Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute Appoints President

Lewis Perkins has been appointed president of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute by the institute’s board of directors. Perkins had been serving as the organization’s interim president since October 2015.

Perkins’ appointment comes at a time of tremendous momentum for the institute, which recently surpassed 3,300 certifications, the most in the program’s history, from more than 200 manufacturers. This includes a 35 percent growth in certifications in 2015 and 9 percent in just the first two months of 2016. The institute is embarking on several key initiatives in 2016 aimed at continuing to increase demand for Cradle to Cradle Certified products, thus ensuring their ability to have meaningful and positive impact on our planet.

“As we continue rethinking the way we make and consume products, Cradle to Cradle design and certification is more relevant than ever before,” says Perkins. “I am committed to carrying forward the momentum established by the institute over the past six years. I also look forward to working closely with the institute’s board of directors and staff, along with all our organizational stakeholders, to further elevate the profile of Cradle to Cradle and build the value of the circular economy.”

Perkins joined the institute as senior vice president in 2012. During his first four years with the organization, he developed the C2C Product Symposium, launched Fashion Positive in 2014, and worked with former president Bridgett Luther and the board on fundraising, institutional strategy and organizational growth. Prior to joining the institute, Perkins was director of Sustainable Strategies for The Mohawk Group, a carpet manufacturer and the commercial division of Mohawk Industries.

“The board and I are enthusiastic about Lewis’ keen vision, energy and collaborative spirit. He is positioning the organization to take the philosophy and practice of Cradle to Cradle, and the circular economy, to a whole new level,” says Warner Philips, chairman of the institute’s board of directors. “We are deeply impressed with Lewis’ leadership to date and have full confidence that he is the right person to lead the Institute.”

A lifelong champion of sustainability professionally and personally, Perkins has served in strategic roles with such organizations as The Clean Air Campaign, 360i, US Web/CKS, and the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center. His passion for nonprofit work has also put Perkins in an advisory or leadership role with EarthShare of Georgia, the Green Chamber of the South and the Captain Planet Foundation. He has been a featured speaker on sustainability at the Forbes magazine Green Visionary Series, Sustainable Brands, LOHAS Forum and the White House Council for Environmental Quality GreenGov Symposium. He has also served as a panelist at the Annual Grammy Awards Green Summit.

Perkins holds an MBA in marketing and strategy with a focus on social responsibility from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, and a bachelor’s degree from Washington & Lee University.