Member Story: Anne N’Diaye, Founder and Director, Nature’s Brief

1. How did you get into CR&S, and why did you choose this profession?

I grew up in Germany, where sustainability was already much more part of everyday life — and a keen interest of my father, who ran homemade solar‑energy experiments in our garden.

I still began my career in marketing, working across agencies, FMCG, travel, entertainment and licensing, eventually becoming Marketing & Sales Strategy Director at Disney.  I loved the strategic work and great teams.

Things shifted when I read Project Drawdown in 2018 as it clarified what my work could contribute to. I didn’t wanted sustainability as a “top‑up” — I wanted it at the centre. So I pivoted my career and started Nature’s Brief, supported CISL, and now help organisations embed sustainability into culture and strategy.

2. What makes your sector unique from a CRS perspective?

We work at the intersection of sustainability, strategy, and organisational behaviour — the space where ambitious targets meet the realities of team involvement and delivery.

In working closely with sustainability teams, I see daily the depth of expertise they hold and the pressure of navigating science, regulation, and expectations that evolve at extraordinary speed. They carry huge responsibility, often while the rest of the business continues BAU, and the lack of shared understanding and broad stakeholder involvement slows progress.

My work strengthens their capacity: building internal and external support, creating shared understanding, and helping teams co‑create solutions that are both ambitious and workable.

3. What do you need to do your job brilliantly?

Nature’s Brief focuses on sustainability‑focused change management — training, keynotes, and tools that embed sustainability into an organisation’s DNA, with particular support for internal and external marketing and communication. To do our best work, we need leadership commitment that gives teams the time and space to engage meaningfully. We need permission to move beyond “learning” into action, embedding sustainability into processes, behaviours, and decisions. We need cross‑functional collaboration, where stakeholders co‑develop action plans and impact indicators. And we need human connection — seeing interest turn into commitment and empowered action is the most rewarding part of this work, and it’s something no online module can deliver.

4. What are the most essential skills for working in CRS?

• Embrace the squiggly career. CRS needs people who’ve worked across sectors, functions, and cultures. Your past experience isn’t a detour — it’s one of your greatest strengths.
• Envision the future you want to help build. A future where sustainability isn’t a job title alone but a shared responsibility across the business. That idea can guide your choices, conversations, and priorities — it’s how real change takes root.
• Always anchor in the business case. Many studies confirm that embracing sustainability drives resilience, innovation, talent attraction, risk reduction, and customer loyalty. Your role is to unlock those opportunities and help others see them too.
• Stay curious and stay learning. The field evolves so fast — systems thinking, behavioural science, regulation, climate literacy all matter. And don’t feel intimidated by not knowing everything; nobody does, because the landscape moves too quickly.
• Find your people. Communities like the ICRS make the journey less lonely and infinitely more energising (and fun).

5. What advice would you give to others on getting into CR&S?

I joined the ICRS a little over a year ago and immediately felt at home. The in-person events are a highlight - great speakers, refreshing discussions, and great to meet other members. It’s one of the few professional spaces where you can talk openly about the challenges — and leave feeling more energised.

Last year I joined the mentorship programme as a mentor, which has been brilliant. My mentee and I have rich, two‑way conversations, and the relationship is still ongoing. The programme is well designed, with insightful training for mentors and mentees at the start, and it genuinely creates value on both sides.

6. Anything else you’d like to share? 

I see myself as an extended arm for sustainability teams — someone who can help them build strong internal and external stakeholder engagement, catalyse projects, and translate sustainability objectives into business‑ready action. I love stepping into that “conduit” role: connecting dots, unlocking momentum, and helping organisations move from intention to implementation.

If you’re working on something that needs a strategic partner, a facilitator, or simply someone to help navigate the messy middle between ambition and BAU, I’d love to connect.