Sustainable Business Council appoints executive director

Business sustainability advocate Penny Nelson has been appointed Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council.

Formed in early 2012 from the merger of the BusinessNZ Sustainable Business Forum and the NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development, the Sustainable Business Council is a membership organisation of leading New Zealand enterprises seeking optimal business, social and environmental progress.

Penny Nelson comes to the position of Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council following leadership roles in policy and advocacy in the public and private sectors.

As inaugural Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council, Ms Nelson will lead the new body in a wide range of initiatives in leading and mainstreaming sustainability in business.

Sustainable Business Council Chairman Brett Tomkins says the SBC is delighted to have gained a proven leader in sustainability with outstanding credentials with the business, scientific and policy communities.

BusinessNZ Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly says the appointment marks a step forward in the mainstreaming of sustainability into enterprise practice and will help bring a tangible difference for businesses, customers and the environment in New Zealand.

Ms Nelson takes up the Wellington-based position in June 2012.