Kevin Eckerle is a sustainability strategist with more than 15 years’ experience proving the commercial value of integrating and operationalizing sustainability across an organization. In his experience with more than 40 Fortune 500 companies, he advocates for and shapes corporate policies in matrixed organizations to mobilize cross-functional teams and implement their sustainability strategy. Across his career, Kevin has been drawn to budding sustainability organizations, where he has worked to develop and build the foundation for future success. Whether the start-up Esty Environmental Partners, Accenture or NYU’s Center for Sustainable Business that were start-up entities building sustainability consultancies within well-known organizations, or joining the Consumer side of a large bioscience company when the company had just re-envisioned what it could be as a sustainable organization, Kevin has helped to build the foundation and support organizations in their first steps towards sustainability maturity. Over his scientific and strategy career, Kevin has authored or co-authored 15+ peer-reviewed papers on the value of sustainability, integrating ESG performance into the earnings call, the impacts of climate change on global biodiversity, and the life-cycle economics of coal-powered electricity. Kevin earned his Ph.D. from Illinois State University and his MBA from The George Washington University, and lives with his wife and son in New York City.

Follow Kevin Eckerle on LinkedIn

Books recommended by Kevin:

• On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin
• Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead by Barry Barnes
• Green to Gold by Andrew Winston and Daniel Esty

Joel Makower is chairman and co-founder of Trellis Group Inc., (formerly GreenBiz Group), the leading media and events company at the intersection of business, innovation and sustainability. An award-winning writer, speaker, and advisor on corporate sustainability and climate tech, Joel has authored more than a dozen books and previously served as a nationally syndicated columnist.In this episode, Joel shares the story of what sparked his journey into sustainability — a path that led to the founding of GreenBiz Group — and reflects on the state of sustainability today: what’s changed, what’s endured, and the lessons he’s learned throughout his remarkable career.

Show Notes

• Follow Joel Makower on LinkedIn
• Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken
• Two Steps Forward Podcast - Joel Makower and Solitaire Townsend
• Drawdown, the Book edited by Paul Hawken
• Biomimicry by Janine Benyus
• God Storm by Solitaire Townsend (preorder)

Through the advisory firm she founded, Aimée leverages deep expertise and a diverse network of relationships to build a just, resilient and thriving world. She develops, accelerates and scales solutions in key impact sectors, including with climate solutions innovators such as Aleph Farms, Hempitecture and RiskThinking.Ai, global impact initiatives including Apparel Impact Institute, Clinton Global Initiative, Global Ocean Commission and Sustainable Energy for All, major corporations such as Duke Energy, Ford Motor Company, Google, Microsoft, Swiss Re and Virgin, and philanthropies including Mastercard Impact Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the United Nations Foundation. She is Senior Adviser for Climate Finance to the Milken Institute and partnered with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth to release at the UN climate talks at COP29 an award-winning report and call to action, “Unlocking the Power of Small Business to Deliver Climate-Smart Inclusive Growth.” She was the first climate hire at Google as Climate Maven at Google.org, and negotiated the first US bilateral and regional agreements on climate change. She is also the founder and curator of the Sun Valley Forum, where she gathers a community of global leaders and innovators to accelerate impact together.

Trish Kenlon is the founder of Sustainable Career Pathways, a popular career coaching service that provides free, actionable resources to job seekers and has helped thousands of professionals transition into climate and sustainability work. In this episode of the Sustainability Recruiter, I team up with Trish to share real-time insights from both sides of the sustainability job market.

Show Notes

• Trish on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishkenlon/

• Trish’s website: https://sustainablecareerpathways.com/

• Trish’s Trellis author page: https://trellis.net/article/author/trish-kenlon/

• The Design Your Climate Career program at Voiz Academy (listeners can use code TK10 for 10% off): https://www.voiz.academy/dcc?id=TRK_A720E4FD

• Two Steps Forward: Sustainability Meets Business Reality podcast with Joel Makower and Solitaire Townsend: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-steps-forward-sustainability-meets-business-reality/id1812060290

• The EDF Climate Corps fellowship: https://business.edf.org/climate-corps/

• Ed’s Clean Energy and Sustainability Jobs list: https://edscleanenergysustainabilityjobs.com/

Kristen Siemen, the former CSO of General Motors, retired from the company after 30+ years of service. She held the CSO position for 4 years after several years in product development and engineering.

In this episode, Ellen and Kristen discuss advice for those considering retirement as well as musings on the word retirement and what it means. Does retirement mean you are done working? For Kristen, she is by no means done.

Shownotes:

Follow Kristen Siemen on LinkedIn

Tim Mohin’s book ESG & Climate News Newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6773642479246831618/

As a climate psychologist, Renee Lertzman has guided people and organizations for nearly her whole career. She has worked with big companies like Google and Johnson & Johnson, as well as non-profits and the government, helping each discover their “window of tolerance,” and the behaviors that allow us to face the hard work presented by the climate crisis.

In this episode, Ellen and Renee discuss the competencies most valuable for a Chief Sustainability Officer, especially in today’s complex world, and the opportunity to meet each other where we are.

Show Notes

• Follow Renee Lertzman on LinkedIn
• Renee’s writing on Substack
• Learn more about Renee’s work on her website https://reneelertzman.com/

Particularly, check out her nonprofit initiative Project InsideOut to learn more about the Guiding Principals

For the “theory of change” quiz, check out the Quadrants of Engagement

Her TedTalk on Turning Climate Anxiety Into Action

Also recommended by Renee is RegenIntel

Two recent articles

from DeSmog:”The US Has Never Been More Divided on Climate. Here’s How to Build Bridges (and It May Surprise You)”

from Ing “Vulnerability, self reflection and compassion – are you brave enough to be a sustainability leader?"

Episode 1: Exit Interview - Michael Kobori, former Chief Sustainability Officer, StarbucksAfter a nearly 30 year career in sustainability, Michael Kobori, best known for his work at Levi's where he developed and led the company's sustainability strategy, retired from his role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Starbucks. So what's next for this sustainability rock star?In this episode Ellen talks to Michael about his career, the state of sustainability, and what's next as he looks ahead.

Shownotes:

• Follow Michael Kobori on LinkedIn
• Hear John Elkington’s interview
• Recommended reading: The Culture Code, by Daniel Coyne
• From Strength to Strength, by Arthur Brooks