Executive Roundtable Speakers

May 11-12, 2026

Alison Anastasio

Alison Anastasio

Managing Consultant, Biodiversity & Ecology | Ramboll

Alison Anastasio, PhD, is an urban ecologist and Managing Consultant in Biodiversity & Ecology at Ramboll, with 20+ years of experience spanning academic research and applied consulting. At Ramboll, she helps manage nature-related risks and delivers measurable biodiversity outcomes across their sites and portfolios. Dr. Anastasio’s expertise includes biodiversity analyses, habitat and vegetation assessment, ecosystem services, nature‑based solutions, and genetic analyses of adaptation in plants. Prior to consulting, Alison served as an Executive Director and Associate Dean at the University of Chicago where she managed complex programs, policy, and more than $10M in program funding.

Dominic Barbato

Dominic Barbato

VP, Strategy | Schneider Electric

Dominic Barbato leads strategy for SE Advisory Services, where he is responsible for shaping the strategic direction of Schneider Electric’s global energy and sustainability advisory business. Dominic has been in the space for nearly 25 years, including 18 years with the company.

In addition to his time with Schneider Electric, Dominic was formerly a part of Deloitte’s energy practice as well as a co-founder of a startup focused on energy as a service. He is passionate about inspiring and accelerating enterprise growth with extensive expertise gained from working with leading global organizations.

Dominic holds a B.S. in Economics from Centre College and an M.B.A. from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

Robert Bernard

Robert Bernard

Chief Energy & Sustainability Officer | CBRE, Inc.

As CBRE’s Chief Energy & Sustainability Officer, Rob Bernard is at the forefront of working to create value for clients through energy and sustainability. Mr. Bernard comes to this role with a business and environmental background. He is leading teams across the company to help CBRE clients decarbonize the built environment, meet increasing regulatory requirements, and drive strong  economic returns through the lens of energy and sustainability. He also oversees CBRE’s own operational sustainability work, which includes a goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2040.

Mr. Bernard has 20 years of experience at the intersection of sustainability, business and technology solutions. From his role as  Microsoft’s first Chief Environmental Strategist, to founding a private equity fund focused on circular economy, to today in his role at CBRE, he has shown how the fusion of technology and business innovation can simplify complexity, create value and drive  sustainability.

Ralph Exton

Ralph Exton

Executive Director

Ralph Exton is the Executive Director at the Water Environment Federation (WEF), a WEF Fellow, and has been serving in this role since 2024. Prior to WEF, Ralph held various senior executive positions at GE Water, SUEZ, Veolia, and Grundfos. He has extensive experience in strategic marketing, business development, M&A, Digital IOT, and Board-level leadership within the water and environmental sectors, including 5 years on the Board of WEF, 3 of those as treasurer. With over 38 years of experience, he has dedicated his career to protecting the environment and ensuring the sustainability of water, our most precious natural resource.

Ben Grumbles

Ben Grumbles

Executive Director

Ben Grumbles is Executive Director of the Environmental Council of the States, the nonprofit association of the 50 states’ environmental leaders. From 2015-2022, he was Maryland Secretary of the Environment, chairing the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet and the Maryland Climate Change Commission, and serving on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Executive Committee. His prior roles include President of the US Water Alliance, Director of Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator for Water, and Senior Staff/Counsel for various Congressional Committees. He holds degrees from Wake Forest University, Emory University Law School, and George Washington University Law School.

Neil Hawkins

Neil Hawkins

Professor / President

Dr. Neil Hawkins is a member of the graduate faculty of Harvard University Division of Continuing Education where he leads the consulting capstone track for the Masters degree in Sustainability.  He is also President of Michigan Sustainability Associates.   A highly experienced executive at Dow Chemical across 31 years, he served his last ten years as Chief Sustainability Officer and Corporate Vice President, part of the C-suite.  As President, he led the Erb Family Foundation from 1999 to 2023, focusing on arts and culture in Metro Detroit, environmental justice, sustainable business, and the Great Lakes ecosystem.  He has held many executive and board leadership roles across a wide variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Eunice Heath

Eunice Heath

Chief Sustainability Officer

Eunice Heath is the Chief Sustainability Officer of CRH, a leading supplier of building materials solutions that build, connect and  improve our world. She serves as a board member of the United Nations Global Compact USA Network. Eunice joined CRH in  January 2023 after a 31-year career at the Dow Chemical Company. At Dow, Eunice held various positions over her career from  global business leadership, government affairs, M&A Integration leader, Environment, Health & Safety and corporate sustainability.

Renae Kezar

Renae Kezar

Chief Sustainability Officer

Renae Kezar is Chief Sustainability Officer at Baxter Healthcare, leading the company’s global sustainability strategy across climate, water stewardship, product stewardship, and social impact. With more than two decades of experience spanning healthcare, industrial manufacturing, and consumer sectors, she brings a systems‑based, business‑focused approach to sustainability. Renae has led enterprise transformation efforts including climate strategy, ESG reporting, supply chain engagement, and science‑based targets, and regularly advises senior leaders and boards on emerging sustainability risks, regulations, and opportunities—particularly around water resilience and cross‑sector collaboration

Usman Khan

Usman Khan

AWS - Principal Water Strategy

Usman Khan is the Principal for Water Strategy at AWS. He has 14+ years of experience in the water industry. He holds a PhD in Environmental Engineering from McGill University in Canada and an MBA in Finance from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Daniel LeCloux

Daniel LeCloux

Executive VP & Chief Technical Officer

Dr. LeCloux is Executive Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention technologies and services that protect people and vital resources.

As Chief Technical Officer, Dr. LeCloux is responsible for leading the global Research, Development, and Engineering organization. Combining a deep understanding of customer problems with technology leadership, Ecolab RD&E takes an innovative systems approach to deliver superior solutions.

Dr. LeCloux received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota and Doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He also was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology. He currently serves as a member of the Industrial Advisory Board for the University of Minnesota’s Chemistry Department and the American Cleaning Institute Board of Directors.

Dr. Maheshwari Neelam

Dr. Maheshwari Neelam

Senior Earth Scientist

Dr. Maheshwari Neelam is a Senior Earth Scientist at USRA and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. She develops physics‑informed AI that fuses satellite observations, hydrologic modeling, and socioeconomic data to quantify watershed risk and resilience, helping leaders connect site‑level operations to basin‑level outcomes. Her recent work advances a science‑based framework for integrated water–carbon accounting, strengthening water stewardship and sustainability strategies with measurable, actionable evidence. She holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and a CFA Certificate in Climate Risk. A NASA honoree and 2026 USRA Trailblazer, she translates Earth science into industry‑ready decisions.

Margaret O’Gorman

Margaret O’Gorman

CEO

Margaret O’Gorman is the Chief Executive Officer of Tandem Global, supporting corporate efforts to align nature-positive goals with  ESG and EHS priorities. She has consulted with Fortune 500 companies like General Motors, Exelon, Chevron, BASF, Enbridge and  others to develop strategies and frameworks to integrate biodiversity into business. These nature-positive strategies have been  deployed in companies and along supply chains in 28 countries connecting to larger corporate, social impact and climate goals.

Brian Pickard

Brian Pickard

VP, AI and Data Analytics, Global Advisory

Brian Pickard is Associate Vice President of AI & Data Analytics within AECOM’s Global Advisory business, where he helps clients apply AI, geospatial analytics, and data-driven strategy to complex environmental and infrastructure challenges. His work sits at the intersection of water, resilience, climate, and digital innovation, with a focus on turning advanced analytics into practical business and environmental outcomes. Before joining AECOM, he led geospatial and ecological analytics teams supporting public and private sector clients across a wide range of environmental and natural resource issues.

Andrew Plenge

Andrew Plenge

VP, Strategy & Energy Policy

Andy Plenge is Vice President of Strategy and Energy Policy at Commonwealth Edison Company, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (Nasdaq: EXC). He is responsible for ComEd’s strategy and related policy initiatives along with its energy procurement obligations and its Clean Energy Solutions business.

Andy joined Exelon in 2009. Prior to his current role, he served as Vice President of Investor Relations, where was responsible for the communication and marketing strategy for Exelon’s engagement with the equity investment community. Previously, he was a Director of Finance at Exelon’s Business Services Company, where he was part of the team that executed the separation of the competitive power and marketing business from Exelon, creating Constellation Energy Corporation. Previously, he supported Exelon Nuclear’s Finance department, including as a Director of Midwest Business Operations for its 6 nuclear stations in Illinois and as a Senior Manager supporting financial and strategic analysis for the entire nuclear fleet. He also held positions in Exelon’s Capital Planning and Evaluation Group and in its Corporate Strategy group.

Dr. Cara Santelli

Dr. Cara Santelli

Professor & Dir. of Water Technology Center

Dr. Cara Santelli is Professor of Environmental and Applied Biogeochemistry at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Water Circularity Center. She leads interdisciplinary teams that bridge fundamental and applied research to define how contaminants move, transform, and persist in natural and engineered systems, advancing remediation strategies. Her work increasingly leverages AI to improve water quality in environmental systems and high-tech settings such as data centers. She has a broad body of scholarship spanning over 50 publications. Her research drives technological advances in mineral resource recovery, environmental remediation, and water circularity. Through collaboration with communities and stakeholders, Dr. Santelli translates scientific insight into practical solutions that address critical environmental challenges and support societal well-being.

Emilio Tenuta

Emilio Tenuta

Senior VP and Chief Sustainability Officer

Emilio Tenuta is senior vice president of Corporate Sustainability and chief sustainability officer for Ecolab. Tenuta has led Ecolab’s sustainability and corporate responsibility journey focused on environmental stewardship and helping customers operate more sustainably. He is actively involved in advancing global sustainability practices, with a focus on water stewardship and climate action. As an expert in water issues and corporate sustainability, Tenuta has spoken at a wide range of industry events.

During his time at Ecolab, Tenuta has played a key role in Ecolab’s corporate sustainability goals and accomplishments, including launching Ecolab’s 2030 Impact Goals, the introduction of the enhanced Ecolab Smart Water Navigator, the certification of four Ecolab facilities to the Alliance for Water Stewardship standard and Ecolab’s placement on prestigious sustainability and corporate responsibility rankings, including the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the CDP A lists for water and climate.

Tenuta holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and business from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Scott Tew

Scott Tew

VP & Global Head, Sustainability Strategy

Scott Tew serves as vice-president of sustainability strategy and co-founder of the Center for Energy Efficiency & Sustainability at Trane Technologies. Tew manages forward-looking sustainability initiatives aimed at transitioning to more efficient and climate-friendly solutions without compromising health or resource impacts. He is also responsible for climate and energy related public policy matters.

Tew serves as a thought leader in linking public policy, economic impacts, and a value-stream approach to sustainability. His recent efforts have led to the development of world-class initiatives, including the company’s comprehensive targets including an SBTi validated Net Zero target, the creation of the EcoWiseTM portfolio, launch of the largest customer-facing commitment to combat climate change with the Gigaton Challenge: and as a pioneer in integrated reporting. Most recently, the company announced industry-first commitments regarding reducing embodied emissions across its supply chain as well as increasing circular materials and revenue. The company appeared as the cover story on ESG Governance in the journal of the National Association of Corporate Directors, received the inaugural Terra Carta Seal for Sustainability Leadership by HM King Charles III, obtained a perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index, an “A” rating from CDP and the company has been consecutively listed to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for 15 years and is a Hall of Fame inductee in EPA’s Climate Leadership.

Jason Weller

Jason Weller

Global Sustainability Officer

Jason Weller joined JBS in 2022 where he serves as the Global Sustainability Officer, leading a team spanning 20 countries that is partnering with farmers and ranchers, supply chain companies, and conservation organizations to improve the resiliency and environmental quality of the JBS food system.

Weller previously served as President at Truterra, the sustainability business of Land O’Lakes, a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative system in the U.S. Prior to his five years at Land O’Lakes, Weller led the Natural Resources Conservation Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a federal agency that since the Dust Bowl has provided assistance to agricultural producers to steward their resources. He also served as senior professional staff covering agricultural and natural resource programs for the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, U.S. House Budget Committee, and White House Office of Management and Budget.