Marissa Pitchford didn’t plan to lead climate strategy. She started behind the scenes as an executive assistant at a global cybersecurity company — managing calendars, planning events, and supporting leadership. But she began to notice: her company could be doing more.

In this episode, Marissa shares how she turned that quiet awareness into a full-scale sustainability and corporate responsibility program at ESET North America. We talk about how to gain influence without a title, how to embed sustainability into everyday decisions, and what it really takes to lead change from the inside out.

Whether you're in operations, admin, HR, or tech — this is an inspiring reminder that any job can be a climate job.

⏱️ Chapter Markers:

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:15 ESET: Company Overview and Role Evolution

02:06 Sustainability Journey Begins

05:31 Transforming Philanthropy into Corporate Social Responsibility

07:33 Doing a Materiality Assessment

08:35 Building a Strategic Framework for Sustainability

11:28 Aligning to Company Values

13:10 Navigating Change & Resistance

15:10 Building the Case for Sustainability

18:41 Landfill Neutral Guarantee

21:04 Empowering Sustainable Choices in Business

23:07 Starting Sustainable Actions in the Workplace

25:23 The Role of ESG in Corporate Strategy

26:54 Navigating Diversity and Inclusion in Changing Times

30:58 Measuring Impact and Progress in Sustainability

33:19 Strategies for Achieving Net Zero by 2050

37:47 Innovative Approaches to Vendor and Travel Management

41:15 Personal Growth and the Journey to Sustainability

45:00 Wrap Up & Thank You

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

• Learn more about ESET’s sustainability efforts: eset.com/about/environment

• Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship: ccc.bc.edu

• How to do your own double materiality assessment: opinionx.co/blog

• Zero Waste Chef — Anne-Marie Bonneau

• Connect with Marissa on LinkedIn