Dassault Systèmes Names Alice Steenland Chief Sustainability Officer

Dassault Systèmes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) today announced that Alice Steenland, 45, has been named Chief Sustainability Officer.  In this newly created role, she will lead the company’s efforts to further embed social and environmental sustainability into its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which is already used by many of the world’s most sustainable companies to transform how they imagine, create and produce new experiences.

“Harmonizing product, nature and life lies at the heart of the industry of the 21^st century.  It is the primary driver of innovation and the key to sustainable enterprise in all sectors of the economy.  We want to help businesses and people live in this new world by offering customers what they value most – a sustainable outcome.  Alice’s vast experience will help provide the vision, know-how and leadership to further this commitment,” said Florence Verzelen, Executive Vice President, Industry, Marketing, Global Affairs, Workforce of the Future, Dassault Systèmes.

Alice Steenland brings over 20 years of experience and a broad systems perspective to Dassault Systèmes, having held full-time or advisory positions in large multinationals, non-governmental organizations, ratings agencies, consulting firms, academia, startups and multilaterals, working in both the U.S. and Europe on projects with global impact.  She was the founding Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer at AXA Group, where she helped the company rise to a leading position in global sustainability rankings, thanks in part to a pioneering responsible investment strategy including the landmark decision to divest from coal and, later, tobacco. Prior to joining AXA, she led the investor research arm of Vigeo, which is now a subsidiary of Moody’s, worked in the business consulting unit of Arthur Andersen, and acted as an independent consultant in the field of strategic planning for Save the Children USA.

She currently serves as a board member of ShareAction, a lecturer at Ecole Polytechnique in France and an advisory committee member at the Yale School of Management, the impact fund Giant Ventures, and the leading French sustainability think tank IDDRI. Alice Steenland received her bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

“I am delighted to join Dassault Systèmes at this point in history. Right now there is an urgent need to dramatically transform the way the world produces and consumes goods into a more sustainable model,” said Alice Steenland.  “Dassault Systèmes’ technologies are already at the center of this transformation, with more than 270,000 customers in 140 countries.  As the company focuses on almost all sectors of the economy – the life sciences and healthcare, cities and infrastructure, and manufacturing sectors – the potential for impact is incredible.”