Futur/io Reveals the 20 Nominees for the inaugural CSO Awards /24

The 20 leaders have been selected by a dedicated Nomination Committee led by chairman Marc Buckley, from among the TOP100 European Chief Sustainability Officers. They represent a diverse group spread across Europe and industries. We see decades-long leadership from French CSOs to young or recently appointed CSOs from the Nordics just a few years back and to corporate activists pushing beyond regulatory standards, from major corporations such as Ingka Group (IKEA), Vestas, Louis Vouitton, Danone and many others.

“All of these 20 CSOs together are connected by their pioneering action and ambition for the corporate sector towards regenerative futures. In the times of COP28, we know this is just a start and a more ambitious outcome is needed urgently. Our thanks are to the nomination committee members for shining a light on those top 20 CSOs for 2024,” stated Harald Neidhardt, CEO & Curator for the Futur/io Institute, the organiser of the CSO Awards /24.

Alexandra Palt, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer and CEO of the Fondation L’Oréal, Member L’Oréal Executive Committee, L’Oréal

Andreas Wade, Director Group Sustainability, Viessmann
Arthur Schneider, Head of Sustainability Management, Bechtle Group
Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand, Group Head of Sustainability, Handelsbanken
Christelle Capdupuy,Chief Sustainability Officer, Louis Vuitton
Constance Chalchat, Chief Sustainability Officer, Global Markets, BNP Paribas CIB
Daniella Vega, Global Senior Vice President Health & Sustainability, Ahold Delhaize
Gianluca Ansalone, Head of Public Affairs & Sustainability, Novartis
Henri Bruxelles, Chief Sustainability and Strategic Business Development Officer, Danone
Inês Oom de Sousa, Head of ESG Europe, Santander Group
Jean-François Pascal, Vice President Sustainability, Beiersdorf
Karen Pflug, CSO, Ingka Group (IKEA)
Linda Freiner, Group Head of Sustainability, Zurich Insurance
Lisa Malmquist Ekstrand, Vice President Sustainability, Vestas
Marie-Claire Daveu, Chief Sustainability and Institutional Affairs Officer, Kering
Petra Wicklandt, Head of Corporate Sustainability, Merck
Rebecca Marmot, CSO, Unilever
Silke Jolowicz, Head of Sustainability, Munich Re
Ulrike Sapiro, CSO, Henkel
Vanessa Butani, VP Group Sustainability, Electrolux

“It has been challenging to bring down to 20 Nominees a list of so many leaders who have showcased exemplary leadership and commitment to shifting the course of European business, specially in corporate sustainability.” stated the Nomination Committee’s chairman Marc Buckley, climate activist and advisor to the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), “We hope to highlight the diversity of these commitments, and inspire other leading companies to follow suit by talking courageously on these matters and walking the talk. That’s our only way forward.”

About the Nomination/ and Nomination Committee

The Nomination Committee, comprised of 12 faculty members and partners of the Futur/io Institute, was lead by chairman Marc Buckley, and composed of Alan Moore (Beautiful Business), Dijana Galijasevic (Impact Hero), Heather Deeth (Hollyhock), Ida Faldbakken (KatapultX), Ingmar Rentzhog (We Don’t Have Time), Michael Winter (Pool Sparring mit der Zukunft), Nadine Michalske (Klima.Metrix), Nanda Bergstein (Camm solutions), Raphael Gielgen (Vitra), Vaitea Cowan (Enapter) and Zoë Red (Creatives for Climate).

( Discover the 20 Nominees for the Futur/io CSO Awards /24 : https://csoawards.eu/ )

The criteria to select those nominees highlights their leadership role in being influential voices to communicate their companies’ progress towards a net zero target date. A more progressive timeline of starting at 2025 and 2030 is ranked higher than a laggard category of a 2050 target. Consideration included training initiatives and demonstrated action projects.

A Grand Jury is now taking the next step to find the final three winners which will be announced in Davos during an exclusive gala event to celebrate the invited Top 100 European CSOs.

The esteemed Grand Jury consists of an unparalleled expertise:

• Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, Co-President, Club of Rome
• John Elkington, Chairman & Co-Founder, volans; author of 20+ books about the Triple Bottom Line (People – Planet – Profit)
• Horst von Buttlar, Editor in Chief, Wirtschaftswoche
• Helle Bank Jorgensen, CEO, Competent Boards
• Harald Neidhardt, CEO & Curator, Futur/io Institute
• Prof. Cordula Meckenstock, Chief People, Culture & ESG Officer, BayWa AG; Professor, Leipzig University
• Chris Luebkeman, Head of Foresight, ETH Zurich University

About the CSO Awards /24 and the Gala Night

The CSO Awards, an esteemed recognition in the realm of corporate sustainability, celebrates the outstanding contributions of Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) who have demonstrated exemplary commitment and leadership in advancing sustainability practices within their organisations.

The initiative shines a light on the remarkable efforts of these leaders. It aims to set higher standards among major European corporations that need to drastically shift into new business models that are in line with planetary boundaries, and lead by example.

The CSO Awards /24 Ceremony Gala Night, to be held in Davos during the opening night of the World Economic Forum (WEF), January 15, will be the fifth event held by the Futur/io Institute in Davos during the WEF annual meeting, in parallel with the annual Futur/io Executive Reception that saw its first edition in January 2019 and has since gathered influential voices from corporate sustainability and innovation.

( For more information about the Futur/io CSO Awards /24, please visit www.csoawards.eu or contact Luciana Prestes (luciana@futur.io) )

Our Partners

The Futur/io CSO Awards /24 is made possible by the support of our dedicated partners, like Made in Sustainability, Mazars, Vitra, Impact Hero, Qurator, and others.

About the Futur/io Institute:

The Futur/io Institute, founded in 2017, is a pioneering organisation dedicated to shaping a future where sustainability, technology, and innovation are at the core of global progress. With a mission to co-create desirable futures, the institute provides a platform for thought leaders, innovators, and change-makers to shape the futures of business and society.

Futur/io works with organisations like the UNFCCC and corporates in leadership training and organises Executive Programmes to inspire future leaders in sustainable innovation. Futur/io is based in Hamburg and works as a European think-tank with a selected international and diverse faculty of 100+ leaders in sustainability.

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