The Sustainability Communicator with Mike Hower

In this episode, Mike sits down with Erik Hansen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Workday, to explore how CSOs have evolved into the lead communicators for corporate sustainability. Erik shares insights on building trust through transparency, making the business case for sustainability initiatives, and how companies are increasingly being asked detailed sustainability questions in hundreds of RFPs. The conversation covers practical strategies for working with legal teams on compliant communications, measuring the success of sustainability storytelling, and thinking beyond company silos to advocate for industry-wide change. * Connect [https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikdhansen/] with Erik Hansen on LinkedIn. * Learn more [https://www.workday.com/en-us/company/corporate-responsibility/sustainability.html] about Workday's sustainability strategy. * Follow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehower/] Mike on LinkedIn * Subscribe [https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7168493261299408896] to The Sustainability Communicator LinkedIn newsletter * Sign up [https://form.typeform.com/to/MpkLefMS] for Hower Impact's ENGAGE newsletter * Visit [www.howerimpact.com] the Hower Impact website. * Contact [https://howerimpact.com/contact] Mike.

In this episode of The Sustainability Communicator, Mike sits down with Alexandra Talleur, an internal communications lead at HP who specializes in sustainability engagement. While companies often focus on external sustainability communication, internal communication frequently receives less attention. Yet effective employee engagement is crucial for implementing sustainability strategies and maintaining talent. Alexandra shares insights on creating meaningful internal sustainability communications, connecting sustainability to employees' roles, and navigating challenges like the "green gap" between stated values and actions.  * Connect [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandratalleur/] with Alexandra Talleur on LinkedIn * Learn more [https://www.hp.com/us-en/sustainable-impact.html] about sustainability at HP * Follow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehower/] Mike on LinkedIn * Subscribe [https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7168493261299408896] to The Sustainability Communicator LinkedIn newsletter * Sign up [https://form.typeform.com/to/MpkLefMS] for Hower Impact's ENGAGE newsletter * Visit [www.howerimpact.com] the Hower Impact website. * Contact [https://howerimpact.com/contact] Mike.

In this episode, host Mike Hower sits down with Dan Strechay, a seasoned sustainability communications professional who has worked across private companies, public organizations, and NGOs. They discuss the evolution of sustainability communications, how to navigate difficult topics like palm oil and climate change, and the balance between transparency and greenwashing. Dan shares insights from his career journey and offers practical advice for companies looking to communicate authentically about their sustainability efforts. This conversation, recorded in late 2024, remains relevant as sustainability professionals navigate the changing landscape of reporting requirements and stakeholder expectations.   * Connect [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielstrechay/] with Dan on LinkedIn * Check out [https://www.mars.com/sustainability-plan/healthy-planet/net-zero-2050] the Mars Net Zero Roadmap * Follow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehower/] Mike on LinkedIn * Subscribe [https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7168493261299408896] to The Sustainability Communicator LinkedIn newsletter * Sign up [https://form.typeform.com/to/MpkLefMS] for Hower Impact's ENGAGE newsletter * Visit [www.howerimpact.com] the Hower Impact website. * Contact [https://howerimpact.com/contact] Mike.

At a time when corporate sustainability faces unprecedented headwinds, last week's GreenBiz25 conference proved that sustainability leaders aren't backing down – they're doubling down on their commitments and getting more strategic about their communication. In this special episode of The Sustainability Communicator, Mike Hower sat down with six sustainability leaders from diverse industries to understand how they're navigating these challenging times.  From Aileen Lerch at Allbirds discussing the power of "applied hope," to Elizabeth Eldridge at Kaiser Permanente sharing how they're moving beyond buzzwords to build trust, to Marcella Thompson at CBRE explaining how they're making sustainability visible in the built environment, each conversation revealed how companies are evolving their sustainability storytelling for 2025 and beyond. These candid discussions, recorded live at GreenBiz25 in Phoenix, offer a unique window into how leading companies are balancing compliance, credibility, and compelling narratives in their sustainability communications. * Read [https://howerimpact.com/engage-blog/greenbiz-25-takeaways-telling-a-sustainability-story-that-doesnt-suck] GreenBiz 25 takeaways: Telling a sustainability story that doesn’t suck * Follow the interviewees on LinkedIn: * Aileen Lerch, Allbirds [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aileenlerch/] * Elizabeth Eldridge, Kaiser Permanente [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabetheldridge/] * Marcella Thompson, CBRE [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcellathompson/] * Daniel Pellegrom, Leidos [https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pellegrom-335b853/] * Sarah Beaubien, Mondelez [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbeaubien/] * Learn more [https://trellis.net/events/greenbiz/] about GreenBiz conferences * Follow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehower/] Mike on LinkedIn * Subscribe [https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7168493261299408896] to The Sustainability Communicator LinkedIn newsletter * Sign up [https://form.typeform.com/to/MpkLefMS] for Hower Impact's ENGAGE newsletter * Visit [www.howerimpact.com] the Hower Impact website. * Contact [https://howerimpact.com/contact] Mike.

As corporate sustainability teams shift to focus on regulatory and compliance, more sustainability professionals are spending a lot of time creating sustainability reports. These massive PDFs can sometimes be up to 100 pages or more and take many months to develop.  Love them or hate them, sustainability reports are here to stay. And the process can take its toll on the people who create them – both for in house folk and consultants.  In this Brain Exchange episode, Mike sits down to talk with Dunia Namugayi, a sustainability reporting expert who has gone through many reporting cycles and can speak to how she maintains personal sustainability through the ups and downs of creating effective reports.   * Follow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dunianamugayi/] Dunia Namugayi on LinkedIn * Read [https://trellis.net/article/path-personal-sustainability-esg/] Mike's Trellis piece about finding personal sustainability in corporate sustainability. * Follow [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikehower/] Mike on LinkedIn * Subscribe [https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7168493261299408896] to The Sustainability Communicator LinkedIn newsletter * Sign up [https://form.typeform.com/to/MpkLefMS] for Hower Impact's ENGAGE newsletter * Visit [www.howerimpact.com] the Hower Impact website. * Contact [https://howerimpact.com/contact] Mike.