Tylenol maker Kenvue integrates sustainability into product design process

Top Points

The replacement for Pamela Gill-Alabaster, the distinguished outgoing head of global sustainability, indicates a significant strategy change.
Kenvue plans to prioritize integrating sustainability metrics into R&D.
Gill-Alabaster’s guidance for sustainability leaders: “Ground yourself in data and use it as a strategic asset.”

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Pamela Gill-Alabaster, Kenvue’s global head of ESG and sustainability, who crafted the sustainability strategy for the Tylenol maker following its separation from Johnson & Johnson, will step down in June to take a break and contemplate her next role.
Following her exit, Kenvue will merge the responsibility for sustainability strategy into the R&D and operations division.
Jennifer Duran, previously the vice president of product resilience and sustainability at Kenvue, will assume the role of group head of sustainability. She spent 16 years at British consumer products company Reckitt, where she formulated its product sustainability strategy and led the ingredients steering committee.
“Kenvue is progressing towards more deeply embedding sustainability at the core of our product design and production processes,” the company stated through a spokesperson.
Gill-Alabaster joined Kenvue in December 2022 after serving as the senior vice president and global head of sustainability and social impact at toymaker Mattel for two years.
Active Term
Kenvue, which recorded revenue of $15.5 billion in 2024, was previously a division of consumer healthcare at Johnson & Johnson, distributing brands like Tylenol, Listerine, Band-Aid, and Neutrogena. It became an independent company in August 2023.
Gill-Alabaster supervised the validation of Kenvue’s science-based emissions reduction targets and the release of its initial sustainability report. Although the company does not have a net-zero goal, its immediate commitments include a 42% reduction in absolute emissions for Scope 1 and 2 by 2030 and encouraging suppliers, who make up about two-thirds of Scope 3 emissions, to set reduction targets.
Gill-Alabaster also established policies for sustainable sourcing and introduced the company’s initial refillable packaging formats.
Throughout her four-decade career in the corporate sector, Gill-Alabaster was involved in corporate social responsibility initiatives at Revlon, the Estée Lauder Companies, and L’Oréal. She instructs an ESG strategy course within Columbia University’s Master of Sustainability Management program. Gill-Alabaster was honored with a Women in Sustainability Leadership award in 2022 but plans to pursue another role after taking some time off.
“Beginning my career as a marketer, I want to continue operating at the intersection of brand, purpose, and impact, developing campaigns, programs, and platforms rooted in values that inspire positive change,” Gill-Alabaster expressed.
Gill-Alabaster is optimistic about the future of the profession, advising others to focus on materiality and critical issues for their business and stakeholders, emphasizing risk management, resilience building, and growth unlocking. She stressed the importance of being data-driven and using it as a strategic asset. She believes this is a time for clarity, focus, and persistence.