CAREER

Chief Sustainability Officers

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$185,950

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

-10% (decline)

Most Common Level of Education

Bachelor's degree

Career

Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career

I work in the global fight to stop climate change.

John Passacantando

Executive Director,

Greenpeace

I helped create many of the structures which exemplify New Belgium like employee...

Jennifer Orgolini

Sustainability Director,

New Belgium Brewery

I manage sustainability efforts, which include product design, environmental footprint reduction and safety.

Gabe Wing

Director of Sustainability,

Herman Miller

I collect hard-to-recycle waste to be recycled or upcycled and work towards eliminating...

Tom Szaky

Co-Founder,

Terracycle

I build partnerships and programs that positively impact people and the planet.

Shamina Singh

President, Center for Inclusive Growth & Executive Vice President of Sustainability,

Mastercard

I drive the sustainability strategy across all product platforms and regions for a...

Elizabeth Rhue

Vice President of Global Sustainability,

Sonoco

I'm an entrepreneur, a teacher, and a consultant mainly focusing on environmental sustainability....

Derek Sabori

Co-Founder,

Kozm

I lead President Biden's efforts to improve the sustainability of the Federal government.

Andrew Mayock

Federal Chief Sustainability Officer,

U.S. Government

I'm an advocate and entrepreneur who's aligned with climate resiliency initiatives.

Pashon Murray

Founder & Strategy Consultant,

Detroit Dirt

I design programs for the Green New Deal to help the City of...

Rebecca Evans

Acting Director of Sustainability,

City of Ithaca

What Chief Sustainability Officers Do

Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability issues. Enact or oversee a corporate sustainability strategy.

Other Job Titles Chief Sustainability Officers May Have

CSR and Sustainability VP (Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Vice President), Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Corporate Sustainability Process Manager, Sustainability Chancellor, Sustainability Chief, Sustainability Director, Sustainability Initiatives Vice President (Sustainability Initiatives VP), Sustainability Manager, Sustainability Programs Director, Sustainable Design Director

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Shamina Singh

President, Center for Inclusive Growth & Executive Vice President of Sustainability ,

Mastercard

In these roles, I am responsible for advancing equitable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. My daily work involves making sure that people who are not connected to the formal economy, get connected and become economically secure.

Elizabeth Rhue

Vice President of Global Sustainability ,

Sonoco

My work involves managing Sonoco's strategy around global sustainability and environmental compliance, including ensuring our teams are engaged in the right industry groups, customer conversations, and leveraging center resources to support our business strategy. In addition, my team is responsible for tracking industry and policy trends and regulations that could impact Sonoco, and ensuring we are in compliance, where applicable.

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • Monitor and evaluate effectiveness of sustainability programs.
  • Develop or execute strategies to address issues such as energy use, resource conservation, recycling, pollution reduction, waste elimination, transportation, education, and building design.
  • Supervise employees or volunteers working on sustainability projects.
  • Develop, or oversee the development of, marketing or outreach media for sustainability projects or events.
  • Develop, or oversee the development of, sustainability evaluation or monitoring systems.

Education

Level of Education Attained by Chief Sustainability Officers

Most common level of education among people in
this career: Bachelor's degree (41%)

Some college, no degree

14%

Bachelor's degree

41%

Master's degree

24%

Other*

21%

*All other responses combined for clarity.

Majors Related to Career

Entrepreneurial Studies

Finance

Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders

Elizabeth Rhue

Vice President of Global Sustainability ,

Sonoco

Suggested Path

Bachelor

Sustainability Studies

Rebecca Evans

Acting Director of Sustainability ,

City of Ithaca

Suggested Path

Bachelor

Environmental Science

Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel

Shamina Singh

President, Center for Inclusive Growth & Executive Vice President of Sustainability ,

Mastercard

Working for political campaigns taught me a lot of skills I've carried into other areas of my career including marketing, public relations, advocacy, how to work with people, etc. Learn how to think critically and be able to analyze things. Have resilience and be willing to adapt.
Adam Allen

Principal Coordinator-Community Affairs ,

Capital One

Empathy, relationship building, customer service skills.

Getting Started

Recommended First Step for:

College Students

Adam Allen

Principal Coordinator-Community Affairs ,

Capital One

Having a foundational belief in giving back to people and helping the community.
Shamina Singh

President, Center for Inclusive Growth & Executive Vice President of Sustainability ,

Mastercard

Getting involved in politics, model UN, etc. have been very instrumental in my career. Even if you don't plan on working in politics, the skills you can gain by volunteering and doing community involvement will benefit you no matter what you do. The other thing that is important is to intern in the field you are interested in.
Derek Sabori

Co-Founder ,

Kozm

Be ok with wandering a little bit and trying new things. Be flexible and always willing to bounce to the next thing. Learn about the foundations of why sustainability is important and keep yourself informed on all of the emerging knowledge coming out of that space.
Elizabeth Rhue

Vice President of Global Sustainability ,

Sonoco

There are so many paths to a role in sustainability that I can't suggest just one path. Many universities now offer sustainability-specific majors. However, a major in another functional area of interest with a minor or emphasis in sustainability or environmental studies would also make sense, as more and more organizations are hiring people with skills in other functional areas that intersect with sustainability.

Everyone

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Related Leaders

Jim Andrew

Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo

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