Openverse: AdamSelwood

Mars Inc. Elevates Alastair Child to Chief Sustainability Officer

Jan. 16, 2025
Current VP of Global Sustainability will take over with the retirement of Barry Parkin.

Mars Inc. has named Alastair Child, current vice president of Global Sustainability, Mars Snacking, to become its new chief sustainability officer for Mars Inc. effective Feb. 3, 2025, according to a company release.

In his new role, Child will be tasked with development of the overall Mars sustainability agenda, leading the ongoing journey to net zero value chain emissions and carrying on the company’s broader “Sustainable in a Generation Plan.” The company has pledged to cut full value chain emissions in half by 2030, en route to net zero by 2050.

Child will report to Andy Pharoah, vice president, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, and will have 30 sustainability leaders and experts working on his team. He is replacing retiring chief procurement and sustainability officer Barry Parkin, who has spent 40 years with the company in a variety of roles across the Commercial, Engineering, Business Development, Supply Chain, HR and Sourcing businesses. Parkin will retire in March.

Child has spent the past seven years driving strategy to embed sustainability across the Mars Snacking enterprise. The business unit has made significant strides in its deforestation-free palm oil and pulp and paper supply chains, the announcement noted, and it has doubled incomes for northern Indian mint farmers. Overall, with regard to Child’s upcoming responsibilities, it’s worth noting that Mars Inc. has already achieved a 16% absolute reduction in GHG emissions across the full value chain in 2023 (against a 2015 baseline).

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.

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