Transforming how businesses approach sustainability requires both vision and practical expertise. While large enterprises have demonstrated what’s possible, the key to achieving meaningful climate impact lies in making sustainability accessible and impactful for companies of all sizes.
We’re thrilled to welcome Kristen Siemen, former Vice President of Sustainable Workplaces and Chief Sustainability Officer at General Motors, to the Greenplaces advisory board. Kristen brings over three decades of engineering and sustainability leadership experience, including architecting GM’s bold commitment to carbon neutrality across global products and operations by 2040. Under her leadership, GM has made significant strides toward this goal, including sourcing the energy needed to power 100% of their U.S. facilities with renewable energy by 2025, implementing numerous energy efficiency projects across their facilities, and surpassing their waste diversion target 2 years in a row.
What makes Kristen’s perspective particularly valuable is her deep understanding of how to translate ambitious sustainability goals into practical operational changes. During her tenure at GM, she demonstrated that sustainability initiatives can drive both environmental impact and business success – earning recognition from JUST Capital, Fast Company, and Ethisphere. Her background in engineering and operational leadership positions her perfectly to help companies of all sizes implement practical, effective sustainability solutions.
Kristen joins our advisory board alongside Matt Elliott, former President of Bank of America Michigan and Sustainability Executive, and Noel Kinder, former Nike Chief Sustainability Officer. Together, this team brings complementary expertise across operations, finance, and supply chain sustainability to help guide Greenplaces as we work to make sustainability accessible and impactful for every business.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how sustainability drives innovation and creates business value,” said Siemen. “One of the most critical pieces of the sustainability puzzle for companies like GM is the supply chain. For large enterprises to reach their net-zero goals, their suppliers and vendors need to start their sustainability journeys now. I’m excited to join Greenplaces in their mission to empower businesses of all sizes with the tools and expertise they need to make meaningful environmental impact while strengthening their operations.”
With Kristen’s addition to our advisory board, we’re better positioned than ever to help companies transform sustainability from a challenge into a strategic advantage. Together, we’re building a future where every business can contribute to our collective climate goals while driving operational excellence.
Want to learn how Greenplaces can help your business start its sustainability journey?
