International Paper's Chief Sustainability Officer Sophie Beckham was recognized this week at Futur/io's 2024 CSO Awards North America.

The CSO Awards honor North American Chief Sustainability Officers who are driving corporate sustainability for major companies in USA and Canada, with high, scalable impact. Beckham received the Bronze Award, alongside the CSOs of Starbucks (Gold) and Salesforce (Silver).

The CSO Awards North America is an initiative of the Futur/io Institute, a pioneering organization dedicated to nurturing and inspiring leadership in sustainable innovation and building the most impactful network of Chief Sustainability Officers globally.

"Our mission for the CSO Awards North America goes beyond rewarding the companies," said Harald Neidhardt CEO & Curator, Futur/io Institute. "We shine a light on the role of the Chief Sustainability Officers that are active change-makers fostering action and ambition across their organisations."

Beckham was chosen after a rigorous selection process developed by Futur/io and scientific partner Leonardo Centre on Business for Society at Imperial College Business School, and supported by knowledge partners Denominator, specialized in human-centric data, and Rainforest Partnership, focused on biodiversity.

According to Futur/io, recipients were selected using a four-quadrant model criteria, taking into consideration the maturity of corporate behaviors, regulatory performance on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) criteria, environmental and human impact and also a self-assessment survey. The Top 20 ranking CSOs were then assessed by a Grand Jury, who selected the final winners.

"I am so honored to have been selected from among so many talented and dedicated leaders in sustainability," Beckham said. "This award is for all of us at IP and for all the work that our teams around the world do to advance our Vision 2030 goals."

Sophie Beckham is VP and Chief Sustainability Officer at International Paper, where she works across the enterprise to develop sustainability strategies that achieve the company's Vision 2030 goals. She also serves as the company's primary external spokesperson and thought leader on issues related to sustainability and stewardship.

Her career has been dedicated to driving sustainable business outcomes through purposeful leadership in consumer goods and forest product manufacturing sectors. Sophie has been advancing IP's planet stewardship initiatives since 2013, serving in various roles throughout her time with the company. She holds a Master of Forestry degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, now known as the Yale School of the Environment.

Learn more about Futur/io's 2024 CSO Awards North America at https://www.csoawards.org.