Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc. has announced that Michelle N. Butler has been appointed Vice President, Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) & Sustainability, reporting to the Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary.
In this new role, Butler will oversee the Company’s EHS & Sustainability policies, procedures, and operational initiatives to advance safety, health, incident and accident prevention, regulatory compliance, and environmental management performance. She will also lead the Company’s sustainability program and its Sustainability Committee to enhance environmental performance and product stewardship. She will also serve as a key member of the new Executive Sustainability Leadership Committee, which will oversee environmental, social, and governance initiatives, targets, performance, and disclosures.
Butler most recently served as Director of Sustainability at Wabtec Corporation, where she integrated their sustainability strategy into core processes and governance structures, developed a roadmap to achieve energy goals, enhanced external reporting, and supported the issuance of green bonds. She also led Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) in the Americas region.
“We are pleased to welcome Michelle and the expertise and leadership she brings to improve our EHS performance and expand our sustainability initiatives,” said Christopher L. Mapes, Lincoln’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our Higher Standard 2025 Strategy emphasizes innovation and operational excellence across the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pillars to achieve our 2025 sustainability goals and longer-term commitments to ensure our organization is aligned with our stakeholders and is operating by a higher standard to build a better world.”
In addition to her tenure at Wabtec, Butler served as the EHS Growth and Sustainability Leader at GE Transportation, Senior Pollution Prevention Engineer at the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, and held a variety of Health, Safety, and Environment roles of increasing responsibility at Eastman Kodak Company. Butler earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Howard University, a Master’s degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from Stanford University, and a dual Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan.
