I did my first Carbon Account engagement in 2008 when Danone asked our help so that they could print the CO2 footprint of a yogurt alongside the calories and price. 16 years after, we are not there yet! From there my passion for sustainability grew organically over time as I saw firsthand the critical role technology can play in helping businesses become more environmentally and socially responsible. In my work advising organizations on digital transformation strategies, I realized that sustainability should be a key driver and outcome, not an afterthought.    

There were actually two pivotal moments for me to decide to focus much more  on Sustainability:    

• The first one was Covid when the Governments of the world stopped the global economy to slow down the spread of a virus. I concluded that the same  determination would ultimately be shown for Sustainability: one way or  another, we would have to tackle the issue.    
• The second pivotal moment for me was helping launch SAP's sustainability solution offerings globally across 8 industries. I saw the immense opportunity to integrate ESG into core business processes and decision-making with solutions for holistic steering and reporting, climate action, circular economy, and sustainable procurement. Enabling our customers' sustainability transformations showed me the impact that is possible.    

I believe strongly that each company needs to do their share reducing environmental footprint: each has the potential to be a force for good and at the same time can reap immediate benefits from sustainable practices through lower costs, mitigated financial risks, better access to funding, enhanced  reputation, attracting talent, boosting morale, competitive advantages and  innovation.    

I'm also inspired by engaging in pro bono advisory with purpose-driven organizations like The Matcha Initiative that are making a real difference. The more I learn from sustainability thought leaders, the more convicted I become that leveraging technology for sustainability is one of the great  imperatives and opportunities of our time. Climate Action is definitely the next frontier when it comes to technology. I'm excited to continue driving this change.

At SAP, I led the global go-to-market and enablement for our sustainability solutions across 25+ industries (with 8 industries being top  priority). This included solutions for:    

• Holistic ESG steering and reporting  
• Climate action and carbon accounting  
• Enabling circular economy processes like responsible design, waste  management, recommerce, and material traceability    
• Sustainable procurement and responsible supply chains    
• Protecting employee health and safety  

By integrating sustainability capabilities into SAP's core ERP and supply chain applications used by more 400,000 organizations globally, and by delivering the "Green Ledger" when 87% of financial transactions in  the world touch an SAP system, we can drive impact at massive scale.    

However, I also observed the challenges companies face in setting the right sustainability goals, navigating regulations and green tech innovations, and  developing comprehensive roadmaps. This inspired me to start GreenFrog.ai, which is at this stage a study program to define how AI and SaaS (Software as a service) could help democratize sustainability transformation roadmap  definition, making it accessible and actionable for all companies. By commoditizing large parts of sustainability strategy with technology, we can help do-gooders like the members of The Matcha Initiative engage better with  businesses and ultimately have companies move faster into execution of concrete sustainability transformation programs, at scale.

One key challenge is moving sustainability from a peripheral  oncern to a core business priority on the CEO agenda. Sustainability is still too often siloed in a separate department rather than integrated  holistically. The effort is still very much on compliance rather than impact. CSO are often still seen as Innovation Leaders: they inspire, they bring  awareness, they communicate but they don't have the operational  responsibility to deliver.    

To overcome this, our approach to engage with customers focused on Business Model transformation discussions, and business process transformation to  ensure efficient use or resources, with concrete use cases by industry. Quantifying the business value and building ROI-positive business cases is also key. By calculating cost savings, risk mitigation, and revenue upside of sustainability initiatives, we can help executives see ESG as an opportunity and imperative rather than just a cost center. Engaging the CFO as a key stakeholder is also critical.    

Another challenge is change management and upskilling employees on sustainability. Driving ESG priorities requires new mindsets, skills and ways of working across the organization. To address this, I invested heavily in education and enablement. We rolled out comprehensive sustainability training  and developed a network of internal champions to build knowledge.

I'm extremely proud that I was able to be part of the inception of a full set of Sustainability solutions at SAP. I see a tremendous  potential in equipping enterprises with the tools to radically rethink their environmental footprint and enable circularity at scale.  

It is delivering tangible results at customers, which is the ultimate source of pride. For example, we worked with a leading consumer products company to help them design plastic packaging for recyclability and reuse, reducing waste by 20%. We also helped an industrial manufacturer implement a closed-loop takeback and remanufacturing program for used equipment, capturing significant untapped value.    

Seeing these kinds of results and hearing from customers about the central  role our solutions played in their sustainability strategies was immensely gratifying. It showed me that "sustainability by design" is possible when it's enabled by technology. That work creating tangible impact is what I'm most proud of.

• Transparency is the foundation of any robust sustainability strategy: Invest in robust data management and reporting to underpin your sustainability program. Put in place systems to track material ESG metrics, identify hotspots, and monitor progress. Leverage this data for storytelling and stakeholder engagement. But keep in mind this is only the foundation and dashboarding will not move the needle on your ESG KPIs.    
• Integrate sustainability into your core strategy and operations: the time for treating it as a siloed initiative to just meet compliance goals is  over. Look for ways to embed ESG considerations into everyday business decisions and processes. For that, think Top Line, Bottom Line and Green Line in each investment and build shared accountability across functions.    
• Think big and bold: we need sustainability moonshots, not just  incremental change. Set ambitious, science-based targets in line with the  scale of the challenge. Foster a culture of innovation that encourages disruptive ideas. Be willing to challenge entrenched ways of working and reimagine your business through a sustainability lens. Think regenerative business models, and radical business process reengineering for sustainability.

• Kick Start Help
• Best Practices sharing
• Experience Sharing
• Expertise Sharing

As a Buddy for The Matcha Initiative, I would be excited to  support users in the following ways:    

• Sharing best practices and lessons learned: Having led Business/IT transformations at and now building a startup focused on accelerating sustainable  business, I've gained a wealth of practical insights on what works (and  doesn't) in transforming a business and using IT. I'm keen to share these learnings with TMI users - from how to secure executive buy-in and build the business case, to rolling out sustainability data systems and navigating standards. Whenever users face challenges, I'm happy to troubleshoot based on my experience.    
• Providing technology guidance: A big part of my work has focused on harnessing digital tools and AI to drive business and sustainability outcomes. I can offer guidance to TMI users on building a sustainability technology roadmap - including recommendations on solutions for ESG data management, reporting, carbon accounting, supply chain traceability, and more. I'm also happy to discuss emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT and their potential sustainability applications. My goal is to empower users with the practical tech know-how to bring their sustainability visions to life.    
• Facilitating collaborations and introductions: Over the years, I've built an extensive network of business, IT and sustainability practitioners, domain experts, and technology partners. I'm always eager to connect people and ideas. For TMI users seeking collaborators, I'm happy to make introductions and help them find the right expertise and resources to advance their initiatives. I believe strongly in the power of partnerships to scale impact.    
• Serving as a thought partner and sounding board: I know firsthand that  business, IT and sustainability transformations can be complex and daunting.  Sometimes you need an informed outside perspective to pressure test your approach. I'm happy to serve as a thought partner to TMI users - be it  workshopping how to tackle a specific ESG challenge, brainstorming new initiative ideas, or exploring how to translate sustainability priorities into a coherent program and narrative. My aim is to be a source of honest, actionable feedback that helps users refine their thinking and approach.    
• Evangelizing and amplifying user efforts: TMI users are sustainability railblazers whose work deserves to be celebrated and spotlighted. I'm excited to champion their efforts within my own professional communities and networks. This could include nominating users for relevant speaking opportunities, featuring their work in my writing and content creation, or connecting them with media and other platforms to share their stories. My goal is to shine a light on the inspiring sustainability leadership happening within the TMI community. I would love to contribute to the expansion of TMI's network in Asia and beyond.

Strategy / Roadmap / IT solutions

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