Alastair Child Appointed Mars Chief Sustainability Officer

The global food giant Mars, Incorporated, known for brands like Pedigree, M&M's, and Ben's Original, announced Alastair Child will succeed him as Chief Sustainability Officer on February 3, 2025. Alastair Child currently serves as the Vice President of Global Sustainability for Mars Snacking, with over two decades of experience in leading sustainability efforts. He will oversee the sustainability strategy of Mars, to ensure that the company continues making significant strides towards achieving its environmental goals outlined in its Sustainable in a Generation Plan and Net Zero Roadmap.

Mars has already accomplished a lot towards sustainability. It has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 16% since 2015. Mars has taken a challenge for halving emissions by 2030 and has promised to attain Net Zero by 2050. The journey towards corporate sustainability leadership will definitely continue with the expertise of Alastair to drive environmental progress.

Over 23 years of his career, Alastair has shown intense commitment to sustainability. His most significant work experience was at Mars Snacking. Some of his achievements include building deforestation-free supply chains for palm oil and pulp, hence saving critical ecosystems. He worked on improving livelihoods, including doubling the income of mint farmers in northern India, thereby strengthening local communities as well as practicing sustainable agriculture.

Another hallmark of Alastair's tenure is sustainability innovation. He initiated several initiatives related to sustainable packaging, including paper-wrapped bars that reduce the environmental impact of packaging materials. Also under his leadership, Mars launched the Moo'ving Dairy Forward initiative as part of decoupling greenhouse gas emissions from growth in the dairy sector.

Alastair replaces Barry Parkin, Mars' outgoing Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer who is retiring. Barry has a career of over four decades with the company and has been fundamental in contributing to the shaping of Mars' strategy on sustainability issues, such as the creation of the Sustainable in a Generation Plan and the Net Zero Roadmap. Under his leadership, the company has achieved significant progress toward sustainability, and he leaves a legacy of truly meaningful environmental accomplishments. Barry proudly spoke about the company's efforts toward sustainability and looked forward to new challenges and adventures, such as sailing around the world, in retirement.

Alastair is very much set to continue the strong foundation laid out by Barry while ensuring that all of Mars remains highly sustainable at its core. Alastair will lead 30 sustainability specialists working on priorities including climate action, community, packaging innovation and analytics to report and measure environmental impact. He underscored the need to maintain Mars' sustainability commitments, particularly at a time when the world has been warming at an alarming rate, reaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for the first time in 2024. Alastair has clearly stated that sustainability is not only good for the planet but also good for the business in the long run, and he says that "sustainability is good for business."

In his new role, Alastair will have to navigate both the challenges and opportunities of advancing Mars' sustainability agenda at a time when environmental issues are at the forefront of global discourse. But with his proven track record and Mars' continued commitment to innovation and impact, the company is well-positioned to lead by example and build a more sustainable future for all.