The third annual AkzoNobel Sustainability Leadership Symposium will be held in Las Vegas on Monday, Nov. 4, as part of the 2013 SEMA Education offering.
“We are very pleased to be able to bring this symposium and message to the visibility of the broader automotive industry and the audiences that SEMA represents. Our goal is to focus the intellect of the industry toward the vision of making sustainable business practices a top-of-mind consideration for the collision repair industry,” said Laura Costello, director of marketing for AkzoNobel Automotive & Aerospace Coatings Americas. “The leaders represented at these forums have provided critical insights and suggestions for building awareness and knowledge in the advancement of this initiative.”
The Sustainability Leadership Symposium is a progression of the FIT Sustainability Award. FIT, presented annually since 2009, recognizes the focus, innovation and talent to the collision repair industry. Both initiatives are evolutionary advancements from the Most Influential Women in the Collision Repair Industry (MIW) that was initiated by AkzoNobel in 1999. MIW began as a method of recognizing the benefits of workforce diversity and the opportunities for women within collision repair. The 14- year history of the MIW program provides proof that societal needs can be advanced and positive outcomes achieved for the industry.
“People, planet and profit — triple bottom line — the three key considerations of any business seeking to incorporate sustainable business practices as part of their operating model,” noted Costello. “The Most Influential Women program was a forerunner in advancing the people part of this equation. Many lives have been touched over the years by this program. Moving forward, a wider net will be cast and more will be touched as the issue of diversity will be advanced through a new focus on ‘sustainability.’ The legacy of MIW will be carried on through the FIT Awards and the Sustainability Leadership Symposium.”
For more information about the AkzoNobel Sustainability Leadership Symposium, contact Bill Orr, communication manager, Americas at 770-441-8973.
