Lenny Kessler

I draw on my experience as an investor and entrepreneur to support leaders over the long term and help the key strategic questions emerge.

Economic realism · I spent over a decade as an analyst and then a portfolio manager, studying close to a thousand companies and discussing strategy with hundreds of leaders, across very different sectors, cultures and geographies. That experience gave me the economic realism that still shapes how I approach sustainability today. A CFA Charterholder, I now co-host the ex·change podcast with CFA Society France.

Grounded in the field · Since 2014, I've supported entrepreneurs through their strategic decisions: business model choices, sustainability, fundraising, partnerships... As a member of Ad Scientiam's strategic board for five years alongside Liouma Tokitsu, I took part in building and growing the company, from incubation to opening its first markets.

Systems thinking · Since 2020, I advise investors and companies on their sustainability risks and opportunities: the circular economy, resource constraints, talent availability, and more. A natural continuation of the two chapters before it: understanding a company's environmental and social context in depth, to help its leaders make better decisions.

Today, I'm also a Senior Advisor at CMI Stratégies, where I work as part of a team on conventional engagements such as sustainability strategy audits, action plans, ESG process design... to bring answers to those questions.

Raising awareness · I believe change travels through people before it travels through organisations; that's also why I share these ideas through the newsletter The Makers of Change and the podcast Happy Sherpas, or through training sessions for Novethic.

Why "whyo"? Why + O. It starts with asking the right questions and understanding the why. The O stands for 360° systems thinking, the action and the ripples it creates, and the closed loop.