At VF, we power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. This is our Purpose and it is powered by our Movement Makers—associates who are committed to making a positive impact in their communities and around the world. In this new series, we’ll feature these associates and highlight how they’re doing their part to make the world a better place.

Manager, Worker and Community Development, VF Corporation
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
1.5 years with VF

A little bit about me
I’m from the U.K. and was raised in Malaysia. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to make a positive impact on the world—even as a child. I started off as a grassroots volunteer and activist and eventually came around to the idea of working within the corporate sector to drive social impact. This led me to a career as a corporate sustainability consultant, and I now lead VF’s Worker & Community Development program, which is a key component of its Sustainability & Responsibility strategy, Made for Change.

A typical day for me
I travel extensively for my role with VFand lead a global program focused on worker wellbeing in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Africa and the Dominican Republic. If I’m not on the road implementing programs in one of our sourcing countries, I’m developing partnerships between VF and our external partners, or engaging a range of stakeholders to continually develop the program.

What drives me to be a Movement Maker
I moved from the U.K. to Malaysia at a young age with my parents, who are both malaria scientists. As a kid, I’d go with them on field trips to very remote places where people didn’t have access to basic healthcare or education. In our first few years in Malaysia, we lived in a small town and I had to go to a government-run school, so I had classmates and friends from different, sometimes impoverished backgrounds. It made me keenly aware of the inequities of the world. That experience has always been a big driver in pushing me to make a positive change in the world.

My personal purpose
I work every day to bring to life VF’s vision for doing well by doing good, and helping to create solutions that help people live healthier, more sustainable lives. I’m deeply invested in improving the lives of workers and the communities around our supplier factories, and am lucky to be able to pursue that purpose as my full-time job. Many workers need access to necessities such as water and sanitation, health and nutrition, and childcare and education. At VF, we work with expert partners to deliver knowledge and access to these basic needs. For example, we are working with VisionSpring to roll out eye-screening camps and provide glasses for workers and their families. We are on target to screen 25,000 people in Bangladesh and India, and expect to provide glasses to about 30 percent of those screened. We are always looking at how to scale our solutions to reach more people.

How VF helps power my movement
VF has set a goal to measurably improve the lives of 2 million workers and others within their communities by 2030. But we also want to demonstrate the business benefits of investing in worker wellbeing. We hope this will encourage our suppliers and others in the apparel and footwear industry to adopt this approach and create truly sustainable change.

Best advice I’ve ever received
My parents always said that you should treat others the way you’d want to be treated yourself, and that a smile goes a long way. Whether it’s a worker at our supplier factory or one of our vice presidents, I try to treat everyone the same.

Learn more about VF's Movement Makers and the impact these associates are making on communities around the world.