Shahla is an engineer by background and worked for over 20 years in the National Standards Institute of Iran. There she was responsible for assessing products, developing national standards and international affairs as well as sitting on the National Steering Committee developing ISO 26000. She has developed more than 200 national standards related to topics such as energy efficiency and labelling, acoustics, renewable energy etc. In 2013 she relocated to the UK where she obtained her PhD and is now based. She is both a British and an Iranian citizen, and continues to publish within her area of sustainability. She currently researches, writes and runs the Social Responsibility Research Network while also acting as consultant, editor, guest lecturer and keynote speaker. In 2021 she founded and is currently editor of the journal Technological Sustainabilty (TechS), published by Emerald.
Shahla has taught extensively – both to students and to managers – and translated much material into Farsi. As a qualified physical fitness trainer she led courses in Tehran for a number of years. She is a member of the editorial boards of several journals and book series around the world, and consults and speaks in various locations. She has published more than 25 books in English; she has published over 60 articles in English as well as numerous articles in Farsi. Recent work includes during 2023 the publication of 6 edited books, the publication of various papers, speaking engagements around the world, the continued development of TechS and numerous ongoing projects.
David Crowther is an expert in various fields; he is a specialist in business administration, a games theoretician and a psychologist while also a qualified accountant who had worked as an accountant, systems specialist and general manager in local government, industry and commerce for over 20 years. After a number of years in the financial services sector, including a spell as divisional managing director of a multinational during which he set up and ran a credit card scheme, he decided to leave the business world and become an academic. In 1994 he joined Aston University and there obtained a PhD in 1999 for research into corporate social performance. In 2001 he became the first Professor of Corporate Social Responsibility in the world. He now holds various positions as Professor as well as being visiting professor in various institutions. He gives advice as Chief Research Fellow at the Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics and has consulted extensively around the world. At Ansted University he is also a member of the Board and President of the Sustainability Research Institute. He has consulted widely including to US Presidential candidates, UN, EU & governments.
David has published more than 500 articles in academic, business and professional journals and edited book collections and over 60 books. He has also spoken widely at conferences and seminars worldwide and acted as a consultant to a wide range of government, professional and commercial organisations, including to US presidential candidates. In 2002 he founded Social Responsibility Journal and established the Social Responsibility Research Network, an international body which now has several thousand members, together with associated international conference series, journals and books series. In 2010 he established the Organisation Governance Network and conference series. He is listed in Who’s Who in the World and various other directories. His research is into sustainability, governance and corporate social responsibility with a particular emphasis on the relationship between sustainability and social, environmental and financial performance.
