Christina Andreou
Head of Global Sustainability, o9 Solutions
📍Amsterdam, NL
If you could describe yourself in one word, what would that be and why? Please explain with a short story or example.
Courageous. Since a young age, I was always curious to try new things and continuously learn and grow. Twelve years ago, I left Athens, my home country to pursue a Masters in Sustainability in Geneva, a choice that opened to me a whole new world of possibilities. Six years later, feeling quite limited in the choices I had there, I decided to take a job and move to Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Every time I move, there is always an element of discomfort and fear, but by making these moves, I discover new aspects of myself, along with different cultures.
Pledge 1% provides a framework for businesses to do good. Do you think it’s important for today’s corporate leaders to prioritize social impact?
Nowadays on the one hand the advancement of technology is unprecedented, with generative AI as an example. On the other hand, inequalities as well as huge challenges for nature and the environment continue to exist. The need for businesses to step up and use their resources to do good is needed as ever.
We as a company have Paul Polman’s “Net Positive” as North Star, we want the planet to be a better place because of o9’s positive impact, we make that happen first and foremost by utilizing our technology to streamline the supply chains of the most impactful companies in the world and we are well aware that we cannot make that happen without being an integral part of communities such as Pledge 1%, as well as Climate Pledge and UN Global Compact.
Do you give back to the community with your team and work? If so, what does this look like? Please feel free to add a specific story or experience.
At o9, we have built an employee impact program as part of the Pledge 1% community of WePledge. We support employees to donate time and funds to causes that inspire them, while at the same time we are evolving our company’s philanthropic efforts. In 2024, we are launching for the first time the “o9 Grant”, a program that will enable a selected non profit, in this case Make a Difference (MAD), to scale their technology capabilities of their programs to the community. I am very proud of the team that has put this program in place and is continuously striving to be best in class and also partner with other stakeholders in the philanthropy community to scale our impact.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
It comes from my MBA program. That the first draft of anything we prepare, should never be the final one. Even though that specific tip was regarding academic paper drafts, it highlights the importance of patience and iterations of our work. In the beginning any project is not perfect, but as we work on it, we have the chance to improve it and make it excellent.
This year’s International Women’s Day themes are focused on investing in women and inspiring inclusion. What can we do to make today’s workplaces more equitable and inclusive for women?
I think the best thing is to not expect them to think and behave like men, but rather to embrace their way of working and leading. And also to promote the idea of men supporting women, it's not only about women supporting women.
"I think the best thing is to not expect them to think and behave like men, but rather to embrace their way of working and leading. And also to promote the idea of men supporting women, it's not only about women supporting women."
What advice do you have for women who are just starting their career?
To follow their intuition. Oftentimes, there is a little voice telling us what to do next, we should not be afraid to follow it. Even if a step in your life or career doesn't make rational sense, if it makes sense to you at the given time, then do it, because you will be more authentic.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
Yes, many! Professionally, this is the year that we implement many strategic initiatives especially around our ESG transformation so I am eager to see what we achieve by the end of this year. Personally, first of all I signed up for a sprint triathlon in my home country in Greece in May, not sure why (!) as the training is quite demanding, but I am always looking to extend my limits and build my self confidence with these types of athletic initiatives.
Hobby wise, I am an electronic music DJ so it would be great to also play at some nice occasions as well.
