536: Every product role is a sustainability role – with Kaila Bryzgalski

Sustainable product management drives business success Watch on YouTube TLDR Sustainable product management integrates environmental considerations into the entire product lifecycle, creating value for businesses, customers, and the planet. Kaila Byrzgalski’s experience at Steelcase demonstrates how a dedicated sustainability role can bridge the gap between corporate environmental goals and product innovation. By approaching sustainability as a core business strategy rather than a separate initiative, product managers can discover opportunities to reduce costs, attract environmentally conscious customers, and build more resilient products. Key Topics * Cross-functional integration is essential – sustainability connects portfolio management, marketing, design, and operations * Three layers of sustainability exist in organizations: corporate reporting, product stories, and detailed product data * Lifecycle assessments help identify environmental hotspots and improvement opportunities in products * Sustainable materials innovation can simultaneously reduce costs and environmental impact * Business benefits include cost optimization, market expansion, and strengthened customer relationships * Getting started requires overcoming analysis paralysis by taking small, meaningful steps * Every role can be a sustainability role, with product managers uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change Introduction We’re diving deep into a topic that scarcely existed a decade ago: sustainable product management. Sustainability is no longer a buzzword—it’s a core strategy for product leaders like Kaila Bryzgalski at Steelcase. If you’ve ever wondered how sustainability improves product innovation and business success, this discussion is for you. You’ll gain insights into real-world practices from Kaila, a leader who’s created her role from scratch, making a tangible impact at Steelcase. Together, we’ll learn why sustainability is not only vital but also how to integrate it into product strategy.   Creating a Sustainable Product Management Role Steelcase has approached sustainability as part of its corporate DNA for over 100 years. The company has long valued “people and planet” alongside profit. This foundation made it possible for Kaila to create a specialized role focused on product sustainability marketing. The company employs what Kaila called a hub-and-spoke sustainability model: * The Hub: A central sustainability team of subject matter experts * The Spokes: Specialized sustainability roles in different departments: * Marketing * Operations * Supply management * Design Understanding a Portfolio Manager for Product Sustainability Role The portfolio manager for product sustainability position at Steelcase sits at the intersection of multiple departments. This cross-functional role connects brand communications, marketing, portfolio management, and product development with the sustainability hub and corporate ESG impact team. Kaila described managing what she called “the layers of sustainability”: Sustainability Layer Description