Meet the People: Interview with Tyler Mahn Jones

For Tyler Mahn Jones, the path into sustainability certification developed gradually over time.

She began her career at J.P. Morgan, before moving into the sustainability sector and spending more than a decade living and working in Germany. During that time, she worked with organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council and FLOCERT, where she gained a deeper understanding of how certification and assurance systems support credible sustainability efforts.

Now based in Washington, D.C., Tyler leads ASI in North America as our General Manager. Tyler oversees regional operations and contributes to the organization’s broader business development and growth.

You have worked across several well-known sustainability systems, including FSC and Fairtrade through FLOCERT. Looking back at that experience, what first drew you to the world of sustainability certification and assurance?

Growing up in California, I developed a deep appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounds us, and with it, an acute awareness of how precious resources like clean water and air truly are. That upbringing instilled in me a strong sense of obligation to protect those resources. When I discovered the world of sustainability certification, I saw it as a powerful mechanism to translate that sense of obligation into real accountability, ensuring that the claims organizations make about their environmental and social impact are credible, verifiable, and meaningful.

You now lead ASI in North America while also directing global business development. What motivated you to take on this dual role, and how do these two responsibilities complement each other?

When ASI established its North American office in 2021, it did so with a lean footprint but a clear and well-founded strategic vision. The U.S. is a highly competitive market with tremendous opportunity for accreditation of Voluntary Sustainability Schemes — which is precisely ASI’s niche. As General Manager, my focus is on overseeing daily operations and building a strong, sustainable business in the region. My global business development work, on the other hand, is aimed at expanding ASI’s reach and growing our customer and service base internationally. The two roles are deeply complementary: ASI in North America is itself a global accreditation body serving clients from across the world — outside of Europe — so growing the business locally and expanding globally are really two sides of the same coin.

North America is an important region for many sustainability initiatives. From your perspective, what makes this market particularly significant for ASI’s work?

Consider this: only about 12% of forests in the U.S. are third-party certified for responsible forest management practices. That figure alone speaks volumes about the scale of opportunity that exists here. North America also carries one of the largest ecological footprints of any region in the world, placing significant strain on natural resources. That reality creates a strong need for credible differentiation in the market. Companies and organizations that are actively working to reduce their environmental impact need a way to demonstrate that credibly. ASI supports that differentiation by working behind the scenes to ensure sustainability claims are rigorous and trustworthy.

Many organizations are moving beyond basic compliance toward demonstrating real impact. How does independent assurance support that shift?

At ASI, we use a wide range of technology and methodologies not just to assess compliance, but to look beyond it toward measurable impact. Through our predictive assurance model, we help schemes proactively identify and mitigate supply chain risks before they become problems, and we work with them to continuously improve their standards in ways that drive meaningful outcomes. Independent assurance, done well, isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s about building the systems and accountability frameworks that allow sustainability commitments to translate into lasting change.

What aspect of your work at ASI do you find most rewarding on a day-to-day basis?

Honestly, it’s the learning. I genuinely discover something new every single day — whether it’s from a colleague, a customer, or a stakeholder partner from another part of the world. ASI’s work is inherently global and interdisciplinary, and that means the people I get to engage with bring incredibly diverse perspectives and expertise. That constant exchange of knowledge and ideas is what energizes me most.