This is an interesting time of transition. For those of you who know a little about Wal-Mart’s sustainability efforts, you know the name Andy Ruben; the VP over sustainability. Effective last week, he has officially moved on to lead much of our private label business, and Matt Kistler has taken the role of SVP of sustainability. He brings with him experience in CPG companies, marketing, and a great passion for sustainability and the impact that Wal-Mart can have by implementing and encouraging others to implement more sustainable business practices.
Matt is going to be a tremendous leader and, in my opinion, is the perfect person to take Wal-Mart’s sustainability from successful startup to mature business institution. I got to know him as he captained our packaging network. There, he made bold decisions and drove meaningful success in packaging; one of the most important areas to take first steps toward sustainability.
It is a very fun time to be at Wal-Mart, and even more fun to be a part of what’s happening here with sustainability. At the same time, it’s a good chance to think about what should change. If you were Matt or me, what would you focus Wal-Mart’s efforts around sustainability on?