Meet the 2025 Award Winners
The 2025 Women in Sustainability Leadership Awards
honored ten amazing, inspiring, and determined women. Meet them below!
Irissol Arce
Senior Director, Sustainability, Northwestern Mutual
Irissol Arce is a sustainability strategist known for building bridges, breaking down barriers, and forging new pathways toward equity and environmental progress. Driven by a deep commitment to doing what's right for both people and the planet, she has spent her career addressing some of the world’s most urgent challenges—from gender and racial inequality to educational disparities, the digital divide, poverty, homelessness, and climate change.
As Senior Director of Sustainability at Northwestern Mutual, Irissol leads climate action for a Fortune 90 company, leveraging over 20 years of experience in international business, technology, community impact, and sustainability to drive environmental progress and reduce climate risk.
She is also the Founder of The Learnup, where she coaches executives to enhance their effectiveness and impact—personally, professionally, and within their communities—through leadership development and strategic goal-setting.
Taryn Fuentes
Co-Founder, Carbon Real
Taryn Fuentes holds a Ph.D. in Silvo-agricultural and Veterinary Sciences and is the Co-Founder of Carbon Real, where she leads scientific research on biodiversity and carbon management.
With 19 years of experience, she has collaborated with organizations such as Conservation International and NASA’s GEDI program, publishing impactful studies like the ecological capacity of Chile’s evergreen forests.
As Co-Founder and Director of WEConserv, a land trust foundation, she helped conserve thousands of hectares in Patagonia through conservation easements.
Recognized by El Mercurio’s "100 Women Leaders" (2023) and Diario Sustentable’s "Women in Sustainability" (2024), she advances nature conservation through innovation and collaboration.
Catherine Greener
Founder, Greener Solutions Inc.
Catherine Greener is a recognized leader in operationalizing sustainability, with deep experience integrating environmental strategy into business operations across industries. She has led transformative initiatives for multinational corporations, start-ups, and nonprofits.
As founder of Greener Solutions Inc., she provides fractional sustainability leadership to clients such as Loliware and Newday Impact Investing. Her previous roles include Chief Sustainability & Environmental Affairs Officer at Do Good Foods and VP of Sustainability at Xanterra Travel Collection, where she advanced initiatives in hospitality, renewable energy, and conservation.
Catherine brings expertise in lean manufacturing, quality systems, and waste reduction, with Six Sigma Black Belt certification and extensive experience in carbon accounting and ISO standards (9001, 14001, 14064, 14040). Her ability to uncover inefficiencies and drive cultural change has delivered measurable outcomes in sectors from food and beverage to automotive and textiles.
She teaches “Transformative Leadership for Sustainability” at the University of Colorado Denver and serves on the Board of Directors for Eco-Cycle. She is also a co-founder of Cleargreen Advisors and has held senior roles with Saatchi & Saatchi S, DOMANI Consulting, and the Rocky Mountain Institute.
Catherine holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Formerly Natalie served at Deutsche Bank and Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. She holds a BS in Biochemistry from St. Andrew’s University and was named one of Financial News Top 100 Women in Finance since 2013.
Connie Hensler
Global Director of Environmental Management and Product Stewardship, Interface
Connie Hensler is a recognized leader in environmental management and product stewardship with over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing industry. As Global Director of Environmental Management and Product Stewardship at Interface, she leads efforts to minimize environmental impact through innovative product design and sustainable supply chain strategies.
Connie holds a graduate degree in applied and environmental microbiology and is a certified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) practitioner and reviewer. She chairs the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment, reflecting her deep commitment to advancing life cycle methodologies. Her contributions to the field include numerous peer-reviewed publications and patents, solidifying her reputation as a thought leader in sustainability.
Chris Hagler
Director of Sustainability, Sephora
Chris is the Co-Founder and CEO of Impact Pathways, a global impact-led consulting firm that empowers organizations to create value for society while driving business success. She leads a team of purpose-driven professionals who provide evidence-based guidance to organizations transitioning toward a regenerative future.
With over 30 years of business experience, Chris brings deep expertise in sustainability, impact, and Environmental Social Governance (ESG). Her background includes leadership within EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice, as well as entrepreneurial ventures and corporate roles across multiple business functions. Chris is also a frequent speaker on topics related to sustainability and impact, known for her strategic insight and practical approach.
Outside of work, Chris is a spouse and mother of two, an avid runner and gardener, and a self-proclaimed wanna-be skier and chef.
Shae Jameel
Senior Director and Head of Sustainability, Marsh McLennan
Shea is a sustainability leader known for guiding organizations from scattered efforts to strategic sustainability leadership. As Senior Director and Head of Sustainability at Marsh McLennan—the world’s leading professional services firm in risk, strategy, and people—she oversees ESG reporting, global sustainability strategy, and the execution of climate initiatives.
Beyond her corporate role, Shea actively contributes to her local community, serving on the Advisory Committee for Environmental Sustainability, where she recently helped pass a universal waste collection ordinance. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Management, and she is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Annie Lappé
Vice President, Strategy & Impact, Pivot Energy
Annie leads Pivot Energy’s social impact strategy and federal policy initiatives, overseeing community engagement, community investment, and corporate social impact programs. With over 20 years of experience managing high-performing teams and advancing clean energy policy, she brings deep expertise in solar energy and energy justice advocacy campaigns.
Before joining Pivot Energy, Annie spent 15 years at Vote Solar, a national solar advocacy organization, where she led campaigns aimed at transitioning the U.S. to a 100% renewable electricity system. Earlier in her career, she directed clean energy policy efforts across Western states and at the federal level for both SunEdison and the Alliance to Save Energy.
Christina Sanborn
Associate Principle, Sustainability Practice Leader, Mazzetti
Christina is a registered architect and sustainability consultant with over 20 years of experience, specializing in healthcare and higher education. She is a LEED Accredited Professional, a Certified Decarbonization Professional, a certified Allovance Decision Coach, and holds a certificate in the Appreciative Inquiry change leadership model.
As Sustainability Practice Leader at Mazzetti, Christina guides clients along their decarbonization journeys—assessing where they are today and shaping actionable plans to help them define and achieve their goals.
She brings a unique owner’s perspective to her work, having led sustainability efforts for Stanford Health Care, Cleveland Clinic, and Atrium Health, all with a focus on creating healthy environments for healthy communities. Christina is passionate about positive leadership, values curiosity, and is deeply committed to advancing equity and inclusion in both her professional and personal life.
Cassandra Thiel
President and CEO of Clinically Sustainable Consulting LLC, Assistant Professor at New York University
Dr. Cassandra Thiel is the President and CEO of Clinically Sustainable Consulting LLC and an Assistant Professor at New York University, where she holds joint appointments in the Grossman School of Medicine’s Departments of Population Health and Ophthalmology, as well as the Tandon School of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Urban Engineering.
Her research focuses on improving the environmental performance of healthcare through life cycle assessment and industrial ecology principles. She examines medical systems, hospital design, clinical practices, and medical technologies to drive sustainability in healthcare delivery.
As a 2014–2015 Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Fellow, Dr. Thiel studied the environmental footprint of cataract surgery at Aravind Eye Care System in southern India, revealing that Aravind’s carbon footprint for phacoemulsification was just 5% of that in the United Kingdom.
Dr. Thiel earned her Ph.D. and B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and Michigan Technological University, respectively. Her graduate studies were supported by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and an NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT).
Aurora Winslade
Head of Sustainability, Edison International
Aurora leads Edison International’s climate and sustainability strategy, helping drive the clean energy transition through a focus on clean power, efficient electrification, and guiding some of the world’s largest organizations through the energy shift. She served as lead author of the company’s white paper, Reaching Net Zero: Accelerating California’s Clean Energy Transition.
Before joining Edison, Aurora directed sustainability efforts at Stanford University, where she founded the Living Lab Fellowship Program for Sustainability, and at Swarthmore College, where she co-led the “To-Zero by Thirty-Five” energy infrastructure plan. Her earlier roles include leading Hawaii Energy’s Market Transformation Program and establishing sustainability programs at the University of Hawaii and UC Santa Cruz.
Aurora holds a B.A. from UC Santa Cruz and an M.B.A. from Duke University. She also teaches in Bard College’s MBA in Sustainability program.