Skill set
Alexis in a few words
Senior business leader with more than 20 years’ experience in driving strategic growth and performance for multibillion-dollar B2B (engineering, infrastructure, built environment) and B2C (consumer goods) companies.
Highlights include global leadership roles at Adidas and Arcadis, launching new business models, and development of products and services that enhanced brand value, customer / consumer engagement and drove strong business growth. Currently, advises businesses (from scale-ups to large PE and portfolio companies) on growth, innovation, sustainability and risk management.
→ Business Growth: skilled growth strategist with deep expertise in brand building, business model creation and product development. Successfully launched profitable new business units, product and service portfolios, and business development strategies for Adidas and Arcadis.
→ Innovation & Technology: innovation champion, empowering businesses to leverage cutting-edge solutions to drive performance. Builds deep networks with VCs, accelerators and startups, driving adoption of advanced technologies that enhance business capabilities and market competitiveness.
→ Sustainability: expert, advising on strategy, policy, governance and operations at board level, positioning businesses as industry leaders and mitigating fast-evolving risks through effective integration of sustainability policy, practice and behaviors across highly complex global businesses.
Experience
- HAASS CONSULTINGStrategy, Business Development, Growth, & Sustainability AdvisorySeptember 2024 - Today (9 months)Munich, GermanyAdvising climate tech scale-ups, private equity and portfolio companies on their climate strategy, growth, and sustainability needs. Net Zero transition & sustainability strategy advisor to Goldman Sachs PE portfolio companies (Treysta Engineering). Responsible for building the company’s sustainability strategy, sustainable services assessment and offering, regulatory preparation and data-driven decarbonization plan.
- ArcadisCHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICERFebruary 2021 - August 2024 (3 years and 7 months)Munich, GermanyFounding CSO at Arcadis, a €4.5bn global Design, Engineering, & Infrastructure company, headquartered in the Netherlands. Responsible for driving the company’s global sustainability strategy and budget, directing company’s capability building from within the Growth Function. Manager of 5 direct reports (team of 30), with cross functional coordination of 35+ embedded specialists worldwide.• Drove revenue growth through co-created sustainability roadmaps with business units, VC & start-up engagements, plus founding of new Global Sustainability Advisory service.• Developed key client sustainability criteria and embedded in digital account plans, resulting in YOY sales growth through gap analysis, business development, and sustainable solution upselling.• Led all engagement with Supervisory Board’s (SB) Sustainability Committee. Created company’s sustainability operating & governance model, launched new department & three-year business plan, securing ExCo and SB sign off.• Created company's sustainability strategy as well as CSRD and EU Taxonomy approach, achieving industry leading ESG ratings and 2035 Net Zero plan. Targets SBTi approved. Dropped Scope 1&2 emissions 65%, landed Scope 3 plan for reductions of 45% by 2029.
- adidasDIRECTOR SUSTAINABILITY, ADIDAS PURPOSEJanuary 2017 - January 2021 (4 years)Nuremberg, GermanyHead of Brand Sustainability Program under the umbrella of adidas Global Purpose, responsible for go to market for brand’s strategic business plan. Manager of 3 direct reports, with cross functional coordination of 18+ embedded specialists.• Drove 2020 + 2021 sustainability go-to-market plan & operations. Led cross-functional team to develop the marketing brief & business plan. Shepherded plan through to regional sales team handover & supported sell-in.• Kickstarted sustainability marketing & communications SWAT team (including concepts, comms, brand design, digital, CTC) to develop unified consumer-facing sustainability messaging and 2020 communications plan.• Facilitated development of sustainable product and brand messaging, launch of beta .com hub, & managed handover to a newly formed Brand Comms team.
Recommendations
Education
- BS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSGEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, School of Foreign Service2001BS | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
- Master of Science (MS)University of Michigan, School for Environment & Sustainability2007Business & Sustainability
- Masters of Business Administration (MBAUniversity of Michigan, Ross School of Business2007Business & Sustainability