The UN Global Compact announces 15 national SDG Pioneers

The young SDG Pioneers are recognized for their exceptional efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 21 August 2019 — The United Nations Global Compact today announced the winners of the country-level search for SDG Pioneers — young business leaders who are doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

These 15 young professionals were judged by an expert panel comprised of representatives of Government, business and civil society. The selection criteria included the individuals' commitment to embedding the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact into their companies' core strategies, their efforts to advance the SDGs, as well as their engagement with the UN Global Compact and its Local Networks.

“Four years in, it is clear that progress on the Sustainable Development Goals is much slower than it should be,” said Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact. “By recognizing and encouraging young business leaders who are driving transformative solutions in their respective sectors, we have the opportunity to drive truly systemic change and shift the world onto a more sustainable path.” 

The SDG Pioneers programme is part of the UN Global Compact Making Global Goals Local Business campaign. In 2019, the search for SDG Pioneers focused on young professionals, aged 35 and under, working at any level in a company participating in the UN Global Compact, who are advancing the SDGs through their work. 

The 2019 national Global Compact SDG Pioneers are:

• Bangladesh: Mashook Mujib Chowdhury, Sustainability Manager, DBL Group

• Brazil: Juliana Oliveira, Creating Shared Value Analyst, Nestlé

• Canada: Lindsey Verhaeghe, Sustainability Initiatives & Reporting Manager, Nutrien Ltd.

• China: Xu Chuanzi, Deputy Director, State Grid Hangzhou Power Supply Company

• Croatia: Ivan Marasović, Senior Specialist of Career and Talent Management, INA d.d.

• Denmark: Charlotte Sølling, ESG Manager, MP Pension

• Georgia: Maya Kobalia, Head of the Environmental and Social Division, MFO Crystal

• Italy: Francesca Martucci, Sustainability Specialist, Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

• Kenya: Dr. Joyce Sitonik, Head of Clinic Business Operations, ARR Health Care Kenya

• Lebanon: Marc Torbey-Helou, Senior Banker, Banque Libano-Française

• Netherlands: Dylan McNeill, Director of Supplier Sustainability, Royal Philips NV

• South Africa: Sarah Whitten, Executive Director and Global Account Manager, Standard Chartered Bank

• Sri Lanka: D.D. Roshan Weerasinghe, Assistant Manager, MAS Holdings (Pvt) Ltd

• United Kingdom: Regan Leahy, Assistant Citizenship Manager, Hogan Lovells

• United States of America: Meg Parker Young, Director of Impact Strategy and Development, Thomson Reuters

These national winners will progress to the global round of the search for 2019 UN Global Compact SDG Pioneers alongside individuals who applied in countries where a national competition was not held. The ten winners of the global round will be announced and recognized during the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

The 2019 SDG Pioneers programme is supported by the Tuborg Foundation.

About the United Nations Global Compact

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact works with companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with 10 universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact guides and supports the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 60 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

For more information, follow @globalcompact on social media and visit our website at www.unglobalcompact.org.

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