Every organization should be on an ever-evolving environmental, social and governance (ESG) journey. In this video, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Kathleen Carroll, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Grainger, a leading business-to-business (B-to-B) broad line distributor. Carroll discusses Grainger's portfolio of environmentally preferable products (EPP), why the business focuses on environmental sustainability, and how the purpose-driven EPP business impacts employee acquisition and retention. She shares how Grainger enables customers and employees to contribute to its ESG initiatives, and how its ESG programs attract and retain top talent. Lastly, Carroll shares how her team is evolving Grainger's recruiting practices in today's challenging hiring environment.

Kathleen Carroll was named senior vice president and chief human resources officer (CHRO) at Grainger in December 2018. Her responsibilities include aligning and implementing talent and workplace strategies across the enterprise that support a high-performance culture and strengthen the company’s brand as an employer of choice. Carroll has more than 25 years of experience in leading human resources and organizational strategies to drive business results. Prior to Grainger, Carroll was with First Midwest Bank, where she served as executive vice president and CHRO. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri and received a Master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Carroll is also a board member of Leadership Greater Chicago and the International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation.