Sustainable Brands conference comes to South Africa in May

The four-day conference, called SB’16 Cape Town, features a line-up of over 80 speakers who will lead discussions into how to innovate your brand for sustainability now. Leading sustainability practitioners will host interactive discussion groups, breakout sessions, plenary presentations and networking activities for the business delegates, creative minds and the country’s future leaders.

Sustainable Brands is the premier global community of brand innovators who are shaping the future of commerce worldwide. Since 2006, its mission has been to inspire, engage and equip today’s business and brand leaders to prosper for the near and long term by leading the way to a better future. Digitally published news articles and issues-focused conversation topics, internationally known conferences and regional events, a robust e-learning library and peer-to-peer membership groups all facilitate community learning and engagement throughout the year.

The group was recently crowned among the top influencers and brands on social media, according to a study conducted by social network analysis site Onalytica, measuring user engagement with influencers and brands on Twitter in order to determine the global leaders in the sustainability conversation. To access the full Onalytica report, click here.

Conference speakers, topics

• Mohamed Samir, president: India, Middle East and Africa, Procter and Gamble – “P&G’s best brand stories from Africa where growth and social development have become inseparable”

• Seapei Mafoyane, CEO, Shanduka Black Umbrellas – “Enterprise development and how innovation and entrepreneurship are key to social and economic transformation”
• Jason Drew, African Innovations Foundation Prize winner and mastermind behind the award-winning AgriProtein business – “The Environmental Capitalist - how innovation is transforming energy and food security”
• Saint-Francis Tohlang, South Africa’s leading young business mind and trends analyst - “New pathways to development and how brands can emulate human qualities in creatively contributing to social and environmental solutions that will lead to new developmental pathways in emerging markets”
• Dr David North, former UK Head: Corporate Affairs, TESCO, and now group executive: strategy and corporate affairs, Pick n Pay - “How the food retailing industry has adapted to meet the new demands of managing food security and supply chains”
• David Schwartz, sustainability entrepreneur, designer and researcher from the US – “Examining how design and development can influence entrepreneurs, policymakers and all others dedicated to the pursuit of social impact”
• Dr Anthony Turton, hydrology expert and conflict resolution specialist – “The Coming Age of water - the impacts of the water crises on mining and the economy”
• Chris Coulter, president, Globescan – “The latest research into developing road maps for regeneration”
• Cormac Cullinan, environmental advocate and author of Wild Law – “Wild Law – a discussion on issues relating to environmental governance and the shifting landscape of compliance in relation to policy”
• Christelle Marais, procurement and sustainability specialist for Africa, SAB Miller – “Better Business - insights into how SAB Miller is developing and implementing responsible sourcing and building authentic relationships within supply chains”
• Carla Tavares, programme marketing manager, The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC International) – “How certification can develop trusted brand recognition and verifiable supply chains”
• Dr Jaisheila Rajput, value chain specialist and CEO, TOMA – NOW (Tomorrow Matters Now) – “Mapping and developing value chains – looking at how companies that have their house in order can look forward to sustained growth and adapt to new market challenges and opportunities”
• Andrea Ferry, sustainability consultant - “The role of organisational change agents and how their influence enables brands to shift direction to face the new challenges within the economy and brand development”
• Claire Janisch, biomimicry expert – “How to develop strategies for abundance by exploring life’s principles and emulating nature’s success strategies from the perspective of the pioneer species within mature ecosystems”
• Dr Geoff Kendall, CEO and Co-founder, Future Fit – “Entrepreneurship and innovation”
• David Katz, founder, The Plastic Bank – “Recycling and its impacts on innovation and poverty alleviation”
• Davide Stronati, head: strategy, Mott Macdonald (global engineering, management and development consultants) – “Strategy and leadership across countries in the developing world”
• Ingun Berget, former CEO, Amer Sports Norway – “Renewable energy and how it impacts the innovation and entrepreneur landscapes”
• Jeff King, senior director for sustainability, CSR and social innovation, The Hershey Company – “Hershey’s Energise Learning programme in Ghana”
• Joanne Yawitch, CEO, The National Business Initiative – “Socio-economic sustainability and governance”
• Jonathon Hanks, CEO and founder, Incite – “Leadership, shared value and transparency and its implications for new business leaders tackling the ever-changing business landscape”
• Justin Smith, group head: Sustainability, Woolworths – “A Perfect Storm: Food Security, Affordability and Drought as South Africa is in the grips of a water and food crisis”
• Kevin James, CEO and founder, Global Carbon Exchange Africa – “Corporate approaches to the economic, social and environmental imperatives and how risk and opportunity are flipsides of the same coin”

• Lisa Parkes – project manager, Cape Craft and Design Institute – “The Appreciative Enquiry model utilised in The Better Living Challenge (BLC), a five-year project that implements design solutions and the commercialisation of these solutions for low-income housing to improve living conditions”

For more information, go to http://events.sustainablebrands.com/sb16ct.