Ken Mehlman and Alan Beller, Senior Counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, have joined the Board of Directors of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, or SASB. SASB is a non-profit organization that provides sustainability accounting standards for publicly-listed corporations in the United States. Mehlman and Beller will serve a three-year term on the Board, effective June 2015.
As Global Head of Public Affairs at KKR, Ken Mehlman leads the Environmental Social Governance programs both for KKR and for the companies in its portfolio. Before he joined KKR, Mehlman led a bipartisan public policy and regulatory practice for global law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. He also spent many years in national politics and government service.
“Thoroughly understanding the stakeholders impacted by our investments enhances bottom line value and mitigates risk,” Mehlman said. “The planet is only going to be saved at a profit, and the better we understand this connection through work like SASB’s, the smarter our decisions become.”
Mary Schapiro, Former Chair of the SEC and Vice Chair of the SASB Board of Directors, is glad to have Beller and Mehlman on SASB’s Board. “As leaders in their respective fields, Ken and Alan share expertise in helping businesses understand the material risk and opportunity linked to sustainability factors. Their leadership will be invaluable as SASB continues its work to make markets more transparent and efficient.”