Inspiring Sustainability Leaders: How Voya Engages Employees in Action

Every October, thousands of people come together for the People’s Ecochallenge, a month-long team sustainability challenge hosted by Ecochallenge.org. Teams across workplaces, campuses, and communities take on sustainability actions that show how small steps can add up to big impact. It’s one way that corporate sustainability leadership and workplace sustainability programs come to life.

This year, we’re spotlighting leaders who help drive that change — people who show what corporate sustainability leadership looks like in action. One of those leaders is Ewan Goddard, Director of Strategic Planning at Voya, a company known for its strong workplace environmental stewardship programs, and Chair of Voya’s Environmental Stewardship Council.

A Sustainability Journey Across Continents

For Ewan, environmental stewardship isn’t just part of his job – it’s been part of his worldview since childhood. Growing up in Australia, he saw firsthand how environmental challenges shape communities.

“Environmental factors are ever-present….Growing up with that, such as the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef, for example, it’s just ever-present in everything that we do. Environmental topics are very important to us as we think about connecting and living in our natural world and making sure that we can do it in a sustainable and ‘forever way.’ ”

Ewan has since lived on four continents, experiences that reinforced the connection between healthy ecosystems and thriving communities.

“Just those experiences and those exposures have really made sustainability something that is in my DNA to some degree and something I think about no matter where I’m living in the world.”

Ewan has woven his passion and understanding of environmental stewardship into his professional life, finding ways to connect his personal commitment to his work at Voya.

Building a Culture of Environmental Stewardship at Voya

At Voya, environmental stewardship is embedded into company culture through the Environmental Stewardship Council. The council is employee-led and supported by leadership with dedicated funding and time for participation. This structure empowers employees to take meaningful action in many engaging, fun ways, including:

● Local volunteering: tree plantings, river cleanups, and hands-on projects in communities where employees live and work.

● Creative fundraisers for local nonprofits: raffles, e-bike giveaways, and other initiatives that have raised over $100,000 in the last 4 years through Voya Foundation, employee donations, and Voya matching gifts to amplify their impact.

● Discussion courses: educational events and conversations based on Ecochallenge.org’s discussion courses that build understanding and connection.

● Participating in Ecochallenge events: four years of Earth Month Ecochallenge participation and this year’s sponsorship of the People’s Ecochallenge, with prizes and team activities that keep sustainability fun.

“Partnerships are probably the biggest win for me, particularly with Ecochallenge, and using the platform here to really educate, inspire, and get people excited about taking small steps towards big change.”

These programs show how employee engagement is a core part of Voya’s environmental stewardship programs, not an ‘extra.’ It’s part of how employees show up for their communities, the environment, and each other.

Beyond the Office: Sustainability Lessons from Beekeeping

Ewan’s passion for sustainability doesn’t stop at the office. At home, he’s also a beekeeper! Caring for pollinators has given him a deeper perspective on environmental health and resilience.

He recalled one summer when his hive began to swarm:

“I just heard this roar of bees, like a very loud buzz, which wasn’t normal, and they had started swarming [to look for a new home]. When they’re in this state, they actually are very docile… you can actually interact with them, very closely, and have them on your body and your hands, and they will not sting you or cause you any harm. I promptly gathered them all up with my hands and put them in a home, and they’ve been happy ever since.”

For Ewan, bees are more than a hobby — they’re a metaphor.

“They’re a bit of a litmus test on the health of your local environment. If they’re surviving and thriving, which they aren’t really right now, then you’ve got a really good, healthy ecosystem.”

Beekeeping also reminds him that thriving systems depend on many small contributions. Bees don’t work alone — it’s the collective effort of thousands that makes pollination, food production, and healthy ecosystems possible.

Everyday Sustainability Habits Add Up

When asked about an everyday sustainability habit, Ewan pointed to composting, which he learned about during Earth Month Ecochallenge – particularly how diverting food waste from landfills is so important.

“Now it’s just an easy and simple little thing that I do every day, just putting those banana peels and apple cores in the compost.”

For him, it’s a straightforward reminder that even the smallest actions matter. And that’s exactly what the People’s Ecochallenge is about: finding an action that inspires you — whether it’s composting, conserving energy, or connecting with your community — and discovering how those steps, multiplied across thousands of participants, add up to real change.

A Hopeful Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, Ewan envisions a future where sustainability is something that unites us, not something that divides, transcending politics and becoming a shared priority.

“I feel like, if we’re going to collectively work toward the vision I shared, we have to have the environment be on all sides so that everyone can play together in that space.”

He knows that lasting change requires collective effort:

“If more and more people are doing that every day, eventually you’ll get that critical mass, and we’ll start a community, collectively solving a problem.”

It’s a vision that aligns perfectly with the People’s Ecochallenge: thousands of individuals making small daily choices that add up to big systemic change.

Join the People’s Ecochallenge

Ewan’s story is a reminder that environmental stewardship is both impactful and joyful. From leading workplace programs at Voya to tending bees in his backyard, he shows that small actions add up to something much larger.

This October, find the action that inspires you and join thousands of others in the People’s Ecochallenge, a month-long team sustainability challenge hosted by Ecochallenge.org. Together, we can build a thriving future, one step at a time.

👉 Join the People’s Ecochallenge