Corporate Sustainability Unfolding

Tam Nguyen is the global head of sustainability for Bechtel corporation, an international engineering and construction company. He directs the overall formulation and implementation of Bechtel’s sustainability strategy and integration process across the enterprise and into major projects. He also leads corporate initiatives, stakeholder and policy planning on a range of global issues, including climate change, human rights, and economic development. Mr. Nguyen serves as vice-chair of the corporate responsibility committee of the U.S. Council for International Business (USCIB), and executive officer of Chevron’s Niger Delta Partnership Initiative Foundation. Prior to joining Bechtel, he was manager for corporate responsibility at Chevron Corporation where he developed and directed the implementation of Chevron’s human rights policy and served as the principal advisor to senior executives, business units, and functions on managing corporate responsibility issues and international standards. Concurrently he chaired the social responsibility working group of IPEICA, an international oil and gas association in London. Earlier in his career he worked for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the Philippines and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, DC. Educated in the United States, Europe and Asia, he is a graduate of George Washington University, and holds a doctorate in business administration and two masters’ degrees in international business and international development.

Christopher P. Skroupa: How do you see corporate sustainability standards evolving over the next five years?

Tam Nguyen: There are roughly 500 global sustainability standards (hard and soft standards); around one-third are now being driven by stock exchanges and financial markets. What we are seeing is that the market is increasingly valuating corporate sustainability performance. The evolution of standards will continue on this trajectory.

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