“Don’t wait to become part of sustainability to change—change by yourself.”

Concrete is the backbone of modern infrastructure, essential for housing, transportation, and energy systems. Yet, its production accounts for 7-8% of global CO2 emissions (World Economic Forum), posing a significant challenge in the race to combat climate change. Balancing the undeniable necessity of concrete with the urgent need to reduce its carbon footprint is a monumental task, requiring innovation, leadership, and systemic change.

Magali Anderson, former Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer at Holcim, has spent a good part of her impressive career addressing this challenge. In her role, Magali integrated sustainability into Holcim's strategy and operations, striving to reshape the cement and concrete industries from within. Her journey, from offshore oil rigs in Nigeria to spearheading global sustainability initiatives, highlights her commitment to tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

From Oil Rigs to Sustainability Leadership

Magali’s career trajectory is a story of transformation. “I had no notion of climate change and sustainability at all,” she admits, reflecting on her early days in the oil and gas industry. “I was just passionate about science and adventure.” However, a turning point came later in life. “I had a 50-year-old wake-up call. Maybe my kids, maybe getting more and more information, maybe seeing things changing—I don’t know what it was, but I felt like I needed to put purpose into my life.”

This realisation led her to join Holcim, initially as Group Head of Health and Safety. Later, when offered the role of Chief Sustainability Officer, she embraced it wholeheartedly. “You are asking me to go from saving some lives to saving humanity. I think it’s actually even cooler.”

Changing the Industry From Within

Magali believes in addressing challenges directly, especially in industries like cement and concrete, which are essential but highly carbon-intensive. “1.6 billion people don’t have a proper roof over their head right now,” she points out, underscoring the critical role of concrete in providing shelter and infrastructure. “With weather events, you’d rather be in a concrete house than a straw one.”

Her approach focuses on transforming the industry instead of dismissing it. “Let’s agree that we don’t really know, as of today, how to do without concrete. So, let’s do with it, but let’s do it with a better concrete.”

One of Magali’s key contributions at Holcim was ensuring sustainability became a strategic priority. “The company was not taking it at the strategic level,” she notes. By being part of the executive committee, she could drive change effectively. “When you talk to the CFO and the CFO is your peer, it’s a really different dialogue than when you are three levels down the organisation.”

Engaging Teams for Sustainability

Magali’s leadership philosophy emphasises empowering teams and integrating sustainability into company culture. “I don’t think anyone goes to work thinking, ‘Great, I’m going to damage the planet a bit more,’” she remarks. However, she recognises the need to guide employees. “What they don’t understand is how they themselves can be an actor to do something about it.”

To align incentives, Magali introduced sustainability metrics into Holcim’s bonus system. “Instead of being fully financial, now one-third was linked to sustainability. It showed that the company really valued it.” This approach eliminated the dilemma between financial and sustainability goals, enabling employees to act as changemakers. “People can go back home and say, ‘Hey, I don’t just work for Holcim, I am an actor of change.’”

Driving Innovation and Collaboration

Magali is a strong advocate for collaboration between corporates and startups. “We had the humility to think that we might get disrupted as a sector and that disruption wouldn’t necessarily come from us,” she says, explaining Holcim’s approach to investing in and mentoring startups. “It’s a bath of youth,” she adds, emphasising the inspiration and energy that startups bring.

She also highlights the importance of scalability in solutions. “If a solution is too expensive or not localised, it won’t work. It might look good in reports, but it’s not good for impact.”

Magali shares an example of scaling innovation within Holcim: the introduction of Ecopact, a low-carbon concrete product. Initially met with skepticism within the industry, the product’s market potential proved transformative. “At that point, we decided to launch it and went big immediately. We went into 20 countries straight away. Today, it’s in the region of 25% market share.” 

Empowering Women in Male-Dominated Fields

Reflecting on her experience as a woman in a male-dominated industry, Magali shares candid insights. “When I landed at the age of 22 on an offshore rig in Nigeria, the first land was three hours away by helicopter. It was a hard landing and hard learning,” she recalls. Despite the challenges, she persisted. “The advantage was there was nobody to tell me it was impossible to do.”

Her advice to young women entering the workforce is straightforward: “Follow your dreams, follow your guts, and don’t listen to anyone telling you you’re not capable. If the company puts you in that job, it means you are the best person for it.”

Secret Society for Sustainability Spies: A Call for Individual Action

In an era where sustainability often faces backlash, Magali remains a staunch advocate for individual action. Last year, Magali stepped down from her role at Holcim, but is as busy as ever. Her latest initiative, S4 (Secret Society for Sustainability Spies), aims to empower individuals to create impactful change discreetly within their organisations and communities.

Magali describes S4 as a movement encouraging people to take action, regardless of their official role in sustainability. "Don’t wait to become part of sustainability to change—change by yourself," she emphasises. The initiative focuses on equipping individuals with the knowledge and motivation to implement sustainable practices without waiting for formal directives.

This discreet approach recognises that not everyone has the authority or platform to make overt changes, but small, consistent actions can accumulate into significant impact. By fostering a sense of personal responsibility, Magali hopes to inspire a new wave of changemakers who can embed sustainability into everyday operations and decisions.

To those who believe change isn’t possible, Magali leaves them with this quote from George Bernard Shaw: “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.”

Magali Anderson’s work and journey inspire hope that even the most carbon-intensive industries can evolve toward a more sustainable future.

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This is part of our ChangeLeaders interview series with corporate impact leaders sharing their journeys, learnings, and lessons from making an impact in the corporate world. If you are a ChangeLeader we should interview, please email us at info@wemakechange.org.

Interview & Article: James Sancto & Laura De Alba