Meet Our Team

Abdul Alim

Lead Trainer Bangladesh

As a Lead Trainer with SAI, Abdul Alim teaches SA8000 auditor training courses in Bangladesh. Over the years, Alim has conducted over one thousand audits to various international standards and codes of conduct, including the SA8000 Standard. He has worked as a management systems, environment, and social compliance auditor and trainer for several multinational certification bodies. Alim holds a master’s degree in Business Administration and is an IRCA-approved Lead Trainer for Quality Management Systems. He trains in Bengali and English.

Alberto Viña

Trainer

Alberto Viña

Trainer Brazil

As an SAI Trainer in Brazil, Alberto Viña works primarily with wastepicker cooperatives as part of our iWrc Program. Alberto has been a social auditor since 2008 and has worked for several major auditing firms. He brings extensive experience conducting social audits as well as technical interpretation of law, including both international and local requirements regarding labor, health and safety, and environmental law in Brazil. He has conducted training on social audits for both factories and auditors. Alberto holds a Law Degree from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie.

Alex Ducett

Manager, Communications & Marketing

Alex Ducett

Manager, Communications & Marketing New York City

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.

Archana Panda

Operations Manager and Lead Auditor, SAAS

Archana Panda

Operations Manager and Lead Auditor, SAAS India

In her role as Operations Manager and Lead Auditor for SAAS in India, Archana Panda is responsible for developing and managing SAAS’s market surveillance monitoring and internal auditor development programs, SAAS auditors’ competency programs, and managing and delivering accreditation audits to SAAS’s certification body clients. Archana has more than 18 years of industrial, teaching, and management system audit experience – comprising more than two thousand audits in various industry sectors – as a Lead Auditor for SA8000, ISO9001, ISO14001, and OHSAS 18001. Before joining SAAS, Archana worked as Product Manager for SA8000 in the South Asia region with Bureau Veritas. She was responsible for SA8000 certification decision making and contract review and competency approvals for the global Bureau Veritas network. She was also an IRCA-approved trainer for QMS, EMS, OHSAS, IMS and SA8000. Archana holds a degree in industrial engineering and a post-graduate diploma in industrial safety.

Badrinath Gulur

Director, Training and Capacity Building

Badrinath Gulur

Director, Training and Capacity Building India

Badrinath Gulur serves as the Director of Training and Capacity Building with SAI, and as Senior Accreditation Auditor at Social Accountability Accreditation Services. 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 and advanced training courses and provided technical assistance in the field of sustainability and social accountability for organizations across a multitude of sectors in over 75 countries. Before joining SAI, Badri was the CEO of a Swiss Consulting company providing consulting and training services in the fields of social accountability, environmental, and Health & Safety Management Systems. He has previously worked as country manager, lead auditor, and senior trainer for Bureau Veritas for various management systems standards. Badri holds a master’s degree in Urban Environmental Management from the Erasmus University & Wageningen Agricultural University in The Netherlands.

Beat Grüninger

Trainer

Beat Grüninger

Trainer Brazil

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.

Bruna Almeida

Trainer

Bruna Almeida

Trainer Brazil

As a Trainer for SAI, Bruna Almeida works primarily with wastepicker cooperatives in Brazil, as part of our iWrc Program. Bruna is a member of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) and has over 6 years of experience in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) audits to evaluate compliance with laws and regulations, International Standards, client Codes of Conduct and global initiatives (SMETA, RBA and others). Her experience also includes sustainable projects development and implementation. Bruna holds a postgraduate degree in Integrated Management Systems from SENAC University Center and a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management from University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil.

Chiara Balia

Trainer

Chiara Balia

Trainer Italy

As a trainer with SAI, Chiara Balia teaches SA8000 courses in Italy. She began auditing in 2004, with multiple technical schemes based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). Chiara has led projects of oil and gas supply chain verification as an NDT level II-qualified inspector. Since 2008, Chiara has begun working on social accountability. She has worked with several certification bodies and performed over 500 audits in more than 20 different countries in and outside of Europe. She is able to audit in Italian, English, German, and Spanish. She is also involved in supply chain mapping for fashion brands in Italy and abroad and develops risk assessments and legal compliance verification with anti-counterfeiting brand protection schemes. Chiara has over 10 years of experience auditing in the packing industry and wood supply chain verification (Fitok/Epal/Legno-ok for Legal Wood import and Due Diligence in Europe, IFS,PeFC). She is a member of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) and she is qualified ISO 9001; ISO 14001; ISO 45001; ISO 50000. She holds a Master Degrees in Integrated Management Systems and a Degree in Foreign Literature at IULM University Milan.

Christie Daly

Director, Corporate Programs

Christie Daly

Director, Corporate Programs New York City

Christie Daly is the Director of SAI's Corporate Programs. Christie manages service delivery to SAI’s corporate members, including Social Fingerprint evaluations, supplier and supply-chain management training, and multi-stakeholder panels. She is also responsible for developing capacity building programs for other corporate partners. Before joining SAI, Christie worked as a Project Associate with the New York City Department of Education in the Office of Public and Community Affairs. She has previously conducted research for the NYU School of Law, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice on a wide range of business and human rights issues. Daly holds a master’s degree from New York University Center for Global Affairs with a concentration in Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance. She received her bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College.

Christopher Lamoureux

Manager, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement

Christopher Lamoureux

Manager, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement New York City

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

Lead Trainer

D.K.S. Moorthy

Lead Trainer India

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.

Dundar Sahin

SAI Representative

Dundar Sahin

SAI Representative Turkey

Dundar Sahin serves as SAI’s Lead Trainer and Special Representative in Turkey. He is the Director of the SOLO Institute, where he manages large-scale emergency management and continuity-of-operations projects for diverse industries. His clients vary from glass and cement production facilities to textile factories, and from development banks and finance institutions to nongovernmental organizations. Since 2007, Dundar has delivered SA8000 Basic and Advanced Auditor training courses with SAI. His many years of experience in health and safety and in risk and disaster emergency management allow for enhanced learning through real-life case studies in the classroom. Dundar is a member of the Business Continuity Institute, the International Association of Emergency Managers, and the International Sociology Association. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Istanbul University’s Department of Political Sciences and a Postgraduate Executive Diploma of Leadership in Crisis Management from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Florencia Gonzalez

Trainer

Florencia Gonzalez

Trainer Costa Rica

Florencia Gonzalez serves as a trainer for SAI programs in Latin America. An accredited SA8000 lead auditor, Florencia has over 100 hours of social auditing/verifications experience, specializing in standards and codes of conduct such as ETI/SMETA, GRASP, World Bank IFC, Assa Abloy, and Conad, among others. Since 2011, she has been an instructor and consultant in the areas of sustainability and social management systems for commerce, agriculture, construction, tourism and airports. Florencia has over 25 years of experience in sustainable tourism, including marketing, research, design and commercialization of tourism products. Her experience also includes sustainable management systems development and implementation. Florencia holds a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Tourism Management from the Universidad de la Cooperación Internacional (UCI) in Costa Rica and a Postgraduate Degree in Social Responsibility from Universidad Castilla de la Mancha, UCLM in Spain.

Hannah Crane

Program Manager

Hannah Crane

Program Manager New York City

As a Program Manager at SAI, Hannah Crane supports research, writing, data analysis, and project management across our Corporate Programs and Innovations & Partnerships teams. 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.

Hena Jamshed

Consultant and Trainer

Hena Jamshed

Consultant and Trainer Pakistan

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.

Ian Prates

Research Fellow

Ian Prates

Research Fellow Brazil

As a Research Fellow at SAI, Ian Prates conducts research, writing, data analysis, project management and provides support for a variety of SAI programs, especially the Anker Living Wage and Income Research Network. Before joining SAI, Ian worked with Richard Anker and Martha Anker to develop Living Wage and Living Income estimates from secondary data. He also has been a Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, a researcher at the Brazilian Center for Analysis and Planning (CEBRAP), and a researcher at the Observatory for Innovation and Competitiveness of the Institute for Higher Studies at the University of São Paulo (OIC/IEA/USP). His research has focused on social inequalities (with a focus on labor market, poverty, and social stratification by class, gender, and race) and the political economy of China and Latina America relations. Ian has a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of São Paulo and a BA in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil).

Isisun Zhang

Project Manager and Coach

Isisun Zhang

Project Manager and Coach China

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

President and CEO

Jane Hwang

President and CEO New York City

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.

Jane Liu

Senior Manager, SAI China

Jane Liu

Senior Manager, SAI China China

Jane Liu has extensive experience in corporate social responsibility, having worked in a wide range of functions including auditing, consulting, and research. Before joining SAI's full-time staff in 2019, Jane worked as an SAI consultant supporting training, capacity building, and stakeholder engagement initiatives in China. Previously, Jane was Programme Director and Assistant Executive Director at the Institute of Contemporary Observation (ICO). She has worked in 12 different cities across China as a trainer for the International Labor Standards Advocacy Project, published the ICO’s China Labor Research Newsletter, and conducted worker education projects for more than 40,000 workers, 1,500 line supervisors, and 3,000 managers in nearly 500 factories. Her clients have included many major international brands and retailers, such as Walmart, Nike, DuPont, and Tchibo. Since 2015, Jane has served as a dialogue training facilitator on labor relations for the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) Shenzhen. Jane holds two master’s degrees—in Journalism and in Design Art and Information Design—from Sichuan University and Kyushu University, respectively. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Culture from Sichuan International Studies University.

John Brookes

Executive Director, SAAS

John Brookes

Executive Director, SAAS New York City

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

Chief Financial Officer

John Georgantas

Chief Financial Officer New York City

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 and research director at Lydian Asset Management LP, an international convertible and credit arbitrage fund. In addition, 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 of the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in Greek.

Kelli McGrattan

Coordinator, Finance and Administration

Kelli McGrattan

Coordinator, Finance and Administration New York City

As Coordinator for Finance and Administration, Kelli McGrattan is responsible for the coordination of workplace operations and procedures at SAI. She has previously worked with various organizations in the field of human rights, including Amnesty International, the International Rescue Committee, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Kelli earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and her master’s degree in International Affairs with a focus on conflicts and security from the New School in New York.

Lisa Bernstein

Senior Manager – SA8000, SAAS

Lisa Bernstein

Senior Manager – SA8000, SAAS New York City

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.

Louis Vanegas

Senior Director

Louis Vanegas

Senior Director New York City

As Senior Director, Louis Vanegas focuses on growing programs and partnerships and expanding capacity building tools and field capabilities across all areas of SAI's work, including our training and capacity-building programs, our work with corporate clients, and in our partnership programs. Louis has deep expertise and stakeholder relationships in our field. His work has spanned both public and private sector, including leading field teams at the US Labor Dept, Hasbro, PVH and New Balance. As country director of the Bangladesh ILO Better Work program, he facilitated tri-partite government, business, and trade union relations, donor relations, and capacity building at hundreds of factories.

Maria Camila López N.

Community Engagement Coordinator - Palma Futuro

Maria Camila López N.

Community Engagement Coordinator - Palma Futuro Colombia

As Community Engagement Coordinator for the Palma Futuro program, Maria Camila López N. leads SAI's community-based programs in Colombia. This includes conducting on-the-ground research about how palm oil corporations and palm cultivation affect local communities and convening "community circles" to support community members in taking collective action on issues like child and forced labor in their communities. An industrial designer from the Pontifical Javeriana University in Colombia, Camila is trained to be a creative professional with vision. Since 2014 she has worked for international and national organizations to design, manage, implement, and monitor various social projects. In particular, she has focused on recognizing the particular contexts and population dynamics of the various territories of Colombia within these projects. In one such project, Camila served as project coordinator for FUNDEPALMA developing, implementing, and monitoring field activities including community needs identification, engagement with key stakeholder groups, and relationship building with strategic partners.

Matthew Applebaum

IT Consultant

Matthew Applebaum

IT Consultant New York City

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.

Michael Yeung

Consultant and Coach

Michael Yeung

Consultant and Coach Hong Kong

Michael Yeung serves as a Consultant and Coach for the TenSquared program with SAI. He has many years of experience in compliance, testing, inspection, and establishing management systems in the apparel, textiles, trims, and other industries. He has managed corporate social responsibility pre-audit, inspection, and testing support services for brands and stores, such as Hudson Jeans, IZOD, Lee, Sam’s Club, Sugar, True Religion, Weatherproof Garment Co, Wrangler, and Walmart. Michael holds a higher diploma in Textile Chemistry and a master’s degree in Marketing. He is also a Lead Auditor of ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001.

Mike Lee

Lead Trainer

Mike Lee

Lead Trainer China

Mike Lee has been associated with SAI as Lead Trainer for over 12 years and formerly as a Lead Accreditation Auditor for SAAS. He has worked as an SA8000 Lead Auditor with several international Certification Bodies and has conducted over 1,000 third-party audits for ISO9000, SA8000, and other international standards. With a Master's Degree of Science, he has more than 25 years of work experience in auditing and training, including: auditing for ETI, SEDEX/SMETA, and ISO series of Standards covering toys, textiles, garments, electronics, hardware, automotive, jewellery; ISO13485; and cGMP for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing facilities. He is also the Senior Advisor of CSR Solutions Limited.

Murali Subramanian

Manager, Capacity Building and Outreach

Murali Subramanian

Manager, Capacity Building and Outreach India

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

Lead Auditor, SAAS

Perumalsamy Prabakaran

Lead Auditor, SAAS India

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.

Peter Scott

Technical Director and Lead Auditor, SAAS

Peter Scott

Technical Director and Lead Auditor, SAAS Philippines

In his role at SAAS, Peter Scott oversees the accreditation program for SA8000 certification bodies, including initial and re-accreditation audits and worldwide surveillance of audit and client activities. He reviews and evaluates SAAS processes, policies, and management systems for continual improvement. Peter is a Chartered Quality Professional, a Fellow of the Chartered Quality Institute, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (UK). He has wide international experience, including residential periods in the USA, Canada, Northern Ireland, India, and Southeast Asia. He has performed over 3,000 second and third-party audits in over 60 countries worldwide.

Raza Shah

Lead Auditor, SAAS

Raza Shah

Lead Auditor, SAAS Pakistan

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.

Richard Rowe

Lead Trainer and Lead Accreditation Auditor, SAAS

Richard Rowe

Lead Trainer and Lead Accreditation Auditor, SAAS United States

Richard Rowe is an IRCA-Certified Quality Management Systems (QMS) Auditor and has carried out over 180 audits in Asia, Central America, Europe, Middle East, South America, and the United States. Richard started his career as a professional civil engineer in the United Kingdom and Malaysia, before project managing several major engineering works in Hong Kong, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. He has managed a multi-national consulting firm headquartered in the United States and served on the Florida Council Board of Examiners for the Governor’s Sterling Award, the Florida state award for quality. Richard’s training specialties include quality auditing, quality management, and business development courses. His social compliance work includes over 80 codes of practice audits worldwide for a major U.S. footwear-apparel brand. Richard received his bachelor’s degree with honors from the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom and his MBA from the Cranfield School of Management in the United Kingdom.

Rochelle Zaid

Senior Director, Standards and Impacts

Rochelle Zaid

Senior Director, Standards and Impacts New York City

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.

Sanjiv Singh

Lead Trainer and Lead Accreditation Auditor, SAAS

Sanjiv Singh

Lead Trainer and Lead Accreditation Auditor, SAAS Dubai

Sanjiv Singh serves SAI as a Lead Trainer, conducting training and technical assistance across various sectors around the world. He is also serves a Lead Accreditation Auditor for Social Accountability Accreditation Services. Sanjiv works with local corporations and the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates and the Government of Dubai in addressing common challenges that promote sustainable economic growth and fair business practice related to social standards. He holds a master's degree in Economics and has expertise in industrial relations, employee engagement, and building social dialogue between management and unions in the workplace. Sanjiv has experience engaging with a range of stakeholders, including employees, government, community, management and NGOs. He has strong technical knowledge of human rights and CSR issues, including social monitoring techniques and remediation.

Selasi Amoani

Associate, Communications & Marketing

Selasi Amoani

Associate, Communications & Marketing New York City

As Communications and Marketing Associate at SAI, Selasi Amoani supports multi-platform communications and storytelling to promote SAI’s global services and programs. In this role, she is involved in research and content development for proposals and publications, conducting market intelligence, managing key internal and external communications activities, and marketing SAI programs and events. Selasi worked previously as an Associate at Mercury Public Affairs, a boutique public affairs firm in Los Angeles, as a Program Assistant at the McKinnon Center for Global Affairs at Occidental College and has had communications internships at the UN Population Fund and the City of Houston Mayor's Office. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy and World Affairs from Occidental College and studied abroad at the School for International Training in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Selvanathan Grapragasem

Lead Auditor, SAAS

Selvanathan Grapragasem

Lead Auditor, SAAS Malaysia

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

Lead Trainer and Lead Auditor, SAAS

Shirley To

Lead Trainer and Lead Auditor, SAAS China

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.

Simon Armstrong

Lead Auditor, SAAS

Simon Armstrong

Lead Auditor, SAAS United Kingdom

From 2008 to the present, Simon Armstrong has been Director of Simon Armstrong & Associates. In addition to his work with SAAS, he has been a Lead Assessor and Accreditation Program Manager for Accreditation Services International (ASI) for the FSC and RSPO schemes. He developed and piloted accreditation services for RSPO, leading a project to develop an Intelligent Assurance Centre for scheme owners, drafting specific scheme owner certification body accreditation requirements, and reviewing the RSB certification standards for WWF. His project evaluations include financial and economic modeling and social and environmental evaluation. In addition, Simon has worked on strategy development for forestry and forest industries. He developed his forestry qualifications and experience as Project Manager for the Confederation of Forest Industries, in which he facilitated public-private partnership organizations to deliver on multiple social, economic, and environmental objectives, as well as through his working relationship with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). He has also worked as a consultant on forest industry initiatives. Simon obtained a BS degree and graduated with First Class Honors in Ecological Science (Resource Management) at Edinburgh University in 1993. He obtained his MS degree in Forestry and Land Use at Oxford University in 1997, followed by an MBA at Edinburgh University in 2002. He graduated from both from Oxford University and Edinburgh University with distinction.

Stephanie Wilson

Associate Director, Innovation and Partnerships

Stephanie Wilson

Associate Director, Innovation and Partnerships New York City

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.

Steven Oates

Senior Advisor

Steven Oates

Senior Advisor Switzerland

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.

Terry Tang

Consultant and Coach

Terry Tang

Consultant and Coach Hong Kong

Terry Tang serves as a Consultant and Coach for the TenSquared program with SAI. He has almost twenty years of managerial experience in corporate social responsibility in the fashion industry and over ten years of experience in corporate training and management consulting. Terry has worked for vendors of leading brands, such as Ann Taylor, Columbia Sportswear, G-Star RAW, H&M, HP, Kmart, and VF Asia, as well as several Asian industry associations. Terry holds a master’s degree in Information Systems from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the Open University of Hong Kong, and an MBA from the Sheffield Hallam University.

Varsha Cherukunnon

Training Coordinator

Varsha Cherukunnon

Training Coordinator India

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

Lead Auditor, SAAS

Viswanathan Padmanabhan

Lead Auditor, SAAS India

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

Lead Trainer

Yolanda Brenes Hernandez

Lead Trainer Costa Rica

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.