Meet Our Team

As Communications and Marketing Manager at SAI, Alex Ducett develops and implements communications and marketing strategies and promotes SAI’s services and programs. She also supports media relations, fundraising, and donor management. Alex worked previously as coordinator and communications assistant at NYU Division of Libraries for their five-year strategic planning process and has supported communications in education- and human rights-focused nonprofits, Every Hour Counts and U.S. Campaign for Burma. Alex has a Master of Public Administration degree from NYU Wagner School of Public Service where she focused her research on human rights in the global value chain. She has a bachelor’s degree from The University of Chicago in East Asian Languages & Civilizations with a minor in Human Rights.

Badrinath Gulur serves as the Director of Training and Capacity Building with SAI. Since joining SAI in 2001, Badri has been involved with the development and implementation of a range of training and accreditation programs. He has instructed SA8000 auditor training courses and provided technical assistance on social accountability for organizations in over 50 countries. Before joining SAI, Badri was the CEO of Four-D Management Consulting, providing consulting and training services in the fields of social accountability, the environment, and health and safety. He has previously also worked as country manager, lead auditor, and trainer for Bureau Veritas. Badri holds a master’s degree in Urban Environmental Management from the Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He is a registered IRCA Lead Auditor, a trainer for ISO 9000, ISO 14000 and OHSAS 18000, and a Senior Accreditation Auditor at Social Accountability Accreditation Services.

Beat Grüninger is the Director and Co-founder of BSD Consulting, and serves as a Trainer for SAI. Beat has extensive experience developing and implementing CSR and stakeholder relationship management systems for diverse companies, including Atlantic LNG, Comgás, Petrobras, Samarco, and Santander Banespa. He was the first local Fairtrade inspector in Brazil. Beat holds a master’s degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Zurich. He trains in German and Portuguese.

Christopher Lamoureux serves as Manager of Policy and Stakeholder Engagement with SAI. He is responsible for conducting research and legal analyses on diverse human rights topics. Christopher also supports SAI’s customer support, stakeholder engagement, data analyses, and training and policy development. Christopher has previously served with the Human Rights Law Centre at the University of Nottingham and at the Equal Justice Center and American Civil Liberties Union in Austin, Texas. He has also supported the work of the Human Rights Law Network in India and the Icelandic Human Rights Centre. Christopher received his bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Texas State University. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas School of Law and a Master of Laws (LLM) in International Human Rights Law from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.

D.K.S. Moorthy, a Lead Accreditation Auditor and Client Manager with SAAS since 2010, is a Graduate Mechanical Engineer from University of Madras, India. He has many years of work experience in the fields of Construction Project Management, Project Quality Assurance, and Third-Party Certification. Mr. Moorthy gained experience through initial association with well-reputed organizations like Larsen & Toubro, Engineers India Limited, and Det Norske Veritas (DNV), with whom he served for 28 years. Mr. Moorthy retired in September 2009 from DNV as their Head of Sustainability & Business Excellence Group in India, where he had overall responsibility for DNV’s services in the areas of CSR, Corporate Governance, Enterprise Risk Management, Business Excellence Models, and Ethical Supply Chain Management. He was responsible for DNV’s accreditation for SA8000 and BSCI audits globally and represented DNV as a member of the Advisory Board of SAI. As a Lead Auditor in Quality (ISO 9001), Environment (ISO 14001), Occupational Health & Safety (OHSAS-18001), and Social Accountability Management Systems (SA8000), he has carried out audits of more than 1,000 organisations in Engineering, Process, Chemical, Oil & Gas, and Nuclear Industries. He has traveled widely and worked in India, the Middle East, and Europe in connection with his assignments. Mr. Moorthy is a native Tamil speaker and fluently speaks Hindi and English.

Edwin Koster serves as Senior Advisor and Lead Trainer with SAI. He provides training and consulting for various SAI programs on social and human rights issues. Edwin played a key role in the development of the Handbook and Toolkit, "Implementing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights," published by SAI and the Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO) in 2012. He has delivered SAI’s UNGP training courses in Europe and Latin America and contributed to the Pillars in Practice program to promote the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles in Bangladesh, Nicaragua, and Zimbabwe. Edwin is the Director of Max Value, an organization that advises companies, standard-setting organizations, and non-profit organizations on corporate responsibility and sustainable supply chain management. At Max Value, he has worked with the Better Cotton Initiative, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, Ethical Trading Initiative, Fairtrade International, the German Development Bank, Gucci Group, ICCO, the International Finance Corporation, and Tommy Hilfiger, among other organizations. Edwin has previously worked at Solidaridad and MADE-BY, managing projects on sustainable agriculture, clean production, and labor rights in Africa, China, and India. Edwin holds a master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Amsterdam and a bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering and Business Administration from the Higher Technical College in Enschede, the Netherlands.

Eileen Kohl Kaufman is Executive Director Emerita of SAI. From SAI's incorporation in 1997 to 2014 she served as Executive Director and then Co-CEO. Prior to joining SAI, Kaufman was the Director of Strategic Planning at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, a strategic planner at the New York City Department of Design and Construction, and a financial planner at the New York City Water Board. Upon SAI’s inception, she worked at the Council on Economic Priorities, co-authoring Paper Profits, an analysis of paper mill pollution and its control. Kaufman is a graduate of Wellesley College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics. Kaufman also holds a master’s degree in Economics and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University.

As a Program Fellow at SAI, Hannah Crane supports research, writing, data analysis, and project management across all departments and programs. Before joining SAI, Hannah was a research scholar and founding member of the Institute for Executive Education at NYU School of Law, where she delivered educational programming, implemented strategic marketing plans, and managed client relationships for the Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy program. She has previous experience in leadership development and administration in higher education and as a contributor to the Huffington Post. Hannah has an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business, a BA in Anthropology from NYU and previous coursework in Gender Politics at NYU.

As an independent contractor and trainer for SAI, Hena Jamshed delivers SA8000 Basic Auditor courses and conducts modular training and capacity building around the world, largely in Pakistan, other Asian countries, and the EU. She also has experience as a lead auditor for SA8000. Hena is based in London where she founded and serves as CEO for Global Sustainability UK (GSUK). She is passionate about empowering organisations on social compliance and has over 20 years of experience working across public and private sectors in the UK, particularly in the surgical sector. Her expertise is in transglobal supply chains and implementing international standards. Her main interests are around issues related to modern slavery, child labour, working conditions and employee wellbeing. In addition to her role at SAI, Hena is also a Global Trainer for Sedex for Pakistan and Bangladesh and has delivered speaker sessions in various international and national conferences. Hena has done extensive research for the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) and has helped many organisations develop industrial social standards. Hena holds an MBA in Health Management and a bachelors degree in Pharmacy. She has also completed post-graduate certificates in Public Health and Leadership from Brighton University and Coventry University, respectively.

As a Project Manager and Coach for SAI, Isisun Zhang is responsible for providing training, technical assistance, and marketing support for various SAI programs in China. Isisun has a professional background in social auditing and developing robust management systems for socially responsible workplaces. She has previously worked in the electronics, food, and garment industries. Isisun is the founder of a non-profit organization called Agriculture Sustainable Development Goals. She holds an MBA from the Lanzhou University in China.

Jane Hwang serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of SAI. Working with the Board of Directors, Advisory Board, and staff she oversees the organization's strategy, management, and stakeholder engagement. Since joining SAI in 2005, Jane has led significant growth and innovation of SAI’s programs, especially in corporate advisory services, training and capacity building, and public-private partnerships. Jane co-created Social Fingerprint® and TenSquared—both highly effective and popular programs to measure and improve management systems, worker engagement, and social performance. She has co-authored implementation guides and served on working groups for international agencies, such as the United Nations, The World Bank's International Finance Corporation, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Prior to joining SAI, Jane worked in corporate marketing and legal research, and has previous experience in behavioral sciences and medical research. She earned her bachelor's degree and MBA from Columbia University.

John Brookes serves as the Executive Director of Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS). SAAS is a division of SAI that is responsible for monitoring and assessing auditing companies that themselves evaluate conformity to social codes and standards, including accrediting SA8000 certification bodies. John has years of experience as a management systems and accreditation specialist focused on voluntary conformity assessment and consensus standards in the field of social certification, accreditation, and monitoring. He has consulted on quality, environmental, and health and safety management systems, as well as training, auditing, and operational leadership services. John has previously held operational, business development, and quality management positions at SGS and AIG. He also ran his own professional services business and contributed to the development of the ANSI-RAB National Accreditation Program for Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001). During this time, John also provided various pro-bono governance, audit, and paid consultative services to both SAAS and SAI, including contributions during the development and launch of the first SA8000 Standard in 1998. Earlier in his career, John held positions as a Merchant Navy Radio Officer, Quality Engineer, Quality Consultant, and IRCA-certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor.

John Georgantas brings to SAI 25 years of experience in senior management, strategic planning, global finance, financial analysis, and human resources. Before joining SAI, he was managing director at Roc Global Securities, an investment bank specializing in cross-border mergers and acquisition and private equity capital advisory services. Previously, John was a partner at Lydian Asset Management LP, an international convertible and credit arbitrage fund. He headed the firm’s philanthropic efforts, with grantees including Memorial Sloan Kettering and Tulane University. He has also held senior publishing analyst and management roles at Morgan Stanley and Kidder, Peabody & Co. John has served on the boards of the McGivney Community Center and the Ensemble for the Romantic Century. In 2015, the Robin Hood Foundation selected him to participate in the inaugural cohort of LeaderLink, its non-profit financial leadership program. John holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in Greek.

Lisa Bernstein serves as a Senior Manager for SA8000 with Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS). She is responsible for the accreditation and oversight of certification bodies that are authorized to deliver audits for the SA8000® Standard. Lisa has deep experience in the field of accreditation and certification, having worked for SAAS and SAI since 2001. She manages policy and procedure creation for certification body accreditation and social auditing, and oversees the evaluation and assessment of accredited and applicant certification bodies. Previously, Lisa coordinated special projects, communication, and fundraising at SAI. Before joining SAI and SAAS, Lisa was a Registered Representative and Administrative Director for Green Century Capital Management, a socially responsible investment firm. She has directed public interest and recruitment campaigns for the national association of State Public Interest Research Groups and holds a degree in environmental policy from Rutgers University.

Matthew Applebaum manages all issues related to information technology, including networks, computers, websites, and databases at SAI. He graduated from the University of Colorado and Berklee College of Music.

As Manager of Capacity Building and Outreach in India, Muralidharan (Murali) Subramanian works across departments to enhance SAI's mission and efforts in India. He manages various aspects of SA8000 in India: advancing uptake, supporting and expanding capacity-building programs for certified and non-certified companies, and supporting training for auditors and other stakeholders. Additionally, he supports and works to expand corporate and strategic programs in India. Murali brings with him over 30 years of expertise in the field of management systems auditing and training within quality, health and safety, energy, food safety, environmental and social sectors. He previously worked as Manager for Ethical Audits and Training at RINA, where he was a Scheme Manager for SA8000 and other ethical certifications (WRAP and Sedex) and a Lead Trainer for the SA8000 Auditor Course, in addition to his many other responsibilities. He has previously served as a Management Systems Lead Auditor for BVCS (known now as BVQI). He is a Metallurgical Engineer and a Post Graduate in Environmental Management.

Perumalsamy Prabakaran is a trainer, auditor, and consultant with over 25 years of industrial experience, including 14 years as an Associate Vice President – Technical with a multinational organization involved in testing, inspection and certifications. Prabakaran is an IRCA-certified lead tutor and lead auditor for ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, and a trainer and consultant for quality, process, and productivity improvement, operational excellence, and business strategy design and implementation. He has conducted over 900 audits in industries including automotive, education, food, health care, IT, manufacturing, and textiles across Africa, Asia, and Europe. He has also delivered training programs related to productivity and quality improvement. Prabakaran holds a degree in industrial engineering from the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Bharathiar University. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in management. Prabakaran is a native Tamil speaker and fluently speaks English and Telugu with a working knowledge of Kannada and Malayalam.

Dr. Ping Vuong is an IRCA-registered lead auditor in quality management systems and a Malcolm Baldrige Excellence Management practitioner. He currently serves as an independent contracted lead auditor for Bureau Veritas Certification North America. Previously, Dr. Vuong worked as a sub-contracted auditor for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001 and SA8000 for various certification bodies in Vietnam. He has also served as a certified higher education accreditor, a licensed consultant in a public administration reform, and a board member of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Science for Economy and Management in Vietnam. Dr. Vuong has founded three consulting firms: IMCC Co., ISO Corp., and the International Quality Center (IQC). He has worked with nearly 1,000 government agencies, 500 companies, and 50 universities and colleges. Dr. Vuong earned his Doctorate in Business Administration degree from the Southern California University for Professional Studies, his Ph.D. in quality management from California Southern University, and his master’s degree in management from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. He delivers training in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

Raza Shah has a background in merchandising, production, and quality control in the textile and leather industries. He has also taught business at various universities in Pakistan and worked for several years as a journalist. Raza holds master’s degrees in Business Administration and Education, with a specialization in distance and non-formal education. He also holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Project Management. Raza has done research on environmental standards’ impact on company performance. He is a qualified auditor and trainer for ISO 9000, ISO 14000, OHSAS 18000, ISO 13485, ISO 22000, ISO 26000, and ISO 31000.

As Senior Director of Standards and Impacts, Rochelle Zaid oversees development and implementation of the SA8000® Standard, its certification system, and related tools and programs. She leads SAI’s collaboration with other standards organizations and brands, spearheading innovative initiatives to advance the human rights of workers around the world. Rochelle previously served as Executive Director of Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS) for almost a decade. Under her leadership, SAAS grew into a leading organization evaluating, accrediting, and monitoring firms that audit and certify organizations to social standards. Prior to her tenure at SAAS, Rochelle served in various roles with SAI – most recently as Director of Training and Accreditation. Rochelle has a background in promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. She worked as project administrator for social accountability at Eileen Fisher, where she helped establish the company’s first social compliance system. In this role, she collaborated with a progressive and visionary team in a company that was among the first to adopt the SA8000 Standard. Earlier in her career, Zaid served for eight years with the clothing company Country Miss, managing its product development department including factories and outsourcing facilities in the United States, China and Hong Kong. Respect for workers’ rights was an inherent part of the company’s culture. Rochelle holds a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College.

As Manager of People Operations, Sam Cagenello supports SAI's global team and processes to achieve alignment, effectiveness, and efficiency within the organization. Sam has previously worked for United States Senator Richard Blumenthal (CT-D) in his state office in Hartford, Connecticut. As a Staff Assistant, Cagenello interacted with the Senator's constituency by managing correspondence and working on constituent services casework. He also has experience with election politics, working with the Hillary for America advance team. With an academic background in history and political science, Sam has travelled internationally for various conservation and humanitarian projects. Most recently, he volunteered with wildlife conservation projects in Costa Rica and South Africa and humanitarian efforts in South Africa and Haiti.

Selvanathan Grapragasem has worked as an auditor and lead auditor for several certification schemes, including the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification. Selva has conducted audits in diverse industries, including engineering, hospitals, hotels, manufacturing, metal stamping, printing, and wood in Asia and Europe. He holds a diploma in agriculture and a degree in business management. Selva is a native Tamil speaker and is fluent in English, Indonesian, and Melayu.

Shirley To has worked for years in the field of quality management systems and CSR auditing and is one of the most experienced SA8000 and social auditors in China. Shirley has conducted over a thousand second-party and third-party social and quality system (ISO 9001, TS 16949) audits in various industries and countries in Asia. She has also worked with brands and buyers to facilitate CSR and supply chain management projects. Shirley holds an MBA in Technology Management/Business Management, an M.Phil in Materials Science, and a bachelor’s degree with honors in Applied Physics. She trains in English, Cantonese, Mandarin.

As Associate Director for Innovation and Partnerships, Stephanie Wilson develops and implements diverse research, training, and capacity-building programs in collaboration with SAI’s clients and other partners. She has managed SAI’s groundbreaking worker–manager program TenSquared since 2014, helping improve the lives of over 50,000 workers in Brazil, China, and Turkey. Stephanie’s particular areas of expertise include occupational health and safety, living wage and remuneration, change management, and process improvement. She has implemented programs focusing on forced labor, gender issues, management systems, migration, remediation, and social auditing. Stephanie has a long-standing interest in development and human rights and a background in volunteering in these fields in Australia and India. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations, political science, and psychology from the University of Western Australia.

As a Senior Advisor for SAI, Steven Oates provides content expertise and strategic advice on labor and human rights issues. Steven is an English solicitor, and he consults on international labor standards, corporate social responsibility, and economic and social rights, among other topics. He has previously served as Senior Adviser on Rights at Work with the International Labour Organization. Steven holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from Harvard Law School. He has also studied internationally in Moscow and Tokyo.

As Training Coordinator for SAI, Varsha Cherukunnon is responsible for logistical support for SAI trainings worldwide. Varsha has previous experience as Training Coordinator for Cisco Systems in India and as a database consultant for JP Morgan (England). She has training and project coordination experience in various industries. Varsha is a Chemical Engineering graduate and has an MBA in Human Resources. She is also a CHRMP-certified professional.

Viswanathan Padmanabhan has over 40 years of professional experience from companies such as Tata Steel, SGS India Limited, and Det Norske Veritas (DNV). He has conducted audits in diverse fields, including chemicals, engineering, food processing, leather, pharmaceuticals, and textiles in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He has provided training on ISO 9001:2008, OHSAS 18001:2007, and ISO 14001:2006. Viswanathan holds a degree in electrical engineering. He is native Tamil speaker and fluently speaks English, Hindi, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Yolanda Brenes Hernandez has previously worked as a regional manager for social accountability at Chiquita Brands International. In this role, she managed SA8000 implementation, training, and internal auditing for the company’s Latin American divisions. Over the years, Yolanda has provided consultancy services on social responsibility for various organizations in Latin America, including Del Monte Foods, Dole Food Company, Tico Fruit, the Netherlands Development Finance Company, SGS, and the World Bank. Since 2006, she has conducted SA8000 audits as a Lead Auditor with Social Accountability Accreditation Services (SAAS). Yolanda holds an MBA in International Business from Universidad FUNDEPOS in Costa Rica. She teaches SAI training courses in Spanish.