Updated: Sustainability leadership moves

As corporate sustainability matures, some long-time leaders are leaving the profession, while others are tackling a broader set of responsibilities following reorganizations or layoffs.

The Trellis Executive Moves tracker chronicles high-profile transitions, arrivals and departures at major corporations, consultancies, startups and nonprofits. If you’d like to suggest an item for inclusion, email editor@trellis.net.

October

Two senior sustainability leaders depart from PepsiCo

Who: Margaret Henry, PepsiCo’s vice president for sustainable and regenerative agriculture, has joined colleague Anna Palazij, the company’s vice president for sustainability, in exiting the company. Henry will take a short sabbatical, she said in a LinkedIn post. Palazij is now senior vice president for global sustainability and resilience at Colgate-Palmolive.

Career highlights: Henry and Palazij were at PepsiCo for 10 and 16 years, respectively. The food and beverage company is viewed as a leader in some areas of sustainability, having set a science-based target in 2016. It increased the ambition of that target in 2020 and has also played a leading role in promoting regenerative agriculture.

Context: The food and beverage giant was forced to downgrade some sustainability targets last year, citing a lack of investment in clean technologies and policy support. Its goals, which include a 30 percent reduction in land-sector emissions between 2022 and 2030, remain validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.

Samsung’s Americas sustainability lead steps down

Who: Mark Newton left his full-time role as head of North America corporate sustainability for Samsung Electronics after more than 11 years in the position, according to an Oct. 12 LinkedIn post. A successor hasn’t been announced, and the company did not respond to a request for comment.

Career highlights: Newton took his first official job in sustainability in 2001 when he joined Apple as an environmental affairs program manager. After that, he spent eight years as executive director for sustainable business at Dell, where developed the company’s strategy for addressing climate change. Newton detoured into the outdoor apparel sector for three years as a vice president with Timberland and then VF. He pivoted back to the tech sector in June 2015, when he joined Samsung.

Context: Samsung announced a new series of goals in February after achieving the 2025 goals for its Galaxy for the Planet initiative, all related to waste reduction, recycling and plastics elimination. The new pledges aim at extending the company’s work in materials reuse, water conservation and ecosystem conservation. “I’m proud of what we accomplished, but under no illusion we’ve done enough,” he said. After some time off, Newton expects to remain involved with the sustainability community through board roles and strategic advisory services.

Nonprofit behind the B Corp certification names global CEO

Who: B Lab, which manages the Certified B Corp standard, has named long-time nonprofit leader Peter Willams as its first global chief executive, effective Nov. 2. The organization’s previous management structure included co-CEOs, plus separate regional leaders.

Career highlights: Williams was trained as an architect, and he has advised organizations including the World Bank and the Gates Foundation on economy recovery planning and urbanization. In 2007, he founded Archive Global, an international nonprofit focused on improving community health through better housing. More recently, since 2019, Williams was president and CEO of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, a 65-year-old organization skilled at bringing philanthropic and private finance into projects.

“Much of my work has dealt with the consequences of how business and capital behave,” Williams said. “B Corps are showing that those consequences can be changed at the source.”

Context: B Lab’s board chair, Francine Lemos, said the appointment reflects the nonprofit’s transition to an integrated structure as companies apply for certification under the extensive new B Corp Certification overhaul launched in April 2025.

Disney’s environmental co-lead leaves company

Who: Yalmaz Siddiqui has left his role as vice president of environmental sustainability at The Walt Disney Co. as the result of a corporate reorganization, effective Oct. 17. His former co-lead, Kelly Greenman, remains with the new title of vice president of global sustainability.

Career highlights: Siddiqui joined Disney in June 2022 after six years as vice president of corporate sustainability for MGM Resorts International. Before that, he was at Office Depot, where he helped triple the retailer’s greener product alternatives to more than $3 billion. He plans to spend the new few months on sabbatical, interviewing fellow sustainability professionals for a video blog and potential book project.

Context: As of its 2025 fiscal year, Disney had reduced its emissions from operations and electricity by 36 percent from a 2019 baseline; its goal is reduce them by 46.2 percent by 2030.

Ingka will switch CSOs

Who: Karen Pflug, chief sustainability officer at IKEA’s largest retailer, Ingka Group, will step down at the end of December after five years in the role and 12 with the company. Her previous roles covered quality control and customer insights. She hasn’t disclosed what she’ll do next.

Career highlights: Ingka has reduced its operational and electricity emissions by nearly 71 percent since its 2016 baseline. Its progress on supplier emissions has been steady, but the company didn’t disclose most of that data in its latest sustainability report because of changes to reporting systems. During her tenure, Pflug worked closely with Ingka’s largest supplier, IKEA, to help nudge consumers toward more sustainable products. “By having the size and volumes and guaranteed revenue for suppliers, that helps us change the production line,” she told Trellis Editor at Large Heather Clancy in their 2024 Climate Pioneers interview.

Context: Pflug’s successor will be Erika Intiso, most recently the CEO and CSO for IKEA in Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. “As I prepare to handover, what gives me the greatest optimism is that sustainability is no longer a conversation happening at the edge of business,” said Pflug in her LinkedIn departure post.

Deutsche Telekom names first CSO

Who: Deutsche Telekom has promoted its head of sustainability, Robert Metzke, to become its first chief sustainability officer.  

Career highlights: Metzke joined Europe’s largest telecommunications company in October 2025 after almost 18 years at Dutch medical equipment maker Philips, the first health technology company to set science-based emissions reduction targets and to incorporate “eco-design” principles into all product development. Deutsche Telekom has cut its operational and power-related emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2) by more than 94 percent since 2017; the rest were neutralized through high-quality carbon offsets.

Context: Metzke will now report to the company’s CEO; his previous boss was the executive responsible for global strategic projects and marketing partnerships. “It reflects the next step in connecting sustainability more closely with how we develop and steer our business,” Metzke said on LinkedIn.


New leader for influential advisory firm

Who: Lena Henry is the new head of SE Advisory Services, Schneider Electric’s consulting practice. She succeeds Steve Wilhite, who departs after 25 years at the company.

Career highlights: Henry earned at MBA from Harvard in 2004 after a stint as a partner at McKinsey, where she worked with manufacturers and retailers of consumer goods products. She has been with Schneider since 2023, following operational roles at EssilorLuxottica and Whirlpool.

Context: SE Advisory services works with clients on energy procurement, climate risk management, supply chain decarbonization and other challenges. The organization also helps manage two supply-chain decarbonization groups: Energize, focused on pharmaceuticals and healthcare, and Catalyze, which brings together semiconductor companies.

Long-time Ceres CEO Mindy Lubber to step down

Who: Sustainability nonprofit Ceres is seeking a successor to Mindy Lubber, who is stepping down as its long-time president and CEO at the end of 2027 after more than two decades of leadership.

Career highlights: Lubber, once dubbed “Climate Warrior” by Vogue magazine, was previously a regional administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and founder and CEO of Green Century Capital Management.

Context: Lubber has long championed the philosophy that businesses should be closely involved in shaping climate and energy legislation that supports the transition to a clean, just economy. Ceres was closely involved in helping pass the Paris Climate Agreement, in advocating President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and in shaping the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rule to require corporate disclosure of climate-related risks. More recently, she has defended the backlash against responsible investing and encouraged the inclusion of more conservative voices in the climate movement.

September

More sustainability leadership churn at LinkedIn

Who: Steven Chen left his post as director and head of corporate legal and sustainability of LinkedIn after just one year in role. He’s now senior director of corporate legal and compliance at security and artificial intelligence firm Rubrik. There’s no mention of sustainability in his job description on LinkedIn. LinkedIn did not respond to a request for comment.

Career highlights: The primary focus of Chen’s career has been on governance and compliance, according to descriptions of his past roles at Figma and Zendesk. He was at LinkedIn for slightly more than two years.

Context: LinkedIn has had at least two sustainability leads since January 2024, when Peggy Brannigan resigned as director of global environmental sustainability; she led environmental programs for the social media company for more than seven years. Melanie Larkins held the position for several months before Chen was named in October 2025.

Solventum CSO leaves amid reorganization

Who: Aleksandra Dobkowski-Joy is stepping down as chief ESG and sustainability officer of medical technology company Solventum and president of its foundation after two years in both roles. Maria Watson, director of sustainability, will pick up her responsibilities, according to a LinkedIn post on Sept. 15 about the change.

Career highlights: Dobkowski-Joy joined Solventum in fall 2024 after almost six years with The Estée Lauder Companies, where she most recently was vice president of ESG strategy. Solventum was spun out of 3M in 2023 and became a separate company in early 2024. Dobkowski-Joy led the work to create its foundation, create its reporting and disclosure programs, and define its climate commitments, including targets to become net zero by 2050 and reach 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030.

Context: Solventum is shedding businesses that aren’t core to its primary focus on medtech. It announced a plan to sell its healthcare information systems division in August 2026.

PagerDuty lays off director of sustainability

Who: Asheen Phansey, who coordinated the technology operations software company’s push to set science-based emissions reduction targets in 2024, disclosed on LinkedIn that his position was eliminated as part of PagerDuty’s decision to downsize its workforce by 15 percent. The company declined to comment. Debbie O’Brien, chief Communications officer and vice president of global impact at PagerDuty, leads the board-level committee assigned to sustainability.

Career highlights: During his four-year tenure at PagerDuty, Phansey also helped develop several of the company’s social impact initiatives, including a carbon offsets program to cover employee commuting. He’s part of the Business Council on Climate Change, and helped write the group’s template for gathering climate-related information from suppliers. Phansey co-founded Eleven Radius, a network for circular economy professionals, and spent five years there before joining PagerDuty.

Context: Phansey is still chief financial and sustainability officer for a craft brewery in Massachusetts.

August

Bath & Body Works leader retires

Who: Jeff King retired from his position as vice president and head of ESG at personal care retailer Bath & Body Works after five years in the position. “To those in sustainability, to you I have forever respect,” he wrote in his LinkedIn farewell post. “It is hard to be Jiminy Cricket for a for-profit company but keep doing what is right for people and planet, speak the truth, even when unpopular.”

Career highlights: King established Bath & Body Works’ environmental, social and governance program after pioneering the same function at Hershey’s, where he worked for more than 13 years — the last six in sustainability roles.

Context: The retailer’s near-term emissions reduction targets, which call for a 63 percent reduction in the footprint from Bath & Body Works’ operations and purchased electricity, from a 2022 baseline, were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative in 2025. It’s looking for an equivalent reduction for indirect emissions (Scope 3) by 2035, according to the Bath & Body Works 2025 sustainability and impact report.

Long-time GHG Protocol global director resigns

Who: Pankaj Bhatia, who led the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol as global director for two decades, has stepped down. He also left his post at World Resources Institute, one of the protocol’s founding nonprofits. In an email to industry contacts, Bhatia said developments over the past several months led to the decision.  

Career highlights: Bhatia served on GHG Protocol’s founding management team and co-authored the original Corporate Standard, published in 2004. He also led development of seven other standards, including Scope 2 guidelines for purchased electricity and Scope 3 guidance for supply chains. 

Context: GHG Protocol named its first CEO, Tim Mohin, in April. In late July, the organization adjusted its standards update timeline as it deepens its partnership with the International Organization for Standardization and processes feedback over proposed Scope 2 changes.

SBTI co-founder steps down

Who: Alberto Carrillo Pineda, who has led technical standards setting processes for the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) since it was formed in 2024, resigned as chief technical officer.

Career highlights: Pineda was an SBTi co-founder; he was previously head of climate business engagement for WWF, one of the founding nonprofits. 

Context: SBTi will recruit for a successor, and Pineda intends to stay with the org through the end of the year to help with the transition. He hasn’t disclosed plans beyond that.

Standards pioneer joins ClimeCo consultancy

Who: Cynthia Cummis, who shaped two of the most influential standards in corporate sustainability, has joined ClimeCo, a consultancy active in product certification, insetting and other areas.

Career highlights: Cummis played a leading role in the development of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and co-founded the Science Based Targets initiative in 2015. She was most recently with Deloitte.

Context: Cummis joins as ClimeCo launches its Inset Engine, which identifies environmental attribute certificates (EACs) companies can use to decarbonize supply-chain emissions. She will continue to work with standards bodies, including the GHG Protocol expert group working on EACs.

Former Mattel exec joins Agilent

Who: Mignon Senuta, former senior director of sustainability and social impact for toymaker Mattel, joined lab tech company Agilent Technologies as head of sustainability.

Career highlights: In her two years with Mattel, Senuta was responsible for developing the toymaker’s climate action strategy and decarbonization roadmaps. She managed its first supplier greenhouse gas emissions inventory before leaving in August 2025. Senuta’s resume also includes two years at McDonald’s.

Context: Agilent’s former head of ESG strategy, Neil Rees, retired in August 2025. The company’s science-based targets, approved in 2023, pledge a 50 percent cut in operational and electricity emissions by 2030, and a 30 percent reduction in Agilent’s supplier footprint. It has a lot of ground to make up; Agilent’s Scope 1 rose 54 percent from 2019 to 2024.

July

Netflix CSO quits to focus on climate ‘storytelling’

Who: Emma Stewart, who was the first chief sustainability officer at Netflix, left the company after six years to join Climate Spring, a venture that aims to inform how climate change is depicted on television, film and popular culture.

Career highlights: Stewart joined Netflix in October 2020, after advising the media company for eight months as a consultant. She was involved early in the development of the frameworks for science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and was previously head of sustainability solutions for eight years at software developer Autodesk. 

Context: Stewart was an advisor on climate science for more than 200 Netflix titles during her tenure, and she co-founded a technology accelerator aimed at getting rid of diesel generators in movie productions, along with her counterparts at Disney. Netflix has not said if it will replace Stewart.

McDonald’s reassigns sustainability chief

Who: Beth Hart, who was the fast-food company’s chief sustainability and social impact officer for two years, returned to her roots in supply chain and sourcing as vice president and global category head for beef at McDonald’s.

Career highlights: An eight-year veteran, Hart previously worked on sustainable sourcing, product development and brand management at supermarket chain Sainsbury’s.

Context: Hart’s responsibilities were picked up by Suheily Natal Davis, an attorney who also leads diversity, equity and inclusion programs at McDonald’s.

June

Gap poaches Levi Strauss executive

Who: Jeffrey Hogue left his post as chief sustainability officer at Levi Strauss to take a similar post at Gap, reporting to the company’s chief supply chain and transformation officer.  

Career highlights: Hogue was a pioneer in apparel reuse programs at clothing retailer C&A, where he drove the use of reclaimed materials for new products. He is a co-founder of Fashion for Good, a brand collaboration to develop next-generation fabrics and production methods.

Context: Hogue’s predecessor, Daniel Fibiger, was a 16-year Gap veteran. His next career plans were not disclosed.

3M names new CSO

Who: Amanda Yates, a 13-year veteran at the conglomerate, was tapped to replace long-time chief sustainability officer, Gayle Schueller, who stepped down after a 34-year career with 3M.

Career highlights: Yates started with 3M as a corporate strategist and was named senior director of sustainability in August 2021. Her first job was as a specialist for SeaWorld Orlando.

Context: Schueller was instrumental in the creation of 3M’s sustainability value commitment, which requires new product developers to consider materials that might reduce 3M’s and its customers’ greenhouse gas emissions.

Starbucks merges lead sustainability and social impact roles

Who: Kelly Goodejohn became chief sustainability and social impact officer at coffee retailer Starbucks in mid-May amid the layoff of more than 300 corporate employees, including Chief Sustainability Officer Marika McCauley Sine.  

Career highlights: Goodejohn has been with Starbucks for 20 years, after roles in social impact and supply chain at Nordstrom and Eddie Bauer,  and has deep experience in Starbucks’ coffee sourcing strategy. 

Context: Starbucks has struggled to deliver on its emissions reduction promises, since having them validated in March 2021. McCauley Sine joined Starbucks in November 2024. She hasn’t announced her next move.  

P&G sustainability chief retires

Who: Procter & Gamble’s long-time sustainability leader, Virginie Helias, stepped down on June 30 after announcing her retirement earlier in the month. She was replaced by Michele Baeten, who most recently was vice president of integrated sustainability.

Career highlights: Helias, a 38-year P&G veteran with a deep background in marketing and brand management, had spearheaded the company’s sustainability strategy since 2011. She officially held the chief sustainability officer title for 10 years, reporting to P&G’s CEO.

Context: Helias was instrumental in pushing all employees to consider environmental impacts. Her successor has been closely involved in supporting P&G’s move to include sustainability in business decisions.

April

GHG Protocol names first CEO

Who: Corporate sustainability leader Tim Mohin was named as the first chief executive for standards group GHG Protocol in late April.

Career highlights: Mohin’s career includes roles at Advanced Micro Devices, Apple and Intel. He spent 10 years in the federal government, including with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and led another standards group, the Global Reporting Initiative, from 2017 to 2020.   

Context: Pankaj Bhatia from the World Resources Institute has led GHG Protocol as global director for the past two decades. He was on the founding team for the GHG Protocol and co-authored its first corporate accounting standard. 

February

Nike promotes manufacturing exec to lead sustainability

Who: Cimarron Nix was named to fill the footwear and apparel company’s vacant CSO role, reporting to Nike’s chief operating officer, effective March 15. 

Career highlights: Nix previously led sourcing and manufacturing in Singapore. Before joining Nike nine years ago, she worked on supply chain responsibility for tech company HP.  

Context: Nike’s previous CSO, Jaycee Pribulsky, left in September 2025 after less than two years to take a job as CSO and partner at private equity firm Apollo Global Management.

January

Rolls-Royce names BP exec as first CSO

Who: Ivanka Mamic left her post at the U.K. oil giant after five years to become the first global chief sustainability officer and global head of government affairs at Rolls-Royce Holdings (not to be confused with the luxury automobile maker). 

Career highlights: Mamic was named senior vice president and CSO at BP in March 2021, when the company pledged to become net zero by 2050. During her tenure, BP posted a 38 percent cut in emissions from its direct operations and purchased electricity (Scopes 1 and 2).

Context: Aerospace and engineering firm Rolls-Royce is committed to a 46 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared with a 2019 baseline.