• case study
SGS North America — Ensuring Audit Continuity and Certification Integrity
Cherrywood Partners served as a senior audit and strategic advisor to SGS North America, ensuring continuity, consistency, and audit integrity across its forestry certification programs.
The Challenge
SGS North America required senior-level audit leadership and continuity across its forestry certification programs.
This need became especially critical during a leadership transition—when maintaining consistency, credibility, and client trust was essential.
The stakes were high:
- Complex, high-visibility client accounts
- Strict certification requirements across FSC®, SFI®, and PEFC®
- The need for uninterrupted audit quality and technical rigor
Any disruption could impact both client relationships and certification outcomes.
Overview
Client: SGS North America
Industry: Certification & Inspection Services
Focus: Audit Leadership, Strategic Advisory, Program Continuity
What We Did
Lead Auditor
Execution
We conducted complex Chain-of-Custody audits across the United States and Canada, maintaining the highest level of technical rigor and consistency.
This included:
- FSC®, SFI®, and PEFC® certification audits
- High-profile and high-risk client engagements
- Strict adherence to certification standards and audit protocols
Strategic Advisory
During Transition
During a period of leadership change, we provided steady, experienced guidance to support operational continuity.
Our role ensured:
- Consistent audit execution
- Clear communication across teams
- Stability during organizational change
Support for Key
Accounts
We served as lead auditor for SGS’s most critical accounts—where credibility, accuracy, and professionalism were essential.
Results
- Maintained uninterrupted audit quality across North America
- Strengthened client confidence during a period of transition
- Ensured consistency in audit execution across key accounts
- Reinforced SGS’s reputation for technical excellence and objectivity
- Provided stability and continuity within a complex operational environment
Outcome
Cherrywood Partners played a key role in maintaining the integrity and performance of SGS’s forestry certification programs.
Our involvement ensured that audit quality, client trust, and operational standards remained uncompromised.
Mr. Ramirez has served as a contract Chain-of-Custody (CoC) auditor for SCS Global since 2018, consistently conducting audits with the highest level of professionalism. He demonstrates a strong commitment to ongoing professional growth and has been a highly valuable resource to SCS Global Services. We confidently recommend his services.