Chief Sustainability Officers At Work: How CSOs Build Successful Sustainability and ESG Strategies

Read over 20 exclusive, in-depth interviews with chief sustainability officers (CSOs) of Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble and globally recognized brands such as IKEA and Netflix. These CSOs reveal how they deliver positive environmental and social impact through their companies’ core products and services and generate revenue growth while tackling unique leadership, change management, regulatory and stakeholder challenges.

Sustainability and environmental, social, governance (ESG) strategies are increasingly central to businesses’ growth strategy and risk management. As a result, the CSO has become more important as a driver of both revenue and strategy. Yet, no two CSOs are alike in their backgrounds, titles or even the scope of their roles. From former Peace Corps volunteers to supply chain experts, these C-suite leaders launch ambitious carbon emissions and net-zero goals, develop new products for a circular economy, target increasing the diversity of their company’s staff, align strategic projects to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and standardize reporting for the SEC, investors and more.

What You Will Learn

• How global multibillion dollar businesses in the United States, Europe and Asia structure their sustainability strategy
• How top sustainability executives drive both business value and positive environmental and social impact
• How CSOs landed in their roles without climbing a traditional career ladder

Who This Book Is For

Executives and board members generally or those establishing a sustainability or ESG strategy; current and aspiring CSOs and ESG leaders; business leaders partnering with sustainability leaders and teams; and students studying the integration of sustainability and business.

Advance praise for Chief Sustainability Officers At Work:

＂Chief sustainability officers play a critical role in supporting the broader business transition to a more just and sustainable global economy. Through dialogue with influential sustainability professionals, Chrissa brings to life the essential role in bridging gaps and helping to eliminate the divide between ＂traditional＂ business functions, senior leadership, and the sustainability teams to drive transformational change within their firms.＂ - Mindy Lubber, CEO and President, Ceres

＂Chief Sustainability Officers at Work, is a fresh new book by seasoned business leader Chrissa Pagitsas that offers succinct ways anyone can implement and achieve ESG goals - whether they own the company or simply aspire to improve its impact on people and the planet. Chrissa roots this book in her own experience leading change within major companies that not only improved the businesses where she worked but improved the markets within which they needed to thrive. This is a must read for a seasoned ESG practitioner as much as it is for the young professional just getting started. Chrissa knows it is imperative we all just get started doing better and she opens up the otherwise dark box of how-tos for all of us to do our part.＂ - Dana Bourland, SVP, The JPB Foundation and author of Gray to Green Communities: A Call to Action on the Housing and Climate Crises.

Chrissa Pagitsas is an independent advisor to senior executives on the intersection of environmental, social, governance (ESG) and global business. She is a trusted board member to non-profit and for-profit companies. Ms. Pagitsas is a sought-after public speaker on catalyzing business transformation through ESG, sustainability and green financing.

Ms. Pagitsas is the author of the book ＂Chief Sustainability Officers at Work＂ (Apress, 2022) which explores the leadership strategies of Chief Sustainability Officers at Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, Cognizant, DBS, Duke Energy, IKEA, Owens Corning, Procter & Gamble.

Ms. Pagitsas is responsible for market-transforming innovations including the first Green Commercial MBS in the US, a standardized energy audit for the commercial real estate market and the US EPA ENERGY STAR(R) 1 to 100 Score and Certification for Existing Multifamily.

As the first Vice President of ESG at a major US financial institution, Ms. Pagitsas launched the company’s Enterprise ESG Strategy and set ambitious goals to address environmental and social issues within the housing industry. Ms. Pagitsas also launched the Green Financing Business which issued over ＄51 billion in Green Bonds and became the largest issuer of Green Bonds globally.

Ms. Pagitsas has developed sustainability strategies for large real estate investors, advised USAID and energy clients on renewable energy solutions and delivered financial management software solutions for utility companies in the U.S. and Europe.

Ms. Pagitsas holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.