Saks appoints first senior vice president of ESG

Luxury e-commerce platform Saks has tapped Cara Chacon as its first senior vice president of environmental, social, and governance (ESG).

Chacon has more than two decades of experience in corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability across multiple industries.

She served as vice president of social and environmental responsibility at outdoor retailer Patagonia between January 2010 and February 2021, during which time she led a team in setting strategies and implementing Patagonia’s global human rights and environmental sustainability efforts.

Prior to joining Patagonia, Chacon was global director of training and education at sustainability advisory firm STR Responsible Sourcing (currently known as UL-Responsible Sourcing).

“Saks has a strong reputation for using its platform to champion causes that matter to its customers, employees and communities,” Chacon said in a release.

She continued: “Within the fashion industry, there remains a greater opportunity for Saks to play a role in making a positive environmental and social impact. I am honored to be a part of the team that is paving the way for luxury online and look forward to leading efforts to make our business more sustainable and socially responsible overall.”

Saks CEO Marc Metrick said: “Bolstering our ESG efforts will enable us to make an even more positive impact on our industry and communities. We are committed to developing a cohesive, thoughtful approach to strengthening our environmental, social and governance efforts across all functions of our business.

“With Cara’s deep experience in corporate responsibility and sustainability, I am confident that she is the right leader to spearhead these pivotal efforts.”