Erika Martin

November 2012 – June 2016 (3 years 8 months)Melbourne, Australia Reporting to the General Manager Strategy and Corporate Development, in this newly created role I was responsible for establishing the sustainability function within Aesop, and developing and embedding the sustainability direction and practices globally. My achievements in this role included developing and implementing the global sustainability framework for Aesop, receiving business case approval for the establishment of a corporate foundation, developing and implementing a number of policies and programs - Aesop’s community engagement program, palm oil management strategy, Supplier Code of Conduct and ethical sourcing program. I also successfully completed a carbon footprint inventory and managed a range of offsetting projects, established Aesop as a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, and prepared and published annual sustainability reports in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 framework. In addition to working collaboratively with internal stakeholders at all levels, the role required consultation and engagement with a range of external stakeholders, including suppliers, not-for-profit organisations and peers within the personal care and retail industries. Aesop was established in Melbourne in 1987, with the objective of formulating skin, hair and body care products of the finest quality. During my time at Aesop the company launched its standalone signature store concept in Melbourne, and subsequently opened more than 120 retail outlets. across 18 countries, with more than 1000 employees globally.

Reporting to the CEO, in this leadership role I set the strategic direction for Aesop’s global supply chain and research and development teams, ensuring Aesop met its key objectives of scaling up supply chain capacity to meet increasing demand during a period of rapid growth, delivering product of exceptional quality and maintaining a strong pipeline of innovative new product formulations. Responsibilities included demand planning, forecasting, inventory management, procurement, supplier management, quality assurance, inbound and outbound logistics, product development and compliance. As an integral member of the leadership team I supported Aesop’s transformation from a local wholesale business to a multinational retailer, as well as the investment by Harbert Private Equity and subsequent majority sale to Natura Cosmeticos of Brazil. Other key achievements include: - developing and executing the global supply chain strategy, scaling up local manufacturing and establishing distribution warehouses and logistics networks regionally; - growing and developing the Supply Chain / R&D teams, ensuring alignment with Aesop values and the broader business strategy; - establishing an in-house research and development laboratory, and stage-gate process for product development; - successfully managing the transition from in-house to outsourced warehousing operations; - establishing a sales and operations planning (S&OP) process, incorporating more robust forecasting and inventory planning systems.

Reporting to the Founder and Director, during my employment at Collina Export I held a number of positions within sales, purchasing and export. Responsibilities included maintaining and building customer relationships, supplier management, purchasing, quality control, bookkeeping, logistics (export and domestic), and establishing and managing the domestic wholesale arm of the business. Collina Export was a boutique exporter of fresh cut Australian native flowers, with a reputation for quality. It is no longer in operation.