Claudia S. Toussaint

Senior Vice President, Chief People and Sustainability Officer

Role at Xylem

Claudia is head of human resources and sustainability at Xylem. She is responsible for advancing people-centered strategies that enable colleagues to deliver on Xylem’s purpose – to empower customers and communities to build a more water-secure world. She also established the company’s sector-leading approach to sustainability, which supports Xylem’s long-term growth by aligning with customers’ needs of infrastructure resilience and affordability.

Claudia works with Xylem’s global human resources team to attract top talent and evolve the company’s culture, harnessing the power of colleagues to do their best work. Claudia was instrumental in bringing together Xylem and Evoqua, establishing Xylem’s “High-Impact Culture” to foster innovation, leadership, development, and accountability.

She leads the company’s sustainability strategies and corporate social responsibility programs for employees, customers, and other stakeholders. Under Claudia’s leadership, Xylem also has been recognized as a top performer across several prestigious sustainability rankings, including a “AAA” ESG rating from MSCI and a listing among the 2024 Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies.

Professional Background

Claudia joined Xylem in 2014 as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, serving in that capacity until 2022. She has more than 25 years of leadership experience in global enterprises and 30 years of legal experience, including as:

• Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Barnes Group Inc.
• General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Chief Ethics Officer for Embarq Corporation, a telecommunications company spun off from Sprint Nextel (now T-Mobile). She also held several positions of increasing responsibility at Sprint Nextel's predecessor companies
• Earlier in her career, Claudia served as an attorney at Morrison & Forrester LLP, an international law firm

Community Impact

Claudia is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and creating opportunities through mentorship. She serves as an executive sponsor for Xylem Ignite, the company’s global youth program. She also serves on the Board of EarthEcho, a global nonprofit organization focused on empowering and equipping youth to take action on environmental matters. At the University of California, UC Law, San Francisco, Claudia serves on the Alumni Association of Governors and its Employment Committee.

Education

Juris Doctor, University of California, UC Law, San Francisco

Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of California, Los Angeles