Lorraine Smith
Associate

 
Lorraine Smith is a sustainability consultant who combines private sector and NGO experience to bring about positive social and environmental change. As an associate at Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, she applies her knowledge of corporate social responsibility and stakeholder engagement within the consumer goods life cycle including garment, electronics and groceries.

Lorraine’s extensive engagement with anti-sweatshop activists, socially responsible investment experts, municipal leaders and large retail and consumer products companies has brought her an understanding of the complex issues ranging from human rights in the supply chain to consumer education. She focuses on taking a Life Cycle Approach to sustainability, and to supporting collaborative, learning-based initiatives.

Lorraine is on the advisory board of the Earthster Project supported by Wal-mart’s Sustainability Consortium, and she is a strategic advisor to Fashion Takes Action, a member-based organization dedicated to making the fashion industry socially and environmentally responsible. Lorraine has also written for a range of publications on the topic of ethical sourcing including the Retail Council of Canada's Canadian Retailer Magazine, Sept/Oct 2008, “The politics of sourcing” and Canadian Business for Social Responsibility's retail industry collaboration report, “Retail CSR Leadership Report: Ethical Sourcing”.

Prior to her six years’ experience in sustainability consulting, Lorraine worked as a Senior Business Analyst for Manulife Financial, Manager of Logistics for a New Zealand-based electronic engineering firm, as well as supporting fundraising and communications for World Wildlife Fund Canada. Lorraine is fluent in French, German, Spanish and Portuguese and has an Honours BA from Mount Allison University.