Alia Malik is a senior sustainability and development leader with extensive experience driving organizational growth, innovation, and system transformation across the agricultural, nonprofit, and social enterprise sectors. As Chief Commercial Officer at Better Cotton, the world's largest cotton sustainability program, she leads strategic development, partnerships, fundraising, and innovation initiatives that advance sustainable livelihoods and strengthen cotton value chains globally.
Known for her entrepreneurial mindset and people-centered leadership style, Ms. Malik has built a career helping organizations navigate change, scale impact, and develop practical solutions to complex sustainability challenges. She combines strategic vision with a strong focus on execution, building partnerships, and mobilizing resources to achieve ambitious goals.

Before joining Better Cotton, Ms. Malik served as Chief Executive Officer of the Haller Foundation, leading programs focused on sustainable rural development and community resilience. Earlier in her career, she founded Shangrila Farms, an ethical trade enterprise connecting farmers and consumers in China, and co-founded FarmSmart, an educational technology initiative supporting smallholder farmers.
She serves on the board of the International Cotton Association and is a recognized advocate for sustainable agriculture, farmer-centered development, traceability, and gender inclusion. Her work is driven by a commitment to empowering people, enabling innovation, and building systems that create lasting economic, social, and environmental value.

Ms. Malik holds degrees from Georgetown University and the University of Cambridge and brings a global perspective to leadership, sustainability, and development.