Meet Claire Petrovich: Social Compliance Expert

Claire Petrovich did not initially begin her career in supply chain: she attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) - Los Angeles location, where she was interested in developing her own brand and position in the beauty and personal care industry. As she continued her education and learned about global operations and sourcing, she saw the vital position of the operational world, where she no longer just looked at the design of a product, but how it is sourced, who and what is affected, and how to ethically and strategically it can be done. After graduation she started her journey in social responsibility and compliance in 2018 as a social compliance auditor, where she would observe the trajectory of her career to forever be changed, for the best.

In September 2020, Claire was nominated as one of first 100-auditors nationwide to be eligible and to have received her Certified Social Compliance Auditor (CSCA) certification. She quickly found herself in a Team Lead position at the certification body she was working with at the time, receiving an additional nomination to be the Competent Evaluator for her North America team of 10 - 15 auditors, and became a team mentor and subject matter expert interpreter for California OSHA and labor law requirements. To date, Claire has exposure to over 700-facilities, each site with its unique good practices and struggles as they navigate the world of responsible sourcing. She would also go on to receive certifications and training in ISO 9001:2015, Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), SEDEX's SMETA, Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP), and other global standards.

However, it was through these exposures that she learned her true passion: improving the working conditions for employees, collaborating with management on long-term action plans where social impact could truly be seen and felt, and eliminate the stigma around auditors and checklists.