The Warehouse Group Chief Sourcing and Sustainability Officer Mark Anderton: 4 Things to Know

The Warehouse Group, a large New Zealand retail company, has promoted Mark Anderton to chief sourcing and sustainability officer.

Here are four things to know about Anderton's experience and The Warehouse Group's sustainability strategy.

1. Business Scope and Scape: The Warehouse Group, based in Aukland, New Zealand, is a retailing group that generates $3 billion in retail sales and roughly 12,000 employees. The company, founded in 1982, has more than 260 retail stores and multiple distribution centers.

2. Sustainability Strategy: The Warehouse Group claims to be New Zealand’s first large company and the third major retailer in the world to go carbon neutral. Among the company's recent milestones: The Warehouse Group and Lodestone Energy in September 2023 signed a long-term agreement that will see more than 260 sites across Aotearoa New Zealand become powered by Lodestone Energy’s new solar plan as early as 2026.

3. Mark Anderton's Business Background: Anderton joined the company in 2015 as general manager of sourcing for general merchandise. He has climbed to executive general manager of global sourcing in 2019.

4. Executive Perspectives: In a statement to Inside Retail, The Warehouse Group CEO Nick Grayston said: “Mark’s appointment is a testament to The Warehouse Group’s dedication to fostering talent throughout our ranks. Mark and his team have made significant strides in collaborating with suppliers, promoting ethical sourcing practices, and expanding the range of sustainable products offered by The Warehouse Group. We’ve put a lot of work into tackling our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, most recently with our switch to solar power, so our focus is turning to reducing emissions in our supply chain. Our progress in sustainability has picked up in recent years, but we acknowledge that there is still a significant journey ahead of us,” he concluded. “We’ll continue to work together diligently to continue this vital work.”

The Warehouse Group Chief Sustainability Officer: Why Technology Partners Should Care

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.

The bottom line: Technology partners need to extend their sales, marketing, engagement and support strategies to successfully fulfill those CSO customer needs, Sustainable Tech Partner believes.