Eckert has led environmental management within the Swiss insurance giant since 2007, which has won praise even from stringent environmental groups. With an education in physics, engineering, and business administration, Eckert began his career as an environment, health, and safety manager at industrial companies before joining Swiss Re in 2007. He is also director of the Swiss Climate Foundation, a coalition of financial industry firms that fund climate initiatives for small- and medium-sized businesses in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Swiss Re has made substantial environmental commitments under Eckert’s leadership, including a 2019 pledge to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. (It’s claimed to be carbon-neutral since 2013, but that was largely through purchasing carbon offsets.) Swiss Re was also one of the founders of RE100, a program run by Climate Group, which has signed on hundreds of companies worldwide to commit to 100% renewable energy. This year, Swiss Re won highest praise from the nonprofit group Transport and Environment’s Travel Smart campaign, which tracks global companies’ progress towards zero-emissions travel.
