Chris Harrop awarded BITC Game Changer 2012 Accolade

Chris Harrop, Marshalls’ group marketing director, responsible for sustainability, has been awarded a prestigious BITC’s Game Changer accolade.

In this its 30th year of campaigning on responsible business issues, BITC has launched a one-off Game Changers accolade to recognise and celebrate the critical role that individual from business have played in driving forward the responsible business movement. This award honours 123 professionals that have been most influential and transformed the responsible business agenda over the last thirty years.

Stephen Howard, Chief Executive at BITC said, “We are delighted to be able to recognise some of the brightest stars in corporate responsibility through our Game Changers award. As a campaigning membership organisation we are dependent on individuals from business to help us drive the agenda.

Without the energy and passion of Game Changers like Chris I doubt very much if the UK responsible business movement would be quite so mature. They truly deserve this recognition which I hope will act as an inspiration to others.”

Graham Holden, Marshalls Chief Executive commented, “Chris has worked long and hard to develop the sustainability agenda within Marshalls and to drive positive change within the organisation and throughout the wider landscaping sector. I’m delighted that his passion and drive have been recognised by BITC in this very public way. Under Chris’s guidance, Marshalls really is delivering on its promise of “Creating Better Landscapes”, socially, environmentally and economically.”

Under Harrop’s direction Marshalls became a member of BITC in 2007 and his pioneering spirit and vision saw the Company become a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact in 2009.

The impact of his work spans both corporate and product sustainability in the UK and overseas; from reducing Marshalls’ environmental impact, being the first in the world at the time to carbon footprint over 3500 products, developing products which alleviate flood risks, driving a programme of human rights impact assessments, ethicising the supply chains, delivering the first ethical stone product range to market, and working with a range of actors overseas to improve working conditions and provide community programmes in India, China and Vietnam, including combating child labour, workers’ rights, education, pay and conditions, women’s empowerment and health programmes.

Says Harrop, “It’s fantastic that this Game Changer Award acknowledges and recognises the individuals who continually push the boundaries and challenge their organisations to do more. I count myself very fortunate to be in a position to influence and drive the sustainability agenda and to work within my areas of influence to shift corporate responsibility from niche to mainstream.

There is much still to be done, but it really is great to take a moment to recognise the contribution that I’ve been able to make. It’s really very satisfying to have this acknowledgement from BITC for my contribution in the field of responsible business.”

Marshalls most recent 2011 UNGC Communication on Progress COP’s details the
sustainability and responsible business agenda that has been delivered under Chris
Harrop’s direction and can be viewed at http://www.marshalls.co.uk/sustainability/
publications/pdfs/COP%20report_2011_FINAL.pdf

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