Alan McClay, a longtime executive in the consumer goods industry, has been named chief executive officer of the Better Cotton Initiative, a nongovernmental organization that focuses on bringing sustainable practices to the global cotton supply chain.
McClay, whose appointment is effective Sept. 28, replaces Patrick Laine, who is retiring but will continue to manage specific BCI projects during a transition period.
“Alan’s prior experience, including 25 years in senior leadership roles influencing sectoral behavior in the consumer goods industry, well qualifies him for the challenges facing BCI,” said Susi Proudman, chair of the BCI Council, and vice president of global apparel materials at Nike Inc. “The lessons he has learned in building partnerships and delivering results at The Consumer Goods Forum and its predecessor entity will serve us well as we strive to recruit dozens of new brands and retailers to our initiative. Moreover, his recent consulting work with NGOs and companies engaging in the sustainability journey will ensure our message will resonate with our target audiences. Finally, Alan’s Cambridge, Sciences Po and London Business School educational background provides a framework of strategic thinking which will be of great utility as we grow and develop.”
McClay said he was looking forward to leading BCI during its next phase of growth.
“BCI has a solid strategy in place and a clear vision of where it wants to be in 2020,” he said. ” I look forward to working with the council and leading the BCI team, in alliance with its many partners around the globe, to deliver that vision of achieving transformation in the cotton sector. BCI’s program of improved farming practices will not only contribute to the improved well-being of millions of farmers and a better environment, but also promote increased use of cotton by global brands, helping to ensure the long-term viability of the sector.”
To achieve its mission of developing Better Cotton as a sustainable mainstream commodity, and improving the lives of the people who produce it and the environment it grows in, BCI works with a diverse range of stakeholders across the cotton supply chain.
BCI has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, with regional offices in China, India, Mozambique, Pakistan and the U.K., as well as staff based in the U.S. and Turkey.
Established in 2009, BCI reached 600 members this year, including brands and retailers such as Nike Inc., Adidas, Levi Strauss & Co., H&M, Marks & Spencer, VF Corp., Tommy Hilfiger Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Inditex that, together, represent more than 10 percent of global cotton consumption. BCI’s goal is to reach 30 percent of global cotton consumption under its program by 2020.