American non-profit Apparel Impact Institute expands leadership

“As Aii evolves, we have developed an ever-clearer picture of what will be necessary to implement and report the level of scalable solutions necessary to meet the 2030 climate targets,” said Lewis Perkins, Aii president. “To scale solutions across the value chain, we need to support brands and manufacturers from finance through implementation and reporting. Amanda and Melissa’s input will play a critical role in helping Aii achieve the growth to get us there.”

Melissa Fifield is Bank of the West’s head of corporate social responsibility and sustainability, where she is responsible for leading and reporting on the bank’s sustainability actions and other CSR commitments. She is a global sustainability leader who brings 20 years of experience leading domestic and international programmes across social and environmental impact areas. In addition to spending 14 years at Gap in various sustainability and environmentally focussed roles, Fifield also recently served on the board of directors of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

“I was an early and enthusiastic advocate for the Apparel Impact Institute and am thrilled to be joining the board to help drive critical impact in the apparel industry,” said Fifield. “I’m a strong believer in collaboration to drive the systemic change necessary to battle the social and environmental challenges we face and see Aii as an important vehicle for this change.”

Amanda Tucker is Target Corp’s new vice president of responsible sourcing and sustainability. Tucker joined Target in March 2021. She is passionate about using the power of global brands to make the world a better place and has broad experience in leadership development, corporate responsibility and sustainability. A certified professional coach, Tucker mentors and coaches students as a course facilitator for the LEAD programme at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Prior to her work with Stanford, she held a variety of senior roles in sustainable manufacturing and sourcing during a 21-year career at Nike, including as the general manager for Vietnam and Italy. Tucker also worked in Switzerland for the International Labour Organization, a specialised agency of the United Nations, and at the US Council for International Business in New York City.

“At Target, collaborating with external partners is key to our new sustainability strategy Target Forward and integral to achieving our ambitious climate goals,” said Tucker. “Aii is an innovative and visionary partner in this space and offers programs aligned with our company’s commitment to play an active role in making a notable impact on people and our planet."

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)