Lead the Change

What’s changing in the circular economy—and what does it mean for sustainability professionals?

In our News You Can Use series, we’re checking in with Bard MBA in Sustainability alumni and faculty to get their perspectives on the trends shaping their industries and what they mean for sustainability professionals.

This week, we’re talking circular economy with Sarah Haworth ‘24, Senior Resale Manager Worldwide Recommerce at Amazon; Camila Leal ‘24, Utilities and Decarbonization Procurement Lead at Unilever North America; and John Holm, Bard MBA Faculty Member and Senior VP for Partnerships at Pyxera Global.

What trends are you seeing in the circular economy?

From the growth of resale and AI-powered tools to corporate decarbonization and changes in material sourcing, the circular economy is evolving across industries. Here’s what our alumni and faculty are seeing in their work.

Sarah: There are a couple of exciting shifts happening simultaneously right now, and they're reinforcing each other.

The first is that consumer demand for resale and non-new products has firmly taken hold as a core behavioral shift. According to The RealReal's recently published resale report, 93% of consumers now shop online for preowned items, and the existence of a viable secondhand market is also changing the consumer calculus around price and value. The same report notes that 47% of shoppers now factor in a garment's resale value when making a purchase.

The second is that the proliferation of AI tools has streamlined the resale experience on both sides of the market. For sellers, AI is addressing longstanding bottlenecks in what has always been a one-of-one product marketplace, accelerating item evaluation, authenticating products, and streamlining listing and pricing. For consumers, AI is improving shoppability through tools like visual search.

Together, these improvements drive better business outcomes: streamlined processes for businesses and consignors lead to better selection and increased consumer trust, which in turn support a virtuous cycle where consumers can find and shop the products they want more easily.

Camila: The most exciting trend is the evolution from simply buying renewable energy to building comprehensive decarbonization strategies. Companies are now evaluating renewable energy, storage, flexibility, and carbon reduction solutions together, creating a more resilient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy future.

John: Policies, subsidies, and incentives that can potentially unlock local material procurement (via critical minerals) at scale. Large scale industrial decarbonization is a necessary component to mitigate global warming and we are beginning to see the seeds to shift a regenerative transition emerge.

What is your number one career advice for sustainability job seekers?

For sustainability job seekers, practical experience, professional relationships, and an understanding of how sustainability creates business value can help open doors. Our alumni and faculty also point to procurement and supply chain as areas where sustainability professionals can build valuable cross-functional experience.

Sarah: The traditional job hunt — apply online, do a phone screen, then a couple of interview rounds — isn't really working right now, for a variety of reasons including AI utilization across the board in resume writing and screening, recruiter screens, and more. So the key is to be out making a name for yourself in the industry in the real world, prioritizing work experience and connections.

I'd recommend people focus on gaining practical skills. If there are consulting opportunities or volunteer work available that give you hands-on exposure to operationalizing circularity, I'd explore those as a resume builder while you're looking for work. The Bard network is a great place to start, and most municipalities also have volunteer advisory boards or working groups that can be a great resource. Use these opportunities to build your professional network. I'd also lean on these contacts to build a broader network of professionals by affinity group, and find ways to stay engaged with them, both through coffee chats and by providing value, like organizing opportunities for the group to gain exposure together.

Camila: View circular economy as a platform that can help mitigate corporate risk and create competitive advantage. In doing so, you can position yourselves as an even more valuable resource to the private sector.

John: My number one piece of advice for career seekers is to build your confidence. Confidence will help you take on new challenges, speak up, and pursue opportunities that may feel outside your comfort zone. I would also encourage sustainability professionals to consider roles in procurement, as it is a great starting point for learning about the world of supply chain.

Procurement provides exposure to suppliers, operations, finance, logistics, and strategy, giving you a strong foundation and a broad understanding of how businesses operate. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity to embed sustainability principles into sourcing strategies, allowing you to drive meaningful impact not only within your organization but also across the broader industry in which you operate.

What are the most valuable aspects of the Bard MBA education for you? 

Community, practical experience, systems thinking, and exposure to new ideas all came up when we asked what makes a Bard MBA education valuable. Here’s what Sarah, Camila, and John had to say.

Sarah: Community. From students and alumni to faculty and admin, the combination of depth and breadth of sustainability knowledge and industry connections is staggering. This is also the most energizing and creative group of people, whose commitment to supporting one another in creating positive change continues to inspire me constantly.

Also; the projects and coursework are designed specifically to give students up-to-date, practical experience, since the faculty are practitioners in the field themselves. This means every project is an opportunity to gain real, tangible experience and expert feedback that you can continue to build on and utilize long after the course has concluded.

Camila: The broad exposure it provided. The MBA gave me the opportunity to step away from my day-to-day responsibilities and think beyond my immediate role, organization, and industry. It challenged me to learn from diverse perspectives and stay connected to broader business, societal, and economic trends. In a rapidly changing world, that perspective is invaluable.

Also, the opportunity for personal and professional growth. The program helped me develop critical skills such as strategic thinking, leadership, collaboration, and decision-making, all of which continue to shape how I approach challenges today.

What makes the Bard MBA unique is its ability to connect business strategy with environmental, social, and economic challenges. That perspective is increasingly valuable in today's corporate environment, where leaders must balance business performance with broader stakeholder expectations and create meaningful impact across their organizations and industries.

John: I focus on two key ideas in my teaching: Viewing the world through a systems lens and how to potentially leverage the power the private sector has on our governments, academic institutions and civil society institutions to solve some of the most pressing problems of our time. And advocacy - In a time of boundless negativity, helping students when I can to find agency on making the world a better place.

What’s next for the circular economy?

If there’s a common thread here, it’s that the circular economy is becoming increasingly connected to how businesses actually operate—from procurement and energy to supply chains and resale. That creates opportunities for sustainability professionals who understand both the systems that need to change and how to make that change happen inside organizations.

Want to build the skills to help lead that work?