Ying McGuire, new Cascale CEO, will outline vision for industry collaboration and scalable impact at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Athens this September; program guidance from Bureau Veritas, Li & Fung, Nordstrom, Primark, Recover, and Textile Exchange
AMSTERDAM and HONG KONG and OAKLAND, Calif., June 17, 2026 /3BL/ - Cascale today announced the program for its 2026 Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece. Bringing together more than 700 leaders from across the consumer goods value chain, the hybrid event will explore how the industry can more effectively distribute the costs, responsibilities, incentives, and benefits tied to supply chain transformation.
Celebrating the 15th edition of Cascale’s flagship convening, the Annual Meeting will feature more than 80 speakers, four stages of programming plus virtual access, and dedicated opportunities for executive-level engagement. Ying McGuire, who assumed the role of Cascale CEO on June 1, will take the stage to share her perspective on the next chapter for Cascale and the role of collective industry action to advance measurable environmental and social progress.
“As the industry navigates rising expectations alongside growing operational and economic pressures, collaboration must become more actionable, measurable, and business-driven,” said Ying McGuire, CEO, Cascale. “I see this Annual Meeting as an opportunity to convene leaders around a shared vision for progress — one where sustainability is embedded into core business strategy, supported by trusted data and aligned incentives, and capable of delivering value across the entire supply chain. My vision for Cascale is to help the industry build the partnerships and accountability needed to accelerate that transition at scale.”
Key Takeaways
- Cascale has released the program for its 2026 Annual Meeting in Athens
- The September 15–17 hybrid event will convene 700+ leaders from across the global consumer goods ecosystem
- Incoming CEO Ying McGuire will set the course for collaboration, accountability, and long-term industry transformation
- Four stages and virtual access – main and impact stages will be livestreamed – will support global participation
- Sponsorship opportunities are still available
A Program Centered on Practical Transformation
Hosted at the InterContinental Athenaeum Athens, the 2026 Annual Meeting will focus on how companies across the value chain can align around practical approaches to financing and implementing sustainability initiatives while strengthening business resilience and competitiveness.
The agenda will bring together perspectives from brands, retailers, manufacturers, policymakers, NGOs, and solution providers to examine how the industry can move from fragmented efforts toward coordinated, scalable action.
“Progress depends on building greater consistency, transparency, and trust across the value chain. Ensuring representation from organizations working across compliance, verification, manufacturing, retail, and sustainability strategy helps create conversations that are grounded in operational realities while still pushing the industry toward more ambitious outcomes.” — Rick Horwitch, Bureau Veritas chief of supply chain & sustainability strategy & global retail lead and and 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting Program Advisory Group member
“Supply chain transformation requires deeper collaboration across every stage of production and sourcing.Cascale’s Annual meeting creates a space where manufacturers from all tiers, brands, sourcing organizations and solution providers to exchange practical experience, learn from one another, and develop scalable solutions to the shared challenges facing today’s and tomorrow’s consumer goods industry.” — Jonathan Salmon, Li & Fung (Trading) Limited head of sustainability and 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting Program Advisory Group member
“Brands and retailers have an important role to play in helping align market expectations, purchasing practices, and sustainability priorities. But meaningful transformation only happens when the full ecosystem is part of the discussion. A program shaped by diverse industry perspectives creates stronger opportunities for collaboration, accountability, and scalable impact.” — Liz Lipton-McCombie, Nordstrom head of ESG and sustainability and 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting Advisory Board member
“To move the industry forward, sustainability conversations must connect directly to business decision-making, operational execution, and long-term resilience. Having representation across the value chain and beyond — from manufacturers and recyclers to brands, retailers, and NGOs — ensures the program reflects both the complexity of the challenges and the practical pathways toward progress.” — Mark Newbold, Primark environmental sustainability programme lead and 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting Program Advisory Group member
“Manufacturers and material innovators are critical to translating industry ambition into real-world implementation. Ensuring these perspectives are represented alongside brands, retailers, NGOs, and service providers creates a more balanced dialogue around what is achievable, where investment is needed, and how the industry can accelerate scalable solutions together.” — Ana Rodes, head of sustainability at Recover™ and 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting Program Advisory Group member
“The challenges facing global supply chains cannot be solved by single actors, nor single perspectives. Bringing together voices from across the sector—NGOs, industry organizations, manufacturers, brands, retailers, and solution providers—means we are able to respond to these shared challenges collectively, and in a way that works for everyone. A strong program is one that enables those in the room to understand their role in driving meaningful progress, but also how they can support others to do so.” Monica Buchan-Ng, Textile Exchange industry activation lead and 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting Program Advisory Group member
Worldly, the sustainability and supply chain intelligence platform for consumer goods, is the event's lead sponsor and will host a stage, sharing deep expertise on protecting against supply chain risk, compliance reporting, and the Higg Index, stewarded and governed by Cascale and powered globally by Worldly, which assesses and improves the social and environmental impact of producing and selling products.
Learn more and register for Cascale Annual Meeting 2026!
Organizations interested in elevating their presence and engaging directly with industry leaders are invited to explore sponsorship opportunities. To learn more about sponsorship packages or to express interest, please contact Cascale’s events team through this page.
Media Contact: Forster Communications, [email protected]
ABOUT CASCALE
Cascale is the global nonprofit alliance driving systemic transformation to combat climate change and support decent work in the consumer goods industry. Formerly the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Cascale unites a diverse, worldwide ecosystem of over 300 retailer, brand, manufacturer, supplier, service provider, government, academic, and nonprofit members.
Our alliance catalyzes pre-competitive collaboration for maximum impact, anchored by our stewardship of the Higg Index frameworks — implemented through the Worldly technology platform — and recent acquisition of the Better Buying and Sustainable Furnishings Council tools. While these methodologies are central to our work, they are part of a broader strategy to mobilize collective action, challenge industry norms, and build an industry that gives back more than it takes to the planet and its people.
