Announcement of the New Executive Director of Change Chemistry
Change Chemistry Board and Founder Announce New Leadership Structure to Take on Opportunities of the Future
Boston, MA — The Change Chemistry Board of Directors and Founder Joel Tickner today announced a strategic leadership transition to position the organization for its next phase of impact-focused growth. Current Board member Jason Pearson will step into the role of Executive Director, effective June 1, 2025, while Tickner will transition to Non-Executive Director and Strategic Advisor, focusing on industry transformation and policy.
This planned transition builds on Change Chemistry's evolution from its origins as the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3) to its current status as a 125-company strong business network accelerating sustainable chemistry adoption globally. In 2023, the organization changed its name to reflect the urgent need to accelerate the growth of green and sustainable chemistry solutions across sectors and the value chain. The current leadership change further empowers the organization to scale its programs, membership, and international presence in response to market, policy and investor demands for sustainable chemistry.
A Leadership Team Poised for Market Transformation at Scale
Jason Pearson brings three decades of experience building, leading, and advising successful business sustainability organizations and initiatives such as GreenBlue (creator of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition℠, the How2Recycle® label, and CleanGredients℠) and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, as well as significant strategic advisory experience through leadership roles at Anthesis and TRUTHstudio. He joins a core leadership team with decades of experience in nonprofit management, sustainable chemistry innovation and program design and implementation: Anna Montgomery (Operations Director), Rui Resendes (Director of Partnerships & Business Development), and Jenny MacKellar (Program Director).
"The need for sustainable chemistry has never been greater, nor more urgent," said Pearson. "I'm honored to work with this exceptional team to expand our network's ability to transform markets at scale."
Founder Transitions to Strategic Focus
Joel Tickner, who has led the organization through its first 20 years of growth, will now focus on:
- Synthesizing two decades of organizational learning
- Developing strategies to overcome systemic barriers to sustainable chemistry
- Advancing high-impact policy initiatives
“Over the past 20 years, we have become a critical ecosystem convenor and connector, building a powerful and vibrant network of companies across sectors and the value chain to address chemistry challenges. This leadership transition ensures we build on our strong foundations while bringing fresh energy to advance our mission and enhance our impact," said Tickner.
Continuity and Strengthened Capacity
The transition enhances and strengthens organizational stability and capacity. Chair Peter Nieuwenhuizen emphasized: "The Board is excited to be implementing these changes in close partnership with Change Chemistry’s founder and the leadership team. This new structure combines institutional knowledge and capability with new energy exactly when needed, amplifying our ability to 'punch above our weight' in the coming years."
About Change Chemistry
Change Chemistry is a business collaboration of 120 companies and other organizations representing over $3 trillion in purchasing power working to make safe and sustainable chemistry the norm across global value chains. Our network brings together over 120 chemical innovators, major brands, retailers, policymakers and NGOs to accelerate market transformation. We do this by collaborating on projects that breakdown barriers to safer chemistry, accelerate innovation, cultivate first movers, and advance supportive policies.
Learn more: member.changechemistry.org