Responsible Leadership is gaining momentum as more leaders across industries adopt this holistic, empathetic, and nature-centered approach. These leaders are not just focused on profits—they are committed to creating systems that sustain and regenerate communities, economies, and the planet. Below are a few pioneering examples of regenerative (responsible) leaders who are making a difference:
1. Paul Polman – Former CEO of Unilever
Paul Polman is renowned for transforming Unilever into a global leader in sustainability during his tenure as CEO from 2009 to 2019. Under Polman’s leadership, Unilever launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which aimed to decouple the company’s growth from environmental impact. Polman prioritised reducing Unilever’s carbon footprint, improving agricultural practices, and enhancing the livelihoods of small-scale farmers across its supply chain. His approach demonstrated that businesses can thrive while being aligned with the regeneration of ecosystems and the empowerment of communities.
Polman is also a co-founder of IMAGINE, an organisation that drives transformational leadership by working with CEOs and companies to tackle sustainability challenges collaboratively, further embedding regenerative principles into the corporate world.
2. Yvon Chouinard – Founder of Patagonia
Yvon Chouinard, the founder of outdoor apparel company Patagonia, has been a trailblazer in regenerative business practices. Patagonia has long embraced sustainable practices, from sourcing organic cotton to reducing waste through recycling initiatives. However, in 2022, Chouinard took his commitment a step further by donating the entire company to a trust and non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting climate change and preserving nature.
Patagonia has also championed the concept of “regenerative organic agriculture,” which goes beyond sustainable farming by actively restoring soil health, sequestering carbon, and supporting biodiversity. Chouinard’s visionary leadership has inspired other businesses to consider how they can give back to the planet, not just minimise harm.
3. Kristin Richmond & Kirsten Tobey – Co-founders of Revolution Foods
Kristin Richmond and Kirsten Tobey co-founded Revolution Foods with the mission of transforming the way school meals are served in the U.S. Their company provides healthy, nutritious, and affordable meals to students, many of whom come from underserved communities. They see food as a regenerative resource—one that can positively impact education, health, and local economies.
Revolution Foods emphasises sourcing ingredients locally and sustainably, supporting regional food systems, and creating jobs within communities. Richmond and Tobey’s leadership reflects the regenerative principle of nurturing ecosystems, where business success is tied to the well-being of people and their environments.
4. Rose Marcario – Former CEO of Patagonia
Following Yvon Chouinard’s philosophy, Rose Marcario took over as CEO of Patagonia and made a significant impact by scaling the company’s environmental initiatives. During her leadership, Patagonia expanded its 1% for the Planet initiative, donating 1% of sales to environmental causes. She also led the company through legal battles to protect national parks and wilderness areas, reinforcing Patagonia’s stance as an environmental activist brand.
Marcario’s commitment to sustainable and regenerative practices extended to the company’s business model. She emphasised responsible manufacturing, fair trade, and circular economies—ensuring that Patagonia’s products last longer and can be repaired or recycled rather than contributing to waste.
5. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin – Founder of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin is a leader in the regenerative agriculture movement. As the founder of the Regenerative Agriculture Alliance, he has focused on creating regenerative farming systems that enhance biodiversity, improve soil health, and provide economic benefits to farmers and their communities.
His work is centred on building sustainable supply chains for food production, particularly within marginalised communities. By focusing on poultry farming, Haslett-Marroquin is working to shift agricultural practices away from industrial systems that degrade the land toward models that regenerate the earth while supporting local economies.
6. Jochen Zeitz – CEO of Harley-Davidson and Former CEO of Puma
Jochen Zeitz has been a leader in integrating sustainability into corporate strategy for decades. At Puma, Zeitz introduced environmental profit and loss accounting, which measured the company’s environmental impact across its entire value chain. This innovative approach highlighted the financial cost of environmental degradation and shifted how Puma made decisions—leading to a focus on sustainability and regenerative practices.
As the current CEO of Harley-Davidson, Zeitz continues to emphasise sustainability, focusing on reducing the company’s environmental footprint and exploring electric mobility options. He also serves as the chairman of The B Team, an initiative that brings business leaders together to accelerate sustainable and regenerative business practices.
7. Galahad Clark – CEO and Founder of Vivo-barefoot
Vivobarefoot’s story exemplifies the regenerative journey. Founded with the mission to connect people closer to nature through minimalist footwear, the company faced the harsh reality that achieving its vision required more than just innovative products; it necessitated a radical internal transformation. Aligning the team’s inner landscapes with its vision was a prerequisite for making a meaningful impact. ‘The Vivo Way,’ provides a practical framework for embedding regenerative principles into the fabric of an organisation. This approach encompasses clear governance, agility, a culture of embedding purpose in daily work, and that is responsive to feedback. A significant part of this transformation involved more self-management, redefining roles and responsibilities, inviting staff to bring their whole selves to work, and the encouragement of a coaching culture. Vivobarefoot’s experience highlights the potential for significant growth and innovation and underscores the possibility of aligning business success with a profound commitment to sustainability and social impact. (Giles Hutchins, The Nature of Business)
8. Joy Parkinson – CEO of Faith in Nature
After 50 years of Faith in Nature operating under an ethos of nature first and sustainability, in 2022 they became the first company ever to put Nature on the Board of Directors. This meant giving Nature a voice and a vote in all its decision-making processes — reimagining how the world might do business — and in so doing, enshrining the Rights of Nature into UK corporate governance. Nature on the Board means it is represented by an independent representative in all board meetings. Over the last 2 years, Nature on the Board has gathered media coverage and momentum. Today there are at leas five other organisations with Nature on their boards – and that number is only set to grow.
