TOP 10 Most Read Thought Leaders of 2023 in ESG

Discover also our 2024 ranking of the Most Read Thought Leaders in the ESG, or enjoy our Thought Leader rankings of 2023 on Carbon, Climate Change, Social Responsibility, Energy and Overall. Explore how this year’s leaders compare to the most influential ESG voices of 2022!

We are proud to present the Most-Read Sustainability Thought Leaders in ESG worldwide, as recognized by illuminem, the leading platform in sustainability information and the largest expert network in the industry with 200,000+ loyal users and 1,300+ engaged Thought Leaders.

These Thought Leaders are reshaping sustainable investment strategies, advocating for transparency in corporate reporting, and facilitating policy changes that drive the global financial landscape to be equitable and socially responsible towards more sustainable business practices. 

Please help us congratulate the TOP 10 Sustainability Thought Leaders in ESG!

1️⃣ Harald Walkate - Founder of Finding Ways Ahead, Senior Fellow of the Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth of the University of Zurich
Country: Netherlands
Most-Read Thought Piece: Now we’re talking: why pension funds should engage with their members on ESG investing
Profile: Harald Walkate is the founding partner of Route17, an independent blended finance advisory. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University of Zurich Center for Sustainable Finance and Private Wealth (CSP). Previously he was the Head of ESG of Natixis Investment Managers and Global Head of Responsible Investment at Aegon Asset Management.

2️⃣ Gabriela Herculano - CEO & Co-Founder at iClima Earth
Country: Brazil
Most-Read Thought Piece: Green SPACs and the valley of death
Profile: Gabriela Herculano is co-founder of iClima Earth, an impact green fintech redefining climate change investments. She was previously an Executive Director at GE Capital and also serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees of British Friends of The Feuerstein Institute.

3️⃣ Jessica Burley - Investor at Planet A Ventures
Country: Germany
Most-Read Thought Piece: You can't change what you can't price: pricing climate risk and opportunity
Profile: Jessica Burley is an Investor at Planet A Ventures and a Member of the Global Women in VC network. Jessica is an active member in the climate ecosystem, leading the Berlin arm for both Climate Mosaic and Rising Tide. She previously worked at Blue Impact Ventures and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

4️⃣ Romie Goedicke - Co-Head of Nature at United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP-FI)
Country: Netherlands
Most-Read Thought Piece: Nature data: the last mile towards effective action by financial institutions
Profile: Romie Goedicke is a co-lead of the nature thematic at the UNEP Finance Initiative, the UN-convened network of banks, insurers and investors accelerating sustainable development. She is an expert in nature-related risk and disclosure, as well as mobilising environmental finance for biodiversity conservation and restoration.

5️⃣ Theo Vermaelen - Emeritus Professor of Finance at INSEAD
Country: France
Most-Read Thought Piece: Letter: don’t be misled by the climate change claims of ESG funds
Profile: Theo Vermaelen is an Emeritus Professor of Finance and the UBS Chair in Investment Banking. Professor Vermaelen has previously taught at the University of British Columbia, the Catholic University of Leuven, the London Business School, UCLA and the University of Chicago. He has published articles on corporate finance and investments in leading academic journals.

6️⃣ Kumar Venkat - Founder & CEO at Model Paths
Country: India
Most-Read Thought Piece: The 4 D’s of accelerating the transition: Ditch Disclosures, go Directly to Decarbonization
Profile: Kumar Venkat is the Founder and CEO of Model Paths. He served as the principal climate consultant for Climate Trajectories. In June 2021, he was appointed CTO of Planet FWD where he led the development of a best-in-class carbon accounting solution for the food and agriculture space.

7️⃣ Alex Hong - Executive Director at Digipulse Data
Country: Singapore
Most-Read Thought Piece: The future of data centres: how ESG data and analytics are revolutionizing sustainability IT
Profile: Alex Hong is the Executive Director of Digipulse Data and strategic advisor. He is the Chief Sustainability Coordinator of the Youth Networking Business Committee (YNBC). Alex is LinkedIn’s Top Voices (Green) in Singapore 2022 and represents the Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC) as the Ambassador of Southeast Asia. 

8️⃣ Markus Müller - Managing Director & CIO ESG Private Bank at Deutsche Bank
Country: Germany
Most-Read Thought Piece: Energy transition: the quest for emissions-free energy
Profile: Markus Müller is the Managing Director and CIO ESG Private Bank at Deutsche Bank. He is also a steering council member of Ocean Risk Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA). Markus is a columnist for the Global Policy Journal at Durham University. He is a renowned author, finishing his third book on India- the 21st Century, on its way to a postindustrial economy.

9️⃣ Cary Krosinsky - Lecturer at Yale University and Harvard University
Country: United States of America
Most-Read Thought Piece: Implications of the outperformance of active sustainable investing
Profile: Cary Krosinsky is a Lecturer at Yale University and Harvard University. He is also a member of the NYS Common Retirement Fund Decarbonization Advisory Panel. Cary is also the co-founder of the Sustainable Finance Institute (SFI) and is actively involved in various initiatives, including the US-China Better Relations Coalition, Real Impact Tracker, and the Carbon Tracker Initiative.

🔟 Owen Hewlett - CTO at The Gold Standard Foundation
Country: United Kingdom
Most-Read Thought Piece: A new era for corporate climate support
Profile: Owen Hewlett is CTO of The Gold Standard Foundation. He has held this position for the past 9 years, overseeing all the foundation's standards and assurance work as well as its technical policy, R&D and innovation. Owen also serves as the technical council member of Science Based Target Initiatives (SBTi). 

To the most read sustainability thought leaders in ESG, congratulations on your well-deserved recognition. Your commitment to excellence has set a high standard for us all, and we are excited to see the continued growth and innovation that will undoubtedly define the future of sustainability initiatives in 2024.

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