Any Job Can Be A Climate Job From Executive Assistant to Sustainability Leader: Marissa Pitchford on Building Influence from Within
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
Connect with Marissa on LinkedIn