Lena-Katharina Gerdes

I am a sustainability & financial services expert with more than seven years of experience, with the first project experience gathered 2013 in the food industry. Currently I support companies in their sustainable business model transformation as a sustainable finance consultant at Xinfinity GmbH. Prior, I was responsible for the “Sustainable Finance & Business Model Transformation” function and internal M&A Strategy (focus UK) at the international management consulting group Eraneos AG (former AWK Group). After completing my MSc in Economics & Strategy for Business at Imperial College London, I worked at Commerzbank London, where I supported the build-up of the equity research function focusing on German small & mid-caps. My most notable achievement at Commerzbank was the successful first-new emission IPO in Germany in 2019 (Frequentis AG), on which I was the primary analyst. Subsequently I worked as a researcher at the Centre for Climate Finance & Investment at Imperial College London, where I currently hold an Honorary Practice Associate position. In this role, I have contributed as an author and editor to the report series "Energy & Infrastructure Investing" in collaboration with the International Energy Agency (IEA). I bring academic and practical experience in sustainability processes and procedures, ESG reporting frameworks, implementation of sustainability in investment strategies, regulatory change & implementation, strategy, and international project management from the banking sector. In October 2022, I co-published a proof-of-concept study on sustainable innovation pathways with the aim to support companies, investors and governments in defining and operationalizing net-zero pathways in their investment and corporate strategies.