Hi, my name is Christian and I would like to give you some insights into a sustainability project I was recently involved in:

Sustainability has reached every part of our private and public lives. Governments, from around the world, convened in Paris to pledge enacting policies to limit global warming by 1.5 degrees. New protest movements like Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion regularly press for their demands in our cities. Companies are prompted to have a positive impact on our society, the environment, and to become a responsible employer. As Roland Berger, we support companies on their way to become more sustainable.

One of the companies embarking on their sustainability journey – a leading financial services firm – recently asked us for support. With our project team of Steffen, Hannah, Max and myself, we combined knowledge of the client, financial services and sustainability expertise. During our project work, we had many opportunities to complement each other's knowledge and skills.

For many of us, this was the first on-site project after a period of COVID-19-induced remote work. Looking back at hundreds of video calls, we were excited for the renewed opportunity of in-person exchange. Despite the additional precautions and restrictions, the project's day-to-day operations progressed smoothly – not too different from how we remembered our pre-pandemic work. Our client had a comprehensive hygiene concept in place, allowing us to collaborate and hold meetings. Good planning and execution are key to progression. Despite the challenges, our customers and we at Roland Berger have made great strides in aligning ourselves with the "new normal".

A thorough analysis of the client's current positioning is key to any successful strategy development project. Sustainability is no exception. To this end, we developed a comprehensive internal and external analysis of our client. Industry-specific conditions and requirements were addressed by extensive research and consultation of renowned experts. Building on top of these insights, we devised and aligned a sustainability strategy tailored to our client's needs and the competitive landscape. Supported by concrete initiatives, the groundwork for a successful transformation towards sustainable financial services has now been laid.

We are very pleased to have supported another client in developing an impactful sustainability strategy. Positive feedback from top management and members across the organization show that we delivered actionable and comprehensively aligned guidance. In no way less important, though, is the impact on our planet we helped to achieve through this project.