Christy Slay Named Next CEO of The Sustainability Consortium

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Christy Slay

TEMPE, Ariz., and FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Sustainability Consortium announced today that Christy Slay will become The Sustainability Consortium's next chief executive officer. Slay was named interim CEO in an announcement to TSC members in October 2021.

Slay began with TSC in its founding year in 2009 and has held many leadership roles, including her current roles as interim CEO and vice president, science and impact. Additionally, Slay leads the way on strategic planning for TSC and THESIS (The Sustainability Insight System), directs the technical team on THESIS content creation, led the development of TSC's commodity mapping program and has secured over $3 million in grant funding, more than any TSC staff member to date. Slay has recently been published in Science and Nature Climate Change and holds adjunct faculty positions at both the U of A's Walton College Graduate School of Business and Arizona State University's College of Integrative Science and Arts. She has co-authored reports on sustainable agricultural metrics and climate change resilience in supply chains featured on HSBC's Centre of Sustainable Finance. Slay was recently featured on CNBC as an expert on supply chains and climate change. Slay has 23 years of experience as an educator in both collegiate and environmental education settings. She also co-leads cave ecology research for the HICAVES Project on the island of Hawaii, discovering new species and featured in a documentary on Nature PBS. Slay came to TSC from the National Audubon Society.

She received her B.A. in biology from Hendrix College, attending courses at Birkbeck College at the University of London. Slay's Ph.D. in biological sciences from the U of A was awarded in 2010, focusing on four species of declining neo-tropical migratory songbirds at a National Audubon sanctuary in Southbury, Connecticut.

In addition to CEO, Slay will remain TSC's current vice president, science and impact, continuing to oversee all TSC research and impact activities that service TSC members and users of THESIS.

Jon Johnson, TSC chairman of the board, TSC co-founder and distinguished faculty at the U of A, said, "There is no one better suited to become the next CEO of TSC than Christy Slay. Dr. Slay is well respected in both academic and industry circles and has an extensive background and expertise in sustainability measurement that makes her our clear choice to lead TSC into the future."

TSC co-founder, Distinguished Faculty at ASU and Chief Scientist Kevin Dooley stated, "The whole team is excited about where TSC will go with Christy at the helm. Christy embodies what TSC is about — great science, broad collaboration and a passionate commitment to move the needle on sustainability."

As TSC's next CEO, Slay said, "It is a great honor to be chosen by our staff, universities and board of directors to lead us through the next stage of TSC's evolution. I could not ask for a better team — TSC staff, members and sustainability leaders -- to collectively drive the change and impact the world urgently needs in consumer goods and retail supply chains. To address the world's needs, I look forward to working alongside our team to move expediently and create impact at scale."

Slay will work alongside Johnson, Dooley and the TSC managing board to continue to develop and enact TSC's strategic plan. TSC's board is made up of TSC All Access members that include retailers, brands, NGOs and universities. Current board members include representatives from Walgreens Boot Alliance, Unilever, Henkel, PepsiCo, HSBC, WWF, Cornell University, Wageningen University and Research, Arizona State University and the U of A.

Slay will be additionally supported by the TSC Executive Leadership Team that includes Carolyn Baltz, vice president of development, and Erika Ferrin, vice president of marketing, communication and operations. TSC translates the best sustainability science into business tools that are used all over the world to create more sustainable consumer products.