John Swire & Sons, a diversified conglomerate that owns brands including Cathay Pacific Airways and Swire Shipping, has appointed Mark Harper as the company’s group head of sustainability.
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Harper has been promoted from the position of group sustainable development manager, a role he held for more than six years, and replaces outgoing sustainability chief Mark Watson.
Based in Hong Kong, Harper has a brief to deliver on the group’s SwireTHRIVE sustainability strategy. The group aims to reach net-zero carbon emissions, water neutrality and zero waste to landfill by 2050.
Watson moves on after 14 years with Swire Group, the last seven running John Swire & Sons’ sustainability function. He was previously head of environmental affairs for Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific.
His next move was unclear at the time of publishing.
Harper starts in his new role on Thursday.
Prior to Swire, Harper held a number of management roles non-government organisations including the Earthwatch Institute, Fauna & Flora International, China Water Risk, and Business Environment Council of Hong Kong, where he was responsible for managing the organisations’ advisory services on environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting and corporate sustainability strategy development.
His appointment comes two months after John Swire & Sons’ diversity and inclusion head Olivia Wong left Swire Group after more than 30 years to join Hong Kong subway operator MTR‘s sustainability team.
