Deepening my understanding of sustainability

We spoke to past-student Marija Raspopović, to understand more about her motivations for joining CISL's Business Sustainability Management 8 week online course, and the outcomes and experiences that made this programme valuable for her.

What motivated you to attend the Business Sustainability Management course at Cambridge? 

Sustainability is at the very heart of my work as a strategist particularly through the ESG consultancy services that we offer and it is also one of my passions, I was driven by a desire to deepen my understanding of the topic, and the course offered me exactly that. It enabled me to go through a structured and comprehensive approach to embedding sustainability into core business strategies. This is what I needed to elevate my professional capabilities and be able to deliver my job in a better way. 

What challenges were you facing at that time and how did the course help you overcome these? 

The biggest challenge was the complexity of embedding sustainability into a business strategy for many different companies that operate in different areas. In this sense the course provided the framework, tools and real word case studies that clarified the processes and inspired me to do more and to do better, providing me with good guidance. 

Has the Business Sustainability Management course changed your perspective on business sustainability? 

It absolutely did; it helped me to understand and see sustainability as one of the key drivers of change, innovation and resilience. This was even more in the spotlight with global issues such as covid and it helped to create some long-term business value. Moreover, it reinforced the idea and my personal belief that sustainability is not just a responsibility towards society but an opportunity for growth and differentiation which is key when we talk to our customers, suppliers and stakeholders, this is one of the key aspects. 

How has the course impacted your career? 

The course enhanced my technical knowledge and improved my ability to communicate the business case to clients. Even though I work in the field of communication I believe the course offered some good frameworks to argue my case in a better way. My colleague and I went through the course and everything we learned strengthened our companies ESG offering which led to new opportunities and partnerships. 

Can you tell us of a project or initiative where you applied concepts from the course? 

We had the opportunity to work with an international company developed here in Montenegro to develop their localised ESG strategy and to bring down to country level all of the goals they set on a global level and help to map the priorities relevant for our country and leveraging some of the tools we gained from the course we conducted materiality assessments, set measurable sustainability goals and defined a local action plan that would help the company deliver results that would be integrated into the global report. The result was a document, and a set of activities implemented that improved their sustainability performance in the Montenegro market and to be recognised locally. 

What advice would you give to anyone considering a CISL online course? 

Go for it! The course is very well structed and engaging even though it is held online, it’s deeply impactful. Be prepared to challenge your thinking and perspectives on sustainability and be challenged by your peers because you’re going to get to communicate with them as a group and on the online platform to actively apply what you learn. The course requires commitment over the 7-weeks, but I believe the insights you gain make it entirely worth-it. 

How has the CISL Network supported your journey? 

The CISL network is very valuable, through the linked in group that I am a member of, we are all connected to a very diverse global community of professionals and I believe that among all of us we share this passion of sustainability, having this in common allows us to share ideas and provide inspiration on our separate journeys whether its private sector, government or academia it blends a variety of these experiences together. 

Anything you would like to add? 

I am grateful for the education and support provided during in the course, I believe that this has been instrumental in us completing the course successfully and I am excited to continue leveraging what I have learnt in my role as a strategist.