Two new independent non-executive directors, Pamela Culpepper and Anna Maria Rugarli, were appointed at the shareholders’ meeting of Italy’s Prada SpA. Both are experienced experts in their fields: Culpepper was, among other things, 14 years at PepsiCo, Inc. in various HR management positions, Rugarli is an expert in sustainability and CSR and initiated Nike’s sustainability and CSR programs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as at VF.
This brings the total number of Board members to eleven, bringing the total number of independent Board members to five and achieving near gender parity with five women and six men.
Pamela Culpepper and Anna Maria Rugarli were selected based on their environmental, social and governance (ESG) backgrounds and in line with the Board’s diversity policy. The Prada Group reaffirms and strengthens its commitment to sustainability with the forthcoming establishment of an ESG Board Committee, chaired by Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Pamela Culpepper and Anna Maria Rugarli. This committee will support the Board in its sustainability assessments and decisions related to the three action areas underlying the Group’s ESG strategy: People, Environment and Culture.
Pamela Culpepper is co-founder of Have Her Back, LLC, a women-led cultural consultancy focused on promoting justice for all. In addition, Pamela Culpepper held various management positions at PepsiCo, Inc. for more than 14 years.
Anna Maria Rugarli is an expert in sustainability and CSR and has more than twenty years of experience in designing innovative programs and developing sustainability strategies. She initiated Nike’s sustainability and CSR programs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and worked for the company for twelve years. She then led VF’s circular economy strategy at a global level and sustainability strategy at a regional level for ten years.