An Environmental and Sustainability professional with over five years of experience in environmental science and toxicology, sustainability management, quality management, research, data analysis, and project management, Titilope Bukunmi-Omidiran applies technology-driven solutions to business challenges. Passionate about sustainability, the circular economy, pollution mitigation, and environmental justice, she is also recognized as an Environmental Professional in Training with Eco Canada.
In an exclusive interview with Environmental Business Review, Titilope Bukunmi-Omidiran shared her views on ESG and sustainability leadership.
Early Passion for Sustainability and Social Impact
My journey began with a deep interest in how businesses can be a force for good. Engagements in research, academic studies, volunteer work, or early internships have drawn me to the intersection of environmental stewardship, social justice, and corporate responsibility.
I started my career in roles that allowed me to explore sustainability from various angles through regulatory, compliance, community engagement, or environmental reporting. These foundational experiences helped me understand the operational realities of ESG and the importance of aligning values with strategy. One of my key milestones was leading a cross-functional ESG committee that brought together teams from all facets of the business, from operations, HR, marketing and communications. This group not only delivered measurable local impact but also showcased the power of collaboration in driving global change. As I progressed, I took on roles with increasing global scope, developing ESG frameworks, setting KPIs, and aligning with international standards. I worked closely with senior leadership to embed ESG into core business strategy, which prepared me for my current role.
Today, as Global ESG Manager, I lead efforts to integrate sustainability across geographies, drive stakeholder engagement, and ensure our ESG commitments are both ambitious and actionable. I’m proud to be part of a team that’s shaping the future of responsible business. I continue to stay engaged through industry forums, mentorship, and thought leadership. Whether it’s supporting interns during National Intern Day or volunteering at the local food Bank or cleaning beach fronts, I believe in walking the talk and inspiring others to do the same.
Ensuring Global Standards Meet Local Needs
Leading ESG efforts across global operations comes with a unique set of challenges—ranging from regulatory complexity to cultural differences in sustainability priorities. One of the most persistent hurdles has been harmonizing ESG standards across regions while maintaining local relevance. For example, aligning our ESG goals with varying cultural contexts in different countries requires both flexibility and innovation. We have been able to map out our global footprint and highlight locations with higher needs. Make decisions on what our priorities will be and communicate that across the global business.
Sustainability leadership, to me, is about inspiring action through clarity, collaboration, and a relentless commitment to doing better
Another challenge has been data transparency. With operations spanning multiple continents, consolidating accurate and timely data is essential to ensure accurate, timely ESG reporting across diverse business units. To address this, we continue to educate about quality data systems and cross-functional training, which helped improve reporting consistency and stakeholder confidence. Great data requires great responsibility. ESG leadership demands not only technical expertise but also the ability to navigate ambiguity, build trust, and drive change in environments that are often resistant to it.
Finally, Global businesses do not have one-size-fits-all solutions. It is okay to allow local input and affect local relevance to global strategies. The more important factor is what values those strategies and local interpretations are built upon.
Building Programs That Make a Measurable Difference
Sustainability leadership, to me, is about inspiring action through clarity, collaboration, and a relentless commitment to doing better—for people and the planet. I’ve had the privilege of leading programs that not only align with our corporate values but also create meaningful impact across communities and operations. This past summer, I led a program that mobilized our summer intern students to volunteer at the local food Bank. This initiative fostered a culture of giving back and helped interns connect ESG principles with real-world action. This strengthened the community partnership for the business. We received positive feedback from both interns and local stakeholders who benefited from our action.
We continue to build ESG literacy across the organization by launching a series of internal campaigns covering different topics, including waste, circularity, climate action, equity, and inclusion. These campaigns helped embed sustainability into our culture. These programs reflect my commitment to driving ESG impact through collaboration, innovation, and accountability. I’m excited to continue building a future where sustainability is not just a strategy but a shared responsibility.
Reducing Waste through Smarter Operations
As someone deeply passionate about the circular economy and reducing environmental pollution, I’ve been focused on encouraging us to continue to embed these principles into product design and operational strategy. The goal is to shift from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to one that prioritizes reuse, regeneration, and long-term sustainability. We’ve reimagined our product development process to prioritize materials that are recyclable, biodegradable, or made from post-consumer recycled content. This includes transitioning to refillable and reusable packaging formats, partnering with suppliers to source low-impact ingredients and designing products with end-of-life recovery in mind. Operationally, we’re implementing circular principles across our facilities by diverting manufacturing waste from landfills, implementing water reuse systems to reduce freshwater consumption and executing energy recovery initiatives. By integrating circularity into our core business, we’re not just reducing environmental impact; we’re creating value for our customers, communities, and the planet. I’m proud to help lead this transformation and excited about what’s ahead.
Guiding Companies on Their ESG Journey
My first thoughts will be to highlight the importance of understanding and acknowledging that your ESG strategy is a journey and not a competition. It is not a race. Every business has the right to go on that journey intentionally and with a continuous improvement mindset. As long as we keep getting better, we are moving towards a goal. The strategy should give grace to make mistakes, learn from them, retrace and keep going forward. You are in competition with yourself, and you are accountable first to your business. Having a strategy to check the boxes will not cut it in the current climate. Environmental goals will always clash with financial realities. Many times, doing what is right for people and the planet will not be beneficial financially. Show me how you spend your money as a business, and it reflects what your true strategy is.
