17 Dec 2024: Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is proud to introduce the recent additions to its esteemed Board of Directors. Shyla Raghav, Chief Climate Officer, TIME and Co-Founder, TIME CO2; Kathrin Belliveau, respected toy industry veteran and newly appointed Chief Policy Officer, Toy Association, and Robert van de Kerkhof, Sustainability Advisor & Founder of PEPPER-i2. The three executives join an expert Board which guides and supports GFA in its mission to accelerate the transition to a net-positive fashion industry.

Shyla Raghav, Chief Climate Officer, TIME and Co-Founder, TIME CO2, brings insights from her long career working on both climate change adaptation and mitigation, with a focus on international policy and natural climate solutions. Her background includes serving as Vice President of Climate Change at Conservation International, and she previously held roles at the World Bank, Adaptation Fund, United Nations Development Programme, and United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Furthermore, Kathrin Belliveau, Chief Policy Officer, The Toy Association, contributes deep consumer products knowledge across global government relations, regulatory affairs, sustainability, product quality assurance, and strategic communications. She previously served on the executive management team of Hasbro, Inc., one of the world’s largest public toy companies, as Executive Vice President & Chief Purpose Officer. During her Hasbro career of over 25 years, Belliveau was credited as a visionary and catalyst for authentic corporate responsibility and sustainability progress, including launching the first global toy recycling program and eliminating plastics from toy packaging. A passionate advocate for business ethics and responsibility, she led and advocated for the toy industry to implement rigorous toy safety, sustainability and ethical sourcing standards and to adopt a culture of continuous improvement. She has testified before US Congress on the topic of responsible toy supply chains and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Business Ethics Leaders, by New York-based think tank Ethisphere.

Raghav and Belliveau commenced their Board of Director roles in December 2024.

Earlier this year, the GFA Board of Directors also welcomed Robert van de Kerkhof – a distinguished authority on sustainability and circularity. Van de Kerkhof brings over 25 years’ of experience in the fibre industry. He is currently Founder of PEPPER-i2, a Swiss-based impact advisory company that advises companies such as Syre and ReHubs Europe. Prior to this, he was Chief Commercial and Sustainability Officer and Member of the Board at Lenzing AG, non-executive director and Chairperson of innovation company HeiQ PLC, and the President of the Austrian Fiber Institute, which organises the global fibre congress, Dornbirn GFC. Van de Kerkhof replaced Cristiana Falcone on the board, who stepped down for personal reasons.

Raghav, Belliveau and Van de Kerkhof complement the existing expertise of GFA’s Board Members including Harsh Saini, global supply chain expert; Eva Kruse, Chief Global Engagement Officer at PANGAIA; and Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Director & Owner of ORCA & Co. The board is led by Thomas Tochtermann, Chairman, GFA, a seasoned board professional and executive advisor, and Thomas Klausen, Vice Chairman, GFA, CEO, Dansk Fashion & Textile.

Together, the board assures the organisation’s governance and compliance and works with Federica Marchionni, CEO, and the GFA Leadership Team to ensure healthy operations in terms of the organisation, funding, and strategic objectives. Under their guidance, GFA spurs its activities to inspire, educate and mobilise the fashion industry.

“I am delighted to welcome Shyla, Kathrin and Robert to the GFA Board,” said Thomas Tochtermann. “They each bring substantial and nuanced understandings of the complexities of sustainability and how businesses can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of our changing world. I look forward working with our carefully crafted, highly experienced and capable board to accelerate GFA’s positive impact even further. And I would like to thank Cristiana for her six years of board service.”

Learn more about the GFA Board of Directors here.