# 11 - Chris Davidson, PhD - Director of Corporate Sustainability from WestRock

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2019-11-27
- Length: 30m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-bf8

## Summary

Chris Davidson, PhD, Director of Corporate Sustainability at WestRock, discusses his career path from Jamaican forestry to leading sustainability strategy at a major packaging corporation. He explains that sustainability requires balancing environmental, economic, and social factors, and highlights WestRock's commitment to the circular economy through renewable resources and recyclable products. Davidson also emphasizes the importance of diversity in leadership to drive innovation and shares advice for young professionals seeking internships and co-ops in the industry.

## Chapters

- [0:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=5) Introduction: Chris Davidson and WestRock
- [1:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=99) Chris Davidson's Career Path: From Jamaica to WestRock
- [5:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=333) Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee and Industry Exposure
- [7:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=449) Childhood Aspirations and Forestry Roots
- [11:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=695) Advice for Young Professionals: Internships and Co-ops
- [14:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=853) The Rise of Sustainability Pressure and Transparency
- [16:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=1005) Defining Sustainability: Environmental, Economic, and Social
- [19:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=1153) The Circular Economy and Future Outlook
- [21:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2019-11-27-11-chris-davidson-phd-director-of-corporate-sustainability-from-westrock#t=1276) Motivation, Diversity, and Making an Impact

## Topics

- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- WestRock (company)
- Champion International (company)
- International Paper (company)
- TerraCycle (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

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- [Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard (2016)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-12-25-patagonia-yvon-chouinard-2016) (How I Built This)
- [#002: Rob Irwin Takes Us On His Journey To Becoming An Industrial Designer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/designing-in-the-wild/2022-01-17-002-rob-irwin-takes-us-on-his-journey-to-becoming-an-industrial-designer) (Designing in the Wild)
- [HIBT Lab! UNLESS Collective: Eric Liedtke](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-16-hibt-lab-unless-collective-eric-liedtke) (How I Built This)
- [Electronica 24: InCap's Otto Pukk Wants Manufacturing to be Thoughtful, Sustainable and Fun](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-11-27-electronica-24-incaps-otto-pukk-wants-manufacturing-to-be-thoughtful-sustainable) (EMS@C-LEVEL)

## Citing this page

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