• Sara Russo Garrido is appointed as CIRAIG’s executive director, succeeding Sophie Fallaha
• François Saunier is appointed as CIRAIG’s deputy executive director, succeeding Sara Russo Garrido

The CIRAIG is pleased to announce the appointment of Sara Russo Garrido as Executive Director of the International Reference Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG). Ms. Russo Garrido succeeds Sophie Fallaha. François Saunier is also appointed as Deputy Executive Director, succeeding Ms. Russo Garrido. 

Associate Professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at UQÀM, Sara Russo Garrido holds two master’s degrees, one in international development (M.Phil.) and the other in environmental policy (M.Sc.) from Oxford University, where she studied on a Rhodes Scholarship. A CIRAIG member since 2013, she specializes in social life cycle assessment and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Prior to joining the CIRAIG, she worked in the field of corporate social responsibility, first with the Government of Canada and then with labor organizations in the United States.

François Saunier holds a B.Sc. in chemical engineering from ENSIC (Nancy, France) and an M.Sc.A in chemical engineering from Polytechnique Montreal. As a member of the CIRAIG since 2011, he has contributed to the realization of numerous life cycle assessments and related studies, as well as training for academic and professional audiences. He is also responsible for projects related to carbon neutrality and the operationalization of the circular economy.

In their new roles, Ms. Russo Garrido and Mr. Saunier’s mandate will be to implement the CIRAIG’s scientific program and transfer of knowledge on sustainability metrics in order to accelerate a sustainable transition.

“I am very pleased with the appointment of Ms. Russo Garrido and Mr. Saunier as Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director, respectively. Their leadership, expertise and vision are structuring assets for the team and will be key in their new roles,”

said Réjean Samson, CIRAIG’s general director.

The CIRAIG would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to its former Executive Director, Sophie Fallaha, for all her contributions over the past ten years.

“I leave with a head full of precious memories and the feeling of having helped shape the CIRAIG of today: a CIRAIG recognized as a leading player in the development and implementation of sustainability metrics to tool a sustainable transition and a truly international CIRAIG, with one foot on each side of the Atlantic. “

Sophie Fallaha