Sustainability and Competitive Advantage

This book aims to link a company’s investments in sustainability to enhanced competitive advantage. It allows a rare inside view across different companies (drawn from large and small-sized as well as across public and private sectors), that have made deep commitments to sustainable practices. While each case opens up a unique situation, the common thread is the non-linear trajectory of these sustainability programs. The reader can draw powerful insights from these select companies’ progress from vision to execution, right up to measurable outcomes or, even course correction. While the motivations for each corporation to initiate sustainability programs may have been different, the tangible benefits of the investments provide empirical evidence of the strong relationship to value creation.

The selected organisations that feature here are the result of deep conversations with multiple stakeholders including CEOs, C-Suite, and senior functional heads as well as sustainability professionals in HQ roles. With its focus towards practitioners, it integrates concepts and theories for a better understanding of the practices, approaches, systems, and decisions.

The pivotal role of leadership not just in in setting sustainability goals but also in supporting the journey at crucial milestones and embedding the right culture, emerges. This book will be useful to the students, researchers, teachers of Strategy, Sustainability, and Environmental studies, ESG, Environmental science, Sociology, and Public Administration. We hope this book motivates and galvanizes more momentum in research and practice so that we can preserve our dying planet in a more judicious manner.

Author Biography

Jacqueline Pereira Mundkur has a rich and diverse career path that includes 25+ years of multi-sectoral experience including CXO level roles in Marketing strategy, Operations and Customer experience. She is CEO, The Nxt Levels Advisory and is also associated with School of Business Management, NMIMS Mumbai as Adjunct Faculty in Marketing. She is an Independent Director and also, mentors startups that operate in the CX- Tech and Marketing-Tech space. Her first book on Customer Experience (The Customer First Mindset, 2022) published globally was very well received. She has also published several Case Studies in reputed global journals covering topics of Marketing Strategy, Sustainability and Customer Experience and contributes to business publications.

An invited Guest Speaker at many academic institutions in India, she is also an invited Speaker at Industry Forums the UAE and in Portugal. She also has conducted workshops and seminars in the UAE, UK, and Singapore. She has been priveleged to mentor several senior level women leaders to reach their potential.

Srinivasan R. Iyengar is a distinguished academician, consultant, Ted’x speaker and trainer with significant contributions in the fields of management and business education. He was Director at Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai, one of India’s premier business schools. His areas of expertise include strategic management, business innovation, leadership, and corporate governance. He is visiting faculty at IIM Indore, Mumbai, and Sambalpur.

Dr. Iyengar has a rich academic background, having published numerous textbooks, case studies and research papers in reputed national and international journals. He is a recognized speaker at various national and international forums and has conducted corporate training sessions for numerous leading organizations.