North American Sustainability & Responsibility Summit

With over 30 years of experience at Procter & Gamble in Brand Management and Innovation, Virginie has a broad experience across multiple categories and global to local brand management expertise across several of P&G multi-billion dollar brands (Pantene, Ariel/Tide, Pampers) with international experience spanning North America and Europe.

Prior to her current position, she was the Western Europe Franchise Leader for Ariel, one of P&G’s largest brands, where she turned Ariel into the leader in Sustainability through the launch of the highly successful “Cool Clean/Turn to 30” campaign and the most sustainable laundry product (Excel Gel). Beyond her brand and innovation expertise, she is also recognized for her visioning, change management and leadership development skills.

In July 2011, she recommended the creation of a new position — Global Sustainability Brand Director, working across all P&G business units and regions. Her mission was to embed sustainability into the innovation, brand-building and everyday business practices at P&G. 

In July 2016, she was promoted to Vice President of Global Sustainability, in recognition of the work she has led to make sustainability a core business strategy, an innovation driver and a catalyst for a more resilient organization. She is the architect of the “Ambition 2030” goals, an industry-leading roadmap that is transforming how P&G integrating sustainability across its supply chain, innovation and brand building. Virginie has received the 2018 Women Leading Award from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and was selected as one of the 25 women shaking up the climate movement in 2020. In 2019, she became the first P&G Chief Sustainability Officer.

David Allen is Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA), which includes Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) and Quaker Foods North America (QFNA). In this role, he is responsible for helping PFNA execute its sustainability vision of building a more sustainable food system and reducing environmental impact. The company’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) sustainability commitments span three key pillars:  Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain, and Positive Choices.

David began his career with PepsiCo as an engineer in 1996.  He then spent the next 20 years in various field manufacturing and distribution roles in multiple locations, giving him significant breadth and depth of supply chain experience. Prior to his current role, David served as the Senior Director of Quality and Food Safety for PFNA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University.

Jen Huffstetler is the Chief Product Sustainability Officer, VP & GM Future Platform Strategy & Sustainability at Intel. In this role she is responsible for driving the integration and execution of the corporate-wide Intel Platform technologies and business strategies to drive future growth and corporate level product strategy and action for Sustainability.

Huffstetler joined Intel in 1996 as a fab process engineer and has spent most of her career applying her extensive technical and business experience to lead strategy, product management, and product marketing efforts for a number of core Intel businesses. Most recently she led Data Center Platform Strategy, responsible for building and executing cross-corporate Cloud to Edge technical and business strategies, incubating new services, and driving Xeon Business Management and Operations. She previously held roles spanning product management for all data center processor products, GPUs and Intel Optane® DIMMs and drove product and segment P&Ls, and mobile products including launching Intel® Centrino Mobile Technology, desktop products, and Intel Server boards, management software, and systems.

Huffstetler holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from MIT, and an MBA from Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School in Corporate Entrepreneurship. She is also a certified Executive Leadership Coach from Hudson Institute, Korn-Ferry Interpreter, and Birkman Certified and serves on Intel’s Disability & Accessibility Network leadership council. Jennifer is also a Board Member for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

As Ford’s Vice President, Chief Sustainability, Environment and Safety Officer, Bob Holycross leads a global team responsible for developing and implementing the company’s sustainability strategy and is responsible for its global policies and performance related to the environment, human rights and product safety. He is deeply committed to Ford’s overarching purpose – building a better world where
every person is free to move and pursue their dreams – and is proud to be playing a key role in helping the company reach its ambitious goal to lead the electric vehicle revolution and achieve carbon neutrality across its vehicles, facilities and supply chain by 2050.

Prior to his current role, Bob was Ford’s Director, Sustainability, Homologation and Compliance. In this position, he was responsible for sustainable business plans and policies, environmental regulatory affairs and compliance. This included reporting on the company’s environmental and social performance, and engaging with policymakers, non-government organizations and other stakeholders.

Before that, Bob was vice president of Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, Ford of Europe, Middle East and Africa, where he was responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental and safety regulations, as well as the development and implementation of the company’s environment and safety strategy, policy and performance in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Bob began his career at Ford in 1993 as a Ford College Graduate. Since that time, he has also held several engineering and leadership positions related to shaping and reforming regulatory protocols and compliance in support of Ford’s business plans. He has chaired several government and industry committees, testified before federal and state government bodies on environmental and energy matters, and moderated several third-party technical panels through organizations such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the U.S. Clean Air Act Advisory Committee. He has also served on the boards of multiple industry trade associations and organizations advocating for renewable energy and clean transportation.

Bob earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University. He also holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Michigan State.

As Cargill’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Pilar Cruz is responsible for leading the company’s efforts to drive transformational change in delivering sustainable supply chains for customers around the globe, while making agriculture part of how we deliver on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This aim is core to Cargill’s purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way.

Pilar also leads Cargill’s global Communications and Corporate Responsibility functions, which includes advancing partnerships focused on accelerating progress on climate, food security, human rights, and women’s economic empowerment.

Prior to her current role, Pilar served as president and group leader of Cargill’s global aqua nutrition business. Under her leadership, Cargill launched its SeaFurther Sustainability initiative, designed to help the company and the broader seafood industry reduce its carbon footprint.

With over two decades of business and operations experience, Pilar brings a global and diverse perspective to the Executive Team. Her career with Cargill – including leadership positions across the protein and animal nutrition businesses, as well as leading the global Corporate Strategy and Development function – has brought her from the plains of the south central United States, to Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, several European countries and the United Kingdom.

Outside of Cargill, Pilar serves on the Board of Donaldson Company Inc. – a Minneapolis-based public company, and a global leader in engine and industrial air, oil and liquid filtration solutions. Additionally, Pilar was appointed to the World Food Program USA’s Board of Directors, an organization Cargill has been working with for over 20 years. Together, Cargill and WFP USA will continue to work toward sustainable solutions that end hunger and malnutrition, so every family in need has access to safe, nutritious and affordable food.

Originally from Bogotá Colombia, Pilar is the first Latina promoted to Cargill’s executive team. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Universidad de Los Andes and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Brian Moran is the chief sustainability officer of The Boeing Company and serves as a member of the Boeing Executive Council. Moran is responsible for advancing the company’s approach on aerospace sustainability priorities, stakeholder engagement and integrated reporting. His Executive Council responsibilities include driving shared awareness of sustainability trends, opportunities and risks to guide company decision-making and global impact. Moran reports to both the CEO and the Governance and Public Policy committee of the Board, and is based in Amsterdam. Prior to this role, Moran served as vice president, Global Sustainability Policy & Partnerships for Boeing where he led a global team responsible for informing the global policy landscape and deepening partnerships to advance Boeing’s sustainability objectives. In his more than two decades with Boeing, Moran has held leadership roles in Boeing’s commercial and defense businesses, in communications and in government affairs. Moran holds a dual degree in international business and French from Lindenwood University and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University’s Olin School of Business. He completed executive programs at The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and a Brookings Institution legislative fellowship on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Moran speaks English, German and French and he is an alumnus of both the Atlantik-Brücke German-American Young Leaders program as well as the French-American Foundation Young Leaders program.

As Colgate-Palmolive’s Chief Sustainability Officer Ann leads Colgate’s Global Sustainability strategy and key initiatives, integrating a strong technical foundation across people, performance and planet into commercial strategic purpose. Ann holds a BA degree in Applied Science, a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master’s of Engineering degree in Manufacturing Systems. Most recently Ann has completed a Certificate of Sustainability from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. Currently she is on the Boards of the UNGC Network USA and FLOW Beverages.

Gavin Towler is the Corporate Vice President and Chief Scientist, Sustainable Technologies and CSO for Honeywell, with broad technical accountability across Honeywell for driving thought leadership in Sustainable Technologies.

Gavin has 30 years of experience of process and product design in the chemicals and fuels industries and has 77 US patents.  Prior to his current role he served as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell UOP and of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. He is co-author of “Chemical Engineering Design”, a textbook on process design, and is an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University and the National University of Singapore, where he helps teach the senior design classes.

Gavin has a B.A. and M.Eng. in chemical engineering from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Fellow of the AIChE and a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering.

Letitia is a managing director in the Sustainable Investment Group and chief sustainability officer for the Asset Management Private Markets Division. She serves on the Asset Management Division Sustainability Council. Letitia joined Goldman Sachs as a managing director in 2020. Letitia started and leads the Sustainability platform for the Private Markets division which oversees over $450 billion in AUM. She leads the strategy and impact efforts, supports sourcing, portfolio engagement and sits on the Investment Committee for the Horizon Environment and Climate Fund, a private equity fund dedicated to investing in environmental and climate solutions to support the transition to a more sustainable economy and planet.

Prior to joining the firm, Letitia was chief sustainability officer and partner at Mission Driven Capital Partners (MDCP), a private equity firm that invests in sustainable products and solutions to accelerate corporate sustainability efforts. Prior to MDCP, she served as global vice president of sustainability and head of purpose for the VF Corporation, the Fortune 500 parent company of brands, including The North Face, Timberland and Vans. She created the VF Made for Change Sustainability Strategy and led the effort to create and integrate a first-ever, enterprise-wide purpose.

Earlier in her career, Letitia spent twelve years at The North Face as senior director of marketing, where she focused on strategic marketing, sustainability and outdoor participation. She began her career at Sheep Mountain Alliance, a grassroots citizen organization dedicated to preserving the natural environment in Southwest Colorado.

Letitia serves as a director on the boards of Recover LLC, Metiri, LLC, Impact Nano LLC, and Tres Mesas Wind Farm.

Letitia earned a BA from Bowling Green State University and an MBA from Pinchot University.

Andre Argenton is Dow’s chief sustainability officer and vice president of Environment, Health, and Safety (EH&S). He is responsible for corporate EH&S governance and sustainability. Throughout his career, he has worked across the spectrum of chemistries and technologies at Dow supporting a broad range of industries and also covering all facets of innovation from new product development to process research and customer-facing application development.

Julie Kitcher is Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications at Airbus. In her position, she oversees the Company’s sustainability roadmap, driving Airbus’ contribution to current environmental, societal, regulatory and technological challenges. She also leads Communications company-wide, promoting the Airbus brand internally and externally in support of Airbus’ strategic objectives.

Julie is a member of the Airbus Executive Committee, reporting to the CEO, Guillaume Faury. Since taking on her responsibilities in 2019, Julie led the articulation of Airbus’ purpose: to pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. In addition, Julie drove the performance management, internal controls and corporate audit functions as well as the Company’s transformation agenda. Under her leadership, Airbus received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its near-term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Julie was appointed Chair of the Airbus Foundation board in 2021. As such, she is actively involved in shaping the Foundation’s work in humanitarian support, environmental action and youth development. She has been appointed member of the board to the Toulouse School of Economics’ Fondation Jean-Jacques Laffont. Julie also sits on the boards of Airbus Helicopters UK and the International Chamber of Commerce France as well as the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council, fostering the development of aerospace technologies, facilities and regulatory framework in the UK.

In her previous position, Julie was the Executive Vice President Communications and Corporate Affairs, also serving as the CEO’s Chief of Staff, prior to which she was Head of Investor Relations and Financial Communication at Airbus. She is a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA) and holds an MSc from ESC Skema (Lille).

Mary Jane Melendez is Chief Sustainability and Global Impact Officer for General Mills.  Mary Jane leads the company’s efforts to build resilience for people, our planet and the business.  She stewards the company’s global impact efforts, working closely with leaders across the organization to develop, coordinate and execute programs to achieve companywide environmental and social targets. Mary Jane is responsible for advancing collaboration and integration across the enterprise to drive change by promoting environmentally and socially responsible practices across the value chain, from farm to fork and beyond.  Mary Jane recently received the Hendrickson Medal for Ethical Leadership from the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota for her leadership in employing ethical approaches to solve business, community, and planetary challenges. Mary Jane earned both her MBA and bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. She currently serves on the board of the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation as well as the Executive Committee of the Conference Board’s Sustainability Council.