As society continues to navigate the climate crisis, the role of a chief sustainability officer (CSO) has never been more urgent or important. Today's CSO is expected to assess risk and build resilience, identify emerging opportunities, and influence the thinking and behaviour of businesses, investors, governments and regulators - all for the better.
Part of understanding and strengthening this ever-evolving role means unpacking the skillset required and the challenges faced. With that, Acre has launched a series of interviews with sustainability leaders across different industries, from around the world, to share their perspectives on the current and future role of the CSO.
The Evolution of the CSO's Role
How has the role and the sustainability leadership landscape developed over the last 3 years and how will it change in the coming 5 years?
The Skillset Required
What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to become a CSO? What skillsets and networks are needed to become future change-makers?
Reflection on COP26
Reflecting on COP26, what’s next for tackling the climate crisis?
Meet Your Hosts
-
Mike Barry
Director, Mikebarryeco Consultancy
Read more -
Harco J. Leertouwer
Managing Director - Europe
Read more -
Tanith Allen
Director - Sustainable Business - UK
Read more -
Catherine Harris
Director of Sustainable Business - US
Read more -
Greg Brittian
Head of Sustainable Business - APAC
Read more -
Johnny Goldsmith
Head of Infrastructure & Transportation - Sustainable Business - UK
Read more -
Rufus Bullough
Head of Technology - Sustainable Business - UK
Read more
Quotes from the Series
-
If the world is going to get towards net zero, if we are going to solve many of these wicked problems, whether it be climate change, whether it be world hunger, we have to engage Asia.
Founder & CEO
Outsourced Chief Sustainability Officer Asia
-
You need to prepare to be a game changer. We are challenging/revealing the status quo and looking at how things are done. We’re saying, “There could be a better way of doing this.” You need to be brave and prepared to fight many uphill battles. But it will pay off because once those points of why those changes are needed are understood, then people start to get on board. Once they see results, the level of satisfaction is out of this world.
Simeon Cheng - Group Director, Sustainability
Vitasoy International
-
“The changes are all around taking a holistic view of business and being able to translate that into a vision, into a strategy and practical actions. The requirements for the Chief Sustainability Officer have exploded and we have to be able to do all of those things, all of the time.”
Daniella Vega - Global Senior Vice President of Health & Sustainability
Ahold Delhaize
-
“Sustainability is something that should be embedded in everyone’s functions within the company and everyone should take responsibility for their part.”
Annamiek de Graaf - Specialist - Health & Sustainability
Ahold Delhaize
-
“Lose the emotion, lose the triple bottom line - it’s not about being pragmatic, it’s asking if your business is sustainable and if not why not.”
Tony Henshaw - Experienced Board Member
-
"Doing what I do is the best job in the world."
Julia Barrett - Chief Sustainability Officer
Willmott Dixon
-
“It’s now much more about working together. If you lead a team, it’s about finding cross-functioning teams, upskilling people and getting the right experts within the company on board. It’s about being the glue and facilitator, being consultative and empowering others - This is more important now than ever before."
Dorothée D'Herde - Head of Sustainable Business
Vodafone
-
"One call to action is to work across the company, work across your value chain and don’t be afraid to be bold. Make bold commitments and think bold."
Nicola Kimm - Chief Sustainability Officer
HeidelbergCement
-
“We need to train young people to be creative with the planning and with the execution of strategies that are either creating opportunities or creating risks”
Martin Kathriner - Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director
Coca Cola HBC
-
“In order to perform on such a level, you need to have past experience in sales, stakeholder engagement or supply chain - there are various areas of the business that interrelates with sustainability. The more background you have, the better it is”
Michael Dickstein - CSR Leader
-
"To be able to play your part alongside your peers in a leadership team, it helps to have business acumen. My advice would be to try and find a way to get that capability and insight as it’s so important. If you want to be strategic and play that strategic role, everything we are doing is about embedding it into a business strategy."
Miguel Veiga-Pestana - Chief Sustainability Officer
Reckitt
-
"When you get in your lane and you’re really curious about something there’s no stopping you. If you continually read and think about things in your life, you can build that picture of how you want to make an impact through your career."
Harriet Talbot - Global Sustainability Manager
Unilever
-
"When you are thinking about the Chief Sustainability Officer role, you have got to be curious - read, engage with others. I spend a lot of time reading different forms of media and other people’s opinions from different areas to really understand the big emerging macro-level issues."
Rebecca Marmot - Chief Sustainability Officer
Unilever
-
"In my view, the one person who is actually the Chief Sustainability Officer of a company is the CEO or the Managing Director. They have a viewpoint of what the customers are asking about from their head offices and marketing department, and therefore know what changes need to be made.”
Deeksha Vats - Chief Sustainability Officer
Aditya Birla Group
New Opportunities
Find Your Next Challenge
Operating globally from our offices in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific, we live by our values, and we are driven by our shared vision; brighter futures for all.
This is what drives us – the knowledge that we are providing organisations with outstanding talent, with the right skills to make the biggest impact in progressive organisations, across sustainability, climate change, corporate affairs & communications, corporate responsibility,ESG, impact investing, health & safety, environment and energy & clean technology.
-
Landscape Finance Manager
€Competitive
Amsterdam
Do you want to use your finance expertise for the benefit of holistic landscape restoration? Please read further! Acre has partnered with Commonl...
Apply now -
Interim Reporting Specialist
£Competitive
London
Do you have a proactive, client-focused approach when it comes to ESG? We are working with a communications consultancy that is looking for an ES...
Apply now -
Interim Environment and Sustainability Manager
£Competitive
England
Are you a seasoned senior environmental professional with a passion for driving positive change in the transport sector? We are working with a hi...
Apply now -
Senior Consumer Sector Analyst
£Competitive
London
We have partnered with a sustainability-focussed asset manager, who is looking for a Senior Consumer Sector Analyst to join their research team and...
Apply now -
Group Director of Sustainability & Impact
$Competitive
Singapore
Are you passionate about hospitality and sustainability? Are you looking for a role to truly make an impact? If the answer is YES, we'd like to hea...
Apply now -
Senior Director Structured Products
$Competitive
Toronto
Are you an energy professional with a deep understanding of power transactions? Acre has partnered with a one-of-a-kind renewable energy company ...
Apply now -
ESG Investment Analyst (Credit)
£Competitive
London
Are you an analyst committed to driving ESG into investment decisions? Our client is a global private equity investment firm present on three con...
Apply now -
Group Head of ESG
£Competitive
London
Does developing and leading an ESG strategy across a large group appeal to you? Do you want to be at the forefront of an organisation's sustainabil...
Apply now -
Group Sustainability Manager
£Competitive
Europe
Does developing an international sustainability strategy sound like the ideal new challenge for you? Acre is partnered with Safetykleen, a leadin...
Apply now -
Sustainability Consultant
€Competitive
Netherlands
Adviseur Duurzaamheid bij Arup Acre is trots om samen te werken met Arup, een wereldwijd toonaangevend ingenieurs-, ontwerp- en adviesbureau op zoe...
Apply now -
Manager - Impact Measurement & Valuation
€Competitive
Salzburg
Our client, ALDI SÜD, is a leading retailer operating in 11 countries with a focus on making quality products available to its customers at the rig...
Apply now -
ESG Manager
£Competitive
West Midlands
Are you looking for an opportunity to design, develop and implement a sustainability strategy for a global business? Acre is partnering with a gl...
Apply now -
ESG Manager
€Competitive
Ede
Are you ambitious when it comes to our impact on the planet? Are you an ESG expert willing to make a meaningful difference? If the answer is yes,...
Apply now -
Senior Sustainability Production Manager
£Competitive
London
Penguin Random House UK are the UK's largest publisher, made up of some 2,000 people and publishing over 1,500 books each year. The organisation ma...
Apply now -
Managing Director - Europe
€Competitive
Europe
Location: Remote, Based in the UK or The Netherlands Evolution Sustainability Group offers bespoke energy and sustainability consulting services ...
Apply now -
Multi Asset/Equity Analyst
£Competitive
London
Acre has partnered with a high-performing asset manager, who is looking for a Multi Asset/Equity Research Analyst to join their team in London. T...
Apply now -
Portfolio Manager, Private Equity - Sustainable Cities
€Competitive
Paris
Are you a seasoned financial professional with a strong commitment to driving sustainable urban development and decarbonisation? Here is an oppor...
Apply now -
Senior Sustainability Manager
€Competitive
Ratingen
Acre is partnering with one of Europe's leading B2B platforms for on-the-road payment solutions, DKV Mobility, on a search for a Senior Sustainabil...
Apply now -
Environmental Advisor
£40,000 - £45,000 + Car + Bonus
England
Are you an engaging sustainability professional who enjoys seeing first-hand the positive impact you can have in a dynamic environment? Are you mot...
Apply now -
Director, ESG & Sustainability Product Management
£Competitive
London
Does developing a more sustainable value chain and future through software as a service sound like the ideal new challenge for you? Acre is partn...
Apply now -
VP / Senior Investment Manager, Renewable Energy
€Competitive
Paris
Are you a seasoned investment professional passionate about the energy transition? Here is an opportunity to join a well-established and purpose-le...
Apply now -
Sustainability Specialist
$140-190K Base + Competitve Bonus
San Francisco
Acre is thrilled to partner with a leading global mid-market private equity firm, with strong ambitions pertaining to driving ESG innovation in thi...
Apply now -
Programme Manager, Capacity Building
€Competitive
Amsterdam
Do you understand the importance of continuous improvement for farmers in the organic cotton and textiles sector? Do you have the drive to positive...
Apply now -
Investment Associate - Nature-based Solutions
£Competitive
London
Our client is an investment intelligence company. For over a decade, they have been a leader in the field of impact investments to scale nature-bas...
Apply now -
Senior Manager, Traceability
£65,000 - £80,000
England
Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global non-profit, multi-stakeholder initiative committed to building a world where leather is sourced, produced, ...
Apply now -
Investor Relations Associate
up to £75,000
London
Acre is supporting the recruitment of an Investor Relations Associate for an impact-driven growth private equity fund focused on transformative sol...
Apply now -
Head of Environmental Sustainability
£Competitive
London
Are you skilled in the intricacies of technical strategy and experienced in crafting and implementing net-zero strategies, particularly focusing on...
Apply now -
Senior Customer Success Manager
$110,000 - $130,000
United States of America
Acre has partnered with an energy SaaS startup that is revolutionizing the way commercial and industrial businesses reduce energy costs and enhance...
Apply now -
Executive Chair
£Competitive
London
Acre is delighted to be partnering with Greensphere Capital to identify and appoint an Executive Chair to Kew REACH (Restoration, Enhancement, Adap...
Apply now -
Director of Sustainability and Social Impact
$180,000 - $220,000
New York
Office location: New York, NY Reports to: Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Social Impact Work environment: In-office Other considered offi...
Apply now -
Fundraising Manager
€Competitive
Amsterdam
Do you want to make a positive difference to the future of people and our planet? Acre is supporting the Organic Cotton Accelerator in recruiting a...
Apply now -
Sustainability Principal
CAD$150,000 - $180,000 Base + Competitive Bonus
Toronto
Acre is thrilled to partner with a leading global investment manager in hiring a Principal of Sustainability to join the firm's Sustainable Investi...
Apply now -
Senior Director of Business Development and Investor Relations
$180,000 - $200,000 + Bonus
United States of America
Location: Remote (US-based, preference for EST time zone), plus travel. Our client is an asset manager dedicated to mobilizing private sector inv...
Apply now -
Business Development Manager - Carbon
$90,000 - $130,000
United States of America
Join the Climate Trust in Tackling Climate Change: Carbon Business Development Manager Needed! Acre is pleased to support the Climate Trust in th...
Apply now -
LCA Advisor
£40,000 + Broader Package
Oxfordshire
Does developing a more sustainable value chain and future through innovative industrial technology sound like the ideal new challenge for you? Ac...
Apply now -
Senior Investment Associate, Sustainable Cities
€Competitive
Paris
Are you a seasoned investment professional with a strong commitment to driving sustainable urban development and decarbonisation? Here is an oppo...
Apply now -
Carbon & ESG Reporting Manager
£Competitive
Cambridgeshire
Acre has partnered with a leading and dynamic agriculture business that is heavily committed to creating the right impact; having set their Science...
Apply now -
Paralegal Corporate and Compliance (Private Equity)
€Competitive
Paris
Are you a paralegal looking for the opportunity to join a market-leading, purpose-oriented private equity investor? This is a unique opportunity ...
Apply now -
Brand & Sales Manager
£Competitive
Ashford
Acre is collaborating with an exciting startup, set to disrupt the market with innovative solutions and a fresh approach, that is looking for a Pro...
Apply now -
Project Development Director
£Competitive
Ashford
Acre is collaborating with an exciting startup, set to disrupt the market with innovative solutions and a fresh approach, who are looking for a Pro...
Apply now -
Principal Engineer - Cryogenic Processes
$140,000 - $200,000 + Bonus, Shares, 401K, Healthcare
Houston
Acre has partnered with a publicly traded multi-billion-dollar startup that has piloted a first-of-a-kind energy production technology offering emi...
Apply now -
Country Head France
€Competitive
Paris
Are you looking for a strategic shaping role with a global footprint? Do you want to lead innovative, technically driven consultancy to the world's...
Apply now -
Executive Assistant
€Competitive
Paris
Are you an Executive Assistant looking for the opportunity to join a market-leading, purpose-oriented private equity investor? This is a unique o...
Apply now -
Sustainable Sourcing Lead
€Competitive
Amsterdam
Are you a procurement professional who wants to have an impact at the global level? Unwrap your full potential at Perfetti Van Melle. Perfetti Va...
Apply now -
Director of Pilot Plant & Testing
$180k - $220k + 401k, Equity, Healthcare
New Jersey
Acre has partnered with an exciting start-up in the rapidly growing Carbon Repurposing/Utilization industry that has created a desperately needed a...
Apply now
Our Latest Episodes
-
Episode 4 • OCSO Asia
Joining us for the fourth episode of the 'Future of the CSO - APAC' series is Dr Darian Mcbain - Founder & CEO of Outsourced Chief Sustainability Officer Asia, an organisation that provides global sustainability consulting and strategic advisory services from experienced CSOs. She has over 20 years of experience in sustainability, working for corporates, government, the UN, academia and NGOs.
-
Episode 3 • Vitasoy International
Joining us for the third episode of the 'Future of the CSO - APAC' series is Simeon Cheng - Group Director, Sustainability at Vitasoy International, an international food and beverage company publicly listed in Hong Kong. He is a sustainability professional with 25 years of experience leading the development of sustainability strategies and overseeing implementation in consultancy and corporate environments.
-
Episode 2 • Digital Standards Initiative
Joining us for the second episode of the 'Future of the CSO - APAC' series is Pamela Mar, Managing Director of the Digital Standards Initiative and former Executive Vice President – Knowledge & Applications at the Fung Group. At the time of the interview, Pam led the Fung Academy’s knowledge generation, application, and dissemination in support of the Fung Group’s business success and readiness for the future. Her ongoing dedication to the industry, knowledge and passion made her the ideal interviewee for episode 2.
Who is Involved?
Acre
At Acre, we work with the most aspirational businesses with the potential to make real change; from those who are just starting out to those who are well on their journey to crafting a legacy. Our two decades of experience in sustainability recruitment, combined with our extensive global network, enables us to provide talent solutions that are designed to deliver this change.
Through our unique behavioural assessment technology, we also understand the types of people, skills and behaviours required to create impact.
Patricia Dwyer, CEO at The Purpose Business
Co-Host of our APAC 'Future of the CSO' Interviews
Pat is an internationally-respected sustainability expert, passionate about sharing her 20+ years of experience and leadership to help businesses in Asia thrive through responsible growth. She has guest lectured, spoken and moderated across global platforms including The Obama Foundation, The World Economic Forum, The Thomson Reuters Foundation, The University of Cambridge and The Climate Competent Boards Certificate Program, sharing her insights in sustainability, purpose, leadership and governance.
Pat and her team of globally-experienced sustainability and business practitioners across industry, academia, NGOs and government at The Purpose Business, guide companies to activate purpose, address ESG impacts and scale sustainability responsibly, in order to future-proof their business. Pat has advised and worked with blue chip companies including MTR, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Marsh Asia, Cathay Pacific, Jardine Matheson, Swire Properties, Universal Robina, Metro Pacific Investment Corporation, and Ayala.
Mike Barry, Director at mikebarryeco
Co-Host of our UK & European 'Future of the CSO' Interviews
Mike is a leader in sustainable change. During his time at M&S, he helped evolve Plan A to become a change management programme designed to make sustainability 'how M&S did business'. The business achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status, moved to 100% renewable electricity and achieved carbon neutrality across its global estate of stores, offices and warehouses. Having worked at an international level of business, with charities, with think tanks, and with start-ups, he has a broad array of experience. Upon leaving M&S he formed mikebarryeco ltd in order to support organisations across society and the economy to deliver sustainable change.
Watch the Full Series Here
-
the future of the cso
16 November 2022
Episode 2 • The Digital Standards Initiative • The Future of the CSO • APAC • Pamela Mar
Read more -
sustainability recruitment
climate change recruitment
19 October 2022
Episode 1 • UOB • The Future of the CSO • APAC • Eric Lim
Read more -
featured video
the future of the cso
21 June 2022
Episode 9 • HeidelbergCement • The Future of the CSO • EU • Nicola Kimm
Read more -
the future of the cso
16 May 2022
Episode 8 • Coca Cola HBC • The Future of the CSO • EU • Michael Dickstein
Read more -
sustainability recruitment
the future of the cso
03 May 2022
Episode 7 • Unilever • The Future of the CSO • UK • Rebecca Marmot
Read more -
the future of the cso
27 April 2022
Episode 6 • Reckitt • The Future of the CSO • UK • Miguel Veiga-Pestana
Read more