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Business and Society Program
Sandra Taylor
Sandra Taylor is President and CEO of Sustainable Business International LLC, a consulting business she launched in February 2008. As a consultant to companies—mostly in the agriculture, food and beverage sectors—Sandra assists in developing effective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies. She urges companies to put responsible supply chain practices at the core of their business planning, to understand the impact their sourcing decisions have on local communities, workers, and suppliers. She counsels companies to devise programs to build capacity and improve practices among suppliers, often in partnership with expert NGOs.
From 2003 until 2008, Sandra was senior vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility with Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington where she led the strategic development and day-to-day direction of all CSR programs including community affairs, the Starbucks Foundation, support for disaster relief; development of responsible and sustainable standards for business practices and product procurement; management of programs to reduce the environmental impact of business operations; public policy and government relations; and publication of the company’s award-winning CSR annual report. From 1996 until 2003, Sandra served as Vice President and Director of Public Affairs for Eastman Kodak Company. Additionally, Sandra has held several senior leadership positions at top-tier organizations such as ICI Americas Inc. She was a Legislative Assistant in the United States Senate and also worked as a Foreign Service officer for the United States Department of State.
Sandra joined the board of directors of Capella Education Company (Minneapolis) in 2006. She also sits on many non- profit boards including Intiman Theatre of Seattle; National Center for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Counterpart International and the Women’s Leadership Board of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is co-chair and founder of the American and African Businesswomen’s Alliance (AABWA) and a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.
Sandra received her Bachelor of Arts in French from Colorado Women’s College and her J.D. from Boston University School of Law.