Speaker Biographies

John leads the Bank of America - Corporate Workplace Retail New Build Program, Retail Standards and LEED Deployment teams. In this role, he is responsible for the end-to-end project management process for a $200+ million capital plan, execution of Bank of America’s retail standards and implementation of the LEED initiative for all retail banking centers.

John began his banking career at Bank of America in 2006 leading the New Store Program through process redesign efforts and adoption of LEED standards for the Consumer/Commercial Bank. During this time, he has led the bank’s efforts with the USGBC and other major retailer’s to pilot a LEED Volume Certification process. Bank of America has certified both their New Construction Ground-up and Commercial Interior project standards.

Before joining the bank, John spent 5 years working with Trammell Crow Company leading project management activities for the ExxonMobil Corporation and 12 years with McDonald’s Corporation as a Construction Manager in the Northeast. John has vast experience in Strategic Planning, Design and Construction Management of retail facilities.

He earned his Associates degree in Architectural Engineering from Vermont Technical College and his Bachelors of Science degree in Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology.

 
John J. Carde, Senior Vice President, Retail Director, Bank of America - via a live video link

Jessica Halvorsen is a Vice President at Bank of America, leading Corporate Workplace’s Sustainability Team.

Based in Charlotte, NC, she is responsible for implementing sustainability initiatives within the bank’s domestic real estate portfolio. She holds master’s degrees in both business administration and environmental management from UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, respectively, has previous experience in the nonprofit and government sectors, and is a LEED® Accredited Professional.

Jessica L. Halvorsen, LEED® AP Corporate Workplace Bank of America

Rob Conroy, Commercial Finance Manager, Westfield Shopping Centre Management, Australia 

Lisa Russell, President of Product & Material Innovations, Ecoxera, a USA green business strategy firm for the retail industry - via a live video link

Panasonic Australia
Managing Director Apr 2007 - present
Panasonic Australia
Deputy Managing Director Mar 2006 - Mar 2007
Ingram Micro Australia
Managing Director Dec 2000 - Jul 2005
Nortel Networks - Enterprise Solutions Division Australia & NZ
Managing Director & VP Sales Apr 1999 - Apr 2000
Bay Networks - Australia & NZ (acquired by Nortel Networks in Sep 1999)
Sales Director Oct 1997- Mar 1999
Apple - Australia & NZ
General Manager Oct 1994 - Sep 1997
Toshiba - Australia & NZ
Sales Director Oct 1992 - Oct 1994
HiSoft Computers - VIC, NSW, QLD
General Manager, Sales Manager, Sales Exec Oct 1984 - Sep 1992
Studies: BSc Hons-University of Tasmania
Graduate Diploma Computing Studies-Canberra University
INSEAD Exec General Mgt Program-Singapore Campus
Macquarie University’s Graduate Program “Strategic Management”

Steve Rust, Managing Director, Panasonic Australia

For the past 4 years Elizabeth has worked for REI focusing on the new green Prototype design. Leading the efforts on interior design, department layouts to fixture design. Much of her work now is on value engineering and preparing Prototype for the standard rollout. Prior to this she worked for Sur La Table as the Store Development Manager overseeing the design and building of new retails locations and remodels.
Her education background is in Interior Design and Culinary Arts.

Elizabeth Dowd, REI Store Planning and Fixture Design Manager - via a live video link

Ben Wheaton, Director Green for Retail. CEO WheatonBeer Consulting and founder PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Climate Change Practice in Melbourne

Tara Allsop,CEO Green for Retail

Karen has over 13 years of experience in a variety of project sizes and types such as retail and mixed use projects from the core and shell side as well as the tenant side for both retail and food service clients. Karen’s experience gives her a unique perspective to the projects she has taken on at Gensler.
Karen has become one of the leaders for sustainability in the Retail Practice Area at Gensler.

Most recently, she worked with REI to manage the sustainable design and LEED® documentation for their 2 new prototype stores under the USGBC LEED® for Retail rating system. Since their construction, REI stores in both Boulder, CO and Round Rock, TX have received Gold certification.

Karen Skillin, Associate, Gensler. A leader for sustainability in the Retail Practice Area - via a live video link

Emma Atkinson is General Manager, Australia for international natural personal care company Burt’s Bees. Emma’s role included establishing the company in Australia and ensuring delivery of the company’s wider corporate social responsibility policy, including creating strategic partnerships with suppliers, charities and the broader community.

As such, Emma has already implemented partnerships with Habitat for Humanity Australia and the Barbara Hardy Centre for Sustainable Human Environments.
Emma came to her present position following seven successful years managing a range of brands in the emerging natural market in Australia, including skin care brand Kosmea, Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate and the Ecover Natural cleaning product range. This experience has been invaluable to establishing Burt’s Bees as the category captain for natural care in the Australian market.

Emma Atkinson, General Manager - Burt's Bees Australia and New Zealand

David Baggs is CEO, Co-founder and Technical Director of ecospecifier Global, an eco health preferred life cycle based project assessment and verification service and online database that simplifies the green building industry’s product research time and integrates products into Green Building rating schemes. He is an award winning chartered architect, sustainability, energy-efficiency, eco-materials, green roof and earth covered building consultant with nearly 30 years experience in sustainable development. David has been sustainability and eco-materials consultant to over AUD$55 billion of projects in recent years including 10 Sydney 2000 Olympic projects, Brisbane City Council’s new headquarters Fitout and Sydney’s new Green Square Town Centre. He recently consulted to the Abu Dhabi Government in the development of their Estidama Pearls New Construction Design Rating Method for Green Buildings.

David Baggs, Technical & GreenTag Programme Director - Ecospecifier Global