On April 22, 2025, students at the University of Maryland heard from Nira Johri, KFC’s first chief sustainability officer, during a guest lecture in BMGT468, a management and organization course taught by Nima Farshchi.
More than 80 students registered for the event, with an additional 20 students from the class in attendance. Johri shared insights from her career and discussed KFC’s global Done the Right Way strategy, which focuses on making a positive impact on people, food and the planet.
With experience at Unilever, Rich Products and through partnerships with companies such as Mars, Nestlé and Cargill, Johri discussed how businesses are working to be more sustainable. She also spoke about her time in the Obama administration, where she worked on Asia-Pacific policy.
Students learned how KFC is approaching sustainability differently in markets around the world and what trends are shaping the restaurant industry today. Johri emphasized the importance of aligning business goals with environmental and social responsibility.
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