MCLEAN, VA. — Mars, Inc. has named Alastair Child chief sustainability officer, effective Feb. 3. He will report to Andy Pharoah, vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability, and a member of the Mars Leadership Team.
In his new role, Child will oversee development of the overall Mars sustainability agenda — the Sustainable in a Generation Plan. As part of the company’s Net Zero Roadmap, Mars aims to halve full value chain emissions by 2030 and enroute to Net Zero by 2050. The company said it is already delivering on its promises with 16% absolute reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023 against a 2015 baseline across its full value chain. Child will lead a team of 30 sustainability leaders and experts with remits in climate, coral restoration, community, packaging, data and analytics.
Child is currently vice president of global sustainability at Mars Snacking and has been with the company for more than 23 years. He played a critical role in Mars Snacking for the last seven years, driving a strategy to embed sustainability across the enterprise, Mars said. Child’s other achievements at the company consist of making significant strides in its deforestation-free palm oil and pulp and paper supply chains, doubling incomes for mint farmers in northern India, leading a wide range of sustainable packing innovations, including paper-wrapped bars, and helping Mars decouple GHG emissions from growth with programs such as the Moo’ving Dairy Forward initiative.
“It’s an honor to take on this role,” Child said. “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.”
Mars also said outgoing chief procurement and sustainability officer Barry Parkin will retire after being with the company for more than four decades.
Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.