Katie Chrisler, Corporate EHS Manager; Bunzl North America

Katie Chrisler joined Bunzl Distribution in December 2015, where she is currently the Corporate Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Manager for North America. In that role, she has the privilege to work with a small, but dedicated team of five other EHS professionals who provide support to over 180 locations and 7,000 employees throughout North America.

Bunzl Distribution North America (BNA) is the largest division of Bunzl plc, an international distribution and outsourcing group headquartered in London. BNA supplies a range of products including outsourced food packaging, disposable supplies, and cleaning and safety supplies, serving all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Caribbean, and parts of Mexico. With a large geographical footprint and over 400,000 supply items, Bunzl is regarded as a leading supplier in North America with worldwide sales that exceed $10 billion.

Katie leads EHS education, communication, and strategic programs for the ever-expanding organization. Like most EHS professionals, Katie’s team leads through influence. “My team is all about engagement and partnerships,” she says. Whether it’s implementation of a new EHS management system, creation and facilitation of new training content, or evaluation of existing programs, Katie values input from key stakeholders, including field team members, at every step. This approach of “safety partners” vs. “safety cops” has made the BNA safety team very effective, seeing consistent reductions in incident frequency rate for over 10 years.

Katie holds a B.S. in chemistry and is currently pursuing her master’s in Public Health from the University of California – Berkeley (expected May 2021). Before Bunzl, Katie worked as a forensic drug chemist for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Crime Laboratory for approximately three years. This background has ensured that standard operating procedures and clear, concise communication are a “way of life” that Katie hopes to continue to bring in each of her endeavors.