#27 Can ESG Outweigh Profit? A Real Talk with Southwire’s General Counsel

What happens when a century-old manufacturer decides that sustainability isn’t a department — it’s the business itself? 

In this episode of the iMasons Podcast, I sit down with Burt Fealing, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Sustainability Officer at Southwire, to explore how one of America’s largest wire and cable companies is rewiring its operations for a carbon-neutral future. 

We talk about what it really takes to align five ESG pillars with commercial reality, how to trace embedded carbon all the way back to the mine, and what happens when transparency meets tough internal resistance. Burt shares lessons from Southwire’s journey to carbon neutrality by 2025, the breakthroughs that worked, and the strategies that didn’t. 

It’s a conversation about leadership under pressure, the courage to publish real data, and how sustainability becomes transformative only when it stops being convenient. If you want to hear what ESG looks like when it’s lived, not just written — this episode is for you. 

Guest:  

Burt Fealing, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Sustainability Officer at Southwire 

Moderator: Romain Tranchant, iMasons Innovation Committee Chair 

*** 

Infrastructure Masons (iMasons) is a global, non-profit, professional association of individuals connected and empowered to build a greater digital future for all. 

#iMasons #InfrastructureMasons #Innovation #ThoughtLeadership