A new proposed SEC rule to mandate climate-related disclosures and increasing climate-related shareholder resolutions have drawn attention to the rigor of corporate climate commitments. With the number of Net Zero pledges doubling in the past year, JUST Capital showcases which companies are rising to meet the moment as top performers in their annual Ranking of America’s Most JUST Companies.
Martin Whittaker, Chief Executive Officer, JUST Capital
Martin Whittaker is the founding CEO of JUST Capital and is responsible for the overall leadership of the organization. He is also co-founder and Board member of the CREO Syndicate, a family office investment network; a Board member of the Carbon Disclosure Project U.S.;and a member of the Forbes Finance Council and Forbes Contributor. He was recently named to the 2020 NACD Directorship 100 – the annual list of the most influential people in the boardroom and on corporate governance – and to Business Insider’s 2020 List of 100 People Transforming Business.
Previously, Martin was a founding partner and investment committee member at Sonen Capital, an impact investing firm, where he led private equity, real asset, and direct investing activities. Martin has also served as Director of MissionPoint Capital Partners, a family office-led private equity firm;Senior Vice President at Swiss Re, where he was part of the Environmental and Commodity Markets team;and Managing Director at Innovest Strategic Value Advisors, Inc., a pioneering sustainable investment advisory and research firm. Martin received his Ph.D. from University of Edinburgh, an MBA from the University of London, an M.Sc. from McGill University and a B.Sc. from University of St. Andrews. Martin has also served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, provided expert testimony on environmental markets to the U.S. Senate, guest lectured at multiple business schools, consulted to major corporations on sustainability- and impact-related matters, and been an invited speaker, published writer, and contributor via television, print, social media, and conferences throughout his career.
Erik Hansen, Senior Director, Environmental Sustainability, Workday
Erik leads the company’s global sustainability efforts. He is responsible for the development and implementation of sustainability strategies across Workday’s operations and workplace. His responsibilities range from renewable energy procurement, to external sustainability reporting, to development of the company’s science-based targets. Under his leadership, Workday announced a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2021 and a commitment to use 100 percent renewable electricity across global operations, which the company achieved one year early in 2020.
Prior to joining Workday in 2010, Erik worked at EY for seven years advising clients in IT risk management.
Erik holds an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School and received his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
