EXECUTIVE INSIGHT
An economist by training , Philippine de T ’ Serclaes has been working in the sustainability sector for nearly 25 years . She started her career in finance at Rothschild & Co , after which she joined JPMorgan Chase , before moving to the International Energy Agency ( IEA ) as a Senior Finance Policy Analyst , where her interest in sustainability was deepened .
After five years at the IEA and a PhD in Economics , Philippine joined Schneider Electric in Hong Kong , where , among executive roles , she oversaw strategic partnerships . In 2022 , she joined Dassault Systèmes as the Chief Sustainability Officer .
“ My career journey has always been driven by the idea of impact ,” she says . “ Having worked in finance at Rothschild & Co on emerging markets in North Africa and Eastern Europe , I ’ ve seen first-hand the effect that the lack of energy access has on people and the real consequences of climate change on access to resources .”
She shares her journey with Sustainability Magazine .
Q . WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK IN THE SUSTAINABILITY SPHERE ?
» The importance of sustainability has been prevalent throughout my career . Energy , climate change and the greater role of sustainability on intergenerational well-being and access to resources emerged at every step of the way and inspired me to seek opportunities where I could make the most impact .
“ Energy , climate change , and the greater role of sustainability on intergenerational wellbeing and access to resources emerged at every step of the way and inspired me to seek opportunities where I could make the most impact ”
My professional background has enabled me to consider sustainability from many angles . Early in my career , my perspectives were through the lens of finance and public service ; looking at how policies help create the right markets to enable the deployment of clean energy technologies . Recently , my focus has shifted to a business perspective , considering how technologies can help drive value across industries . This is my mission today as Chief Sustainability Officer at the global science and technology company Dassault Systèmes , which provides solutions to help customers accelerate their sustainability journeys . I joined the company two years ago and , in just the last six months , I have seen a significant evolution in customer objectives and a better understanding of how virtual twins can help them achieve these .
Given Dassault Systèmes ’ mission of harmonizing product , nature and life , in my role as CSO I am perfectly positioned to play a large role in advancing that mission for us and for our customers .