Andersen names former Amazon circular economy lead as first Chief Sustainability Officer

US window and door manufacturer Andersen Corporation has appointed George Bandy – the former Head of Worldwide Circular Economy at Amazon – as its first Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.

Bandy has been a corporate sustainability leader since 1994, when he became the first Sustainable Development Officer for the University of Texas. He later held sustainability leadership roles at Interface and Mohawk Group before joining Amazon to lead circular economy efforts.

He spent the past two and a half years as Chief Sustainability Officer at textile manufacturer Darling Fibers, where he drove the company’s commitment to produce more recycled, bio-based, and biodegradable materials for the fashion industry.

Andersen Corporation sustainability targets

At Andersen, he will work closely with a cross-functional team across research, development and innovation, operations, strategic sourcing, government relations, marketing, community relations and sales to advance the firm’s sustainability strategy.

The firm, which ranked #170 in Forbes’ list of the largest US private companies with US$3.4 billion in revenue in 2022, stopped publishing sustainability reports in 2020 – the deadline for a first round of sustainability goals that included reducing water and electricity consumption and landfill waste per unit produced by 20%. Only the water goal was met by the target year, with energy intensity reducing by just 4%.

“We know our success relies heavily on the health and resiliency of the communities where we live and work, and protecting people and our planet is more important than ever. With George at the helm, this new leadership position will accelerate our sustainability journey as we work every day to make decisions that help our customers achieve their sustainability aspirations, elevate our industry and ultimately help make the world a better place," Chris Galvin, Andersen Corporation President and CEO, commented on the appointment.

Andersen runs a profit-sharing scheme through which it redistributed US$55.4 million dollars to employees in 2023. 

Bandy also serves on the Green Business Certification (GBCI) Board of Directors, Trane Sustainability Advisory Board and the International Interior Design Association, and is the former Chairman of the Board for the US Green Building Council.