Member Challenge

CEF will sponsor 5 winning employees from member companies to attend an all-expenses paid* prestigious sustainability leadership development program led by Blu Skye CEO Jib Ellison-- trusted sustainability advisor to corporate leaders and a class V river guide.

CEF Sustainability Leadership Development Program
“Building and Leading Collaborations for Sustainability”
Middle Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho
August 22-25, 2013

In August 2013, five “rising stars” from CEF member companies-- chosen by competitive application-- will embark on a life-changing leadership development journey along the Middle Fork of Idaho’s Salmon River hosted by Canyons River Company and led by corporate sustainability expert and class V river guide Jib Ellison.

Participants will fly to Boise Idaho then be chartered to the launch site along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River-- one of the first to be designated a National Wild and Scenic River. Filled with world class whitewater, pristine green forests, hillsides of wildflowers, huge sandy beaches, natural hot springs, hiking vistas that take your breath away, and star-filled skies, the Middle Fork is truly spectacular.

The 2013 CEF Salmon River leadership development program will focus on the theme of “Building and Leading Collaborations for Sustainability.” The challenge of navigating a Class III-IV river-- requiring trust and collaboration among all participants-- will provide a unique backdrop for organized discussions and problem solving around 21st century sustainability challenges that demand complex collaborations among unlikely partners.

Past participants on river expeditions led by Jib Ellison include Conservation International CEO Peter Seligmann, green architect William McDonough, Rainforest Alliance CEO Tensie Whelan, Esprit CEO Dough Tompkins, Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, and journalist Tom Brokaw.

About the Program Leader

Jib Ellison is a trusted advisor to corporate leaders, an iconoclast and a class V river guide who has led whitewater expeditions in over 30 countries on five continents. As Founder and CEO of Blu Skye, Jib leads a small team of strategy experts who work with Fortune 500 companies to transform markets – and to create new ones. His process is premised upon using sustainability to reveal new market opportunities, engage senior management and employees, and leverage his considerable network of experts to do well by doing good. In this way, Jib and his team expand conventional definitions of value, opportunity and change. His recent clients include NRG, Hilton, Microsoft, SC Johnson, Sony Pictures, Staples, Walmart, and Waste Management. He organizes an annual river based sustainability salon that has included CEO’s, NGO directors, thought leaders, government, musicians and poets. Jib’s work with Walmart’s former CEO, Lee Scott is chronicled in Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of WalMart’s Green Revolution.

Application and Selection Process

Applicants must be from a participating CEF member company, which may advertise this opportunity as they see fit within their organizations. Candidates should be at an inflection point in their lives or careers with regard to sustainability—i.e., they are ready and eager to take their sustainability leadership to the next level within their communities and/or organizations. They should be strong team players who are accomplished in setting ambitious goals and getting results. Winners will be selected by a jury composed of members of the CEF Advisory Board.

*Covered expenses include round-trip economy airfare between North American airports (U.S., Canada, Mexico) to Boise Idaho, transportation to and from the launch site, food during the trip, and program fees. Participants are responsible for any incidental expenses.

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Read about the 2011-2012 CEF Member Challenge and winners

Read about the 2010-2011 CEF Member Challenge and winner Janet Morris of Hewlett-Packard.