Helene York
Global Director, Responsible Business
Compass Group@Google
Helene York oversees procurement policy and environmental initiatives as Global Director, Responsible Business, for Compass Group at Google, with operations in 30 countries. Previously she was national director of purchasing strategy, and director of strategic initiatives, for Bon Appetit Management Company. She is also a member of the faculty of the Food Business School of the Culinary Institute, teaching an online course, Food Supply Chains for a Sustainable Future, in October. York has developed new produce, seafood, meat, chocolate, and coffee supply chains for large-scale food services. Impatient with supply chains “as is,” she works to understand what motivates suppliers and to partner with them on making significant improvements. She started her career in food promoting sustainable seafood to chefs who, along with supply chain managers, are ‘choice editors’ in our food system and important levers of change. She was honored as an international Seafood Champion by SeaWeb, has presented to audiences at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Commonwealth Club. She wrote for The Atlantic online (Food Channel) for 4 years.