GM chief sustainability officer retires after 30-year career with automaker

General Motors is seeking a new chief sustainability officer after the retirement of Kristen Siemen effective Oct. 31.

Siemen lieutenant Kathi Walker, GM’s director of global sustainability strategies, has stepped in as interim CSO during the search for Siemen’s replacement, a spokesperson said. 

A recruiter with knowledge of the search expects an announcement by the end of 2024. About 70 percent of CSO jobs are filled internally, the recruiter said.

Siemen, an electrical and electronics engineer by training, was named vice president and chief sustainability officer in February 2021 after two decades in GM product engineering and manufacturing roles. She guided development of the automaker’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.

GM milestones as of 2023

• 51 percent cut in carbon footprint for direct operations and purchased energy.
• 3 percent reduction in tailpipe emissions, compared with 2018 baseline.
• 100 percent of U.S. electricity consumption matched with renewable contracts. 

Siemen didn’t disclose plans for her next phase in the Nov. 12 LinkedIn post about her retirement.

In response to email-questions, however, Siemen said the biggest lesson she learned during her tenure at GM was the power of collaboration. “Not just within the company or with suppliers or other automotive OEMs, but with governments, NGOs and other industries,” she said. “We are all trying to solve the same problem and the more we can share lessons learned, ideas and opportunities, the faster we can find more efficient ways to decarbonize.”

Siemen offered this advice to chief sustainability officers who are new to their roles:

“Just get started. Sometimes our teams see this big mountain in front of them. and they don’t know how to get to the top so they are hesitant to take the first step. You can often make more progress, and faster, than you ever thought possible once you start. It’s about ‘better not perfect’. Every day we have the opportunity to move things forward, and we cannot wait for the ideal solution.”