Gayle Schueller, PhD

Gayle Schueller, PhD is the Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at 3M, a position she has held since March 2021.1 She has had an extensive career at 3M spanning over 30 years, during which she has held various leadership roles across different sectors of the company.23

Career at 3M

Schueller joined 3M right after completing her education, starting in the corporate laboratory as a product development engineer.2 Throughout her career, she has held several high-ranking positions within the company, including:

• Vice President for New Platforms
• Vice President for Global Sustainability
• Technical Director for various departments
• Director General in Mexico1

Her experience covers a broad range of businesses, from electronics to healthcare to consumer industries, and she has led technical and business teams from around the world, including Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America.2

Education

Gayle Schueller holds a PhD in Materials Science from the University of Virginia and a BS in Physics from the State University of New York College at Geneseo.1

Role as Chief Sustainability Officer

As the Chief Sustainability Officer, Schueller leads 3M's integrated strategy to deliver innovative solutions that meet customer sustainability challenges and operate in a way that advances environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic success for all 3M stakeholders.1 She was appointed to this role in June 2018, becoming the first person at 3M to approach sustainability as a business differentiator rather than just environmental compliance.34

Sustainability Initiatives

Under Schueller's leadership, 3M has implemented several key sustainability initiatives:

1. Aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)3
2. Forming the Sustainability and Product Stewardship Organization in 20184
3. Implementing a requirement since 2019 that every new 3M product must have a Sustainability Value Commitment5
4. Reducing global absolute emissions by 78% since 2002, including a 38% reduction since 20195

Schueller is passionate about making a positive impact in the world through science and technology, and she sees sustainability as a crucial focus for 3M's future.23