John Whalen is a principal with Blu Skye who specializes in engagements involving system change – specifically, sustainability-driven innovation across supply chains and industries.

John has led Blu Skye’s team supporting the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, played a key role in the U.S. dairy industry’s work on greenhouse gas reduction coordinated by Dairy Management, Inc., and has worked in a variety of areas in supporting Walmart’s sustainability strategy, including the design and implementation of their sustainable value networks. John has over 25 years of experience in business strategy, operations and organizational development working with senior leaders on large-scale change in a variety of industries.

Prior to joining Blu Skye, John was a Founding Partner at Sustainable Value Partners, a Washington, D.C. based strategy consulting firm focused on integrating sustainability into core business strategy. Before that, John worked with Catalyst Consulting Team, ran his own firm focused on organizational transformation and business process redesign for nearly a decade, and worked at CSC|Index where he helped develop and implement their ground-breaking business reengineering practice. Prior to CSC|Index John worked for a division of GE. Past clients have included NASA, Pfizer, Cable & Wireless, Key Bank, M&T Bank, Nextel, AT&T, NCR, Target Stores, New York Life, Capital Holding Insurance, and Mass Mutual.

John has an M.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame. He has extensive training in facilitation and multi-stakeholder and large group strategy processes including the Appreciative Inquiry Summit and Future Search. He lives with his wife and two teenage children near Washington, D.C. An occasional professional songwriter, John gets to spend far too little time with his guitar.

photograph by Quincey Imhoff