CEOInterviews.AIMás Allá del Marsiano Temporada 2 Capítulo 4 – Alastair Child

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Interviewer0:38

Welcome Alastair. We're very excited to have you here today. So you've been in Queretaro, Mexico. How has your visit been?

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Alastair Child0:52

It's been fantastic. We've been building an understanding of the local market, how packaging is disposed of and recycled, getting to know our supply chains, seeing raw materials, and meeting our associates to inspire them on sustainability so they can help improve our impact on the planet and vulnerable people.

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Interviewer1:12

Awesome. Did you actually try some tacos?

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Alastair Child1:15

Absolutely. We tried many things – Mexican candies, tacos, listened to mariachi, and of course had to try some tequila and mezcals.

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Interviewer1:30

Let's start with a little about yourself. Where did you grow up and how did that affect who you became?

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Alastair Child1:43

I grew up in the Midlands in England, near Stratford-upon-Avon. I had a great childhood with opportunities, but I wasn't thinking about the world's challenges until I traveled and saw conditions in other parts of the world. That had a profound impact and inspired me to want to rebalance opportunities for others.

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Interviewer2:33

What did you study?

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Alastair Child2:36

I ended up studying geography, fascinated by the relationship between the physical and human world. For my dissertation I studied climate change in the Namib Desert in southern Africa. Back then we were still debating whether climate change was man-made or an act of God – amazing compared to where we are now.

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Interviewer3:21

What was your biggest challenge when you were back in Africa?

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Alastair Child3:26

Seeing kids in Malawi who were super bright but couldn't go to school due to poverty. The challenge is that the solutions to these entrenched systemic problems are complex – like packaging sustainability, which involves design, collection, sorting, recycling, and many actors. Wanting things to be better isn't enough; you have to figure out how to change decades-old systems.

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Interviewer5:07

Why sustainability – forgetting about Mars, why is it important to you as a person?

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Alastair Child5:17

It stems from realizing that not everyone is born into equal opportunities, even though we have the same potential. That's been my driver. At Mars I've worked in marketing, factories, and sales, but sustainability gives me a chance to create something meaningful – a farmer's life improved, fewer greenhouse gases. Businesses that take this seriously will survive; those that don't probably won't be here.

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Interviewer6:44

I love that. Could you tell us the roles you had at Mars before sustainability?

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Alastair Child7:15

I joined in 2001 on a graduate program. I worked on the Celebrations brand, then in a factory refurbishing machines, then in sales. I took a sabbatical to volunteer in Malawi, South Africa, and Fiji, and realized I could connect my passion with my career at Mars. Our principle of mutuality – a shared benefit endures – guided me. I built a sustainability career starting with the Mars Ambassador program, then cocoa sustainability, and later leading sustainability for the snacking business.

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Interviewer11:00

It's amazing how Mars started doing sustainability without telling the story. Can you speak to that?

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Alastair Child11:29

We started with genuine concern, grounded in our five principles. Only lately have we realized we need to tell the story. The opportunity is to show that businesses that care about their impact on the planet and people will win, and we can push that as the new norm.

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Interviewer12:34

Funny question: How would your parents describe your role at Mars?

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Alastair Child12:47

Probably with pride. They'd say I work to improve conditions for vulnerable people in our supply chains and to reduce emissions and ensure packaging is recyclable faster than the average company. They'd also say we talk about it a lot.

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Interviewer13:57

What would you tell your 18‑year‑old self that could help someone that age today?

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Alastair Child14:15

Move quicker into this area. And be less accepting of the status quo – be more dissatisfied, impatient, and innovative. For example, we reinvented our palm oil sourcing from 1500 mills to 100, which let us affect real change. We don't have time to be patient; if we don't accelerate emission reductions, climate impacts become catastrophic and irreversible.

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Interviewer16:00

If you were hiring an intern tomorrow, what capabilities should they work on?

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Alastair Child16:18

Passion and drive, creativity to find new solutions, an analytical and strategic mind to diagnose carbon footprints and plot reduction paths, and the ability to collaborate and empathize with diverse partners – suppliers, NGOs, academia – because sustainability requires partnering with people who see things differently.

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Interviewer17:39

What's your biggest challenge this year?

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Alastair Child17:47

Two big ones: First, we don't have all the technologies needed to finish the journey – we need to innovate solutions that don't exist yet. Second, creating a business model where sustainable businesses win. Today companies can still do business without caring, but we need to reward those that make changes so that caring becomes the norm.

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Interviewer19:27

We're asking every speaker three questions. First, three book recommendations?

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Alastair Child19:39

Bill Gates' How to Avoid a Climate Disaster for its analytical approach. Chris Bailey's How to Calm Your Mind – stepping back and creating space to think is crucial. And Bear Grylls' autobiography for adventure. I love adventure and he epitomizes that spirit.

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Interviewer21:06

What's the biggest misconception about your role or career path?

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Alastair Child21:15

That I have all the answers. People see a Chief Sustainability Officer as a subject matter expert, but the issues are so broad – climate, packaging, human rights, recycling in different countries – that I don't have the answers. The key is to know who the smartest person in the world is on each issue and collaborate with them.

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Interviewer22:22

What's your favorite self‑care practice?

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Alastair Child22:27

I've gotten into meditation and yoga. I used to think a workout must leave me exhausted, but now I realize training my mind is just as important as training my body. We spend most of our lives using our minds, so taking them to the gym makes sense. It's helped my work, family life, and happiness.

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Interviewer23:47

That's really important given high anxiety today.

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Alastair Child24:03

Exactly. On an airplane they say put your own mask on first. In sustainability, we feel a burden, but we need to be mentally healthy to face these generational challenges. I set well‑being objectives for my team to avoid burning out.

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Interviewer24:49

Thank you so much for being here. I hope you enjoy the rest of your visit.

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Alastair Child25:22

Thank you for having me. Appreciate it.