2026 NexGen Leader Award Recipient
Ayse Trail
Sustainability ManagerTE Connectivity
Award Category: Minimizing the Corporate Footprint
Ayse Trail, Sustainability Manager for TE Connectivity’s Aerospace, Defense & Marine (AD&M) business unit, was nominated for the NAEM NexGen Leaders Award in the Minimizing the Corporate Footprint focus area for her ability to translate sustainability strategy into measurable environmental, operational, and financial results across 25 global manufacturing sites.
Over the past three fiscal years, Trail has supported more than 130 sustainability projects, increasing implementation from 39 projects in FY24 to 63 in FY25, with FY26 on pace to exceed 70 projects; these initiatives generated more than $1 million in verified energy cost savings in FY25 and approximately $780,000 in FY26 to date, with most projects achieving payback in less than one year. Her leadership has contributed to reducing AD&M’s Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions from approximately 38,000 metric tons CO₂e in FY20 to just over 6,000 metric tons projected for FY26, increasing renewable electricity use to approximately 98.5%, achieving a greater than 99% year-over-year reduction in SF₆ usage at affected facilities, and expanding Zero Waste to Landfill certification from zero sites in 2024 to eleven by 2026. Trail has also created scalable programs including Sustainability Gembas, cross-business-unit Energy Treasure Hunts, the Sustainability Knowledge Sharing Hub, and the AD&M Green Team recognition program, while contributing to enterprise-wide improvements in waste management and data standardization.
Through collaborative leadership, technical expertise, continuous learning, employee and supplier education, industry thought leadership, and community environmental volunteerism, Trail has demonstrated the ability to influence without direct authority, build organizational sustainability capability, and deliver lasting environmental and business value.