How Renae Kezar will Lead Sustainability at Baxter

Healthcare giant Baxter International has chosen Renae Kezar to be its new Chief Sustainability Officer.

Her appointment comes just a few weeks after Andrew Hider was made the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. 

Her diverse sustainability experience stretches across previous roles with organisations like Johnson Controls, Avery Dennison and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

When announcing the news on LinkedIn, Renae said: “This role is deeply meaningful to me because of what it represents. 

“The chance to lead with purpose, to help drive environmental and social change and to collaborate with passionate people who are committed to making healthcare more sustainable. 

“At Baxter, I’ll be working alongside brilliant minds to advance initiatives that protect our planet while delivering life-saving therapies and technologies.

“Huge thanks to the many mentors, colleagues and friends who have encouraged, challenged and supported me along the way. I would not have had this opportunity without you. Looking forward to what’s ahead, and to learning alongside some incredible people.”

Renae Kezar’s career so far

Renae Kezar began her career with a BSIE from Purdue University and later acquired a MSIE with a focus on nano-structured materials from the same institution.

She later achieved an Executive MBA from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. 

Renae held a variety of roles at Avery Dennison in the past, including Global Marketing Director and Global Senior Director, Sustainability. 

She joined Johnson Controls in 2021 as Global VP, Head of Sustainability Strategy and Deployment.

At the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Renae was a Liaison Delegate before becoming Co-Chair for Built Environment. 

Alongside her role as Chief Sustainability Officer at Baxter, she is a Board Member at the Midwest Sustainability Network. 

About Baxter

Baxter, established in 1931, is an American multinational healthcare enterprise headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.

With a workforce of about 38,000, Baxter’s operations span a wide spectrum covering medical products and therapies, healthcare systems and technologies and pharmaceuticals.

The company was originally founded to manufacture and distribute intravenous therapy solutions and expanded to cover wider healthcare. 

Andrew Hider was appointed as Baxter’s Chief Executive Officer on 7 July 2025 along with a new board of directors. 

Sustainability at Baxter

In 1997, Baxter produced a report that showed efforts to reduce its environmental impact generated savings exceeding their cost. 

The company set sustainability goals and began producing sustainability reports, which it has consistently continued for more than 30 years.

In 2009, it announced that it had achieved its 2010 goal early, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 20%.

By 2040 it aims to achieve carbon neutrality for its direct operations.

Baxter’s 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report, released in June, 2025, says that the company reduced its operational greenhouse gas emissions to 501,000 tCO₂e, an 18.8% reduction from 2020. 

The report says that 99% of its emissions come from energy use, so it is focussed on decreasing this. 

Baxter invested US$12m to complete 175 energy projects across its manufacturing sites in 2024 and estimates this will save approximately 74 GWh each year. 

Renewable energy also plays a role in this strategy, accounting for 36% of the company’s energy use for operations by the end of 2024. 

It completed four on-site solar installations and installed a biomass fired steam generator at its site in Ahmedabad, India to replace an oil fired boiler. 

Baxter also purchased 5.4 GW of electricity generated from certified renewable sources during the year.