This year's conference, Sustainability Without Borders: Global Commitments vs. Local Impacts, brings together sustainability scholars from across the Great Lakes region to examine the disconnect between sustainability as it operates within global supply chains and how it is experienced in specific places, communities, and local economies. As international business and sustainability scholarship increasingly intersect, this year's gathering asks how sourcing decisions, multinational operations, and cross-border production networks shape sustainability outcomes far from where those decisions are made and what gets lost, distorted, or reinterpreted in that distance. In a moment when so much of our professional and intellectual life has been mediated by AI-driven tools and virtual exchange, this conference is deliberately designed as a small, in-person space, chosen to stay intimate enough for genuine cross-disciplinary conversation and safe enough for early-stage ideas to be shared honestly. The goal is not simply to present finished research, but to rebuild the kind of analog, relationship-driven scholarly community that pushes disciplinary boundaries through sustained human dialogue rather than algorithmic curation.
Agenda
Thursday, December 3
| Time | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 2 p.m. | Arrival and Welcome Coffee | Multipurpose Room 0102, Lower level |
| 2 – 2:30 p.m. | Opening Remarks | |
| 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Keynote Presentation | |
| 3:30 – 3:45 p.m. | Coffee Break | |
| 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. | Keynote Presentation | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 p.m. | Lightning Round I | |
| 5:30 p.m. | Dinner and Social | TBA |
Friday, December 4
| Time | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8 – 9 a.m. | Morning Coffee and Exercise | Multipurpose Room 0102, Lower level |
| 9 – 10 a.m. | Panel Session | |
| 10 – 10:30 a.m. | Lightning Round II | |
| 10:30 – 11 a.m. | Coffee Break | |
| 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Keynote Presentation | |
| 12 – 2 p.m. | Sustainability-themed Lunch | |
| 2 – 2:30 p.m. | Lightning Round III | |
| 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | Keynote Presentation | |
| 3:30 - 3:45 p.m. | Coffee Break | |
| 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. | Dialogues with Local Practitioners | |
| 4:45 – 5:15 p.m. | Reflection and Closing Remarks | |
| 5:15 onward p.m. | Light reception & Departure |
Keynote speakers
Ari Van Assche
Professor, International Business, HEC Montréal
Ari Van Assche is Full Professor of International Business at HEC Montréal and Co-Director of the International Institute of Economic Diplomacy. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Business Policy, Fellow-in-Residence at the C.D. Howe Institute, and Director of the Economics Axis at CERIUM’s Chair of Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies. Ari is also a John H. McArthur Research Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. Holding an M.Sc. in Sinology from KU Leuven and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Ari's work bridges economics, international business, and public policy. He is recognized globally for his expertise on the organization of global value chains and their implications for economic security, sustainability, and public policy.
Milo Shaoqing Wang
Assistant Professor, Management and Entrepreneurship, Arizona State University
Milo Shaoqing Wang is an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, and an affiliated faculty at the Center for AI and Data Analytics (AIDA) for Business and Society. His research examines societal challenges at the intersection of institutions, digital technologies, and social evaluations. He received his PhD in Strategic Management and Organization from the University of Alberta. His work has been published in leading journals in his field, including the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, Organization Science, and Academy of Management Annals. He teaches courses in strategic management, ESG, and qualitative research methods. He currently serves as a Deputy Editor of Management and Organization Review, a Senior Editor of Organization Studies, and a member of the editorial boards of Administrative Science Quarterly and Academy of Management Review. He also serves as the Representative-at-Large for North America for the International Association for Chinese Management Research (IACMR).
Sarah Burch
Professor, Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo
Dr. Sarah Burch is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Canada and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transformative Climate Governance. She is the Executive Director of the Waterloo Climate Institute, a Lead Author of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (including the new Special Report on Climate Change and Cities), and helped to lead expert input into the development of Canada’s first National Adaptation Strategy. Her research uncovers transformative responses to climate change at the community scale, the political and justice dimensions of sustainability transitions, and the unique contributions that small businesses can make to this solving these complex challenges. Dr. Burch has served as expert advisor and consultant to the federal government (on climate change adaptation and climate fundamentals education), and dozens of municipalities (on climate change and sustainability action plans). Dr. Burch holds a PhD from the University of British Columbia, and held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford. She was named to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars in 2017, and one of Canada’s Clean 50 in 2021.
Featured Panelists
Bev Kobe
President & CEO, Goodwill Industries Ontario Great Lakes
Bev Kobe is President & CEO of Goodwill Industries Ontario Great Lakes, a leading non-profit social enterprise advancing community impact, workforce development, and environmental stewardship. Bev focuses on turning sustainability commitments into practical local action through Goodwill's post-consumer retail supply chain and innovative end-of-life solutions. She works with businesses, government, academic institutions, and community partners to advance circular economy solutions that create environmental, social, and economic value. Through initiatives such as advanced textile sorting, recycling innovation, and cross-sector partnerships, she champions practical approaches that reduce waste, recover resources, and contribute to a more circular economy.
Nadia McCormack-McIntyre
General Manager, Residence Inn by Marriott London
Nadia McCormack-McIntyre is General Manager of Residence Inn by Marriott London Downtown, where she leads a team committed to thoughtful hospitality and responsible operations. Her approach to sustainability focuses on practical decisions: reducing waste, using resources wisely, supporting employees, and strengthening community connections. The hotel is a Smart Commute London employer, encouraging more sustainable travel choices. Beyond the hotel, Nadia is active with Tourism London, the London Chamber of Commerce, and SKÅL International London, where she serves as President. She brings a local hospitality perspective to the panel, exploring how organizations can turn broad sustainability commitments into everyday actions that benefit their communities.
Carlo Stocco
Managing Director North America, Andriani S.p.A.
Carlo Stocco is Managing Director North America at Andriani S.p.A., where he leads the development and consolidation of the company's North American operations. He joined Andriani in 2020 in Corporate & Business Development, focusing on strategy, financial planning, transformation projects, and new business development. In 2023, he assumed responsibility for North American operations. Prior to Andriani, he spent eight years at PwC Italy, progressing to Consumer Markets Manager and working on business transformation, international expansion, and operating model transformation. He graduated summa cum laude in International Economics from Ca' Foscari University of Venice.
Mike Fabro
Manager, Climate Change Planning, City of London
Mike spent more than a decade providing environmental engineering consulting services to industrial, commercial, and government clients across Canada, including brownfield remediation, toxic substance reduction planning, and climate adaptation solutions. As a volunteer, he helped launch and grow Green Economy London. He later built and led an environmental services team before joining the City of London. Mike is currently Manager of Climate Change Planning and played a key role in creating and implementing London's Climate Emergency Action Plan and climate lens for corporate decision-making.
Cleveland Brownlee
General Manager, The Better Bin Company & Management Consultant, Try Recycling
Cleveland Brownlee is General Manager of The Better Bin Company in Southwestern Ontario, with more than ten years of experience in the waste and recycling industry. He leads operations, sales, and strategic growth, helping divert hundreds of thousands of tonnes of recyclable and reusable materials from landfills. Under his leadership, the company has grown into an industry leader and received the London Home Builders' Association Supplier of the Year Award. He is also active in the London community through environmental initiatives and charitable organizations and has received the London Home Builders' Association President's Award for community achievement and industry leadership.
Hotels
The preferred hotel for this event is the Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre. We recommend booking as soon as possible in order to secure a room. Other recommended hotels in the area include: Delta London Armouries, Idlewyld Inn, and Hotel Metro.