“We are at a critical point in terms of sustainability leadership. Current efforts by incumbents – regardless how difficult – only incrementally advance what it means to be best-in-class, while the scale of change required means jumping to a new class altogether. We must re-invent the very ways that business is done and value measured.”

Mark Lee is SustainAbility’s Executive Director. He is based in Berkeley, California and his work helps companies make more and faster progress on sustainable development. Mark has two decades experience in key leadership positions in the sustainability field. He possesses expertise in sustainability strategy and implementation as well as the systems, governance, public policy, accountability and stakeholder engagement aspects of this agenda. Mark also has extensive knowledge of climate change, economic development, value chains, and the linkages between sustainability and branding. Mark oversees SustainAbility’s think tank as well as SustainAbility’s consultancy in the Americas. His past and present portfolio includes Bayer, Brown-Forman, BT, Cisco, Darden, Disney, Ford, Gap, Natura, Nestlé, Nike, Novo Nordisk, Shell and Starbucks. An exceptional consensus builder, Mark has led facilitation for numerous high-level, multi-sector stakeholder engagements. Mark is a valued partner to various public and non-profit organizations, a compelling presenter, and a regular contributor to media.

Mark was previously Vice President at Business for Social Responsibility in San Francisco and Manager, CSR at Vancity Savings in Vancouver.

Education

• – University of British Columbia, BA Political Science/English
  – Simon Fraser University, graduate studies in Community Economic Development
  – The University of Cambridge’s Prince of Wales’ Business and the Environment Programme
  – Haas Berkeley, Business Development Program

Personal Interests

Family, friends, food and wine, media, great fiction and sports that take you up mountains (skiing and hiking)

Languages

• English