Top 10 Women in Sustainability

Top 10 Women in Sustainability

By Cynthia Good and Rachel Pomerance

Welcome to PINK’s list of the Top 10 Women in Sustainability! They are today’s pioneers, employing cutting-edge best practices to lead the movement for corporate responsibility and sustainability.

As issues of sustainability become more critical, corporate responsibility and sustainability programs are gaining a prominent place on corporate agendas.

Although most high-level sustainability programs are still run by men, women are increasingly assuming these roles. This list is meant to showcase the women at the helm and to encourage more organizations to tap women for these key jobs.

After all, “women lead the way in a concern for social and environmental welfare, as revealed in studies by leading institutions over the years,” says Dr. Ann Goodman, executive director of the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future. For example, a Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies survey shows 70 percent of women believe the U.S. is in as much danger from environmental hazards, such as air pollution and global warming, as it is from terrorists, compared to just 56 percent of men.

Also considered in PINK’s selection process was the ranking of companies by Calvert Investments, a Bethesda, Md.-based firm specializing in socially responsible investment. PINK reviewed their newly-released analysis and ranking of the S&P 100 based on the values of environmental responsibility, equitable treatment of employees and good governance and contributions to the community.

The women who grace this list have demonstrated real power, passion and authority to make a significant difference in the world through their work and the way they live, bolstered by companies that prioritize these values. They are: Verizon’s Kathryn Brown, Ford’s Susan Cischke, Johnson & Johnson’s Jane Connell, Citi’s Pam Flaherty, Turner’s Betsy Holland, Ernst & Young’s Leisha John, Coca-Cola’s Ingrid Saunders Jones, Wells Fargo’s Mary Wenzel, Intel’s Lorie Wigle and Hyatt’s Brigitta Witt. Our Five Women to Watch are General Motors’ Britta Gross, KPMG LLP’s Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, Dell’s Elizabeth Johnson, Aflac’s Pat Rayl and Seimens’ Alison Taylor.

The women leaders featured share company best practices worthy of emulating, from tying employee bonuses to sustainability contributions and incentivizing customers to hold green meetings, using paper free banking and training staff to reduce waste. These women and their businesses show how to integrate sustainability practices into the corporate DNA and save as well as earn dollars in the process. And they walk the walk, acting as powerful stewards of the environment at work, in their communities and at home.