Velislava Ivanova

Veli Ivanova has 25 years of experience in sustainability consulting and Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) management. A recognized sustainability thought leader and accomplished sustainability practitioner, she has significant expertise in developing successful sustainability strategies and implementation programs for large multinational corporations in the consumer goods, apparel, and retail sectors, and the extractive and chemical industries.

Veli has led nearly 1 EHS and sustainability engagements during her career, including a five-factor materiality assessment for a $4.5b global apparel and retail company, which identified ESG risks and opportunities across the company’s supply chain while engaging internal and external stakeholders to prioritize issues across five key impact areas to the business. She also served as the senior advisor for the Zero Discharge Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) program, a cross-industry collaboration between major apparel and footwear brands and retailers focused on eliminating hazardous chemicals in their products and supply chain by 22. Veli also advised a $13.3 billion luxury goods and sports/lifestyle company on the development of its chemical management framework for products and processes, and was responsible for supply chain risk analysis, development of the first Group Hazardous Chemicals Standard and supporting framework, and the feasibility and financial analysis of the implications from the implementation of the standard. She developed and conducted training for the corporate sustainability staff of a leading $13.5 billion US fashion specialty retailer, focused on sustainability risks and opportunities in the company’s complex international supply chain. Veli also managed the pilot supply chain audits for a Fortune 1 technology manufacturing company, audits which were performed in 16 locations globally against the newly launched Supply Chain Code of Conduct.  

Prior to joining Ernst & Young, LLP, Veli was the Global Sustainability Practice Director for a leading global sustainability consulting firm. In a 213 study of the US sustainability consulting market by Verdantix, she was recognized for her leadership and strategic vision for the growth of this firm’s practice.