Michael Kobori

Michael Kobori is Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks Coffee Company. He is responsible for leading Starbucks to become resource positive and activating sustainability with the company’s 300,000 partners and millions of customers worldwide. Prior to joining Starbucks, he served as Vice-President at Levi Strauss & Co. where he built the company’ reputation as a sustainability leader in the apparel sector. Michael is deeply committed to industry collaboration on sustainability, having served on a number of boards and advisory commissions, including the U.S. Cotton Board, Better Cotton Initiative, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, ILO Better Work Programme, and Levi Strauss Foundation Board. During his long career in sustainability, Michael has also served as Vice-President at BSR, and spent nearly a decade at The Asia Foundation, where he supported human rights and economic development in Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam. Michael is a lecturer in corporate sustainability at the Haas Business School, University of California at Berkeley. He is also the Executive Producer of Utopia Theatre Project, an artist-led social justice theater company. Michael received his Masters’ Degree in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley, where he also received his undergraduate education in Asian Studies and Psychology. He spent a year at International Christian University in Tokyo and studied sustainable finance at Oxford University

Education
M.P.P., University of California, Berkeley,  Goldman School of Public Policy
A.B., University of California, Berkeley,  Asian Studies and Psychology
 
Positions Held
At Haas since 2014
2014 – present, Lecturer, Berkeley-Haas School of Business
2013 – 2015, Senior Advisory Board, Center for Responsible Business
 
2006 – present, Vice-President, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co.
2001 – 2006, Director, Global Code of Conduct, Levi Strauss & Co.
2000 – 2001, Vice-President, Business for Social Responsibility
1999 – 2000, Director, Business and Human Rights, Business for Social Responsibility
1995 – 1998, Manager, Government Affairs, Levi Strauss & Co.
1985 – 1993, Various positions at The Asia Foundation, including Director of Vietnam Programs; Assistant Representative, Thailand; Executive Assistant to the President; Assistant Representative, Bangladesh; and Program Officer
External Service and Assignments
2016 – Present         Board Member, The Cotton Board
2015 – Present         Board Member, Sustainable Apparel Coalition
2015 – Present         President’s Leadership Council, The Asia Foundation
2013 – Present         Member, Aspen institute Business and Society Leaders
2010 – 2013              Council member and Chairman, Better Cotton Initiative
2010 – 2013              Advisory Committee, ILO Better Work Program
2008 – 2012              Board Member, Levi Strauss Foundation
Current Research and Interests
- Corporate Sustainability - Business in Society

Teaching
- UGBA 192P

Honors and Awards
- Haas Business School Club 6 - Bob Haas Leadership Award, Levi Strauss & Co. - Most Creative People in Business, Fast Company Magazine