It's NOT ESG – It's Value Enhancement: Private Equity Giant General Atlantic on Sustainability as a Pillar for Growth (#074)

SRI360 | Sustainable & Responsible Investing, Impact Investing, ESG, Socially Responsible Investing

Today, I'm talking with Cornelia Gomez, Global Head of Sustainability at General Atlantic. Cornelia is a leader who has uniquely merged corporate social responsibility with real-world business practices.

Born and raised in Paris, Cornelia's culturally vibrant yet traditional family shaped her strong sense of justice and commitment to ethical business practices.

Starting her corporate journey at Group Casino, in Hong Kong, Cornelia took the lead on improving supply chain sustainability across Asia. Her work involved conducting audits, implementing system changes, and ensuring compliance with labor and environmental standards. She pushed for stronger accountability and higher sustainability benchmarks, driving meaningful change in an industry resistant to transformation.

Now at General Atlantic, Cornelia oversees ESG integration across the firm’s portfolio, spanning over 330 companies across 20+ countries​. Under Cornelia’s leadership, sustainability has become a core pillar of the firm’s investment approach​.

GA doesn’t see ESG as a checkbox exercise. Instead, they have developed a unique "value creation" framework based on three key triggers: revenue growth, cost efficiency, and risk mitigation​. This approach ensures that sustainability initiatives are directly linked to financial performance, helping businesses grow while making a positive impact.

In this interview, Cornelia talks about the evolution of ESG and sustainability in private equity investing – from compliance-driven checklists to deeply integrated strategies that influence corporate governance and competitive advantage.

Tune in to learn more about GA’s pragmatic, data-driven approach to sustainability and how they integrate ESG principles to drive real-world value while ensuring long-term business growth.

—
About the SRI 360° Podcast: The SRI 360° Podcast is focused exclusively on sustainable & responsible investing. In each episode, I interview a world-class investor who is an accomplished practitioner from all asset classes. In my interviews, I cover everything from their early personal journeys to insights into how they developed and executed their investment strategies and what challenges they face today. Each episode is a chance to go way below the surface with these impressive people and gain additional insights and useful lessons from professional investors.
—

Connect with SRI360°:
Sign up for the free weekly email update
Visit the SRI360° PODCAST
Visit the SRI360° WEBSITE
Follow SRI360° on X
Follow SRI360° on FACEBOOK

—
Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Cornelia’s background and education (03:27)
• Transition to business and sustainability (15:15)
• Role at Group Casino and early challenges (17:21)
• Move to France and role at PAI Partners (34:36)
• Joining General Atlantic (38:32)
• General Atlantic's theory of change (48:26)
• ESG integration in the investment life cycle (50:43)
• Three key value creation triggers (01:03:47)
• Using data collection and analysis to drive decision-making (01:13:32)
• Sustainability challenges and opportunities (01:25:28)
• Rapid fire questions (01:31:46)
• Contact info (01:35:17)

—
Additional Resources:

- General Atlantic Website

- General Atlantic LinkedIn

- Cornelia Gomez LinkedIn