Audience:
Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.
Description:
The evolving landscape of regulations and industry requirements—due diligence, traceability, and various testing methods—can overwhelm brands and budgets. Compliance can come at a high cost, but missteps—such as the wrong approach or lack of action—can lead to reputation harm or even litigation. Over-testing, meanwhile, can drain budgets and strain supplier relationships.
With the right partner, customized Smart Testing plans can streamline compliance while targeting higher risk products, supply chains, and markets. Join us to compare three common risk mitigation approaches and learn what considerations lead to effective strategies for protecting people and the planet.
Attendees of this webinar will learn:
- How to identify chemical management risk factors and considerations for efficacy
- To evaluate different compliance approaches
- How Smart Testing and OEKO-TEX® certifications work together
Speakers:
Ben Mead
Managing Director
Hohenstein
Ben Mead serves as the Managing Director of Hohenstein America. In this role, he is the company’s liaison with industry collaborations, government agencies and trade associations, while leading a team spread over North and Latin America. He also oversees OEKO-TEX® responsibilities for the U.S. Prior to joining Hohenstein in 2014, Ben consulted with various brands and industry associations, including Textile Exchange and AFIRM. In those roles, Ben established partnerships with industry leaders and experts to increase industry engagement in green chemistry and sustainable textile processing.
While working for Nike, Ben helped develop a restricted substances program and was involved in the implementation of sustainable materials and water programs. Ben holds degrees in Chemistry and Textile Chemistry from North Carolina State University and a certificate in Green Chemistry from the University of Washington.
Jaime Griggs
Senior Brand Partner
Hohenstein
As a Senior Brand Partner at Hohenstein, Jaime Griggs builds collaborative relationships with brands, retailers and their suppliers. Together they create quality, chemical, regulatory and performance testing programs. Prior to joining Hohenstein in 2021, Jaime worked for 10 years managing design, production and quality programs throughout product life cycles at Geneva Watch Group. She brings experience in managing her own fashion quality programs to helping retailers and brands in managing theirs. Jaime holds a B.S. in Fashion Marketing & Merchandising from the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising (LIM College).
Moderator:
Chelsea Murtha
Senior Director, Sustainability
AAFA
Chelsea Murtha serves as the association’s advocate and spokesperson on matters of sustainability and product safety. She engages with Congress, the Executive Branch, independent agencies, as well as state and local legislatures and agencies and foreign governments on sustainability, product safety, and chemical management issues important to the industry. Chelsea is also the staff liaison to AAFA’s Environmental Committee and Product Safety Council.
Chelsea joined AAFA from a Washington, D.C., government affairs firm where she led advocacy efforts for clients, including several trade associations and apparel and footwear importers, on policy developments related to environmental, social, and governance issues in global supply chains. She has also worked for the U.S. Fashion Industry Association, and a Washington, D.C., international trade policy consultancy firm. Chelsea earned a Master of Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the George Washington University.
Unable to join on February 27?
Register for the webinar to receive an email containing the direct link to access the recording of the webinar and a link to the PDF version of the presentation. The email will be sent 1-3 business days after the webinar.
CONTACT | QUESTIONS
Stephanie Paendong