20 Sustainability Executive Moves (So Far) in November 2025: New Hires, Departures and Career Changes

Chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and their lieutenants remain on the move worldwide. Here's a look at key sustainability executives and their latest career moves as of November 2025.

20. Executive Update: ESG ratings, data and research provider Morningstar Sustainalytics has named Jodie Tapscott as head of climate and nature solutions.

19. Layoffs - Sustainability Leader and Team Members: Swire Group layoffs impacted 10% of employees at its Hong Kong head office, Bloomberg reported. The cuts, made in November 2025, affected some 40 people in divisions including sustainable development, finance and risk management. Some department leaders were laid off, including group head of sustainability Mark Harper, the report said. Related: List of sustainability industry layoffs

18. Talent - Data Center Sustainability: Microsoft veteran Sean James has joined Nvidia as a distinguished engineer of energy systems. He previously was senior director of energy and data center research at Microsoft. His career focus seeks to "contribute significantly to the global dialogue on sustainable computing and energy use in the technology sector," according to James' LinkedIn account. Related: Microsoft sustainability and Nvidia sustainability strategies.

17. Fashion - Executive Leadership: Edoardo Zegna, currently Zegna's chief marketing and digital officer and the group's chief sustainability officer, will lead all aspects of brand strategy, from image to communications and, together with Zegna artistic director Alessandro Sartori, the design of the collections and stores, FashionNetwork reported.

16. Talent - Financial Services: London Stock Exchange Group has hired Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership (CISL) veteran Elizabeth Clark as manager of sustainable finance. Clark will coordinate group sustainable finance strategies across LSEG business divisions, according to David Harris, head of sustainable finance initiatives and partnerships.

15. CSO - Financial Services: ABN AMRO, the third-largest Dutch bank, has named Sandra Phlippen as CSO as of January 2026. Nick Kounis, currently interim chief economist, will succeed Phlippen as chief economist of ABN AMRO, the company said.

14. CSO - Fresh Food: Global fresh fruit provider Unifrutti Group has hired former Oatly CSO Ashley Allen as group chief sustainability officer.

13. Executive Leadership - Financial Services: JP Morgan has named Robert Keepers as head of climate tech, according to a LinkedIn update. Keepers previously was managing director of renewable energy at the financial services firm.

12. Financial Services & Politics: Tom Steyer is taking a leave of absence from his co-chair role at Galvanize in order to run for governor of California. Galvanize is a decarbonization-focused investment firm.

11. Hired - Financial Services: Loan Market Association has hired UBS veteran Natalie Sinha as VP of sustainability. The LMA aims to promote liquidity, transparency, efficiency and sustainability in the loan markets.

10. Executive Exit - ClimateTech Entrepreneur: Oliver Marchand, formerly MSCI's global head of climate research, exited the organization in October 2025. He's an independent consultant at the moment.

9. Accounting: The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has named Ravi Abeywardana as director for sustainability reporting and assurance.

8. Higher Education: Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich has named Professor Ralf Ludwig to the additional position of chief sustainability officer (CSO).

7. CSO Without the Title: PwC veteran Michael Stewart has joined Unilever as chief corporate affairs and communications officer. His role also includes sustainability. Stewart succeeds Rebecca Marmot.

6. Consulting: The Blackpool Net Zero Business Academy has hired John Keen as a sustainability consultant. Keen also remains managing director at RKMS.

5. New Chief Sustainability Officer: Electricity infrastructure specialist SSE has hired National Grid veteran Rhian Kelly as CSO.

4. CSO Exit: Rachel McEwen is no longer CSO at SSE. We're watching for career updates from her.

3. New CSO Without the Title: Unilever has hired Michael Stewart as chief corporate affairs and communications officer. Stewart will also oversee Unilever's sustainability strategy and lead its global sustainability team, but his title does not include chief sustainability officer, ESG Today reported.

2. CSO Exit: Former Unilever Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Rebecca Marmot recently exited the company for a new opportunity. We're standing by for the details.

1. Board Room - Quantum Computing and Sustainability: Aparna Prabhakar, chief strategy & sustainability officer of Schneider Electric’s $32 billion Energy Management business, has joined QuantWare's board as a non-executive member. The move signals QuantWare's combined focus on quantum computing and sustainability. Prabhakar previously was VP of quantum ecosystem at IBM.

Related: See and search our global database of chief sustainability officers.

Why IT Service Providers Should Care About Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs)

By 2027, 25% of Global 2000 companies will have assigned a chief sustainability officer (CSO) responsible for meeting their organization’s ESG goals and making ESG-related IT purchasing decisions, according to IDC.

Admittedly, we don't know if or how President Donald Trump's policies will pressure or reduce CSO roles in the United States. Regardless, we believe that technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill CSO needs.