Women in Sustainability
I had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah Beth Aubrey, founder of The Envoy Group and The WISE (Women in Sustainability Experience), to discuss her career, her motivations, and her commitment to fostering a sense of community for women in sustainability roles. This episode is part of the Mini-Series MANSUS is doing with The Sustainable Manufacturing Expo.
Career journey
Sarah Beth’s career story is one that underscores the value of adaptability. She’s been in the consulting industry for over two decades, building The Envoy Group into a global, women-owned consultancy that provides services from executive coaching to leadership development and training. With a background in agricultural communications and a master’s in strategic communications, Sarah Beth initially envisioned a career as a broadcaster or a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. However, neither path turned out to be her calling. Instead, she discovered her strengths in consulting, working first for a large firm before branching out on her own.
Her expertise are rooted in the agriculture and energy sectors, industries she sees as fundamental to sustainability. She emphasized, “Agriculture, my home industry, is part of the solution for sustainability concerns. Every industry has a role to play, and as a consultant, you need to be where your industry is going and help lead that.”
The Rise of Women in Sustainability
One of the most fascinating aspects of our conversation revolved around why more women are stepping into sustainability roles. There is a much talked about skills gap in the industry. Sarah Beth said that women are increasingly taking on these roles, often at higher rates than men. She highlighted research from The Trellis Group that found over 62% of global Chief Sustainability Officers in 2024 are female.
Her explanation for this shift is multi-faceted. “More women are graduating with degrees in agriculture, crop science, and food science. This naturally leads to more women taking up roles in related fields. Additionally, women are often driven by empathy and a desire to make a difference, characteristics that align with sustainability’s core values,”.
The Challenges and the Need for Community
Despite these gains, challenges remain. One major obstacle is that many professionals in sustainability are the “first and only” in their role within their company, meaning they often lack a blueprint or a predecessor to guide them. This isolation is compounded by limited support from across the supply chain. Sarah Beth noted, “Even in industries where sustainability is a focus, full buy-in up and down the supply chain is rare, making it tough to drive real change.”
This need for support and connection is what inspired Sarah Beth to create The WISE. “We recognized that there was a lot of loneliness in this space. People often feel misunderstood or challenged when they engage in sustainability work,”. The WISE provides a platform for women at all career levels to network, exchange knowledge, and access practical training and professional development. Through both virtual and live events, The WISE is building a community that helps women to have impact in their sustainability careers.
Looking Ahead: Innovation and Connection
Sarah Beth will be participating in the Sustainable Manufacturing Expo in Anaheim, California, in February, where she plans to bridge connections between agriculture, energy, and manufacturing. Her goal? To spark innovation by linking people and ideas across different industries.
“I want people to grow, succeed, and feel fulfilled in their careers. But to do that, they need to be intentional about seeking out opportunities and pushing themselves outside their comfort zones,”.
For those interested in learning more about The WISE and The Envoy Group, visit thewiseexperience.com.
This has been a bit different conversation on the podcast. My time with Sarah Beth focused less on manufacturing and instead we looked at the people challanges surrounding sustainability. This conversation is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to subjects like women in sustainability, the sustainability skills gap and the topic of the future work force. If you want to take part in an episode of Agents of Change and expand on these subjects, I am all ears! Please get in touch to get the conversation started.
Agents of Change will continue to feature conversations about the future of sustainable manufacturing.
You can watch or listen to the full conversation wherever you get your podcasts.
Gemma Walsh Woodcock