I think it's important to know what the product is, who is making it, even knowing what the conditions are like in the factory. I want to know if there's a way to make this product that is more ethical, more environmentally responsible -- I think that is a better way to start than beginning solely with philanthropy and giving back.
--Sandra Taylor
Businesses today are scrambling to meet the demands of the "Green Revolution," and, specifically, the recent push for greater Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), while still improving growth on the bottom line. Companies are looking around to see how to embed it into the business strategy, and create measurement systems that incentivize innovation and creativity. This broadcast will demonstrate how bold leadership defines corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and innovative practices used to empower the next generation of leaders to implement new standards.
Participants in this program will learn:
- The key steps to putting into place a thorough model for CSR.
- The steps to attract and retain employees as part of their overall CSR model.
- The importance of corporate philanthropy exceeding monetary donations and how to proactively build goodwill in communities.
- The fundamentals of sustainability and examine the intricacies of the group’s supply chain to better understand all practices and how they can be incorporated into a successful CSR model.
- How to position the organization as a leader in environmental practices, beyond simply abiding by environmental regulations.
_____________________
Sandra Taylor served as the senior vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington, from 2003-2008. In this capacity, she led the strategic development and day-to-day direction of all CSR programs including community affairs, the Starbucks Foundation, support for disaster relief; development of responsible and sustainable standards for business practices and product procurement; and the management of programs to reduce the environmental impact of business operations. In addition, she was responsible for public policy and government relations and the publication of the company’s award-winning CSR annual report. Taylor launched Starbucks innovative coffee-buying guidelines, Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices, paying premium prices to poor coffee farmers for producing high quality coffee, protecting the environment and biodiversity, and providing social improvements for their community. She also designed and led social investment programs for education, health, income generation, skills training and access to clean drinking water in Central America, India and Africa. Taylor is currently president and CEO of Sustainable Business International LLC. Prior to her role at Starbucks, Taylor served as vice president and director of public affairs for Eastman Kodak Company. As a corporate officer, she had overall responsibility for public affairs, international trade policy and corporate citizenship worldwide. She also worked as a Foreign Service officer for the United States Department of State.