Alison Gauthier
Ms. Alison Gauthier has over 14 years of scientific consulting experience in product stewardship, industrial hygiene, and exposure science. Her work focuses on assessing human health risks of consumer and industrial products throughout their life cycle – from raw materials sourcing to end-of-life disposal or recycling. She is both a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and Certified Professional Product Steward (CPPS) and applies her expertise in exposure estimation using measured, modeled, or simulated data to workplace, environmental, and consumer scenarios. She regularly works with stakeholders throughout the value chain on multidimensional projects evaluating chemical and biological agents, including asbestos, plasticizers, metals, pesticides, VOCs, and sensitizers. Her work supports corporate and consumer decision-making that is based on sound data-driven assessments of potential human health risks.
Ms. Gauthier earned a B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology from UC Berkeley and a M.S.P.H. in Occupational and Environmental Hygiene from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She serves on the editorial board of the Integrated Environmental Assessment & Management journal and the Product Stewardship Society Board of Directors.
Wednesday May 13
Sustainability & Product Stewardship Council and Connection & Development Network Program Program
Defining Product Stewardship: Practical Approaches and Strategic Impact
A product steward's primary role is to minimize product risk and work toward creating safer, more sustainable products. They are responsible for managing the health, safety, and environmental impacts of a product across its lifecycle. This involves collaborating with key stakeholders from procurement, R&D, regulatory authorities and standardization, hazard communication, and marketing, all the way through end-of-life. Product stewards must anticipate not only compliance risks, but also potential risks to consumers and the environment. Their evolving role is challenged by pressures such as sustainability concerns, shifting scientific knowledge, and the need to address unintentional consequences or product misuse.
This session will provide participants with a foundational understanding of product stewardship, including key definitions and core principles. Board members from the Product Stewardship Society (PSS) will explore how product stewardship can be integrated into business processes, career pathways, and professional growth, while also offering practical examples of stewardship in action.
Speakers:
Alison Gauthier, Managing Scientist, Exponent
Giselle Vincett, Vice President of North America, Yordas Limited