Karen Blanks Ellis Recognized on Forbes 50 Over 50 List for 2026 for Innovation

After nearly two decades leading environmental initiatives across FedEx, one of the world's largest transportation networks, chemical engineer Karen Blanks Ellis became the company's chief sustainability officer in 2024. She now oversees efforts to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. Since the company set that goal, absolute emissions from FedEx-controlled operations have declined by more than 15%, even as package volume has more than doubled. In 2025, FedEx executed sustainable aviation fuel agreements covering more than 16.5 million gallons of lower-emissions blended jet fuel and expanded its electric vehicle fleet to six continents.

To learn more about Forbes' 50 Over 50 List, click here.