The CSO Role Is Evolving: A Strategic Partner to the CFO

The chief sustainability officer (CSO) is moving from a siloed function to a strategic, finance-aligned partner.

In this episode of The Pre-Read, Workiva Chief Sustainability Officer Mandi McReynolds sits down with Serena Oppenheim, co-founder of Fin-Erth, to discuss the need for a tighter integration between the CFO and the CSO, framing sustainability as enterprise risk management.

Serena Oppenheim explains why genuine community, not transactional networking, is the key to tackling big business problems. Learn about the power of the small ask—focusing on manageable tasks that impact business and society. Mandi and Serena also share: Why the CFO, CSO, and CIO worlds are starting to work together The growing frustration when the sustainability function sits in a silo How to build your own "table" with people who will challenge your thinking The importance of asking different questions in a new executive role

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction 01:50 Climate Week takeaways: The partnership of the CFO and CSO 03:30 Framing sustainability as enterprise risk management 04:20 Serena Oppenheim on building trust and community 05:15 The power of the small ask 07:10 Why traditional networking is awful for introverts 09:40 The accidental birth of Thin Earth as a community 12:50 Being intentional with C-suite relationships 17:00 How to build your own table with dissenters 20:45 Leaning into a different perspective at the executive table 25:00 Finding your business superpower to build your table 2 8:00 Driving strategy by looking at financial and sustainability data together