Dell's Chief Sustainability Officer Cassandra Garber Resigns
After just 10 months as Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), Dell's leader in environmental responsibility, Cassandra Garber, announces her decision to step away from the tech titan.
Cassandra Garber joined Dell in 2021, initially taking on the role of Vice President of Sustainability & ESG.
She rose to CSO in June 2024, and her departure marks the end of a period of substantive changes at Dell.
“Sometimes in life we all reach a fork in the road, a moment where a big decision must be made,” she said in a LinkedIn post, announcing her departure.
“Where your current path has so much goodness, but a new adventure appears and just feels right.”
She added that she is taking on a “new adventure”, although her next move has not been disclosed.
Cassandra Garber's influence on Dell's sustainability
She continues: “In just under four years, we’ve reinvented the entire ESG organisation, integrated it across the company, innovated in products and programmes and processes, streamlined and prioritised our focus, had a meaningful impact in so many ways and we’ve celebrated the amazing humans who made all this happen.”
During her nearly four-year tenure, Cassandra Garber spearheaded a transformation of Dell's ESG framework, emphasising integration across the company.
In an interview with Sustainability Magazine, she highlighted the importance of embedding sustainability into core operations.
“Internally, we have set up systems, processes, accountability, mechanisms, governance and an operating model,” she says.
“All of those things are about integrating environmental and social considerations into absolutely everything that we do.”
Within the tech sector, Cassandra's commitment to sustainable practices has been widely recognised.
Her approach extended beyond mere metrics, advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, and circularity in product design and recycling efforts.
Cassandra says: “We ensure impact is woven directly into how we run our business by innovating and partnering through the lens of ESG.
“Dell has always had a commitment to using technology to improve communities and individual lives and this commitment has grown into a key component of how we work every day.”
Cassandra's contributions have left a lasting imprint, particularly through innovation in products, programmes and processes that prioritise sustainability.
Her leadership has seen Dell celebrate the individuals who have been pivotal in these advancements.
Cassandra's outgoing gratitude extends to her team.
Adding to her LinkedIn announcement, Cassandra said: “I need the whole ESG organisation to know how grateful I am to have worked with, and had an impact with, each of you.
“You’re a uniquely unstoppable force for good however you choose your own paths, and fortunately we remain on the same team no matter our companies — team sustainability, team impact.”
Garber's previous roles at 3M, GE Energy and The Coca-Cola Company, all in senior sustainability positions, further underscore her longstanding dedication to environmental stewardship.
Dell’s Commitment to Sustainability
Dell Technologies has positioned itself at the forefront of corporate sustainability by setting rigorous environmental targets and pioneering circular economy initiatives.
The company aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 by 2050, with interim goals including a 50% reduction in Scopes 1 and 2 emissions and a 45% cut in Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services by 2030.
Central to Dell’s strategy is its closed-loop circular economy model, which prioritises material reuse and waste minimisation.
By 2030, the company commits to recycling or reusing one tonne of product for every tonne sold and ensuring 100% of packaging derives from recycled, renewable or reused materials.
Innovations like integrating ocean-bound plastics — having diverted more than 443,000 pounds for use in products and packaging — highlight its resource-efficient approach.
Leveraging its global supply chain influence, Dell champions ethical manufacturing practices and supplier accountability.
Collaborations focus on reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency and advancing climate-related reporting, supported by audits and frameworks.
Cassandra says: “I've often said our sustainability strategy is as simple as ‘integration everywhere.’ A perfect example of that in action is the incredible list of circular design examples we can share that span so many aspects of our new AI PCs.”
By prioritising material innovation, supplier accountability and waste reduction, Dell — with Cassandra at the helm — demonstrates how sustainability can drive both environmental impact and operational efficiency.
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