RILA Taps Engineer to Head up Sustainability Efforts

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), whose board of directors includes the CEOs of VF Corp. and REI, has hired Adam Siegel as vice president of sustainability and retail operations. Siegel will lead RILA's sustainability offerings, directing both RILA's Retail Sustainability Initiative (RSI) and the Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Conference (ESCC), while also leading a number of other operational activities for the association.

An engineer with an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, Siegel has consulted for numerous companies including Staples, IBM, and Seventh Generation, as well as for leaders in the transportation and energy sectors. He has experience with the Environmental Defense Fund's Corporate Partnerships Program, where he worked with the private equity firm KKR and their portfolio companies. He holds an MS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Siegel will officially start with RILA at the end of August, and will attend the 2010 Environmental Sustainability & Compliance Conference (ESCC) Sept. 22-24, in San Diego, California.

In its third year, ESCC successfully brings together the top executives involved in establishing environmental programs and integrating green practices into operations at retailers and suppliers. The conference's program will address the key operational aspects of environmental sustainability and compliance for the retail industry, including sessions on energy, waste management, water conservation, store operations, real estate development, supply chain issues, and opportunities for improving corporate social responsibility. With the iconic brands of retail in attendance, including Best Buy, Costco, IKEA, J.C. Penney, Target, Wal-Mart, and many more, the conference advances continuous improvement of sustainability within the retail industry and its suppliers.

RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.