Tokyo – LIXIL, maker of pioneering water and housing products, today announced the establishment of LIXIL Public Partnerships (LPP), the company’s first dedicated public sector engagement platform. LPP will explore synergies and expanded collaboration with the public sector for the delivery of innovative household solutions in water, sanitation, and hygiene. These efforts will build on existing initiatives such as LIXIL’s SATO brand of safe, affordable sanitation and hygiene solutions, and work to tackle America’s sanitation challenges.
Erin McCusker, Leader of SATO has been appointed as Senior Vice President, with concurrent responsibilities to lead the newly founded LPP unit. Erin will be responsible for developing business strategies and operating models designed to serve the mutual interests of global partners and LIXIL by introducing innovative products and solutions for improved access to water, sanitation, and hygiene globally.
Among governments and geographies across the world there is an enhanced focus on social and environmental challenges, including a mandate to provide solutions and resources including for water, sanitation and hygiene. Recognizing the importance and immense opportunity of jointly tackling these challenges, LPP will leverage and maximize the synergies of LIXIL’s technologies and team of experts to provide innovative solutions. In line with LIXIL’s Global Sanitation and Hygiene Corporate Responsibility commitment to improve access to sanitation and hygiene for 100 million users by 2025, LIXIL will strengthen business-to-government channels and operational models for public, private and community stakeholders.
Erin McCusker said,” With our global presence, expertise in delivering consumer-centric solutions, and experience in developing long-lasting partnerships with development agencies and others, we are uniquely positioned to be the preferred partner to the public sector in household water, sanitation, and hygiene. Globally, acceleration is needed to achieve targets set by SDG 6 and commitments such as White House Action Plan on Global Water Security towards sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. These goals will only be reached by doing things differently and driving toward more effective collaboration between the public and private sector.”
Erin McCusker joined LIXIL in 2018, bringing her extensive strategy and public-private partnership expertise. She will concurrently continue her role leading SATO, a social business and sanitation and hygiene solution provider for underserved communities that has improved access to toilets and handwashing for an estimated 35 million users in over 44 countries.¹ Under Erin’s leadership, SATO has shipped over 1 million units for three consecutive years; and most recently she led the strategic engagement with USAID, resulting in LIXIL being awarded approximately $10 million to establish the new Partnership for Better Living.
¹Source: Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2020: Five years into the SDGs. Geneva: World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2021 (https://washdata.org/)
