Nida's Journey: Championing Sustainability at Purina
In a world increasingly aware of the pressing need for environmental stewardship, Nida, Senior Director of Sustainability, stands out as a dedicated advocate for sustainability. Read on to learn about her career journey with us.
What inspired you to pursue a career related to sustainability?
I read a quote from Robert Swan, a historian, explorer, and activist: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” This quote struck me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. If I wanted to drive meaningful change in the environmental sustainability space, I needed to learn more about the challenges that we face, how we got here, and what can be done to slow down our negative impacts on the planet that we call home. This led me to pursue a master’s degree in sustainability from Harvard University.
Can you share some of the key sustainability initiatives or projects you’ve worked on that you are most proud of?
There are quite a few that stick out in my mind. Still, the most recent was the opportunity to develop the strategy and activation plan to display the value of our sustainability investment for Nestlé’s Zone North American Business. I had the chance to present my strategy to members of the Global Nestlé executive leadership team and our Zone CEO shared my work with the Sustainability Committee of the Nestlé Executive Board, giving our efforts a global reach.
How do you measure the impact of your sustainability efforts within the organization?
Progress over perfection! While we have several key performance indicators (like reducing our greenhouse gas emissions or making all our packaging designed for recycling) that drive our actions to make a meaningful impact on the planet, what feels most critical in this space is to take a systems approach to solving our challenges. Understanding the implications of any action or project beyond simply meeting a target is crucial to our long-term success and our ability to drive lasting change.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in sustainability within your area?
There are no existing solutions or known pathways to solve the problems that we face. The solutions are being developed as we speak and in partnership with other players in the marketplace that are trying to figure it out. This role has challenged my agility and resilience to pursuing multiple pathways in hopes of finding one that will help us advance our progress and reduce our negative impact.
How do you engage and educate associates about the importance of sustainability in your area of focus?
As part of my work in displaying the value of our sustainability investments, I formed a sustainability champions network across Zone North America. The network is made up of senior brand managers, public relations leaders, and market development leaders, across all our brands and business units to serve as the “business sustainability conscience” for their team. To ensure success, I have created a series of workshops that help them understand the importance of our actions and how their brands and business can drive positive impact on the environment. By embedding sustainability leads within all functions across the organization, we can advance our total understanding and knowledge on these topics ultimately allowing us to make better business decisions for the planet.
Can you provide some examples of how your sustainability initiatives have positively impacted the environment or the community?
In partnership with our packaging teams, we have been able to convert almost all our dry pet food packaging to a designed for recycling package solution. We have invested in renewable electricity to cover 100% of our usage at all our owned sites, meaning all our factories, distribution centers, and owned offices.
Does a career in sustainability where you can make a difference in the lives of pets and people peak your interest? Be sure to enroll in our talent network so you can stay up-to-date on our active openings matching your skill set.
