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VIDEO

Sustainability, VIDEO, SUSTAINABILITY

Embracing Circular Innovation

March 24, 2025

Jen Huffstetler is the Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President of Sustainable Impact and Compliance at HP. In this role, Jen is responsible for developing and leading the company’s integrated Sustainable Impact strategy to deliver sustainable computing for a sustainable future. She also leads product compliance and global technical regulations. She is a keynote speaker and expert on Sustainable AI and deployment of AI to achieve sustainability goals.

Previously, Jen was the Chief Product Sustainability Officer and Vice President/General Manager of Future Platform Strategy at Intel. Jen brings a diversity of business, marketing, supply chain, manufacturing, product development and engineering experience from her 25+ years at Intel spanning chips to software to data center systems.

Jen holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Babson College, F.W. Olin Graduate School in Corporate Entrepreneurship. She is also a certified Executive Leadership Coach from the Hudson Institute, a Korn-Ferry Interpreter, and Birkman Certified. She enjoys spending time with her husband, two adult daughters, and Malinois/Greyhound mix, traveling, Pilates, reading, volleyball, sailing, running, and cycling.

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Building on Our Past to Reach a Better, More Impactful Future
Sustainability, VIDEO, SUSTAINABILITY

Building on Our Past to Reach a Better, More Impactful Future

March 24, 2025

April 1, 2023, Dirk Voeste, PhD, joined Volkswagen Group as its Chief Sustainability Officer. In this function he together with his team is responsible for the development and implementation for the Groups sustainability strategy regenerate+, all ESG-related topics as well as stakeholder relationship.

As a graduated Ph.D. in biology from University Bonn in Germany and M.Phil. from the Cranfield Institute of Technology in England he held various positions in the field of space science, biotechnology, breeding, crop protection and sustainability. For example, as a Vice President Dirk has taken the lead of BASFs corporate sustainability strategy and as a Senior Vice President he was responsible for of regulatory, public affairs and sustainability for BASFs Agriculture Solution Division.

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Flavoring the Future Sustainably
Sustainability, VIDEO, SUSTAINABILITY

Flavoring the Future Sustainably

March 21, 2025

Michael Okoroafor is McCormick’s Chief Sustainability Officer. In his role, he is responsible for the development and execution of an enhanced sustainability strategy, working with commercial and communications teams, and building on our foundation to ensure that our successes in this area continue to be recognized in the global market. His focus is working across the organization, through the Purpose-led Performance (PLP) Governing Council, to develop and drive our strategy both internally and externally.

Dr. Okoroafor joined McCormick in 2015, and most recently served as Vice President, Global Sustainability and Packaging Innovation. Prior to his tenure at McCormick, he was Vice President for Packaging and R&D at H.J. Heinz Company, where he was responsible for setting overall global strategy and direction for the packaging organization and leading external innovation across North America. He has also held key leadership roles at other consumer goods and manufacturing companies, including The Coca-Cola Company and PPG Industries, Inc.

Dr. Okoroafor holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of Nigeria, a Master’s degree in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Detroit, and a Ph.D. in Organic Polymer Chemistry from Michigan State University. He is also a graduate of the Executive Development Program at Kellogg Business School at Northwestern University.

Dr. Okoroafor is an inventor with over 40 patents, has been published in over 35 technical publications, and is a contributing author to the “Handbook of Plastic Foams.” He serves on the Board of Directors for AMERIPEN (American Institute for Packaging and the Environment) and as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP). He serves as a member of the Engineering & Science Advisory Board for the University of Detroit – Mercy, the Consumer Brand Association Packaging Sustainability Council, the American Chemical Society, the Institute of Food Technologists and the Society of Plastics Engineers. Dr. Okoroafor was inducted into the Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame in 2018. He is also a 2020 Honoree to the Environment+Energy Leader 100.

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Sustainable Innovation
Sustainability, VIDEO, SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable Innovation

March 21, 2025

Manoj Mathew passionately leads the Sustainability Practice at Cognizant, actively collaborating with G2000 clients on business and technology changes. The practice engages with diverse industry sectors to build innovative AI-driven solutions for managing net-zero transformation. Cognizant aims to help customers move beyond ESG disclosure to enable businesses to drive performance against targets and devise commercially scalable models.
Cognizant is driven by a vision to Engineer modern businesses to better everyday life. Cognizant’s engagements span multiple verticals, including financial services, manufacturing, mining, pharmaceuticals, food and food service, travel, and hospitality. Heavily leveraging a systems-design approach, and multidisciplinary engineering competencies Cognizant delivers AI-driven, transformative solutions.
Manoj works closely with clients to comprehensively embed sustainability goals and performance models into core business activities, such as circular product development, supply chain surveillance and resilience, and critical infrastructure management for asset efficiency and energy transition. These efforts are helping clients achieve significant reductions in carbon emissions and successfully transform their business models.
Manoj holds a degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Kerala, India, and has over 25 years of experience in product development, supply chain, corporate strategy, and performance management across various industry sectors. Manoj’s interests include AI-engineered solutions for precision resource management, asset risk management, and designing circular logistics models.
Manoj is based out of The Hague in the Netherlands.

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How CSOs Can Drive Impact Amid Political Uncertainty
Sustainability, VIDEO, SUSTAINABILITY

How CSOs Can Drive Impact Amid Political Uncertainty

March 31, 2025

Mandi McReynolds is an award-winning author and practitioner with 15+ years of leadership experience building corporate responsibility and environment, social, and governance (ESG) divisions across four different industries. Currently, serving as the VP, Global ESG and Chief Sustainability Officer at Workiva, Mandi helps companies and executives around the globe drive business value and societal impact through transparency, accountability, and innovation. Mandi is the host and executive producer for the video podcast series ESG Talk. Subscribe to ESG Talk wherever you get your podcasts and follow @ESGTalk on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Suzanne Hilker leads Corporate Sustainability & Impact Reporting for PayPal. She is passionate about employee engagement, authentic storytelling and transparent disclosures. Prior to PayPal, Suzanne was a Senior Manager in Climate Change and Sustainability Services at EY, supporting clients in various industries improve their sustainability practices and reporting. Prior to that, Suzanne spent more than 10 years with Best Buy, leading ESG reporting. She is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI.

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Building Resilient Supply Chains: Innovating for Sustainability and Business Growth
Sustainability, VIDEO, SUSTAINABILITY

Building Resilient Supply Chains: Innovating for Sustainability and Business Growth

March 24, 2025

EcoVadis is a purpose-driven company providing globally trusted sustainability intelligence with our interactive platform to help organizations comply with ESG regulations, reduce GHG emissions, and create value. Our scorecards, benchmarks, tools & insights guide an improvement journey for environmental, social and ethical practices for 130,000+ businesses in 220 industries and 180 countries.

https://ecovadis.com/

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A Speaker Roundtable from NAFES25 – A Finance Conversation Among Senior Executives on the Issues and Ideas that Matter Most
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE, PODCAST, ROUNDTABLES

A Speaker Roundtable from NAFES25 – A Finance Conversation Among Senior Executives on the Issues and Ideas that Matter Most

April 9, 2025

For this special episode of Executive Platforms’ BluEPrint Podcast series we had some of the top speakers from the 2025 edition of the North American Finance Executive Summit series sit down and speak to the challenges and opportunities submitted by attendees of the event as they filled out their delegate profiles, weighted by popularity.

This wide-ranging conversation will see four senior executives from four very different companies speaking to the issues, ideas, innovations, and inspirations that matter to all of them as prompted by their peers. It is a fantastic deep dive into what is most relevant to finance leaders today. Give it a listen!

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Future-Ready Finance: Strategies for Driving Value in an Evolving World
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Future-Ready Finance: Strategies for Driving Value in an Evolving World

March 6, 2025

Joe Tkac brings nearly two decades of finance expertise to the beauty industry. Based in Tampa, FL, he leads L’Oréal’s North America BEST Finance Shared Services as Senior Vice President of Finance, overseeing Accounting, Controlling, and Treasury. His leadership spans key roles as Vice President of Commercial Finance for both the Consumer Products and Luxe divisions. As Vice President and CFO for Kiehl’s, Joe honed his multi-channel expertise, navigating the complexities of modern retail. He’s passionate about leveraging financial insights to drive growth and create value within the beauty business. He holds a BBA from Villanova University and an MBA from Seton Hall University. Outside of work, Joe enjoys tennis, travel, and family time in Tampa.

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Building a Future-Fit Finance Function
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Building a Future-Fit Finance Function

March 7, 2025

Dr. Elmar-Marius Licharz, Chief Financial Officer for Volkswagen North American Region and Volkswagen Group of America, oversees the development and implementation of the financial strategy for Volkswagen Group of America.

Elmar joined Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, Germany, in 2005, and most recently served in the position of Head of Digital Finance. Prior to joining Volkswagen AG, Elmar worked for McKinsey & Company, Inc. where he was responsible for national and international projects in the pharmaceutical, aerospace and automotive industries.

Elmar earned his PhD at the University of Kassel.

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Managing the Change and Transformation of Finance Teams
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Managing the Change and Transformation of Finance Teams

March 6, 2025

Melissa Leonard currently serves as the Senior Vice President and Corporate Treasurer at Merck, overseeing the company’s capital structure, cash management, investments, and risk management since July 2024. Previous roles at Merck include Vice President & CFO for the Manufacturing Division and Associate Vice President for various finance functions, where responsibilities spanned across manufacturing, marketing, and financial leadership for the Organon spin. Specifically, Melissa previously served as Regional CFO for the Company’s business in Europe and Canada and Finance Lead for the UK & Ireland. Melissa holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rutgers University.

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Enterprise Data for Improved Decision-Making
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Enterprise Data for Improved Decision-Making

March 6, 2025

Clara Sun is a strategic business partner that brings financial expertise to the table along with broad global and portfolio perspective. She is known for pinpointing levers and identifying opportunities to drive business growth and deliver results. Clara prides herself on being a genuine people manager that cares and develops team.

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Cost Optimization Strategies for Resilient Growth
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Cost Optimization Strategies for Resilient Growth

March 6, 2025

Jonathan Ness is the VP, Strategy and Finance, for General Mills Global Supply Chain. Within Supply Chain, he leads the Global Finance team at Corporate, Manufacturing and Shared Service locations. In addition to leading Supply Chain Finance, Jon also leads Supply Chain Strategy, including the Digital and Physical Transformation initiatives across our Supply Chain. Jon also oversees General Mill’s Global Finance Capabilities which includes all finance systems, process governance and learning and development.
Throughout his career, Jon has held a wide variety of Finance leadership roles including Finance Transformation, North America Snacks CFO, and a variety of Corporate, Supply Chain and North America Foodservice commercial finance roles. Prior to General Mills, he was an Officer in the United States Air Force, where he specialized in contract management and marketing. Jon graduated from South Dakota State University with a Degree in Economics and the University of Oklahoma with a Masters of Public Administration.

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Fireside Chat: Financial Agility – Why it’s a Necessity, Not a Luxury
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Fireside Chat: Financial Agility – Why it’s a Necessity, Not a Luxury

March 6, 2025

Wetteny Joseph is executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer of Zoetis, the world’s leading animal health company and a member of the Fortune 500. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the financial management, planning, operations and indirect procurement functions. Mr. Joseph also has oversight responsibility for the company’s Human Health Diagnostics business. During his career, he has worked across diverse and complex businesses; led finance functions, business units and business development; and managed relationships with stakeholders from customers and suppliers to investors.

Mr. Joseph joined Zoetis in June 2021, after having spent 13 years in executive positions at Catalent, a global leader in pharmaceuticals, biologics and consumer health products. Before joining Zoetis, he was senior vice president and chief financial officer of Catalent for three years, overseeing accelerated financial growth and value creation at the company through transformational acquisitions and organic capital deployment. He first joined Catalent in 2008 as corporate controller and held several senior finance positions until October 2015, when he was named president of the Clinical Supply Services business, responsible for $400 million in annual sales from the global business unit.

Before joining Catalent, Mr. Joseph held a variety of senior financial positions at the industrial distribution company HD Supply, including as chief financial officer of its $1.2 billion plumbing and HVAC business unit. He also served as corporate controller for Hughes Supply, a Fortune 500, NYSE-listed company that was acquired by Home Depot and became part of HD Supply. In his early career, Mr. Joseph spent six years at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor and strategic financial advisor across a variety of industries.

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The Power of Global Perspective: Cultural Intelligence in Business Transformation and Operational Excellence
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

The Power of Global Perspective: Cultural Intelligence in Business Transformation and Operational Excellence

March 6, 2025

Dumi Martinez is the CFO of Mars Global Services (MGS), the global business services division of Mars, Incorporated. As CFO, Dumi oversees all strategic financial initiatives across Mars, including integration services, global portfolio management, and business development. His leadership is instrumental in actualizing the MGS OGSM and the success of the MGS finance team and its business partners. Dumi started his career at Mars in 2020 as the CFO of KIND and subsequently assumed the role of Global CFO, Health and Wellness, overseeing finance and strategy of this new division within Mars Snacking, which, under his leadership, reached $1.1 billion in sales across North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia in 2022. During his tenure, Dumi played a pivotal role in the integration of acquisitions such as KIND North America, Nature’s Bakery, and TrüFrü. Before joining Mars, he served as the CFO for Essity’s Professional Hygiene and Americas business units. Dumi earned his degrees in international management from Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico. Dumi is passionate about spending time with his family, coaching and mentorship, and travel. To date, he’s traveled to 67 countries (and counting)!

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CFOs: Don’t Let An Outdated Accounts Receivable Program Stifle Business Growth
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

CFOs: Don’t Let An Outdated Accounts Receivable Program Stifle Business Growth

March 7, 2025

Elliot leads business development and partnerships for Capital One Trade Credit. He develops relationships with enterprises to grow their B2B business and improve their working capital by leveraging the Capital One Trade Credit full-service accounts receivable (AR) solution. Prior to joining Capital One, Elliot led strategic partnerships and investments at JPMorgan Chase, where he created new capabilities through fintech partnerships. Before that, Elliot held several roles in corporate development and strategy at global banks and fintech firms.

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Spend Management Paradigm Shift: What It Is and How You Can Get Ahead
FINANCE, VIDEO, FINANCE

Spend Management Paradigm Shift: What It Is and How You Can Get Ahead

March 7, 2025

Emburse is the global leader in spend optimization. Our expense, travel management, purchasing and accounts payable, and payments solutions are trusted by more than 12 million business professionals, including CFOs, finance teams, and travelers. More than 18,000 organizations of all sizes in 120 countries, count on our intelligent automation, sophisticated analytics, and unmatched spend control to streamline processes, increase spend visibility, enhance compliance, for better financial outcomes.

We humanize work. We eliminate manual, time-consuming tasks, so our customers and their teams can focus on what matters most in their personal and professional lives.

For more information, visit emburse.com.

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