Sushil Iyer, Head of Global Packaging at Kenvue, is a seasoned leader renowned for his expertise in Research, Development, Packaging, Innovation, and Sustainability. With a master's in Plastics Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a bachelor's in Chemical Engineering, Sushil has excelled in diverse roles. In his current position, he oversees global packaging teams, fostering innovation and sustainability across a $15+ billion Consumer Health portfolio.
Previously as the VP of Global R&D, Packaging, Sustainability, and Engineering Innovation at Estee Lauder from 2016 to 2022, Sushil transformed the Value Chain, integrating external innovations and driving quality improvements. His extensive background includes leadership in supplier excellence, technical packaging, and project engineering, showcasing his commitment to strategic thinking and industry-first capabilities. With a track record of patents and awards, Sushil Iyer continues to drive positive change and innovation in the dynamic field of global packaging.
Awaiting Sushil's participation in our 7th Annual American Packaging Summit, we've asked him a few questions about his leadership style and thoughts on the current state of the industry.
Here are some key highlights from our discussion:
In my view, a successful leader embodies several key qualities. Foremost among these are the ability to align and engage their team with a clear vision, and to foster a supportive environment through active listening and effective coaching. Leading by example and expressing gratitude are also crucial, as they inspire trust and commitment. Additionally, empathy and a servant leadership approach are vital for understanding and addressing team needs. For instance, I believe in being hands-on and collaborating closely with my team to evaluate our product’s overall performance. This not only enhances our collective experience but ensures we remain focused on developing superior products.
The most pressing challenges in packaging sustainability today are effective end-of-life management and the misconception that sustainable packaging compromises product quality. At Kenvue, we address these challenges through our Healthy Lives Mission (HLM), which is our comprehensive environmental, social, and governance strategy aimed at nurturing healthy people, enriching a healthy planet, and maintaining healthy practices.
Under our HLM, we are committed to ambitious goals: achieving 100% recyclable or refillable packaging by 2025, and reducing our use of virgin plastics in packaging by 50% by 2030. We believe in the power of collaboration and transparency to accelerate progress, which is why we adhere to the Consumer Goods Forum Golden Design Rules and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation commitments. Furthermore, Kenvue is actively partnering to develop an industry-standard environmental impact scoring system for cosmetics and personal care products as part of the EcoBeauty Consortium. We also promote end-to-end collaboration through industry consortiums and our supply chain ecosystem.
Our core purpose, 'Realize the extraordinary power of everyday care,' influences how we interact with people, innovate, and market our products. We ensure that our consumer experiences are data-driven, anchored in quality and efficacy, and timely. By continuously engaging with consumers and understanding their evolving needs, we innovate our products and packaging to meet these demands.
We are dedicated to making thoughtful choices in sustainable packaging design, materials, and technologies. These choices not only meet today’s standards but also enhance consumer satisfaction by maintaining the integrity of packaging—ensuring safety, aesthetics, and performance—without compromising on quality.
We pride ourselves on our multicultural, multidisciplinary organization spanning North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC. The diverse capabilities and thought leadership within our teams, particularly in R&D, provide rich insights from varied backgrounds. To ensure effective collaboration and communication, it's crucial that we maintain clarity about our objectives, ensuring everyone is aligned and moving in the same direction.
Our operating model is designed to integrate segments, brands, regions, and functions, fostering a unified 'One Kenvue' way of working. This integration is underpinned by our core values: putting people first, caring fiercely, earning trust through science, and solving problems with courage. These values not only energize but also enable our teams to collaborate effectively and communicate consistently, all within a framework of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
These elements not only shape our value proposition but also differentiate us in the market. At Kenvue, our shared commitment to addressing everyday care needs unites us. Driven by a passion for innovation, our teams are always ready to tackle unmet personal care needs or find better solutions to existing challenges, demonstrating our collaborative spirit in action.
Kenvue's commitment to sustainability is embodied in our Healthy Lives Mission, which strategically focuses on three core pillars to engage employees and stakeholders:
Healthy People: We are dedicated to advancing the well-being of the communities where we operate. To achieve this, we equip our communities with innovative products and provide actionable information that empowers them to make healthier decisions daily.
Healthy Planet: Our efforts to foster a sustainable environment involve making responsible and renewable choices. We focus on protecting Earth’s health and its resources, conscientiously managing the environmental impacts of our operations. This includes initiatives like reducing waste, enhancing recycling processes, and adopting more sustainable manufacturing practices.
Healthy Practice: We promote a culture rooted in integrity, ethics, and transparency. These values are crucial for building trust with our stakeholders and fostering meaningful, long-term relationships. By maintaining high ethical standards and being transparent about our practices and impacts, we create a solid foundation for our sustainability efforts.
Moreover, our internal sustainable packaging playbook and design for recyclability policies standardize our approach to packaging development globally, ensuring consistency and adherence to our sustainability standards.
Together, these pillars not only drive our strategic decisions but also actively engage our employees and stakeholders, fostering a robust culture of sustainability within Kenvue. By involving everyone in these initiatives and demonstrating their impact, we ensure that sustainability is not just a policy but a lived value within our organization.
Our collaboration with suppliers and partners is integral to advancing our sustainable packaging initiatives under the Healthy Lives Mission. We engage with our partners in what we call an 'exponential ecosystem'—a dynamic network where we collectively explore, discover, and drive consumer-centric innovations that lead to extraordinary environmental solutions. This collaborative approach enables us to exceed the capabilities we could achieve independently.
We have established Joint Business Plans with our strategic suppliers, incorporating specific sustainability measures that align with our Healthy Lives Mission goals. These plans serve as a framework for integrating eco-friendly practices into our operations and ensure that our suppliers are not just aware of our sustainability objectives but are actively participating in meeting them.
Moreover, we consistently communicate our sustainability goals and the specifics of our Healthy Lives Mission to our suppliers and partners. This transparency forms the basis for them to adopt and integrate sustainable packaging practices effectively. As part of this initiative, we have pledged that 75% of our new product developments will utilize eco-design principles to enhance environmental performance by 2030. Eco-design in packaging not only reduces environmental impact but also drives innovation in how products are presented and protected.
For every new innovation we introduce to the market, we include specific sustainability requirements in the design briefs for our packaging suppliers. This ensures that every new product adheres to our high standards for sustainable packaging from the outset, reinforcing our commitment to a greener, more sustainable product lifecycle.
As we wrap up our conversation with Sushil, we hope you've enjoyed his insights into the ever-evolving world of packaging!
If you'd like to learn from more industry leaders, we invite you to join our upcoming 7th Annual American Packaging Summit!