Worldly, a social and environmental sustainability intelligence platform, has hired Francois Thrower as CFO, the company announced Tuesday.
The news comes after Worldly’s rebrand earlier this year. The platform, formerly known as Higg Co., hosts the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, which was made to measure the sustainability of a garment. It also includes data on supply chain, products and operations to help users understand their impact and compliance positions.
Thrower was previously the CFO and COO of Fond, a human resources software company. In the news release on Thrower’s hire, Worldly said his skillset aligns with “steering Worldly through its future growth phases.”
Last month, Worldly acquired Fair Factories Clearinghouse, a software that helps with social, environmental and security issues related to making better working conditions.
“As Worldly grows, Thrower’s financial stewardship promises to be a linchpin in aiding its customers to reach their sustainability goals and prepare for emerging ESG regulatory requirements,” the release stated.
Worldly is the exclusive licensee of the Higg Index, which came under scrutiny last year when its consumer-facing pilot transparency program was flagged by the Norwegian Consumer Authority for greenwashing claims, claiming the Higg data didn’t fully measure a garment’s life cycle and only accounted for a small portion.
The Index is used by members of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, including Lululemon, New Balance, Nike, Patagonia, Puma, Under Armour, Tommy Hilfiger, H&M and ASOS.
California-based Worldly plans to broaden its customer base and refine its products, CEO Scott Raskin said in the release.
“Francois will provide financial proficiency as we amplify our mission of equipping the industry with the essential intelligence to foster environmental and social sustainability,” Raskin said.
