Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute welcomes new Executive Director

Amsterdam, NL (1 June 2023) – Today the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute welcomes Elwyn Grainger-Jones as its new Executive Director.

Grainger-Jones will lead the Institute’s team to accelerate adoption and maximize the impact of the organization and the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Products Program globally, providing overarching leadership, strategy, and direction. 

An experienced leader and change manager with a deep understanding of climate change, development and food systems transformation, combined with a strong passion for sustainability and the circular economy, Grainger-Jones spent several years at CGIAR prior to joining the Institute, in the roles of Managing Director, Institutional Strategy and Systems, and Executive Director of the System Organization, leading the CGIAR towards better funding, a fresh research strategy with climate change at its core, and integrating this global partnership into One CGIAR. 

With a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and a MSc in Economics from the University of Warwick, Grainger-Jones previously spent over 20 years working as a senior leader in the World Bank, the British Government and the UN, most notably playing a leading role in creating the World Bank’s Climate Investment Funds and the UN’s Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Program (ASAP). 

“We are delighted to welcome Elwyn Grainger-Jones as the next Executive Director of the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute” said Dr. Christine Lemaitre, the Institute's Board Chair. “Elwyn’s track-record in systems transformation, stakeholder integration, strategic partnerships and climate change will ensure that the Institute is strongly positioned to move into its next chapter of global growth and success”. 

“I am honored to take up the role of Executive Director at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute” said Grainger-Jones. “With so little time to avert an even deeper planetary emergency, what excites me about this role is its potential to make a difference. Leading the Institute provides a unique opportunity to make an impact at a truly global scale through the established Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard and Program. I am excited to join this capable team and start working with the many stakeholders to advance the Institute’s agenda and lead its further growth.”

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The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute powers the shift to a circular economy, by setting the global standard for materials, products and systems that positively impact people and the planet. The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard is used globally by future-focused designers, brands, retailers and manufacturers to make safe, circular, and equitable products that are made for tomorrow.