Joanna Gluzman-Laukkanen
Chief sustainability officer, Director of Responsible Business
Board adviser and former C-suite executive with 20 years' experience across global FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies: BT Group, Avon International, PZ Cussons and B&Q. My particular strength is translating social, environmental, reputational and governance risk into board language, so it informs sound financial decisions, compliant and impactful reporting, and the resilience and longevity of the business. My experience sits mainly in retail, FMCG, beauty and technology, and I have held senior roles in investor relations, PR, technology innovation, ESG, sustainability, social impact and governance. I am a qualified and experienced executive and leadership coach, curious by nature, a very quick learner and a systemic thinker. My style is low-ego and high-impact, comfortable with challenging as well as supporting colleagues and boards in arriving at the optimal business decisions. I have stepped away from executive roles to focus on board and advisory work. I currently advise the board of SmartResilience, a climate-tech start-up, and write thought leadership white papers for boards. Relevant board experience includes:
- Built the ESG board committee at PZ Cussons (FTSE 250), including its Terms of Reference, rolling agenda and progress tracking, mentored by the Chair. Permanent invitee to the ESG committee, and adviser to the Audit and Risk Committee on ESG risk and to the Remuneration Committee on executive incentives.
- Saved over £20m at B&Q by challenging the status quo of operations and applying innovative thinking.
- Part of the leadership team preparing Avon for acquisition by Natura &Co, and part of the executive board at PZ Cussons when it acquired Childs Farm, giving me board-level due diligence experience on both sides of M&A.
- Represented BT Group at investor roadshows and conferences worldwide, represented the IT industry at the UN Principles for Responsible Investment from its launch, and devised BT's first ever corporate Transparency Report.
- Led the preparation of, and compliance with, mandatory board reports such as TCFD and CSRD at PZ Cussons and B&Q.
- Led measurement of social impact at Avon, PZ Cussons and B&Q, and was among the first to implement Social Return on Investment (SROI) models.
- Chair of Curriculum at a leading London school and member of the Education Scrutiny Board, London Borough of Richmond.
- Board adviser to SmartResilience, a climate-tech start-up.
