Christopher Wellise

Christopher Wellise is a sustainability executive whose career spans business, science, and technology across several influential companies. Wellise began his career as an environmental and physical scientist with the U.S. Department of Interior, studying the impact of investment in pollution control systems on river and estuary ecosystems. His early grounding in environmental science, combined with a business-focused academic background, established a foundation for a career dedicated to integrating sustainability into corporate strategy. Wellise holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from San Diego State University and a Master of Science degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University.

Wellise spent more than a decade at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, serving in roles including director of ESG strategic initiatives and director of sustainability and social innovation. As chief sustainability officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, he led the development of the first science-based supply chain climate target and built a customer-facing sustainability team focused on revenue generation. During his tenure, the Living Progress Challenge—conceived, directed, and executed by Wellise—received the global Grand Prize for Innovation, leveraging crowdsourcing, design thinking, and co-creation to build technology solutions with positive environmental impact. He also received the GSCA Professional Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to sustainability within their organizations.

Wellise later served as director of worldwide sustainability and carbon at Amazon Web Services. In that role, he oversaw the development of the AWS Customer Carbon Footprint Tool. Following the tool's launch, AWS expanded its customer base from hundreds to tens of thousands in a short period, reflecting the growing demand for carbon transparency in cloud computing. Wellise represented AWS on sustainability topics at industry events such as MWC in Barcelona and engaged with analysts and media to explain how cloud migration can help organizations reduce their environmental footprint.

Wellise currently leads global sustainability for Equinix, a digital infrastructure company, having held similar positions at Amazon Web Services and Hewlett Packard. He and his team set sustainability strategy and key targets for the company, collaborating with executive leadership and the board to interpret changes in the external sustainability environment and determine strategic implications for Equinix. Wellise has participated in panel discussions at events such as NVIDIA GTC, addressing how artificial intelligence is transforming enterprise efficiency, data center performance, and sustainable operations at scale.

Wellise draws on his experience in business and science to analyze how organizations innovate, develop and market products, consume energy and natural resources, and manage waste streams. He has expertise in corporate sustainability concepts and leadership practices, with a comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing multinational companies in sustainable development, strategy, innovation, brand building, transparency, and reporting. His ability to translate complex environmental science into actionable business strategy positions him as a knowledgeable voice for audiences across industries.