises numerous companies and nonprofits, including Green Mountain Energy Company.
Paul Hawken is the founder and executive director of Natural Capital Institute. He is author and co-author of seven books including The Next Economy, Growing a Business, The Ecology of Commerce and, Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution with Amory Lovins. His latest book Blessed Unrest was published in May 2007 by Viking. For more information, visit www.paulhawken.com.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Natural Capital Institute |
Founder and Executive Director |
Current |
| Commerce Corp. |
Co-Author |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
|
Current |
Peter Senge, founder of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT's Sloan School of Management, experienced an epiphany while meditating one morning back in the fall of 1987. That was the day he first saw the possibilities of a "learning organization" that used "systems thinking" as the primary...
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| MIT Sloan School of Management |
Founder |
Current |
| Society for Organizational Learning |
Executive Assistant |
Current |
| Leaders for Business Ltd |
|
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
|
Current |
| The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook |
|
Current |
| Society for Organizational Learning |
Chairperson |
Former |
| Gurteen |
|
Current |
| MIT Sloan School of Management |
Senior Lecturer |
Former |
| Stanford University |
B.Sc. In Engineering |
Former |
Walter R. Stahel is an alumni of ETH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, in ZĂĽrich, where he received his diploma in architecture in 1971. He is one of the founder-directors of the Product-Life Institute (since 1983). Since 1987, he is also director in charge of risk management research, and vice-secretary-general, of the Geneva Association (International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics). Before, Stahel worked as an architect in London and as a project-manager at the Battelle Geneva Research Centres, Geneva, Centre for applied economics, in the fields of business strategy and feasibility studies. He left Battelle in 1980 to become personal assistant to the CEO of a holding company with worldwide activities in railway maintenance, shipping and real estate. In 1982, with a paper “The Product-Life Factor”, Stahel was one of the laureates of the Mitchell-Prize Competition on sustainable societies in Houston, TX USA. In 1978, together with Peter Perutz, he won a first prize in the competition of the German Future’s Society on the issue of job creation. Stahel has been a member of the first Environmental Council of the German Railways, Berlin 1996-2000, and of the Umweltrat of the UmweltBank, NĂĽrnberg, since its foundation in 1997 (presently as its chairman). He was member of the Jury of the Sustainable Growth Awards 1996, 1998 and 1999 of DuPont de Nemours, Wilmington, DE. Consultant on policies and strategies of a sustainable development to the European Commission in Brussels, he participated at its â€Futures 2010’ project, as well as ETAN and STRATA projects on research policy, risk management and global climate change, and presently on the issue of sustain-able and competitive production. He is an associate member of ESTO, the European Science and Technology Observatory. He works as a consultant on strategic issues for a number of large industrial companies (including BP, CORUS, Cookson, Kodak) as well as SMEs and national and regional governments. Stahel regularly lectures at universities and conferences in Europe, Japan and the USA on subjects ranging from tools such as eco-design, risk management and loss prevention. His research focuses on strategies and policies for a more sustainable development, and the insurability of risks as the â€natural’ borderline between State and the market economy. Among Stahel’s regular teaching assignments are the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ecole des Mines Ă Paris, and UniversitĂ© de technologies de Troyes in France.
Mr. Gable was elected as a director in March 1984. He is a private investor and was an attorney with the Atlanta-based law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP, from March 1996 until April 1998. Mr. Gable also served as a director of Fidelity Southern Corporation from July 2000 to November 2002, and currently serves on the board of one nonprofit organization. Mr. Gable currently serves as the lead independent director of the Board.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Chair |
Current |
| Fidelity Southern Corporation |
Director |
Former |
Dr. Henton was elected as a director in February 1995. Since 1985, Dr. Henton has served as Dean of the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University, which includes an Interior Design program. Dr. Henton, who received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, has provided leadership for a wide variety of professional, policy and civic organizations. As a charter member of the Operating Board of the National Textile Center, Dr. Henton has significant expertise in the integration of academic and research programs within the textile industry. Dr. Henton also serves on the board of one nonprofit organization.
Mr. Anderson founded Interface in 1973 and served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer until his retirement as Chief Executive Officer and transition from day-to-day management in July 2001, at which time he became Interface's non-executive Chairman of the Board. He chairs the Executive Committee of the Board and remains available for policy level consultation on substantially a full time basis. Mr. Anderson was appointed by President Clinton to the President's Council on Sustainable Development in 1996 and served as Co-Chair until the Council's dissolution. He currently serves on the boards of one private company and 10 nonprofit organizations.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Founder and Chairman |
Current |
| David Suzuki |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
Mr. Oliver was elected as a director in July 1998. He served as Chairman of Six Continents Hotels (formerly Bass Hotels and Resorts), the hotel business of Six Continents, PLC (formerly Bass PLC), from March 1997 until his retirement in March 2003, and served as Chief Executive Officer of Six Continents Hotels from March 1997 to October 2002. Mr. Oliver also currently serves as a director of UDR, Inc. (formerly United Dominion Realty Trust, Inc.).
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. |
President |
Former |
| Vornado Realty Trust |
Executive Officer |
Current |
| Ariel Capital Management LLC |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| The Joseph P. Kennedy, JR. Foundation |
Treasurer |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. |
Executive Vice President |
Former |
| Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. |
Research Analyst |
Former |
| Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau |
Chairman |
Former |
| Illinois Council |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Citizens Energy Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Children's Memorial Hospital |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| City Club of Chicago |
Board Member |
Former |
| The Chicago Council On Foreign Relations |
Board Member |
Former |
| The Executives' Club of Chicago |
Board Member |
Former |
| Rehabilitation Institute |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| Northwestern University |
Master's of Management |
Former |
| Boston College |
Bachelor's Degree In Political Science |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
Mr. Paisner was elected as a director in February 2007. Mr. Paisner is Senior Partner of the law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner, LLP in London, England. He currently is a member of the boards of FIBI Bank (UK) plc and Think London (the official inward investment agency of London, England), and serves as a Governor of Ben Gurion University of the Negev and as a Trustee of the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. Formerly, Mr. Paisner has served as a director of LINPAC Group Limited and Estates & Agency Holdings plc.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
|
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| LINPAC Group Limited |
Director |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Fidelity Bank |
Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Fidelity Southern Corporation |
Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Fidelity Bank |
Chairman |
Current |
| American Software, Inc. |
Chairman |
Current |
| Fidelity Southern Corporation |
Chairman of The Board |
Current |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| American Software, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Florida State University |
Bachelor of Arts Degree |
Former |
| Vanderbilt University |
L.L.B. |
Former |
| Vanderbilt University Law School |
L.L.B. |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Interface Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
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