DURHAM, NC—Shannon Hess joined Burt’s Bees in 2010 to expand the brand’s commitment to responsible sourcing and supply chain transparency. She drives commitments to natural ingredients and supplier relationships for nearly 1000 ingredients sourced from more than 100 countries. Regularly traveling to sourcing communities around the world, Shannon advises on cultural influences in supply chains and challenges for global businesses. She on the Executive Committee of the Global Shea Alliance, which is based in Accra, Ghana, and leadership team of AIM-Progress. Shannon is very active in the cosmetics industry, helping to drive mutual recognition of responsible sourcing practices and global alignment on natural and organic cosmetic product standards.

Shannon’s impact on responsible sourcing and sustainability at Burt’s Bees led to an expansion of her role, and she spent four years with the parent organization, The Clorox Company, to build out the broader corporate responsible sourcing program. Through this broader influence, she has implemented a Business Partner Code of Conduct, ingredient traceability mapping and responsible sourcing audits to encourage dialogue and positive relationships with supply chain partners.
Shannon has nearly 20 years of experience in global natural cosmetics and holds biology and chemistry degrees. Prior to joining Burt’s Bees, Shannon spent a decade in Research & Development at Aveda, where she was a formulator and managed fragrance sourcing and development from the United States and Italy. Following her career at Aveda, Shannon moved to Egypt and launched Areej Aromatherapy, a natural personal care brand for the Middle East.