Global Sustainability Frontiers Peer Circle
8 October 2026 | Pulitzer Amsterdam
Iris Van der Veken
WJI2030
Iris Van der Veken is Executive Director & Secretary General of the Watch and Jewellery Initiative 2030 (co-founded by Kering and Cartier, delegated by Richemont) and Member of 100 Women @Davos' Inclusive Leadership Council.
She has a background in law, public affairs and sustainability. Iris has over 25’ years experience on the ground in India, China, Africa, Thailand, Sri Lanka, working on the sustainability agenda as a driver for business resilience. She has worked across the supply chain on many topics including human rights due diligence, decent labour, nature, environmental standards implementation, and traceability.
Iris has been an active ambassador on gender and women’s rights for the industry, which have resulted in shaping strong partnerships with UN Women on gender equality and gender responsive procurement.
She was the first chairwoman under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of UN Global Compact Belgium. Iris is known as a strong coalition builder and now has been the Executive Director of WJI 2030 since 2022.
Becky Gordon
Interface
Becky Gordon leads sustainability for EMEA at Interface, a globally recognised leader in sustainability. The documentary Beyond Zero tells the remarkable story of how the flooring company transformed its operations in over 100 countries from high-emitting to beyond zero. In recognition of Interface’s leadership, its Founder Ray Anderson served as Co-Chair on both President Clinton’s and President Obama’s climate committees.
A passionate advocate for Interface’s sustainability ambitions, Becky plays a pivotal role in fostering collaboration with customers, the wider industry, and employees on climate change, the circular economy, and regeneration. In 2026, Becky was listed in the Edie 100 list of the UK’s most impactful sustainability leaders.
Julia Pallé
Formula E
Julia is Vice President Sustainability at the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric single-seater racing series. Formula E’s vison is to fight climate change via offering solutions to air quality issues in city centres via the adoption of EVs.
Julia is also Sustainability Advisor for Extreme E, the all-electric SUVs series, bringing electric racing to some of the most remote corners of the planet to highlight the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems AND E1, the world's first all-electric raceboat championship (racing on water in iconic cities around the world), driving positive change to protect coastal areas.
In addition, Julia is President of Sports and Sustainability international (SandSI), an international association of sustainable experts working to broadening and harmonising the international sport and sustainability movement.
Zita Schellekens
KLM
Zita is Senior Vice President Strategy & Sustainability at KLM. She is a strategic transformation leader who combines analytical thinking with the ability to mobilise people around difficult change. She enjoys solving complex problems, building coalitions across diverse stakeholders and turning ambitious strategies into measurable execution.
Zita started her career as an activist. She wanted to change the world, and quickly realised that to do that, you have to be inside the rooms where decisions are made.
That conviction has shaped every step since: from politics and government, to HEINEKEN’s global/regional operations across Africa and Asia, to driving sustainability transformation alongside Feike Sijbesma at DSM and Darwin International, to joining KLM’s Executive Committee as SVP Strategy, Transformation & Sustainability, tasked with one of the most complex and scrutinised sustainability mandates in European business.
Anne van der Veen
ETG
Anne van der Veen is head of Coffee Sustainability at the Export Trading Group, building and running sustainability programs inside agricultural commodity supply chains - coffee, cocoa, and emerging climate solutions. Over the past decade she has worked in origin countries across Africa, Asia, LATAM and Europe, managing programs from farmer field level to client boardrooms and regulatory compliance.
Her track record spans carbon implementation (agroforestry, biocharSBTi-aligned insetting, MRV), responsible sourcing across 10+ origins, and leading teams of 100+ across multi-country operations. She has fundraised grants and clients' budgets of $10M+, and managed the implementation of impact programs, driven EUDR and CSRD compliance processes, and built partnerships with NGOs, social enterprises, and supply chain actors.
Anne works as a generalist operator: running P&L, building a team, closing a client program, or designing a carbon MRV framework. She uses data and digital tools - from farmer data systems (ODK, Farmerline) to AI-assisted workflows - to make programs run sharper and report cleaner.
Chris Oskam
Tony's Chocolonely
Chris Oskam is the Head of Sustainability at Tony's Chocolonely, an impact company that makes chocolate and exists to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. In her role, Chris leads Tony’s company‑wide sustainability strategy beyond cocoa sourcing, covering climate action, human rights, responsible ingredient sourcing, packaging, and global compliance frameworks such as B Corp and Fairtrade.
Chris oversees Tony’s annual impact reporting and drives cross‑functional programs that strengthen the company’s broader social and environmental impact. Before joining Tony’s, Chris held senior sustainability roles at Sunweb Group and KLM, working across strategy and operations. She has led sustainability transformations in both small impact‑driven companies and large matrix organizations, guiding teams through the transition toward more equitable and resilient supply chains.
Chris brings a strong belief that business can — and should — be a force for good. She works closely with industry partners, cooperatives, and NGOs to drive long‑term, systemic change.
Jacqueline Kneebone
Lore Group
Jacqueline is Head of Sustainability and Wellness at Lore Group. She is a purpose-driven hospitality leader with a proven track record of coordinating wellness and sustainability initiatives at both regional and group levels within the luxury leisure industry on an international stage. Jacqueline is recognised for leading high-impact strategies to enhance guest experiences, drive operational efficiency, and promote sustainability practices, stakeholder engagement, and fostering strategic partnerships.
Jacqueline has a natural affinity for completing feasibility studies, developing unique spa concepts, and overseeing brand collaborations to maximise revenue and brand reputation. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including recognition as a "top-performing manager" for commitment to excellence and innovation.
Melanie van de Velde
Big Tree Global
Melanie is Founder of Big Tree Global, a think and do tank to help turn sustainability into stronger outcomes.
After leading Asia Pacific markets for a global tech giant and leadership roles in tech start-ups, Melanie ran an enterprise empowering women in a Nairobi slum. This experience sparked a fire to embark on a long-term exploration of where the issues in our systems lie at their very core, and why some impact strategies consistently deliver far better outcomes than others. Her research was honoured with the Adam Smith Prize for PhD Excellence, nominated by the Social Innovation Director at Cambridge University. Aside from a PhD, she holds an MBA with Distinction, and an MSc in Industrial Engineering.
Her book, Lead Like a Genius: How to Outgrow the Competition and Transform Our World, was described by Forbes Books as “A Powerhouse for Sustainable Growth”.
Global Sustainability Frontiers Peer Circle
The roundtable provides an opportunity for an honest conversation with peers at the forefront of sustainability, each bringing extensive experience and complementary perspectives, to strengthen the next chapter amidst a challenging time.
We will explore powerful examples, front runners, and strong approaches around the table, what works well and less well, and how we can strengthen the impact and influence of sustainability leaders across three themes:
What makes it distinct
-
Integration: With sustainability under pressure, how can we secure stronger C-suite commitment, including through leadership transitions? How can we overcome personal barriers and resistance? How can sustainability be integrated more strongly and holistically across the organisation, governance and decision-making? How do we create the conditions that ignite a spark in people, strengthen engagement and unlock frontline innovation?
-
Business value: Why do some approaches create stronger commercial value? How can we capture and demonstrate the business case more clearly? How do we translate longer-term value into shorter-term priorities and decisions?
-
Transformational systemic impact: Particularly considering constrained budgets, how do some powerful examples create stronger systemic 'impact yields' than most (environmental and social)/ and how can we accelerate this?
Mutual value
Participation is limited to a small number of leaders at the forefront of sustainability across sectors, carefully curated to ensure a high-quality peer exchange and mutual value.
In-depth, outcomes-focused dialogue
The focus is on in-depth, open and honest peer exchange about what is working, and what is less so. The session is guided by our Forbes-praised framework based on award-winning research, designed to cut through growing complexity and surface high-impact, high-value outcomes.
Insights brief
A concise synthesis of the most valuable insights, ideas and opportunities emerging from the conversation, shared with participants afterwards.
Participation
This inaugural roundtable marks the beginning of a series of dialogues, designed to generate high-quality peer insight, strengthen collaboration, and accelerate impact and business value.
Participants are expected to contribute openly, sharing insights and lessons learned from what has worked well, and less well, in their experience, under the Chatham House Rule.
Host partner
All food and beverages for the roundtable and dinner are generously hosted by the Pulitzer Amsterdam, part of Lore Group, in the heart of Amsterdam.
13:30-14:00 Arrival
14:00-16:30 Facilitated dialogue
Focused dialogue on emerging approaches to advance impact, engagement and business value.
16:30-18:30 Drinks & dinner
Build meaningful connections in a relaxed, historic setting in the heart of Amsterdam.
Post-session insights brief
A concise synthesis of key themes, strategic insights, and frontier approaches, designed to support internal reflection and decision-making.
