The electronics industry has banded together to help improve social responsibility and environmental sustainability across manufacturing and supply chains. In this panel discussion, part of the Socially and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chains conference held at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, executives from four companies involved share some of their key learnings about what it takes to make the business case for collaboration on social and environmental issues. They consider the value and challenges associated with working together with other industry players, as well as why it's been easier to do so in electronics than in some other business areas. The work represents the cutting edge of social responsibility and environmental sustainability on the corporate level.
Laura Commike joined Business for Social Responsibility, the world leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR) research and consulting, in 2005 as a manager on the advisory services team. She develops and implements corporate social responsibility initiatives with multinational companies, largely in the information and communications technology (ICT), pharmaceuticals and biotech, media and entertainment, and financial services sectors. Commike facilitates the Electronic Industry Code of Conduct Implementation Group, and her project work includes responsible supply chain management, CSR strategy, stakeholder engagement, and CSR reporting. She also helps companies foster small and medium enterprise development in emerging markets, and she authored a report on ICT’s role in economic development in China for the Ford Foundation. Commike holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University.
Gráinne Blanchette is responsible for the administration of the business conduct and ethics programs at Solectron Corporation, a leading global electronics manufacturing services provider with some 50,000 employees in more than 20 countries. She manages many projects related to the company’s global values, including social responsibility. Prior to her leadership role in ethics and compliance at Solectron, Blanchette dealt primarily with fair employment strategies and global best practices in employee relations, and was labor and employment counsel for North America. She retains those responsibilities today. Before joining Solectron in 2000, she held management roles in human resources and business administration in the consumer products manufacturing industry.
Edna M. Conway serves as senior director of the newly created advanced sourcing organization within Cisco Manufacturing, a part of the networking and communications technology giant Cisco Systems. She leads the company's supplier management team in establishing manufacturing excellence, worldwide product compliance, and social responsibility and supplier diversity across the supply chain. Conway also serves on Cisco’s corporate stewardship council. Prior to joining Cisco in 2000, for 18 years Conway ran her own international private legal practice, serving the business, technology, and employment and litigation needs of regional, national, and international private and public clients. She pursued her undergraduate training in biomedical engineering and medieval and Renaissance literature at Columbia University, and her law degree at the University of Virginia.
Judith Glazer is responsible for integrating global social and environmental responsibility operations policy into the supply chain at Hewlett-Packard, one of the world's largest technology and solutions providers. Her work involves product and service providers from design and materials through manufacturing, distribution, and product end-of-life. Her team has played an important role in establishing standards in the electronics industry for recycling, product materials restrictions and supplier labor, environmental, health and safety, and ethics practices. Glazer joined Hewlett-Packard in 1989 and has held a variety of supply chain and engineering positions.
Danielle Harder is leading the supply chain social and environmental accountability initiative at the computer giant Microsoft. Previously, she held several positions leading new product teams in development and manufacturing for the hardware business. She represents the company in two industry groups, including the Global e-Sustainability Initiative’s supply chain working group and in the Electronics Industry Code of Conduct group, where she serves on the board.
Resources
This free podcast is from our Responsible Supply Chains series.
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