Keen Taps Former Nike Exec and Climate Scientist Ann Radil to Lead Sustainability Innovations
Keen is working to advance its sustainable innovation and social impact with the addition of a new hire.
The footwear brand has tapped climate scientist and former Nike executive Ann Radil as senior director of Keen Effect, its division dedicated to corporate sustainability, philanthropy and advocacy.
According to Keen, Radil is set to focus on mapping the company’s long- and short-term sustainability objectives, measure and reduce emissions, and accelerate regenerative and circular design strategies.
Other goals include extending Keen’s detoxification journey and continuing the brand’s leadership in eliminating harmful chemicals from its products and supply chain, as well as advancing the brand’s climate strategy and driving measurable progress toward science-based emission reduction targets. Circularity will also be a focus for Radil, with attention paid to embedding reuse, repair, and responsible end-of-life pathways into product innovation.
“There are a couple of core areas of opportunity for us to really lean into,” Radil told FN in an interview. “Keen has phased out intentional additions of PFAs [Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances] in our products before anyone else in the industry. We’ve made great progress against eliminating the six ‘harmful chemicals’ that are in footwear. We’ve got one to go. And there’s some great work for us to build on that legacy of green chemistry, leadership and continuing to accelerate on how we’re detoxifying our supply chain.”
A Keen trail shoe.
Courtesy of Keen
Radil joins Keen from Watershed, where she served as senior sustainability advisor to Fortune 500 clients – including Walmart – on decarbonization, Scope 3 strategy, and climate disclosure readiness.
The executive also has prior experience in footwear, serving as director of program management at Nike, where she oversaw global circular economy programs.
“Part of why I was chosen for the role was that Keen is really serious about its climate commitments,” Radil added. “Our science-based targets will be validated by Science Based Targets Initiative in the next month, which, in the industry, is becoming a bit less common. We’re going to be investing in a lot of the tools to service the data-driven insights that we know we need in order to make progress.”
