• Capellini will lead Bain’s global Sustainability Value Creation Solution, which integrates sustainability priorities into core business strategy.
• The appointment reflects growing demand for ESG programs that can deliver measurable financial and operational results.
• His remit includes Scope 3 decarbonization, circular economy models and sustainability-led product development across multiple industries.

Global consultancy Bain & Company has appointed Matteo Capellini as Global Head of its Sustainability Value Creation Solution, placing an experienced consumer and retail adviser at the centre of its global sustainability strategy.

The practice helps companies integrate environmental and social priorities into commercial decision-making. Its focus extends beyond regulatory compliance and corporate commitments. Bain aims to help clients turn sustainability programs into measurable sources of growth, efficiency and resilience.

The appointment comes as companies reassess their climate and ESG strategies amid economic pressure, regulatory change and political uncertainty. Many executives now face a more difficult task. They must maintain long-term sustainability goals while proving that investments support near-term business performance.

Bain said the leadership change comes in “a context where sustainability expectations are evolving at unprecedented speed, and where the ability to translate strategy into execution is becoming a true competitive advantage.”

Sustainability Moves Closer to Core Strategy

Capellini has worked at Bain since 2018 and most recently led the firm’s sustainability practice in Italy. He also connected Bain’s global sustainability and retail teams, acting as a key adviser on ESG issues across the retail sector.

He first joined Bain in 2008 before leaving in 2013 to become Global Product Marketing Director at Moleskine. That combination of consulting and operational experience gives him direct insight into how companies build, market and scale products.

His appointment reflects a broader shift in corporate sustainability. Companies are moving away from standalone ESG programs that operate separately from finance, procurement and product teams.

Instead, boards are asking sustainability leaders to demonstrate how climate action can reduce risk, improve margins or open new markets.

Federica Levato, Senior Partner and Head of Talent Italy at Bain & Company, said: “At a time when sustainability priorities are being challenged by markets, uncertainty, and regulation, Matteo’s experience—gained in fashion & luxury, food, and retail, and now extending across multiple industries—is exactly what our clients need to transform sustainability commitments into measurable results.”

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Scope 3 and Circularity Remain Central

Capellini advises companies on developing ESG strategies that can withstand policy, market and supply chain disruption. His work includes defining and implementing Scope 3 decarbonization roadmaps.

Scope 3 emissions often account for the majority of a company’s climate footprint. However, they remain difficult to measure and reduce because they sit across suppliers, logistics networks, product use and end-of-life treatment.

Capellini also focuses on circular economy strategies and the integration of sustainability into product portfolios. These areas have become more important as regulators increase scrutiny of product claims, waste and resource use.

For fashion, luxury and consumer goods companies, the financial stakes are particularly high. Businesses must manage material costs, supply chain exposure and changing customer expectations while preparing for tighter disclosure and product requirements.

Capellini is also Bain’s global lead for sustainability in fashion and luxury. He previously served as ESG lead for the firm’s Italian office.

In a post announcing the appointment, Capellini said: “I’ve watched plenty of sustainability programs get built as side projects, sitting next to the business rather than inside it, and then disappear the moment budgets tighten or the geopolitical picture shifts. The ones that survive, that actually scale, were never side projects to begin with. They were part of the strategy from day one.”

Execution Becomes the Competitive Test

The appointment comes during a period of growing scrutiny for corporate sustainability strategies. Companies face expanding climate disclosure requirements in several markets. At the same time, investors are demanding clearer links between ESG spending, financial performance and risk management.

This creates a governance challenge for boards and executive teams. Sustainability targets can no longer sit only with specialist departments. They increasingly affect capital allocation, sourcing, product design and corporate strategy.

For Bain, Capellini’s mandate will be to help clients close the gap between ambition and delivery. That means converting commitments into operating models, investment plans and commercial decisions that can survive changing market conditions.

The global relevance extends beyond any single industry. As sustainability policy fragments across regions, multinational companies will need strategies that remain commercially viable while meeting different regulatory expectations. The firms that embed sustainability into core decision-making will be better positioned to manage that complexity.