Responsible Supply Chains, Buyer and Supplier’s Collaboration

Walter has over 20 years of experience in supply chain management and international trade, working with both international and local companies and institutions. He is currently responsible for the strategic development and overall operations of Sedex in Asia. In this role, he collaborates with various stakeholders, including upstream and downstream companies in the supply chain, industry associations, government agencies, and UN organizations, to enhance awareness, capacity, and performance. Additionally, Walter serves as a guest lecturer on supply chain sustainability and ESG at various universities and academic institutions, promoting education and the dissemination of responsible business practices.

Ines is the CEO of The Centre for Child Rights and Business, a global social enterprise headquartered in Hong Kong, with programmes and staff across over 30 countries. With over 15 years of expertise in supply chain sustainability, she has been at the forefront of addressing child rights, labour rights, and human rights issues in Asia and beyond.

Since 2014, Ines has been instrumental in guiding The Centre to help businesses understand and address their impact on children, especially within supply chains. She leads the organisation’s strategic direction, overseeing global operations, and engaging with major multinational companies and partners. Ines also drives the development and scaling of innovative child rights and human rights due diligence programmes across diverse industries.

Under her leadership, The Centre has grown into a recognised leader in child rights and business, working with an expanding network of international companies and partners to create lasting, positive change for children, youth and parents worldwide.

In addition to her role at The Centre, Ines serves as the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), a multi-stakeholder platform launched in 2020 to mobilise supply chain-wide resources and support a fair, safe and formal artisanal cobalt sector. As Chair, she helps guide the FCA’s strategic direction, align stakeholders and ensure accountability to its mission. She also serves on the Advisory Board of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA), where she contributes to developing recommendations that support APSCA’s mission and objectives and represent the perspectives of all stakeholders.

Roland currently takes as ESG & Sustainability Director at Heaven Gifts, one of the world’s leading vape companies. He leads the company’s sustainability agenda, including ESG data disclosure, responsible supply chain, climate change response, and relevant CSR projects.

Prior to this, he served as Director of Global Supply Chain Sustainability at JinkoSolar, the world No.1 PV company. He also worked for MNCs such as Danone, Mars, Novartis; and has 20 years of experience in ESG, particularly supply chain sustainability.

Roland holds a Master’s degree in Management and a dual degree in Law and Marketing.

Samuel is the Head of Responsible Sourcing at the Sourcing Offices of Kingfisher, an international home improvement company dedicated to enhancing living spaces while prioritizing the sustainability of its products. Samuel leads a team of professionals, ensuring sustainability performance enhancements in the supply chain across the Greater China region and Southeast Asian countries. Known for his strategic leadership and adeptness in building and guiding effective multi-site and cross-functional teams, Samuel has been implementing ethical strategies and initiatives to drive ethical compliance and improvement within Kingfisher’s operations. He also facilitates the creation of sustainable products at Kingfisher, ensuring that environmental considerations are integrated into the product development process. Additionally, he engages suppliers in targeted low-carbon manufacturing programs to significantly reduce carbon emissions in their operations and products.