CVS Health promotes former McDonald’s exec to lead sustainability efforts

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CVS Health has promoted Jennifer McColloch, who joined the company in March 2024 after almost 12 years at McDonald’s, as chief sustainability officer and vice president of community impact.

She’s taking over from Sheryl Burke, a long-time CVS executive who retired this fall after some four years as CSO. 

To give you an idea of how CVS thinks about sustainability, Burke was named CSO and senior vice president of corporate social responsibility for CVS after a long string of commercial roles across CVS, including senior vice president of cross-enterprise strategic innovation at health insurance provider Aetna, a CVS subsidiary.

McColloch reports to Heidi Capozzi, executive vice president and chief people officer at CVS — the same reporting structure Burke had. She’s responsible both for the $373 billion company’s climate strategy and its charitable giving.

CVS, which manages more than 9,000 retail locations, is aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 47 percent by 2030, based on a 2019 baseline year. So far, it has reduced its Scope 1 (direct operations) and Scope 2 (purchased electricity) by 29 percent against that mark. It has cut Scope 3 (from upstream and downstream activities across its value chain) by 59 percent cumulatively, although emissions rose 3 percent between 2023 and 2024.

The company views its environmental programs as an important part of improving business resilience and providing opportunities to improve the health of its customers, communities and colleagues, McColloch said in emailed remarks.

“It’s not just about reducing emissions, although we are focused on decarbonization,” McColloch wrote. “It’s also about strengthening supply chain reliability, driving efficiencies and colleague safety, reducing risks, empowering clinicians and patients with weather-related health insights and ensuring proactive, continuous access to care during extreme weather events.”

McColloch’s first priority will be to reinforce CVS’ philosophy that “climate resilience and health are inseparable. Extreme weather isn’t just an environmental issue — it’s a health issue,” she said.

Prior to joining CVS, McColloch was chief sustainability officer and social impact officer at McDonald’s, where she was involved in the development of the company’s quest to develop a more “sustainable beef” supply. She joined the restaurant chain in July 2012 as a sustainable supply chain consultant.

As the sustainability profession morphs, McColloch recommends seeking positions that offer opportunities to learn more about the organization.

“My advice is to focus on impact from whatever seat you hold, to embrace continued learning across your business and to identify opportunities to make connections internally and externally that advance your team, rather than chasing an idea of a perfect career map or promotion timeline,” she said.