Key Takeaways
- The CSO Awards recognize the 100 most influential Chief Sustainability Officers across the U.S. and Canada in 2025.
- Selection is based on strict eligibility and a rigorous scoring methodology across science, ESG, and impact dimensions.
- This year’s list highlights executives steering some of the world’s largest companies toward NetZero and regenerative futures.
About the Awards
The CSO Awards North America 2025, organized by Futur/io Institute, celebrate the top 100 Chief Sustainability Officers shaping corporate sustainability in the U.S. and Canada. These leaders drive strategies that align business operations with climate goals, social responsibility, and planetary boundaries.
The recognition underscores how sustainability has moved from the margins to the boardroom, with CSOs now central to corporate strategy and investor confidence.
Selection Criteria
The ranking methodology combines scientific data, ESG analysis, and executive input. Each CSO is evaluated across four key dimensions:
- Science & Behaviour Maturity (via the Leonardo Centre at Imperial College)
- NetZero & ESG Qualitative Ratings
- Planet & People Impact (GHG, biodiversity, water, DEI, and more — via Rainforest Partnership, Denominator, ClimateGPT, and AI analytics)
- Survey & Self-Assessment submitted by the CSOs themselves
Scores are weighted (weightings remain confidential) to produce the final Top 100 list.
Eligibility
To qualify, companies and their CSOs had to meet strict criteria:
- Annual revenue of at least US$1 billion
- Workforce of more than 5,000 employees
- NetZero target set for 2040 or earlier
- Sustainability report published by August 8, 2025, covering at least Q1 2024
- CSO tenure of at least one year by September 22, 2025
Only one CSO per corporate group was eligible.
SDG High-Level Luncheon — Official Launch of SDG News
September 25 • United Nations Headquarters, New York
Hosted on the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals, this invitation-only luncheon convenes 80 leaders across government, philanthropy, and business — marking the official launch of SDG News.
At-a-Glance Summary
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Recognize leading sustainability executives in North America |
| Eligibility | Revenue ≥ US$1B, ≥ 5,000 employees, NetZero 2040 or earlier, sustainability report by Aug 2025 |
| Ranking Inputs | Science & Behaviour maturity, NetZero & ESG ratings, Planet & People impact, CSO self-assessment |
| Scope | United States & Canada |
The Top 100 CSOs of North America 2025
Below is the full list of leaders recognized this year, representing the companies shaping the sustainable economy of tomorrow:
| Name | Title | Company |
|---|---|---|
| Aditi Mohapatra | VP, Global Social Impact & Sustainability | Expedia Group |
| Agata Ramallo Garcia | VP, Head of Enterprise Sustainability | Target |
| Ahmed Elganzouri | Global Director, Sustainability & Energy | Magna International |
| Amy Bonitatibus | Chief Corporate Affairs Officer | PayPal Holdings |
| Angela Baker | CSO & VP | Qualcomm |
| Anisa Kamadoli Costa | CSO | Rivian |
| Ann Tracy | Chief Sustainability Officer | Colgate-Palmolive |
| Annika Dubrall | President, Tiffany & Co. Foundation / Director & Head of Sustainability | Tiffany & Co |
| Anu Piduru | Senior Director – Sustainability | Carter’s |
| Ara Erickson | VP, Corporate Sustainability | Weyerhaeuser |
| Beat Stocker | Sr. Director, Global Sustainability | Whirlpool |
| Blair Swedeen | Global Head of Net Zero & Sustainability | Meta Platforms |
| Brenna Zimmer | VP, Sustainability | The TJX Companies |
| Brigitta Witt | VP, Social Impact & Sustainability; ED, T-Mobile Foundation | T-Mobile |
| Caitlin Leibert | VP, Sustainability | Whole Foods Market |
| Caroline Roan | CSO & SVP, Global Health & Social Impact | Pfizer |
| Carrie Sabin | SVP, Corporate Sustainability | Stantec |
| Charlene Lake | SVP, Corporate Social Responsibility & CSO | AT&T |
| Chris Librie | CSO | Applied Materials |
| Christina Shim | CSO | IBM |
| Christopher Wellise | VP, Global Sustainability | Equinix |
| Dave A. Smith | VP, Global EHS | Stanley Black & Decker |
| Deanna Bratter | CSO | Crocs |
| Debbie Friedel | Corporate Director of Sustainability | Delaware North |
| Deborah Lizt | Head of Global Sustainability | Intuit |
| Diana Birkett Rakow | SVP, Public Affairs & Sustainability | Alaska Air |
| Eileen Buckley | VP, Corporate Responsibility | Stryker |
| Ellen Jackowski | CSO & EVP | Mastercard |
| Elliot Stultz | SVP, Deputy General Counsel & CSO | Allstate |
| Emma Stewart | Sustainability Officer | Netflix |
| Emmanuel Guilhamon | Global VP, Sustainability | Rockwell Automation |
| Eric Fiala | Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer & CEO, KeyBank Foundation | KeyCorp |
| Erik Hansen | CSO | Workday |
| Erin Meezan | CSO | Jones Lang LaSalle |
| Gavin Towler | Corporate Chief Scientist, Sustainability Technologies & CSO | Honeywell International |
| Geneva Brown | VP, Corporate Impact; Chief Sustainability & Inclusion Officer | Cigna |
| Gildas Poissonnier | CSO | Desjardins |
| Helene V. Gagnon | Chief People & Sustainability Officer | CAE |
| Ina Strand | EVP & Chief People Officer (HR, HSE, Comms, Sustainability) | Couche-Tard |
| Jackie Jung | VP, Global Operations Strategy & Corporate Sustainability | Western Digital |
| Jake Schatz | EVP, Global Affairs & Chief Legal Officer | Electronic Arts |
| James Gowen | SVP Global Supply Chain & CSO | Verizon |
| Jan Walstrom | EVP, Sustainability & Enterprise Risk Management | Jacobs Engineering |
| Jason Brezski | SVP & Practice Leader, EHS & Sustainability | TRC Companies |
| Jeannette Ferran Astorga | EVP, Global Corporate Affairs Executive | Zoetis |
| Jemma Gould | VP & CSO | Interpublic |
| Jennifer Motles | CSO | Philip Morris International |
| Jessamine Chin | Sr. Director, Global Corporate Responsibility | Palo Alto Networks |
| Jessica Hyman | CSO | Atlassian |
| Jim Andrew | CSO & EVP | PepsiCo |
| Jim Greffet | VP, Sustainability | Eli Lilly & Co. |
| John Edelman | MD, Global Citizenship & Corporate Responsibility | Edelman |
| John M. Rost | SVP, Global Sustainability & Regulatory Affairs | Crown Holdings |
| John Marler | Director, Global ESG | Ingram Micro |
| Joydeep Ganguly | SVP, Global Operations; Board Chair, Gilead Foundation | Gilead Sciences |
| Julia Gisewite | CSO | Turner Construction |
| Kara H. Hurst | VP, CSO, Worldwide Sustainability | Amazon |
| Karen Blanks Ellis | CSO & VP, Environmental Affairs | FedEx |
| Kate Brandt | CSO | |
| Kate Heiny | VP, Sustainability | Booking Holdings |
| Kathleen McLaughlin | EVP & CSO | Walmart |
| Kathleen Price | Environmental Sustainability Risk Executive | Ally Financial |
| Katie Foley Ioanilli | Chief Global Impact & Communications Officer | Ralph Lauren |
| Kellie Ballew | Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer | Shaw Industries |
| Kim Luu | VP, Head of Global Sustainability & ESG | Onsemi |
| Leslie Oestreicher | Group VP, Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability | Ross Stores |
| Madge Thomas | President, American Express Foundation & Head of Corporate Sustainability | American Express |
| Malisa Maynard | CSO | Mohawk Industries |
| Mary De Wysocki | SVP & CSO | Cisco Systems |
| Matthew Hamilton | Sr. Director, Sustainability & Climate | Newell Brands |
| Max Driscoll | VP, Sustainability | AECOM, Construction Mgmt |
| Meaghan Muldoon | CSO | Bank of New York Mellon |
| Megan Rast | Sr. Director, Sustainability | Charter Communications |
| Melanie Nakagawa | CVP & CSO | Microsoft |
| Mike Mattera | Director, Corporate Sustainability & ESG Officer | Akamai Technologies |
| Monica Batchelder | CSO | Hewlett Packard Enterprise |
| Nana Wilberforce | Head of Sustainability | Snap |
| Nancy Kralik | Sustainability Group Chair | Fluor |
| Natali Archibee | Sr. Director, Corporate Social Responsibility | Mosaic Company |
| Nate Hurst | CSO | Visa |
| Nicola Acutt | CSO | NetApp |
| Nicole Johnson | Global Director, Social Impact & Employee Engagement | Cadence Design |
| Nira Johri | CSO | KFC |
| Patrick Barron | VP, Corporate Citizenship & Sustainability | TELUS |
| Raheem Cash | VP, Corporate Sustainability | Moody’s |
| Rebecca Tinucci | Global Head, Electrification & Sustainability | Uber Technologies |
| Renee Henze | CSO | International Flavors & Fragrances |
| Robert Bernard | CSO & SVP, Client Sustainability Solutions | CBRE |
| Sam Guhan | SVP, Engineering | Amgen |
| Sara Cronenwett | SVP, Corporate Environmental Sustainability | Comcast |
| Saskia Van Gendt | CSO | Blue Yonder |
| Stacey Hoppe | VP, Social Responsibility & Sustainability | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Stuart Poore | Chief Environment Officer | Cognizant Technology |
| Susan Uthayakumar | Chief Energy & Sustainability Officer | Prologis |
| Tom Raymond | Director, Environmental Sustainability | Hormel Foods |
| Virginie Helias | CSO | Procter & Gamble |
| Wendy Rentschler | Global Head, Corporate Citizenship & Impact | BMC Software |
| Will Wilhelm | VP, Sustainability & Resiliency Consulting & Design | Kimley-Horn |
| Yafit Cohn | VP, CSO & Group General Counsel | Travelers |
| Yalmaz Siddiqui | VP, Environmental Sustainability | The Walt Disney Company |
Why This Matters
This list signals which corporations are embedding sustainability into core business strategy — a trend accelerated by investor expectations, regulatory pressures, and consumer demand.
Chief Sustainability Officers today are not just compliance leaders; they are strategists, innovators, and dealmakers shaping trillion-dollar industries. Their work is setting the pace for climate action, equity, and resilience across North America.
Sustainability Leadership in New York
At the same time as these executives are being recognized, another major milestone for global sustainability leadership will unfold in New York. On September 25 at UN Headquarters, the SDG High-Level Luncheon will mark the official launch of SDG News on the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals. This invitation-only gathering will convene 80 leaders from government, philanthropy, and business to elevate solutions and the visionaries behind them. Learn more here.
Conclusion
The Top 100 CSOs of North America 2025 reflect the rise of sustainability as a driver of corporate performance and societal impact. These executives represent the front line of corporate transformation, steering industries toward a NetZero future.
For the complete list and more information, visit the CSO Awards official landing page.
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