Autodesk appoints Joe Speicher as its first chief sustainability officer

Autodesk announced the appointment of as the company’s first chief sustainability officer, which took effect in July. During his tenure at Autodesk, Speicher has held various leadership roles across the sustainability and Foundation organisation. In his new role, Speicher reports to Autodesk’s chief financial officer. His appointment reflects the increasing importance of the chief sustainability officer’s role in achieving sustainability outcomes and driving growth.

Autodesk imagines a better world designed and made for all. The company’s impact strategy is focused on managing its own environmental, social, and governance (ESG) opportunities and risks; enabling its customers to achieve better sustainable outcomes, and investing in innovations that will advance the industries Autodesk serves.

“Appointing Joe as Autodesk’s first chief sustainability officer reinforces our commitment to and action toward achieving our larger impact strategy and driving meaningful change in the industries we serve,” said Debbie Clifford, chief financial officer. “Integrating sustainability within the finance organisation enables us to fold this work into core business functions and direct resources to innovations that address the world’s most pressing challenges.”

As chief sustainability officer, Speicher oversees the development and implementation of Autodesk’s sustainability and impact strategy, metrics and reporting, and cross-industry initiatives focused on sustainability capabilities for customers. Speicher continues to lead the Autodesk Foundation, a philanthropic organisation dedicated to supporting innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. He also chairs Autodesk’s ESG Steering Committee, ensuring that Autodesk assesses and addresses issues that are relevant and specific to our external ESG objectives, including materiality assessment, measurement, management, and disclosure.

Whether they operate in housing and infrastructure, products and components, or games and filmmaking, Autodesk customers are being asked to do things faster and more sustainably while at lower cost and higher quality. Yet companies are often stuck using antiquated tools and processes, unable to compete in an increasingly digital and automated world fueled by artificial intelligence (AI). By synchronising data, insights, and automation through connected workflows, Autodesk’s Design and Make Platforms can reduce rework and waste generation and deliver more sustainable outcomes and fewer emissions.

“Autodesk sits at the junction of the most creative and impactful industries in the world. We have seen a dramatic shift in market dynamics favoring sustainable outcomes in the last few years–and Autodesk is leading the way,” said Speicher. “We are building a platform for democratising access to complex technologies and data for industries that are carbon-intensive—because we believe this is our best opportunity to help address the implications of climate change.”

Learn more about Autodesk’s sustainability work at https://www.autodesk.com/sustainability/impact-report