These execs are making the C-suite sustainable

THE ROLE OF CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERS: When compared to other C-suite members like CEOs, CFOs and CHROs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) are far less recognized, but that doesn't make their job any less crucial — in fact, they may have one of the most important roles in securing a business's? future.?

Only 17% of companies have an official CSO, a role that focuses on managing an organization's environmental impact, according to a 2023 survey from executive search firm Boyden Global. Yet this is an area that will only become more critical in the coming years — as such, 33% of businesses say sustainability is? in the top three areas where organizations need to strengthen their executive talent, behind digital and innovation teams.?

"The era when the chief sustainability officer focused primarily on feel-good initiatives like corporate social responsibility is over," says Surinder Sond, former CSO and current executive vice president of sustainability at software company Sage. "Today, CSOs must tackle substantial, pressing issues to create real impact and wield influence, and now many CSOs are directly reporting to the board or CEO."

Read more: What it means to be a chief sustainability officer

LEADING LOUDLY: Starting out as a manager in the hospitality industry in the U.K., Neil Morrison learned quickly that an inviting environment can set a business apart. Since then, whether serving as chief people officer (CPO) for a restaurant franchise or a software company, his mission has been to make employees feel like they belong.?

"If you compare the highest-performing and the lowest-performing restaurants, many things about them are true, like chicken comes in the back door, it gets cooked a certain way and then it goes out the front door," Morrison, who is now CPO of Staffbase. "But the way a manager or a leader engages the people doing that stuff, [determines whether] it becomes a great restaurant, and much of that is down to the environment they create and their ability to galvanize individuals to be a part of the team and part of the community."

Read more: Staffbase's CPO makes community top priority in the workplace

CARING FOR THE CAREGIVERS: Healthcare employees, especially those in a hospital setting, often face long shifts, high stress situations, physical demands and constant exposure to illness, making the need for regular self care — including wellness checks and behavioral health access — essential. But staff shortages, responsibilities in and out of work and weeks-long waits for an appointment can make even an annual physical hard to fit in. Because of that, quick and easy access to these resources is crucial.

For more than a decade, Seattle Children's Hospital (SCH) has been partnered with advanced primary care company Apree Health, which provides primary and behavioral health offerings, life coaching and pharmacy services to employees and their dependents.

"When you're talking about sessions that a behavioral health clinician can have that are tied to a primary care provider with how they co-manage disease and infirmity and also well-being, those things become very needed for a high-stress environment like healthcare workers [face]," says Dr. Kevin Wang, chief medical officer at advanced primary care company Apree Health. "Their [efforts] can then go towards their patients because we've taken care of them."

Read more: How Seattle Children's Hospital prioritizes the health of its workers