Aligning Organizational Culture to Achieve Sustainability Goals: Austin Alexander

There’s a noticeable global trend of senior-level leaders seeking purpose-driven careers. Companies with strong sustainability credentials and a clear mission are emerging as winners in the competition for attracting and retaining top talent. This new Leadership Insider series will spotlight senior leaders from three such organizations who are aligning their company’s culture with sustainability goals to drive both business success and meaningful impact.

To open the series, Austin Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability at Xylem, a global leader in water solutions, shares how the company’s deeply ingrained commitment to sustainability not only shapes its environmental impact but also plays a key role in attracting passionate, purpose-driven employees. Austin describes her connection to sustainability, how Xylem is evolving to address today’s water challenges and the importance of embedding sustainability into the core of organizational culture.

Throughout the conversation with Margaret Jaouadi, Austin emphasizes the need for a clear mission, strong leadership commitment, and the role of employee engagement in driving success. This interview offers valuable insights for any leader aiming to align their company’s culture with sustainability goals, making it essential reading for those passionate about building a better future.

This is a must-read for anyone looking to understand how purpose can be a powerful driver of organizational success.

Margaret Jaouadi
Can you tell me what sustainability means to you?

Austin Alexander
Fortunately, since I lead sustainability, the concept holds the same meaning both personally and in my role at Xylem. It’s about the positive impact we make on the world simply because we exist. It’s this idea that our presence leaves the world a better place.

That can take on different forms. On one hand, it’s about the environmental footprint we leave behind, and I feel fortunate to work in the water sector where we deliver solutions to protect one of our most vital resources. On the other hand, it’s about the economic value we generate as a company. We’re creating jobs and careers that give people the opportunity to succeed, and that’s an essential part of sustainability. And, of course, it’s also about the work environment we cultivate, ensuring our colleagues are empowered to bring their best selves to what they do.

Margaret Jaouadi
Thank you! It makes a difference when your values align with the mission of the organization you work for. It creates a deeper sense of purpose and makes the work feel more meaningful.

Austin Alexander
Absolutely. Working in water is something I’m truly passionate about, and it’s where I see myself for a long time. That same passion is embedded in the culture at Xylem. We have so many colleagues who come to Xylem because they recognize just how critical water is, and they want to make a difference in how it’s managed. They’re here because they see their roles as part of something bigger.

Margaret Jaouadi
You’ve been with Xylem for 11 years. What changes did you notice during that time?

Austin Alexander
It has transitioned over the 11 years I’ve been here, and it continues to evolve. I believe that five years from now, we won’t be the same company we are today, and that’s a good thing—it means we’re being responsive to the world around us and innovating the solutions we provide. But one constant, and something that helps us, is serving the water sector. At the end of the day, people don’t care about specific solutions; what matters is that when they turn on the faucet, clean water comes out.

That’s the human element that connects us all, no matter who we are. While our portfolio has evolved—from a focus on a few specific products to now covering every aspect of the water cycle—the key outcome remains the same: enabling clean, safe water. People care about the result, and we’re here to provide the best solutions to achieve that. Staying focused on that outcome—clean water and water security—will remain the same, even as the solutions we offer continue to grow and change.

Margaret Jaouadi
What are the biggest challenges Xylem is facing in aligning its culture with its sustainability goals?

Austin Alexander
We’ve been quite fortunate in aligning sustainability with our culture, especially given the nature of what we do and why our employees choose to be at Xylem. But like any evolving organization, we face challenges. Just last year, we had a major, transformational acquisition of a company called Evoqua, which has naturally brought change. The world around us is also constantly shifting.

I’d say the biggest challenge, and one we’re handling well, is staying grounded in our central purpose. It’s about focusing on the areas where we can have the greatest impact while recognizing that the organization and environment we operate in inevitably experiences change.

These shifts come and go, but staying true to our core values and mission is what helps us navigate through it all. With so much going on in the world, it can be tough for any company to maintain focus, but we’ve managed by constantly asking ourselves what is most important and where we can make the biggest difference.

Margaret Jaouadi
I come from Poland, and the southern region has recently been effected by a major flood. I’ve noticed that Xylem has been providing free pumps to help communities affected by these floods. For me, it feels like you all have this instinctive response—knowing exactly what to do and how best to help. Whenever there’s a water crisis, it seems like Xylem is always there, no matter how big or small the community. The company’s size doesn’t stop it from staying relevant and making a difference on the ground.

Austin Alexander
I appreciate you mentioning that. It’s something we’re proud of, and right now in the U.S., we’re responding to the damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Whether it’s what’s happening in Poland, the U.S., or other disaster-hit areas, it’s our employees who are out there, volunteering in addition to their regular jobs, because they genuinely care.

What stands out to me is that these are our people, stepping up because they want to make a difference in the communities where they live. They’re doing this because they have a deep personal connection and commitment to helping where it matters most. That’s what makes it so special seeing our employees go above and beyond because they truly care.

Margaret Jaouadi
Why is it critical to move beyond policies and embed sustainability into the organizational culture, and what’s at stake if companies fail to do so?

Austin Alexander
I think we’ve seen, even if you have the best policy possible, but if every employee is not implementing it consistently, it won’t work. Companies learned this years ago with safety—you have to build a true culture of safety, alongside policies to really embed actions across the organization.

The same applies to sustainability. For us, it’s about staying connected to our core mission—why people choose to work at Xylem rather than elsewhere. When our policies and programs align with that mission, it becomes much easier for me to engage with colleagues and explain why sustainability is so important to them personally.

Another key point is that sustainability policies can’t exist in some distant corporate silo, detached from the core of the business. The policies need to be intertwined with our business strategy. When sustainability is fully integrated into what we do, it’s no longer something that feels like an “add-on” or something separate—it’s just part of how we operate. If policies don’t evolve with the company or align with its business strategy, they’ll always feel like something extra, not central to the organization. Sustainability must be responsive, evolving as the company evolves, to stay relevant and impactful.

Margaret Jaouadi
How can leaders effectively engage and align every employee, from top management to frontline workers, around a shared commitment to sustainability?

Austin Alexander
Creating a culture of sustainability starts at the top. While we’re fortunate to have a grassroots passion for sustainability and water among our employees, it truly requires commitment from the very top of the organization. We’ve been lucky to have our CEO and senior leaders make it clear that sustainability is paramount to us, that it’s who we are, and that it’s fundamental to how we operate.

When that message is consistent and clear from leadership, it becomes ingrained throughout the organization. Leaders at Xylem understand that if you want to be a leader here, you need to integrate sustainability and social impact into your strategy. We’re fortunate that our leadership emphasizes this commitment, making it clear that if you aspire to be a leader at Xylem, sustainability better be important to you. This alignment is crucial, and it’s something not every sustainability professional has the privilege of experiencing.

Margaret Jaouadi
If you were not at Xylem, for example, if you weren’t part of a company with this kind of culture, how would you approach making the case for it?

Austin Alexander

It starts with closely aligning sustainability with the business strategy as much as possible. It’s essential to identify the intersections between what’s important to our customers, our business objectives, and our partnerships with suppliers, and then highlight how sustainability can enhance each of those areas.

At Xylem, for example, half our revenue comes from water and wastewater utilities, whose core mission is to serve their communities. When I present the idea that they want to partner with a company that has sustainability outcomes embedded in its strategy, it resonates with them. This alignment makes it easier for me to advocate for sustainability among our business leaders and commercial teams.

I believe that, while we work in water, every industry has similar aspects to consider. If you can demonstrate how sustainability enhances the business strategy and supports every aspect of it, you’ll make a compelling case for why it’s not just a side project from corporate but a crucial enabler of success.

Margaret Jaouadi
Sustainability is so ingrained in the consciousness of people around the world that it has become a key driver of success and strategic differentiation. Without sustainability, companies would slowly fade away because they wouldn’t attract customers or partners. Those in the value chain will start to say, “Well, our customers expect us to work with companies that prioritize sustainability.” It’s no longer just a nice-to-have; it’s essential for the survival and future security of the entire company.

Austin Alexander
You make an excellent point, and it’s something I emphasize when speaking with colleagues around the world. While the term “sustainability” certainly has an environmental context, it is about the broader impact we leave behind and how we will thrive into the future.

We need to consider how sustainability helps us attract talent, win customers, and remain a successful business for the next 50 to 100 years. It’s crucial to recognize that sustainability involves not just environmental and social programs, but also strategies to support a company that will continue to contribute positively to the communities it serves for the long term. Keeping this broader perspective in mind is vital to our ongoing success.

Margaret Jaouadi
What tools, frameworks, or strategies have you found most effective for reinforcing sustainability as a core value within your organization?

Austin Alexander
As we have discussed, sustainability is all about culture. Las year, we refreshed and reinforced our corporate culture to centre on high-impact behaviors. Everything we do now aims to focus on the highest-impact areas. While we have been thinking about sustainability in this way for many years, we are now more explicit about identifying the activities that will yield the biggest outcomes for our communities, and dedicating majority of our time and resource to those areas.
This has been instrumental in solidifying how we view sustainability’s role within a high-impact organization.

Margaret Jaouadi
I’m sure that approach also helps you make decisions about where to focus your efforts. Do you sometimes find resistance within the organization, and how do you address resistance to change?

Austin Alexander
Resistance to change is common anywhere you go, including in an organization of 22,000 people, but change management is a critical part of sustainability. Communication about change and why we might be doing it is among the most important aspects of my role.

Sustainability can only succeed when you can effectively influence others to act.

That starts with education—helping people understand what the highest-impact areas are and why they matter to them and the business. I find that pointing to customer expectations is often the most effective strategy. It’s also about illustrating how sustainability affects employee engagement, turnover rates, and overall morale. Demonstrating how sustainability can enable their success is key. However, this process takes time and requires a lot of one-on-one conversations to make progress.

Margaret Jaouadi
Can you share an example of a recent success and the positive impact it had?

Austin Alexander
Certainly! I’d like to refer to our recent acquisition last year. One of the crown jewels of our sustainability efforts at Xylem is our Watermark program, which focuses on employee engagement and volunteering. Remarkably, about 90% of our employees participate in water-related activities through this program, which also includes philanthropic donations. It’s a crucial part of our culture.

When we integrated the new organization last year, we introduced this volunteer program, which was a new concept for many. It was made clear that being a leader at Xylem means engaging with Watermark and giving back to our communities. Naturally, we encountered some uncertainty among those experiencing new leadership and integrating into Xylem for the first time.

However, as we engage with more people in the organization, some have begun to realize how exciting and beneficial it is to participate in these activities. They see it as a fantastic opportunity to connect with colleagues and get to know their peers better.

This grassroots enthusiasm is starting to spark a fire of participation, and it’s been heartening to witness. That’s not something I can mandate; it has to come from genuine interest and a willingness to be part of the organization. Watching this transformation unfold has been truly rewarding and inspiring.

Margaret Jaouadi
How do you measure success in aligning culture with sustainability goals? Do you have any KPIs for that? What metrics do you find effective?

Austin Alexander
In sustainability, there’s certainly no shortage of them, so we always have something to point to. The challenge has been identifying which KPIs are the most important for our organization. While my team tracks many metrics, we’ve focused on those that have the highest impact on the biggest parts of our organization.

We then tie these key goals and metrics to other crucial areas, like executive compensation and our green financing programs. By identifying our highest-impact goals and embedding them in these various functions, we create a tangible connection from the top down.

Another important aspect for all employees is transparency. I’ve found that people value it immensely, regardless of their role. Being open about our goals—what we’re excelling at, what we’re struggling with, and what steps we’re taking to close any gaps—is critical. This transparency helps everyone understand why we’re pursuing these initiatives and where their roles fit into the larger picture.

It’s a continuous journey; I can’t say we’ve completely nailed it yet, but it’s evolving and improving as we go along.

Margaret Jaouadi
Are sustainability communications your department’s responsibility, or do you work cross-departmentally with areas like marketing? How does that collaboration work?

Austin Alexander
I like to think every department is the sustainability department! As I mentioned, we intentionally keep the sustainability team small and lean—we don’t want a massive corporate team. The reason is, that we need to rely on every single other department to get the job done, which is a good thing. It ensures that sustainability is integrated across the organization, not siloed.

Margaret Jaouadi
Is there a particular KPI that is closest to your heart? Something you pay the most attention to?

Austin Alexander
Yes, it’s our employee participation in the Watermark program. We track how many employees are volunteering and how much they’re volunteering every month. To me, that’s the first sign of how engaged our employees are—whether they feel connected to the company and its mission.

It’s an important indicator of how employees across the organization are feeling and acting month to month. I keep a close eye on that because if employees feel connected to our mission through programs like Watermark, all the other KPIs—like the environmental ones—will naturally follow. It’s that sense of connection that drives everything else.

Margaret Jaouadi
Looking ahead, what emerging trends or challenges do you foresee in the journey to align culture with sustainability goals?

Austin Alexander
We’re amid a transition when it comes to global and corporate sustainability, or ESG—whatever you want to call it. In Europe, reporting is becoming more regulated as a business requirement. In the U.S., we’re seeing varying degrees of politicization of ESG, which adds to the noise around sustainability.

I think the greatest risk companies face is letting either reporting requirements or political pressures drive their programs. Companies that will be successful in the long run are the ones that stay true to their mission and core values. Why are they pursuing sustainability in the first place? That needs to remain at the heart of it all. Regulations and reporting may come and go, but a strong mission and values are what set a company apart and guide it through the noise.

Margaret Jaouadi
You mentioned Europe and the U.S., but I recently came back from Thailand. When you travel, you see that people in different regions have entirely different goals and priorities. With Xylem being such a large company with 22,000 employees across numerous countries, how do you ensure the message is equally relevant and effective across the board?

Austin Alexander
That’s a great point, and it’s something I’m excited about when it comes to our revamped mission focused on water security which is a universal concern. If you’re human, you care about having access to drinking water and being able to shower or go to the bathroom. Those are basic needs we all share, regardless of where we live.

While our mission is simple and universal, how it plays out differs depending on the location. The challenges in Thailand and the U.S. may be vastly different, but our approach allows us to focus on what matters most to employees based on where they are in their careers, geographically, and in their personal lives. This way, we keep the core message relevant while making it meaningful for individuals in different contexts.

Ultimately, companies should focus on finding a simple core mission that resonates with human needs and can be translated globally. Despite our different circumstances, there are common themes we all want to experience in life.

Margaret Jaouadi
Thank you, Austin, for bringing sustainability at Xylem to light in such a compelling way.

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