ABSTRACT
The idea of a separate seat among a company’s executive leadership dedicated to sustainability first emerged in the mid-2000s and since then companies have hired professionals to work with directors and chief executive officers to design and implement operational strategies and organizational structures that are grounded in environmental and social responsibility. This chapter discusses research and recommendations on structuring and staffing of the corporate responsibility function, the duties and activities of sustainability executives and key factors supporting and enabling their success, the relationship between sustainability executives and members of the board of directors and the roles of other senior members of the sustainability team.
