Celebrated sustainability strategist and governance leader Dr. Jayanthi Desan Honoured as ESG Pioneer at ACES Awards 2025

Dr. Jayanthi Desan was conferred the ESG Pioneer Award, acknowledging her

long-standing commitment to elevating ESG governance and guiding

organisations toward resilient, future-ready strategies.

In accepting her award, Dr. Jayanthi said that the greatest hurdle facing

boardrooms today is the lack of clarity around the complexity of ESG factors.

“Climate, nature, and social inequalities are not extra-financial issues — they are

core drivers of demand, cost of capital, supply chain security, and talent

retention,” she said.

“ESG must be part of business model resilience.”

She encouraged boards to build fluency in ESG, to understand its strategic

implications, and to move beyond a compliance mindset.

“By knowing where to start and how to move forward, boards can harness ESG

as a strategic force,” she added.

“ESG must be framed as a competitive agenda.”

Dr. Jayanthi also highlighted the rise of climate technologies and real-time ESG

data ecosystems — innovations she believes will redefine profitability and

reshape industry competition.

“Integrated energy systems, circular production models and low-carbon

technologies are already showing improved margins,” she said.

“And capital access will increasingly hinge on the verifiability of ESG

performance.”

She said that transparency — from product-level climate labels to automated

MRV systems — will influence not only reporting frameworks but also the

competitive playing field across sectors.

When asked for one key message to corporate boards, she delivered a decisive

call to action:

“ESG needs to be reframed as strategy in order to compete in a changing world.”

MORS Group CEO Dr. Shanggari Balakrishnan paid tribute to Dr. Jayanthi’s

impact on organisations across Asia.

“Dr. Jayanthi embodies what it means to be an ESG Pioneer,” said Dr.

Shanggari. “She brings clarity to complexity and transforms responsibility into

competitive strength. Her influence is shaping the future of business in the

region.”

The ACES Awards continues to honour leaders whose vision drives

performance, resilience, and long-term value creation.

Hashtag: #ESG #ACESAwards #ACESinBali #ACES2025 #Sustainability

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