Mars, Inc. has appointed Alastair Child as its new chief sustainability officer, effective 3 February 2025.
Currently, Child serves as the vice president of global sustainability at Mars Snacking.
In the new role, he will be responsible for developing the overall sustainability agenda at Mars to drive its 'Sustainable in a Generation Plan'.
He will report to Andy Pharoah, vice-president of corporate affairs and sustainability and member of the Mars Leadership Team.
Alastair will lead a team of 30 sustainability leaders and experts with remits in climate, coral restoration, community, packaging, data and analytics, the company noted.
Mars plans to cut its full value chain emissions by half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
The confectionery giant achieved a 16% absolute reduction in GHG emissions in 2023 against a 2015 baseline across its full value chain.
Pharoah commented, "Alastair has established himself as a strong, well-respected leader. He brings a wealth of experience to the role and will play a key part in ensuring sustainability is integrated into every aspect of our business to help us build the world we want tomorrow."
Alastair Child
Child is an accomplished professional with more than 23 years of experience in sustainability.
For the past seven years, Alastair played a critical role in Mars Snacking and helped drive a strategy to embed sustainability across the enterprise.
During Alastair's tenure at Mars Snacking, the company made significant strides in its deforestation-free palm oil and pulp and paper supply chains.
He was instrumental in doubling incomes for mint farmers in northern India, leading a wide range of sustainable packaging innovations, such as paper-wrapped bars, and helping Mars decouple Green House Gas emissions from growth with programmes such as the Moo'ving Dairy Forward initiative.
Commenting on his new role, Child, added, "It's an honour to take on this role. With average global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C above preindustrial levels for the first time in 2024, it is imperative that we continue to perform on our promises and in doing so prove that sustainability is good for business. I look forward to collaborating with our partners, associates and stakeholders to ensure we continue to grow responsibly."
Child succeeds outgoing chief procurement and sustainability officer, Barry Parkin, who will retire in March of this year.
Parkin joined the business in 1985 and served in diverse roles across commercial, engineering, business development, supply chain, HR, and sourcing.
