SUSTAINABILITY ( ESG ) OFFICER COMPANY : TELEFÓNICA INDUSTRY : TELECOMMUNICATIONS COUNTRY : SPAIN

As the Global Chief Sustainability Officer at Telefónica , Elena is working to reduce the company ’ s emissions to net zero by 2040 , with targets validated by the SBTi .

Elena explains : “ Our dedication to ESG principles has been evident long before the acronym existed .

“ In our early days , we were pioneers in promoting diversity by being one of the few companies to hire women . We ’ ve always placed our customers at the heart of our operations , as demonstrated in 1959 when we ensured customer inquiries were answered within 30 seconds .”

Telefónica aims to lead by example , embedding ESG across its business and supply chain with the highest ethical standards .

Elena was previously Director General of the Telefónica Foundation and holds a Masters Degree in Maritime Business from IME . She was Director General of DIRSE from 2019 to 2021 . “ The best is always yet to come and it depends on us ,” Elena says .

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