A Leader in Sustainability

Alyson Freeman, Sustainability Product Manager, Infrastructure Solutions Group

at Dell, shares important lessons she’s learned as a sustainability leader.

BY ALYSON FREEMAN

Of all the time I’ve spent in various engineering, research, manufacturing and management roles, I have never felt as fulfilled in my career as I do today, leading sustainability for Dell Technologies’ data center and infrastructure solutions products. To me, sustainability is all about finding a balance. It’s about making sure we can meet our needs today without compromising the ability of future generations— or other societies—to meet their own needs, because everything is connected. Bringing that desire for balance to work with me as an environmental sustainability strategist sits in perfect harmony with my personal and professional passions. Identifying new opportunities for innovation, driving initiatives and breaking down the barriers of product sustainability to define the next generation of technology truly inspires and motivates me. Along the way, I’ve learned several things that make me optimistic about the state of environmentalism today.

Consumers have the power to influence outcomes. Consumers have a powerful effect on businesses’ behavior by making conscious choices and putting pressure on companies to adopt sustainable practices. Choosing products and services that are environmentally friendly and buying from transparent companies that have a strong social purpose creates demand for more sustainable products and services. This can influence companies to invest in sustainable practices, reducing their carbon footprint and minimizing their environmental impact. By “voting with their dollars,” consumers have an incredible amount of influence on how organizations tackle their contributions to climate change

What is good for the planet can also be good for businesses.

Doing the right thing and achieving business success are not mutually exclusive. In fact, ethical and sustainable business practices can help attract and retain customers and employees, reduce costs, mitigate risk (this is a big one) and raise brand reputation. Sustainable practices can help businesses lower operational costs through energy and water conservation, waste reduction and efficient supply-chain management. Adopting ethical, circular and sustainable practices can also help organizations mitigate reputation, legal compliance and environmental liabilities risks.

Government and private sector organizations must collaborate.

Businesses and governments together have a crucial role to play in promoting sustainability. Corporate sustainability involves integrating social, environmental and economic considerations into business operations and decision-making. Businesses can lead the way on climate action with velocity and scale in a way that governments sometimes cannot through regulation alone. Governments can create policies and regulations to incentivize sustainable practices and discourage unsustainable ones. Collaboration and education between these entities are essential for achieving sustainability. No one individual, organization or sector can address sustainability challenges alone. It requires collective action and cooperation across all levels of society. Education and awareness-raising builds understanding and support for sustainability initiatives

Innovation is about the people behind it.

The challenges we face are complex and require new and innovative solutions. Solving these problems will push us to fundamentally change the way we interact with the environment. Incremental improvements to existing technologies and practices won’t cut it. People from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences bring unique perspectives and ideas to the table. This diversity of perspectives can lead to more innovative and creative solutions to problems, as different people approach challenges from different angles. When a team or organization has a diverse range of perspectives and experiences, they are more likely to make better decisions. This is because diverse teams are better at considering a range of factors and anticipating potential challenges and opportunities. That’s one reason why I’m so passionate about working with girls and women to encourage them to pursue careers in STEM. More than ever, we need new people joining scientific and political fields to bring new perspectives to solve this problem and to solve it for everyone, equitably.

How has your experience and the health care space informed your leadership style?

The health care industry has served as a catalyst for my leadership style. Health care teaches you about long hours and hard work combined with compassion and care for those you serve, which is exactly what you need to have in order to be a successful leader.

How has YPO furthered your mission to be an empathetic health care provider?

YPO has given me so many resources and tools needed to enhance my leadership style. They continually have both local, national and global educational events related to every field of business as well as fostering an environment of vulnerability and support, which is what health care and the world need.

What has been YPO’s greatest impact on you and for other young leaders?

I love learning, and YPO has put me into groups of different people who all have similar ages and job titles but drastically different problems to tackle. Seeing the different ways other leaders approach and solve problems is a great teacher and has really impacted how I lead my team. I also love the resources for my business and that it has so much focus on family, truly a rare gift in the business world, one that is unique to young business leaders.