Virginie Helias: Community Impact at Procter & Gamble

Virginie Helias, Chief Sustainability Officer at Procter & Gamble, has been awarded sixth place in Sustainability Magazine’s Top 250 Sustainability Leaders 2026.

This recognises her commitment to embedding sustainability into the company’s operations, focusing on its environmental impact as well as supporting communities with health and hygiene.

About Virginie’s career at P&G

Virginie has spent her entire 37-year career at Procter & Gamble, joining the company in 1988 after gaining a degree in marketing.

Between 1988 and 2011, Virginie held many positions at Procter & Gamble, as Brand Manager and Marketing Director for its brands including Ariel, Pampers and its Feminine Care and Fabric Care divisions.

She built her way up the company ladder to become Vice President, Global Sustainability in 2016, before taking on her current position in 2019.

With more than 30 years working in brand management and innovation, Virginie brings broad experience in the company’s sectors into her CSO role.

She has built up international experience, having worked in France, the UK, Switzerland and the US across her career.

As CSO, Virginie works with leaders across P&G’s business units and brands, as well as working with external partners to embed sustainability across the entire organisation.

Alongside her team, she explores ways to solve challenges in the business through sustainable innovations.

“When I stepped into my role as CSO, I didn’t have a background in sustainability,” Virginie writes on LinkedIn. “What I did have was a conviction: that sustainability could be a driver for innovation and brand building.

“Over the years, that belief has evolved into a business strategy – one that’s deeply embedded across P&G. We don’t treat sustainability as a separate path. 

“It’s how we design better products, build stronger partnerships and create long-term value – showing that sustainability can amplify performance, not compromise it.”

Virginie will be speaking at Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit on 5 March 2026.

Secure your tickets now to join us in London.

How does Procter & Gamble operate sustainably?

Procter & Gamble’s sustainability strategy focuses on bringing environmental impact on three levels: reducing its impact, helping its customers reduce their impact and scaling industry-wide solutions.

For example, the company’s Tide pods have been designed to work in cold water, reducing energy consumption by up to 50% for the consumer.

It is also focusing on reducing water in its own operations, especially in facilities exposed to high water risks.

It aims to protect local water resources and address the key challenges impacting its operations, as well as in the local communities where it operates.

In addition to environmental impact, P&G prioritises efforts to build its community impact.

The company is using its global brands to support hygiene education, provide clean water and deliver essentials to families impacted by disasters.

P&G is working on helping communities with their healthcare and hygiene needs, including period poverty, oral hygiene and access to basic food and water.

Marc Pritchard, Chief Brand Officer at Procter & Gamble, says: “P&G brands help daily household and personal care essentials to people during times of crisis and are uniquely positioned to help meet the needs of those in underserved communities who are disproportionately impacted.

“Improving the daily lives of people and helping the communities in which we live and work to prosper is a core to who we are as a company.”

Join Virginie at The Net Zero Summit

Virginie will be speaking at The Next-Gen CSO Fireside Chat at Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit.

She will share a candid perspective on what it takes to be an effective, next-generation CSO inside a global organisation.

The chat will explore how the role of CSO is evolving fast – from steward of reporting and commitments to architect of enterprise-wide value creation.

Join Virginie at this Fireside Chat on 5 March 2026 at Sustainability LIVE: The Net Zero Summit in London.

Secure your tickets now.