Remembering Doug DeRuisseau

We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of our long-time colleague, mentor, and friend, Doug DeRuisseau. We share our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, and to all those who admired and were touched by his energy and dedication. 

Doug joined the newly formed SAI team in 1998, which he took up following a 27-year career at AT&T. Doug was a driving force in these early years of SAI and a pioneer in the early movement toward greater accountability for business’s impact on people. Eileen Kohl Kaufman, Executive Director Emerita of SAI, remembers Doug being passionate about SAI’s mission from the start, “a zealot at the beginning.”  

Over the following twenty years, Doug contributed immeasurably to SAI’s mission and growth – participating in calibration meetings, leading training and field services, managing the accreditation of certification bodies, and serving as a client manager for SAAS. But above all, Doug is remembered most profoundly for his role in training and mentoring thousands of people around the world who wanted to dedicate their careers to improving workers’ lives.

Doug instructed the first-ever SA8000 training course, witnessed the first SA8000 audit, and conducted the first training of trainers. He went on to train hundreds of social auditors, CSR professionals, and trainers in all corners of the world. For those he trained, Doug’s mentorship, genuine care, and colorful stories were invaluable. Alice Tepper Marlin, SAI’s founder and President Emerita, remembers Doug as a warm and brilliant trainer who so many people looked up to, with a deep understanding of issues facing workers, managers, auditors, and the people he was teaching.  

Rochelle Zaid, Executive Advisor of Standards and Impacts, was a long-time colleague and close friend. She remembers being trained by Doug, sharing that he always made people comfortable, but wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions – making him an expert at challenging his students to shift their ways of thinking to see new perspectives. Rochelle remembers witnessing this skill of Doug’s and shared that it was really something to behold. Famously, Doug began his response to most questions with the phrase “it depends…” – encouraging students to think through the many nuances and grey areas of the field. Eileen remembers Doug using this phrase to inspire students to take care in evaluating specifics and give proper weight to a situation.  

His energy and incredible storytelling ability put people at ease in the classroom, encouraging participation and excitement for the material. The excitement was mutual, as Rochelle described, “he loved every minute of it – of meeting people and being able to share his stories for them to understand how powerful and important [this work] was.”  

Badri Gulur, Director of Training and Capacity Building, worked with Doug for many years during their shared time at SAI and considered him to be an irreplaceable mentor as a trainer. Badri shared, “For me, Doug was a source of inspiration and strength to me and my family. I had the privilege of working closely with him for over 24 years in Asia, Europe and the US. With a passion for training on human rights, he approached every challenge with integrity, a positive spirit with a smile that was contagious. His commitment, dedication and hard work was evident in everything he did that his work left an indelible mark on our team and the organization as a whole. Throughout the years, Doug was more than just a colleague. He was a guiding light—a person who embodied patience, generosity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. In his presence, work never felt like work. It was a space where we grew, learned, and became better professionals and individuals. Doug had a unique gift for bringing out the best in everyone. He always found time to share knowledge, offer guidance, and listen with an open heart. In moments of uncertainty, his calm, reassuring presence helped us find clarity and direction. For many of us, Doug was more than a mentor; he was a source of inspiration, a person we could turn to for advice and support.” 

So many of us have been trained and mentored by Doug and are grateful for all that he has taught us through his many meaningful stories and nuanced perspective to advancing human rights at workplaces. We will miss his good sense of humor, warmth, and thoughtfulness.  

Badri Gulur led a ceremony in honor of Doug’s life in Srirangapatna, India, according to his wishes. The ceremony took place on the banks of the river Kaveri, which is considered to be one of the holiest rivers in South India and holds special spiritual importance in the journey to eternal peace.

View Doug DeRuisseau’s obituary.

Visit our LinkedIn page to view and contribute to comments about Doug and his impact.

Memories from the SAI team

“Doug was a remarkable trainer, developer of SAI courses and lead accreditation auditor. His enthusiasm and drive to continually improve our systems sparked excellence at SAI and inspired us all. Beyond that, Doug was a good friend with real integrity. I count myself among a throng of admirers who miss him greatly.” – Alice Tepper Marlin, Founder and President Emerita

“Thousands of people all over the world will miss him, and deservedly so. We were lucky to know him and work with him for a long time as we did.” – Eileen Kohl Kaufman, Executive Director Emerita

“He was our tutor (both my wife and me) for the first Advanced Course at Bangalore followed by our witness audits in 2002. Since then, we have been in constant communication with him sharing our joy and our progress. He was a wonderful person to interact with, helpful and interested in our progress. Without doubt SA8000 in India grew and became popular because of his efforts.” – Muralidharan Subramanian, Manager, Capacity Building and Outreach

“I would like to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to you, Doug. Your contributions have been truly invaluable, and I deeply appreciate the time and energy you have dedicated to teaching me. Your impact on labor rights education and management systems in Latin America continues to yield significant results. You paved the way for certification back in 1999 when your initial training sessions captivated the management of various fruit and vegetable corporations in Central America. Thank you for your commitment and dedication. Your legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire and benefit many in the years to come.” – Yolanda Brenes Hernandez, Senior Manager of Latin America Programs 

“Doug was truly special—he was the one who really taught me the ropes at SAI. We shared many adventures navigating the ups and downs of the training department, handling courses, hundreds of trainees, chaotic travel schedules, etc. Those early days left me with many cherished memories. I’ll always be grateful for the chance to have known, worked with, and learned from Doug. What a loss.” – Stephanie Wilson, Director of Innovation and Partnerships

“Doug was the solid rock on which SAI was built in my opinion, due to all his hard work during the training of so many SA8000 auditors. We had some great times together and shared some good stories. Doug will be remembered fondly by his catch phrase ‘it depends’.” – Peter Scott, Technical Director and Lead Auditor, SAAS

“Doug had an endearing exuberant approach to life and work that will live on in all of our hearts and memories.” – John Brookes, Executive Director, SAAS 

“I first met Doug in 2007 when I started working with SAI. […] I was new to the field of social compliance, and he was so generous with his time and knowledge. He saw that the field of social compliance auditing had evolved in some ways and was wise enough to adjust his approach without losing sight of the core elements that make a good auditor. I’ll never forget sitting and talking with Doug about the gray areas of auditing and how you help train people to differentiate between the shades of gray. He said that seeing a black and white situation is easy. It’s really hard to get social compliance auditors to see a situation and all pick the same shade of gray. I learned so much from him that is always with me.” – Craig Moss, former Director of Corporate Programs & Training

“Doug, I miss you dearly. Words fail to capture the greatness of you as a colleague and human being and what you meant to all of us. In my mind it is a beautiful, colorful, ever-growing collage of all of the interactions you had and the lives you touched, all the workers and their families whose lives are better because of you. 

Even after you retired, your impact continued to multiply as the thousands of people you mentored kept carrying out our mission and bringing many others along. Now, so many of them are sharing their personal stories of how profoundly you inspired them and shaped their paths. You weren’t training people solely on technical issues but for empathy, understanding and purpose. You showed us that the most important thing was not to lecture but to listen and to interact. 

Your ashes are now bring spread in the US, Italy and India, just a few of the many places you came to love through your family and your work with SAI. Your spirit is far more places, in all of the lives you touched. 

Thank you, Doug, and thank you to your family that shared you with us and were so supportive as you traveled the world for us, far from the comforts of home. We will all be forever grateful.” – Jane Hwang, President and CEO

Please feel free to leave a comment on this post to contribute your memories of Doug.