Heads of corporate social responsibility at 27 major companies of world have come together to launch the CSR Board today. The mission of the group is to help members engage in management-level discussions with a trusted network of their peers.
The group is managed by Board.org, a membership organization where senior-level leaders at big companies collaborate in private, peer-to-peer discussions. Membership is exclusively for the people leading the programs and their inner circle. No vendors or junior staff are allowed to participate.
CSR Board Members include Allstate, Beam Suntory, Best Buy, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Center Point Energy, Cisco, Electronic Arts, Experian, Ferguson Enterprises, Georgia-Pacific, H&R Block, Hard Rock International, Hertz, The J.M. Smucker Company, Mass Mutual, Motorola Solutions, NVIDIA, ON Semiconductor, Pernod Ricard, Stryker, Synopsys, Tyson Foods, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and Yum! Brands.
“It’s clear CSR leaders needed a group like this, and the energy and excitement our founding members have brought to our early conversations has been incredible,” said Board.org CEO Andy Sernovitz.
The CSR Board is specifically focused on supporting the leaders of CSR at large companies so they can increase the impact of their initiatives. The group helps leaders share and collaborate and does not function as a trade association or advocacy body.
“As a founding member of the CSR Board, our goal is to help create a forum with like-minded CR professionals who are passionate about creating positive change in the world,” said Carol Urton, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Experian. “At Experian, we are excited about leading the way to help increase our impact and the impact of other outstanding companies in making the world a better place.”
“We joined the CSR Board to make sure that our sustainability program continuously improves as we learn from others in the field,” said Kelsey Bergan, Director of Sustainability at Ferguson Enterprises.
“Collaborating with industry leaders helps each of our companies devise better ways to build social purpose into our core businesses,” said Paul Pellizzari, Vice President of Global Social Responsibility at Hard Rock International. “Working together also leads to better, more meaningful, long-lasting social and sustainability solutions. After all, we do this work to improve lives, build healthier communities, and sustain the planet.”
“Collaboration is how we will accelerate and scale our collective sustainability efforts to make a significant impact,” said Rebecca Ott, Director of Sustainability for The J.M. Smucker Company. “We are participating in the CSR Board, with other purpose-driven thought leaders, to create a better tomorrow.”
