- Moving from the ‘what’ to the ‘how’ with decarbonization goals
- Discussing steps to make net-zero happen across all industries and sectors
- Sharing strategies for engaging leadership and building a net-zero culture
- How to align your sustainability strategies with the core business purpose
Julie Kitcher
Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications
Airbus
Julie Kitcher is Chief Sustainability Officer and Communications at Airbus. In her position, she oversees the Company’s sustainability roadmap, driving Airbus’ contribution to current environmental, societal, regulatory and technological challenges. She also leads Communications company-wide, promoting the Airbus brand internally and externally in support of Airbus’ strategic objectives.
Julie is a member of the Airbus Executive Committee, reporting to the CEO, Guillaume Faury. Since taking on her responsibilities in 2019, Julie led the articulation of Airbus’ purpose: to pioneer sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. In addition, Julie drove the performance management, internal controls and corporate audit functions as well as the Company’s transformation agenda. Under her leadership, Airbus received approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its near-term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
Julie was appointed Chair of the Airbus Foundation board in 2021. As such, she is actively involved in shaping the Foundation’s work in humanitarian support, environmental action and youth development. She has been appointed member of the board to the Toulouse School of Economics’ Fondation Jean-Jacques Laffont. Julie also sits on the boards of Airbus Helicopters UK and the International Chamber of Commerce France as well as the UK Government’s Jet Zero Council, fostering the development of aerospace technologies, facilities and regulatory framework in the UK.
In her previous position, Julie was the Executive Vice President Communications and Corporate Affairs, also serving as the CEO’s Chief of Staff, prior to which she was Head of Investor Relations and Financial Communication at Airbus. She is a Chartered Management Accountant (CIMA) and holds an MSc from ESC Skema (Lille).
Gavin Towler
Corporate VP and Chief Scientist, Sustainable Technologies and CSO
Honeywell
Gavin Towler is the Corporate Vice President and Chief Scientist, Sustainable Technologies and CSO for Honeywell, with broad technical accountability across Honeywell for driving thought leadership in Sustainable Technologies.
Gavin has 30 years of experience of process and product design in the chemicals and fuels industries and has 77 US patents. Prior to his current role he served as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell UOP and of Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies. He is co-author of “Chemical Engineering Design”, a textbook on process design, and is an Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University and the National University of Singapore, where he helps teach the senior design classes.
Gavin has a B.A. and M.Eng. in chemical engineering from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Fellow of the AIChE and a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering.
David Allen
VP, Chief Sustainability Officer
PepsiCo Foods North America
David Allen is Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo Foods North America (PFNA), which includes Frito-Lay North America (FLNA) and Quaker Foods North America (QFNA). In this role, he is responsible for helping PFNA execute its sustainability vision of building a more sustainable food system and reducing environmental impact. The company’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) sustainability commitments span three key pillars: Positive Agriculture, Positive Value Chain, and Positive Choices.
David began his career with PepsiCo as an engineer in 1996. He then spent the next 20 years in various field manufacturing and distribution roles in multiple locations, giving him significant breadth and depth of supply chain experience. Prior to his current role, David served as the Senior Director of Quality and Food Safety for PFNA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University.
Neil Russell
Chief Administrative Officer & SVP, Corporate Affairs
Sysco
Neil Russell is Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) at Sysco. He previously served as Interim Chief Financial Officer and as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Chief Communications Officer. As CAO, he is responsible for Sysco’s overall strategy and portfolio governance. He is also accountable for Sysco’s Communications, Sustainability, Government Relations and Investor Relations functions.
Neil began his Sysco career in 2007 as Vice President, Investor Relations. In 2014, he served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs at International Paper (Veritiv), where he led the company’s Investor Relations, Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Government Relations functions. He rejoined Sysco in 2015 as Vice President, Investor Relations, and while in that role, took on the additional responsibility for Sysco’s Corporate Communications and CSR teams as well as the role of Treasurer. He was later promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Chief Communications Officer. He served as Interim CFO from December of 2022 through April of 2023.
Prior to Sysco, Neil held roles in Strategic Planning, Revenue Management and Financial Auditing at America West Airlines, and Investor Relations, Financial Planning & Analysis, Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Planning at Delta Air Lines.
Neil is Secretary of the Board of Kids’ Meals in Houston, a non-profit that delivers free meals to fight hunger in pre-school aged children. He is also on the Strategic Advisory Board of the March of Dimes and has been a volunteer teacher with Junior Achievement for the past 12 years. He was appointed by the White House Administration to be on the Wilson Center Advisory Board, reporting to Congress, assisting with food security and supply chain complexities around the world.
