Sara Brennan, positive business director of Pentland Brands
The company that owns outdoors brand Berghaus has promoted its head of corporate responsibility to a new post overseeing its future impact on people and the planet.
Sara Brennan has been named as Pentland Brands’ first positive business director.
The positive business concept is that a company should develop its products and services in a way that has a positive effect on society.
Pentland Brands owns, as well as the Sunderland-based Berghaus, sports brands such as Mitre, Speedo, Canterbury and Ellesse.
The company said Ms Brennan’s role will be to look at how Pentland and its portfolio of sports, outdoor and lifestyle brands can accelerate its positive business strategy to deliver on its commitment to take action for people and the planet.
She joined Pentland as head of corporate responsibility in January 2019 and has been instrumental in furthering sustainability across the organisation. She has also worked during the Covid-19 crisis in ensuring high standards of responsibility, accountability and transparency with suppliers and partners during the pandemic.
Ms Brennan said: “Pentland has a long track record of being a responsible business and I’m looking forward to working with everyone in the Pentland family – who I know really want us to make positive impact – across the areas of sustainability, ethical trade, health and wellbeing and the environment.”
She has previously held a number of sustainability and ethical-trade roles in the consumer goods and petroleum and chemical sectors. Ms Brennan is a science and law graduate, has a master’s degree in sustainability and responsibility and is currently studying for a doctorate in organisational change.
Chirag Patel, chief executive officer of Pentland Brands, said: “As a business, we constantly factor in the social and environmental impact of what we do. Today, more than ever, it’s essential that we remain focused on our goal of being a positive business as it relates to people and our planet.
“Sara has a wealth of experience and I’m really looking forward to seeing her bring our positive business ambitions to life across our business and portfolio of brands.”
Pentland Brands is a division of the Pentland Group, a privately owned company founded as the Liverpool Shoe Company in 1932 by Minnie and Berko Rubin. It is still run by the Rubin family, with Stephen Rubin as its executive chairman and Andrew Rubin his deputy and head of Pentland Brands. It owns a majority share in retailer JD Sports and the group had a turnover in 2019, the latest period for which results have been published, of £6.44bn, with operating profits of £509m. It employs more than 50,000 people globally.
