Building a Sustainable Supply Chain

Join academics and senior business leaders to discuss the latest thinking in achieving sustainable supply chains.

Supply chains now span the globe involving millions of factories, farms, fields and forests. They create huge economic value but they also generate growing social and environmental challenges too including human rights, climate change, deforestation and waste. We need to create supply chains that work in a way that balances economic, social and environmental need, supply chains that are sustainable.

This event is the opening plenary of the Business School's inaugural Festival of Ideas. The event showcases the breadth and quality of Business School research, encouraging academic progression and connecting researchers. You may also be interested in the opening plenary "Defining the City of the Future".

Keynote speakers:

• Mike Barry - Director of Sustainability (Plan A), Marks and Spencer
• Tomas Hult - Marketing and International Business, Michigan State University 

Panel members:

• Simon Garbett - Partner, Squire Patton Boggs
• Chee Yew Wong - Director of the Centre for Operations and Supply Chain Research

Event format

About the speaker

Mike Barry, Director of Sustainable Business (Plan A), Marks & Spencer

Mike is Director of Sustainable Business at the retailer Marks & Spencer.

He was part of the small team that in 2007 developed and delivered the company's groundbreaking Plan A, a 100 point, 5 year plan to address a wide range of environmental and social issues. 

Reporting to the CEO, Mike is responsible for delivering M&S’ aspiration to be the world’s most sustainable retailer. His job is to work with the M&S leadership team to integrate sustainability into the heart of the business across its global retail channels and supply chains. This includes developing the business case; coaching/mentoring colleagues; changing business processes; customer and stakeholder engagement; and business model innovation.

In May 2011 Mike was named the Guardian’s inaugural Sustainable Business Innovator of the Year. He is Co-Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) Sustainability Steering Group, Chair of the World Environment Center, a Visiting Fellow at the Smith Centre for Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Programme for Sustainable Leadership and sits on BiTC’s Environment Leadership Team. Prior to joining Marks & Spencer in 2000, he worked as an environment manager in the engineering sector and as an environmental consultant.  He is a chemistry graduate from Sheffield University.

You can follow Mike @planamikebarry.