Navigating the Waters: Accelerating Business Action Across Borders | Talk Show at World Water Week

This live studio talkshow during World Water Week 2024 delves into the pivotal role of businesses in advancing sustainable water management. It examines how businesses can expedite water stewardship across value chains, emphasizing collaborative solutions and business leadership. Through collective action, companies drive positive change, ensuring a sustainable future for all stakeholders.

Speakers:

George Schuler
Deputy Head of the CEO Water Mandate
For nearly 30 years, George Schuler has led innovative global water sustainability efforts, managing diverse teams and securing significant funding. His expertise include scientific research, program evaluation, and advocating for responsible water use on a global scale. George is deeply committed to the CEO Water Mandate’s mission and collaborates with public, private, and non-profit sectors on climate and water security. He holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science from Allegheny College and a Master of Environmental Studies from Yale University.

Lingyi Lu
Head of Sustainability at Söderberg & Partners
As Head of Sustainability at Söderberg & Partners, one of Scandinavia’s largest financial advisory and insurance brokerage firms, Ms. Lu oversees the integration of sustainability across business areas, including pension savings, investment management, and insurance advisory. She holds a master’s degree in applied economics and finance from Copenhagen Business School and has received education at the Uppsala Center for Environment and Development Studies (CEMUS). Alongside her responsibilities at Söderberg & Partners, Ms. Lu serves on the board of the Swedish Forum for Sustainable Investing as Vice Chairwoman and on the board of the UN Global Compact Swedish Network.

Francesca O’Hanlon
Senior Water Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Dr Francesca O’Hanlon leads the water security strategy for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) – the largest bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company. CCEP makes, moves, and sells some of the world’s most loved brands – serving 600 million consumers across 29 countries. Francesca has a background in water resources engineering, WASH, and water innovation. Prior to joining CCEP, she was the Founder and CEO of Blue Tap, a social enterprise that developed water treatment technology for communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Francesca has an MEng from Imperial College in Civil and Environmental Engineering, an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, and a PhD in Water Security in the Global South, both from the University of Cambridge. She is the 2022 Smeaton Medal Winner.

Moderator: Kanika Groeneweg-Thakar, Swedish Red Cross