CMI appoints new director of sustainability
Previously, Sharif served as the director of sustainability for Mohawk Group. Image: CMI
The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) has announced that Roxanne Sharif, MBA, will join the association as director of sustainability, effective 9 February 2026.
Sharif brings proven expertise as a corporate sustainability leader, supporting Fortune 500 companies in developing and executing sustainability strategies, data systems, and reporting programmes. She has worked with organisations including the Nasdaq and US Green Building Council, contributing to research, disclosure guidance, and other climate- and sustainability-related initiatives. Most recently, she has contributed to statewide research assessing recycling system readiness in Tennessee, evaluating infrastructure capacity, access to recycling services, and material recovery challenges to help inform future program design.
Previously, Sharif served as the director of sustainability for Mohawk Group, where she partnered with product engineering, procurement, operations, sales, and audit teams to advance product stewardship, material transparency and compliance-ready sustainability programmes. Her work included developing governance frameworks, managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) data and disclosures, and supporting initiatives related to materials management, water stewardship, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions – experience that closely aligns with advancing credible sustainability outcomes in complex manufacturing environments.
“Roxi is going to take CMI’s sustainability programme to the next level, in the impactful programmes she will execute, the compelling oral and written communications she will deliver, and the bold leadership she will provide on key industry issues,” CMI’s president, Scott Breen, said. “Her mix of experience, passion, and skill will increase awareness of and enhance the metal can’s strong sustainability performance.”
In her role at CMI, Sharif leads the association’s non-policy sustainability initiatives, guiding research, on-the-ground activations, and cross-sector collaborations across the metal can’s value chain. Her work focuses on increasing recycling rates for all metal can types, strengthening the metal can’s leading sustainability performance, and advancing high-impact programs that reinforce metal packaging’s role in a domestic, resilient circular economy. She serves as a primary sustainability resource to CMI members and external partners, represents the association publicly, and helps build consensus, while navigating the evolving landscape of sustainability risks and opportunities.
“Metal cans are already one of the most recycled packages in the world, and that leadership creates real value for CMI members,” Sharif said. “I’m excited to work alongside members and partners to strengthen the systems that already work, expand access to recycling, and deliver practical programs that increase capture and keep valuable material in the US economy.”
Sharif is a native Texan and a graduate of Bard College and Chapman University. She is a long-distance runner, avid bicyclist, and loves cooking and sharing meals with friends and family. She and her partner, Mason, live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the first US city designated a National Park City.
