Graduate Seminar: Annie Weisbrod

Principal Scientist, Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Environmental Stewardship, The Proctor & Gamble Company

Sustainability Focus Area and Supply Chain Approaches at P&G

Abstract

Companies can use a variety of methods to understand and instigate improvements to the sustainability of their operations and products. What drives them to do so? This seminar will review the long term sustainability vision and shorter term goals of Procter & Gamble (P&G), and its sustainable supply chain management system. Results from multiple Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and other studies led P&G and its leading supplier partners to develop an environmental sustainability scorecard and ratings process for suppliers. Aspects to how such a system is put into practice, the necessary collaboration it entails, and the current capabilities of global supply chains to measure and improve in sustainability metrics, will be shared. The importance of this particular program is twofold. First, scorecard responses are used as input to the P&G annual supplier performance rating and feedback process, officially linking environmental sustainability and social responsibility with business contracts, awards, and design criteria for P&G product quality, value, and performance. Secondly, to develop the scorecard responses, many suppliers must develop environmental management systems to track and improve the metrics, which should lead to greater operations efficiencies and environmental protection, as well as more accurate and available life cycle inventories worldwide.   Other industries are in various stages of adoption of the scorecard system.

Bio

Employment

• Procter & Gamble, Product Safety & Regulatory Affairs, Cincinnati OH (1998 to present).
• Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Environmental Protection, Finland (1992).
• Outokumpu Oy, Corporate Communications, Helsinki Finland (1991-1992).
• AIESEC-US, Inc., Publications & Sustainability, New York, NY (1990-1991).
• University of Wisconsin, Entomology & Toxicology, Madison, WI (1987-1990).

 

Education

• Ph.D. in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. Minor in Marine Sciences. North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC USA.
• B.S. in Zoology, with emphases in genetics, limnology and journalism. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI USA.