Seth Jaffe (pictured right) is Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Levi Strauss & Co. Jaffe returned to Levi Strauss & Co. in September 2011 and is responsible for leading the company’s global Legal Division and advising the Board of Directors, CEO and other senior executives on all legal, security, and governance matters. He is a member of the company’s worldwide leadership team, which sets the company’s global direction. Jaffe is familiar with LS&Co., having spent the early part of his career in the legal department, following several years at a large law firm. More about Jaffe below.
Few companies can boast a set of ethical values dating back to 1853, but as Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Seth Jaffe, points out, Levi Strauss & Co. is “no ordinary company.” Honored as a World’s Most Ethical Company for three years running, Jaffe says the organization has a long history of leading social change.
“From his first year in business, Levi Strauss made a practice of giving back to the community and was known for philanthropy as much as for putting rivets in pockets. Combined with progressive employee policies, it’s an approach we call ‘Profits Through Principles.’”
Today, that legacy is perpetuated through such initiatives as the Levi Strauss Foundation, which Jaffe oversees, and the many social-minded programs it helps drive. “For example, we have a program called ‘Worker Well-Being,’ in which we go beyond the principle of ‘Do No Harm’ in our manufacturing processes to affirmatively improve the lives of apparel workers and the communities we touch around the world.
“We do this through health education and financial literacy training, focusing especially on young women who often have little formal education and who are frequently the primary sources of income in their communities. And we have found ways to connect our US employees to this program, so they can help fund it or provide hands-on help.”
Consumer engagement is also essential to advancing the company’s ethics and sustainability goals, says Jaffe. “We have looked at the whole life cycle of a pair of jeans. We are showing consumers how to use less water and how to avoid filling landfills with jeans through programs like jeans recycling.”
“We are industry leaders,” he says. “Our aspiration is to be the most sustainable apparel company in the world, and that mission supported by the leaders of the company, from our CEO on down. We believe we can have an outsized impact—not only on our supply chain or business, but across the industry.”
Now well-versed in what it takes to be a World’s Most Ethical Company, Jaffe advises that, “It’s an extensive process, but one that will make you look closely at all the aspects of your program—from ethics and compliance to sustainability, and how you impact the various partners with whom your company works most closely.
“At the end of the process, you are given a detailed report of how you fared against the other applicants. Whether you make the list or not it’s an incredibly useful tool to go back and assess your company’s strengths and opportunities. So the biggest reward you will get is an ability to understand how you can improve your positive influence on the world. The formal award is welcome recognition for all the great work of our teams.”
Author Biography
Over the course of fifteen years, Jaffe held various legal counsel roles at LS&Co. with increasing responsibilities in the United States and Europe. During this time, he provided business and legal counsel as part of the management team that launched the Dockers® brand; built a legal department in Brussels; and managed legal affairs for 30 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa as European General Counsel. Read more about Jaffe on Levi Strauss.com.
