John Friedman

— Bio —

John Friedman, an award-winning communications professional and recognized sustainability expert with more than 20 years of experience, has served as both an external and internal sustainability leader, helping companies, ranging from small companies to leading global enterprises, turn their values into successful business models by integrating their environmental, social, and economic aspirations into their cultures and business practices. Friedman’s background includes developing and implementing effective and award-winning programs that maximize stakeholder engagement, community relations, organizational development, change management, and strategic philanthropy. On social media, Friedman is a recognized as a thought leader in CSR, listing among the top voices in CSR by Forbes’ Brandfog. His insights on sustainability issues and strategy have been a regular feature on SustainableBrands since 2008 and have appeared on Ecopreneurist.com, Forbes.com, Vaultcareers, and JustMeans. Friedman authored the e-publication The New PR which outlines how companies must modify the way they communicate to meet stakeholders' changing expectations through five proven keys for developing programs that replace "spin" with transparency and unlock the full potential of a sustainability program to build reputational capital. In addition to providing several chapters that have appeared in PR News' "Best Practices in Corporate Social Responsibility and Green PR” and “Employee Communications Guidebook,” Friedman is currently working on a new book “Your Backyard Is My Front Yard,” explaining the concept of "shared fate." An Albany State (New York) communications graduate, Friedman earned a management certificate from as part of the Lafarge/Duke Management Training program at the Fuqua School of Business in 2000 and earned his accredited CSR practitioner (CSR-P) credential from the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence in 2010 When not volunteering his time, Friedman serves as the head of communications for corporate citizenship for Sodexo. Organizational affiliations are for transparency purposes only; the opinions expressed are the author’s personal opinions and do not reflect those of any organization.