Month: May 2026

Global Fashion Agenda returned with its 17th annual Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen earlier this month. Host Arizona Muse and chief executive officer Federica Marchionni played guiding roles throughout the event which spanned 140 speakers and hundreds of global attendees, including Cascale staff and members.

Insights from GFS

• Treat sustainability like enterprise risk management.
• Companies that prioritize long-term business value come out on top.
• Inclusion across the value chain is integral.

Finance, policy, artificial intelligence, luxury retail, consumer behavior, and more were among the three-day programming.

Financing sustainability was another topical subject. One session included H&M’s head of green investment Ulrika Leverenz; BESTSELLER’s head of sustainability Dorte Rye Olsen; Kering’s sustainable finance director Laurence Barrère; and Boston Consulting Group’s managing director Catharina Martinez-Pardo. It accompanied GFA’s “Fashion CFO Agenda 2026: Building Financial Resilience Through Sustainability” report produced with BCG. This report was one of many GFA-authored reports released during the week, others with impact measurement or policy in mind.

Both Cascale members, BESTSELLER’s Olsen emphasized the importance of deeper finance team involvement in sustainability efforts and integrating sustainability beyond dedicated ESG functions. H&M Group’s Leverenz framed sustainability as enterprise risk management.

In a separate conversation between Marchionni and Chalhoub Group’s executive chairman Patrick Chalhoub centered an honest look at retail normalcy amid geopolitical strife. “The human being has this level of resilience and reinventing itself,”  Chalhoub said. Cost-cutting, sourcing shifts, and supply chain efficiency are among the ongoing lessons in an evolving business landscape.

In “Redefining the Diamond,” Pandora’s marketing chief Jennier Farmer and celebrity ambassador Pamela Anderson sat down for a look at what it means to be a “romantic activist,” in Anderson’s words. Consumers, as she sees it, are not far off. “I think they’re more aware. Young people know what carbon footprinting is.” Meanwhile, Farmer spoke to the growth in lab-grown diamonds and their cited lower carbon footprint.

Throughout the conference, speakers called for brands to integrate labor and climate indicators into supply chain and enterprise risk management strategies. This included a session featuring Janet Mensik, CEO Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP). In it, Mensik mentioned the importance of SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF), noting that approximately 15,000 facilities are currently using the framework globally. She also highlighted the collaborative work of SLCP and GFA in examining pay equity in fashion supply chains, including research focused on Turkey.

Another highlight was the “Fashion, Climate & Women’s Health” side session which convened Dr. Harshita Umesh, founder of Vaada Hope Foundation; Rawnak Jahan, director of women and youth programming at CARE Bangladesh; Farhana Islam, quality inspector at Tusuka Trousers Ltd.; and Tiffany Rogers, vice president of research and development at Fair Labor Association. Dr. Hakan Karaosman moderated the session which was a presentation-style format.

Umesh set the tone with gripping stories from the emergency room where garment workers were plagued by finger infections, respiratory illness, tuberculosis, and other gender-based issues exacerbated from time spent in hostile, inadequate working conditions.

Her quote rang soundly throughout the room: “I’m treating the consequences of a system of an industry that has refused to address these injustices.”

Global Fashion Agenda returned with its 17th annual Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen earlier this month. Host Arizona Muse and chief executive officer Federica Marchionni played guiding roles throughout the event which spanned 140 speakers and hundreds of global attendees, including Cascale staff and members.

Insights from GFS

• Treat sustainability like enterprise risk management.
• Companies that prioritize long-term business value come out on top.
• Inclusion across the value chain is integral.

Finance, policy, artificial intelligence, luxury retail, consumer behavior, and more were among the three-day programming.

Financing sustainability was another topical subject. One session included H&M’s head of green investment Ulrika Leverenz; BESTSELLER’s head of sustainability Dorte Rye Olsen; Kering’s sustainable finance director Laurence Barrère; and Boston Consulting Group’s managing director Catharina Martinez-Pardo. It accompanied GFA’s “Fashion CFO Agenda 2026: Building Financial Resilience Through Sustainability” report produced with BCG. This report was one of many GFA-authored reports released during the week, others with impact measurement or policy in mind.

Both Cascale members, BESTSELLER’s Olsen emphasized the importance of deeper finance team involvement in sustainability efforts and integrating sustainability beyond dedicated ESG functions. H&M Group’s Leverenz framed sustainability as enterprise risk management.

In a separate conversation between Marchionni and Chalhoub Group’s executive chairman Patrick Chalhoub centered an honest look at retail normalcy amid geopolitical strife. “The human being has this level of resilience and reinventing itself,”  Chalhoub said. Cost-cutting, sourcing shifts, and supply chain efficiency are among the ongoing lessons in an evolving business landscape.

In “Redefining the Diamond,” Pandora’s marketing chief Jennier Farmer and celebrity ambassador Pamela Anderson sat down for a look at what it means to be a “romantic activist,” in Anderson’s words. Consumers, as she sees it, are not far off. “I think they’re more aware. Young people know what carbon footprinting is.” Meanwhile, Farmer spoke to the growth in lab-grown diamonds and their cited lower carbon footprint.

Throughout the conference, speakers called for brands to integrate labor and climate indicators into supply chain and enterprise risk management strategies. This included a session featuring Janet Mensik, CEO Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP). In it, Mensik mentioned the importance of SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF), noting that approximately 15,000 facilities are currently using the framework globally. She also highlighted the collaborative work of SLCP and GFA in examining pay equity in fashion supply chains, including research focused on Turkey.

Another highlight was the “Fashion, Climate & Women’s Health” side session which convened Dr. Harshita Umesh, founder of Vaada Hope Foundation; Rawnak Jahan, director of women and youth programming at CARE Bangladesh; Farhana Islam, quality inspector at Tusuka Trousers Ltd.; and Tiffany Rogers, vice president of research and development at Fair Labor Association. Dr. Hakan Karaosman moderated the session which was a presentation-style format.

Umesh set the tone with gripping stories from the emergency room where garment workers were plagued by finger infections, respiratory illness, tuberculosis, and other gender-based issues exacerbated from time spent in hostile, inadequate working conditions.

Her quote rang soundly throughout the room: “I’m treating the consequences of a system of an industry that has refused to address these injustices.”

Global Fashion Agenda returned with its 17th annual Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen earlier this month. Host Arizona Muse and chief executive officer Federica Marchionni played guiding roles throughout the event which spanned 140 speakers and hundreds of global attendees, including Cascale staff and members.

Insights from GFS

• Treat sustainability like enterprise risk management.
• Companies that prioritize long-term business value come out on top.
• Inclusion across the value chain is integral.

Finance, policy, artificial intelligence, luxury retail, consumer behavior, and more were among the three-day programming.

Financing sustainability was another topical subject. One session included H&M’s head of green investment Ulrika Leverenz; BESTSELLER’s head of sustainability Dorte Rye Olsen; Kering’s sustainable finance director Laurence Barrère; and Boston Consulting Group’s managing director Catharina Martinez-Pardo. It accompanied GFA’s “Fashion CFO Agenda 2026: Building Financial Resilience Through Sustainability” report produced with BCG. This report was one of many GFA-authored reports released during the week, others with impact measurement or policy in mind.

Both Cascale members, BESTSELLER’s Olsen emphasized the importance of deeper finance team involvement in sustainability efforts and integrating sustainability beyond dedicated ESG functions. H&M Group’s Leverenz framed sustainability as enterprise risk management.

In a separate conversation between Marchionni and Chalhoub Group’s executive chairman Patrick Chalhoub centered an honest look at retail normalcy amid geopolitical strife. “The human being has this level of resilience and reinventing itself,”  Chalhoub said. Cost-cutting, sourcing shifts, and supply chain efficiency are among the ongoing lessons in an evolving business landscape.

In “Redefining the Diamond,” Pandora’s marketing chief Jennier Farmer and celebrity ambassador Pamela Anderson sat down for a look at what it means to be a “romantic activist,” in Anderson’s words. Consumers, as she sees it, are not far off. “I think they’re more aware. Young people know what carbon footprinting is.” Meanwhile, Farmer spoke to the growth in lab-grown diamonds and their cited lower carbon footprint.

Throughout the conference, speakers called for brands to integrate labor and climate indicators into supply chain and enterprise risk management strategies. This included a session featuring Janet Mensik, CEO Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP). In it, Mensik mentioned the importance of SLCP’s Converged Assessment Framework (CAF), noting that approximately 15,000 facilities are currently using the framework globally. She also highlighted the collaborative work of SLCP and GFA in examining pay equity in fashion supply chains, including research focused on Turkey.

Another highlight was the “Fashion, Climate & Women’s Health” side session which convened Dr. Harshita Umesh, founder of Vaada Hope Foundation; Rawnak Jahan, director of women and youth programming at CARE Bangladesh; Farhana Islam, quality inspector at Tusuka Trousers Ltd.; and Tiffany Rogers, vice president of research and development at Fair Labor Association. Dr. Hakan Karaosman moderated the session which was a presentation-style format.

Umesh set the tone with gripping stories from the emergency room where garment workers were plagued by finger infections, respiratory illness, tuberculosis, and other gender-based issues exacerbated from time spent in hostile, inadequate working conditions.

Her quote rang soundly throughout the room: “I’m treating the consequences of a system of an industry that has refused to address these injustices.”

May 27, 2026 /3BL/ – Brand leaders, innovators, and sustainability practitioners from Walmart, Amazon, Target, Levi’s, Henkle, Oatly, General Mills, Disneyland and hundreds more are set to convene June 8-10 at the 20th annual Sustainable Brands conference in San Diego at a pivotal moment for business under the theme “All Rise.”

At SB’26 the focus will be, yes, on celebrating the progress made over the past two decades in retooling our global economy to support a flourishing future. But as importantly, the gathering community will confront, together, a pressing question: What have we missed over the past 20 years, and how can we ensure the entire economic and social eco-system recognizes the business value of retooling products, business models and business eco-systems for resilience in a changing world? Furthermore, the group will collectively engage with one another to build a new vision for the next 20 years, while identifying key levers of change required to deliver a future-fit economy that thrives in harmony with nature.

While economic headwinds, geopolitical instability, changing regulatory landscapes, and increased demands for near-term financial returns have placed renewed pressure on sustainability efforts, the systemic risks that pushed sustainability into the mainstream — climate disruption, resource volatility, supply chain instability, and shifting stakeholder expectations — continue to intensify.

SB’26 is designed to help leaders navigate this tension directly.

This year’s “All Rise” theme reflects a call for business leaders to reconnect sustainability to business value, strengthen the language of resilience and growth, and work across functions to build organizations capable of thriving in a more volatile future. The event will bring together leaders across sustainability, innovation, brand strategy and communications to explore how companies can — and are, continuing to embed future-fit innovation into core business decision-making.

SB’26 serves as a critical junction for many of the world’s most influential companies to collaborate on market transformation. Committed participants and teams from Sephora, Unilever, Proctor and Gamble, General Mills and more once again join a high-caliber lineup of thought leaders, practitioners, materials providers, suppliers and advisors from companies like AMD, Fleishman Hillard, CapGemini, EY, IDEO, Kantar, and more sharing real-world solutions already reshaping markets, strengthening supply chains, driving sales and generating greater resilience.

Program discussions will span topics including shifting consumer sentiment and expectations, navigating risk and responding to a changing regulatory environment, supporting consumer behavior change, and regrounding our efforts in demonstrating ROI. Sessions are designed to move beyond theory, equipping leaders with practical frameworks and case studies to translate sustainability into measurable business and brand value. Hear from innovation leaders like New Zealand’s Silver Fern Farms on how they are cracking the code to deliver carbon neutral beef to market around the world through partnerships with major multinational retailers like Costco, Oatly who is generating engagement and momentum beyond their four walls, and Grove Collective who is meeting consumers concerned about plastic with a marketplace for plastic-free products and driving demand in partnership with Netflix. Join an intimate conversation with 20 year industry veterans Sheri Flies, CSO at Costco, Kathleen McLaughlin, CSO at Walmart, Andrew Winston, veteran advisor and author of Green to Gold and The Big Pivot, and Sol Salinas, former head of Energy Star and global leader of the sustainability practice at Capgemini on how to make sense of this moment and how to continue to drive positive outcomes for business and the whole in the days and years ahead.

“Twenty years ago, most of the business world treated sustainability as adjacent to business and brand strategy,” said KoAnn Vikoren Skrzyniarz, Founder and CEO of Sustainable Brands. “What the last two decades have shown us is that environmental and social realities are business realities, and that they can be shaped into pathways to good growth through smart innovation. The challenge now is not whether sustainability matters, but how leaders tap knowledge gained up to now, new insights in how to course correct our storytelling to be more inclusive, and new tools that can help us move more quickly to solve some of the intractable problems that have slowed us down to here. The art and flow will come when we learn to pause long enough to consider unintended consequences to our innovation ambitions as we move forward.”

Readers of this announcement can access an exclusive discount for $1,000 off all-access registration to join the Sustainable Brands community at SB’26 this June thanks to a long-standing partnership between SB and 3BL.

Registration Details:

• Event: SB’26 San Diego
• Dates: June 8–10, 2026
• Community Code: Ptr3BLSB1000
• Registration Link: https://events.sustainablebrands.com/conferences/sustainablebrands/registration/

Event Relations

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SLB has been named on the 2026 Forbes Accessibility 200 List, which recognizes organizations working to improve accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.

The company was acknowledged in the Neurodiversity Impact category for its initiative aimed at supporting neurodivergent talent and strengthening inclusive practices across the employee experience.

“We are proud to be included in this year’s Accessibility 200 List,” said Carlos Sarmiento, director of Culture, Diversity and Inclusion at SLB. “We continue to focus on increasing awareness, improving support and creating an environment where the different strengths and diverse perspectives of all our people can thrive.”

In addition to its neurodiversity program, SLB has introduced an internal disability inclusion framework that guides locations worldwide on initiatives such as workplace adjustment services and accessibility improvements as well as awareness and mentoring programs.

Complementing these efforts is the ThisAbility Network, an employee resource group that connects colleagues with disabilities, long-term health conditions, caregiving responsibilities and allies. The network provides a global community where employees can share experiences, access peer support and encourage learning across the organization.

SLB has also been listed on the Disability Index^® for four consecutive years, reflecting its ongoing efforts to support disability inclusion in the workplace.

Learn more about SLB’s inclusive culture here and in the company’s Sustainability Report.

View original content here.

Taco Bell Blog

When the small oil and gas company Jill worked for in Newport Beach went out of business, she spotted a newspaper ad for a job at Taco Bell Corporate. She applied, got the role, and began her four-decade journey with the brand.

In those early days, Taco Bell’s headquarters were on Armstrong Avenue in Irvine while the Von Karman building was still under construction. Office space was so tight that Jill’s first team, a small word processing group, was literally stationed in a closet.

“It was a very different company. We were owned by PepsiCo, and Taco Bell was a much smaller brand than either Pizza Hut or KFC. But then, a few years after I arrived and transferred into the Legal Department, Taco Bell really started focusing its efforts on national broadcast advertising. We spent quite a bit of time, money, and effort educating people in different parts of the country about what a taco or burrito was. I remember we even had tray liners explaining the products!”

Throughout her career in the Legal Department, Jill had many mentors who inspired her, but one stood out the most: Joyce W., Taco Bell’s Marketing and Advertising paralegal. Joyce helped bring Jill into a role that would become the longest, and most exciting, chapter of her career.

“Once Taco Bell started heavily investing in marketing, Joyce was swamped, so I was brought in to help cover all the new work. This started a whole new chapter in my time at Taco Bell, as I began my journey supporting marketing.”

Over the decades, Jill played a part in countless groundbreaking marketing programs and events as Taco Bell evolved into the iconic brand it is today. But what kept her here all these years? Simply put…the people.

“I have worked with so many bright, dedicated, and truly talented people over the years. It has been a real joy.”

Of course, there were some unforgettable moments along the way, especially during the annual company meetings in the 1990s held at a local hotel. The executive team would review the year’s results and present the new strategy, and sometimes the events included elaborate themes with creative decor, matching outfits, and plenty of food and drinks to get everyone into the spirit.

A lot has changed since then, even Jill’s favorite Taco Bell menu items.

“Back then it was the classic bean burrito, no cheese. Today it’s the Cantina Chicken Bowl, also no cheese.”

For those just starting their Taco Bell journey, or hoping to work for the brand one day, Jill offers a simple piece of advice:

“Have patience and be good at multitasking, because the rapid pace and quick turns Taco Bell makes to keep the business responsive can be challenging but also exciting.”

As Jill looks ahead to retirement, she’s excited about a family trip to Germany this fall, spending more time reading, and enjoying life at a slower pace with her cats. But even in retirement, she says she’ll still be watching Taco Bell closely, this time as a customer and lifelong fan.

After 40 years, Jill leaves behind an incredible legacy and a reminder of how much one person’s dedication can shape the story of a brand.