“You can’t expect a buyer, a merchandiser, an investor to sacrifice. It’s not fair to come to people and say, ‘Do the right thing.’ The way to move this group is clarity of purpose – showing them a cost-effective, light-touch way to have a positive impact. Very few people will say, ‘I want to have a negative impact,’ but they need a clear reason to change. ”
— Cornelia Gomez
Today, I’m talking with Cornelia Gomez, Global Head of Sustainability at General Atlantic. Cornelia is a leader who has uniquely merged corporate social responsibility with real-world business practices.
Born and raised in Paris, Cornelia’s culturally vibrant yet traditional family shaped her strong sense of justice and commitment to ethical business practices.
Starting her corporate journey at Group Casino, in Hong Kong, Cornelia took the lead on improving supply chain sustainability across Asia. Her work involved conducting audits, implementing system changes, and ensuring compliance with labor and environmental standards. She pushed for stronger accountability and higher sustainability benchmarks, driving meaningful change in an industry resistant to transformation.
Now at General Atlantic, Cornelia oversees ESG integration across the firm’s portfolio, spanning over 330 companies across 20+ countries. Under Cornelia’s leadership, sustainability has become a core pillar of the firm’s investment approach.
GA doesn’t see ESG as a checkbox exercise. Instead, they have developed a unique “value creation” framework based on three key triggers: revenue growth, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation. This approach ensures that sustainability initiatives are directly linked to financial performance, helping businesses grow while making a positive impact.
In this interview, Cornelia talks about the evolution of ESG and sustainability into private equity investing – from compliance-driven checklists to deeply integrated strategies that influence corporate governance and competitive advantage.
Tune in to learn more about GA’s pragmatic, data-driven approach to sustainability and how they integrate ESG principles to drive real-world value while ensuring long-term business growth
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.
What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Connect with Cornelia Gomez: LinkedIn
- General Atlantic website
- General Atlantic on LinkedIn
SHOW NOTES:
[00:00] Introduction
[01:27] Cornelia’s background and education
[13:16] Transition to business and sustainability
[15:22] Role at Group Casino and early challenges
[32:36] Move to France and role at PAI Partners
[36:33] Joining General Atlantic
[46:26] General Atlantic’s theory of change
[48:43] ESG integration in the investment life cycle
[01:01:48] Three key value creation triggers
[01:11:33] Using data collection and analysis to drive decision-making
[01:23:28] Sustainability challenges and opportunities
[01:29:47] Rapid Fire Questions
MORE CORNELIA GOMEZ QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW:
“Greenwashing doesn’t come from bad intentions – no one wakes up thinking, ‘Let me lie to the public.’ It comes from ignorance or overenthusiasm, generalizing one good initiative across an entire portfolio. The ESG space has been guilty of this, with a lack of control over commitments and targets in recent years. ”
— Cornelia Gomez
“Sustainability is still stuck in a negative perception, a sort of tick-the-box compliance loop. But if you focus on the huge investment opportunities presented by climate change, there is actually a way to make money. ”
— Cornelia Gomez
