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New Heroes of Sustainable Business

The world is demanding that businesses take responsibility for their role in major global crises like climate change. Companies are facing growing scrutiny from the media, regulation that’s changing at lightspeed, and an urgent sustainability skills gap around the world, all in the midst of a greenwashing timebomb. The traditional approach to environmental, social and governance (ESG) management is broken. While 96% of S&P 500 companies disclose on climate change today, 40% don’t set measurable targets – that’s like driving without knowing where you’re going. It’s doing ESG without the G.

At Datamaran, we see visionary corporate leaders taking a new approach – the smart way to ESG – and we wanted to create a docuseries that would share their successes, experiences and vulnerabilities with the world. In the first episode of the “New Heroes of Sustainable Business”, high-profile business leaders from organizations including Consello Group, Heathrow Airport, Eastman and Vontier share how they are driving change by leading with governance. It’s common sense, and it’s business-critical. We hope viewers will be inspired by the idea that change happens when individuals act, and that they will find the courage to be the new heroes that now thankfully sit inside business in powerful positions.

  • Marjella Lecourt-Alma
    Director
  • David James Smith
    Writer
  • Carina Correia
    Producer
  • Erin Brockovich
    Key Cast
  • Stephen Crawford
    Key Cast
  • Pascal Durand
    Key Cast
  • Javier Echave
    Key Cast
  • Karen Francis
    Key Cast
  • Mindy Grossman
    Key Cast
  • Marjella Lecourt-Alma
    Key Cast
  • Sandy Nessing
    Key Cast
  • Katie Rowen
    Key Cast
  • Faith Taylor
    Key Cast
  • Peter Underwood
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Docuseries, Short film
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 27 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    222,372 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Netherlands
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Official Launch Premiere
    London
    United Kingdom
    October 9, 2023
    Online Premiere
  • Private Screening at Campus Fryslân - University of Groningen
    Leeuwarden
    Netherlands
    October 25, 2024
Director Biography - Marjella Lecourt-Alma

Marjella Lecourt-Alma is globally recognized as a thought leader in corporate sustainability and ESG, and is featured regularly in the media, including the Financial Times, the New York Times, the Economist, and CNBC’s Power Lunch.

She pioneered the world’s first documentary on corporate sustainability and ESG, the “New Heroes of Sustainable Business.” The purpose was to amplify the voices of business leaders who have gone beyond compliance and are championing a smart way to ESG, starting with governance. The film has been a lifeline to executives who find themselves in charge of ESG for the first time and has given them confidence to become sustainability heroes in their own right.

At age 30, Marjella became the youngest female Director of the Global Reporting Initiative - the most widely used standard for measuring and managing ESG issues. She joined the GRI headquarters in Amsterdam in 2007, where she successfully set up the Services Department. Marjella is the CEO and co-founder of Datamaran, a software-as-a-service provider that enables global organizations to create and manage robust sustainability strategies and plans.

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Director Statement

ESG is broken because governance has been overlooked. Many companies have started and stopped at 'disclosure' - pursuing ESG initiatives with no strategic purpose. It’s like driving without knowing where you’re going. The aim of this docuseries is to spotlight business leaders at the forefront of ESG to show companies they can succeed by prioritizing ESG issues that are material to them. The executives featured in this series are the architects of their organization’s ESG strategies, sharing unfiltered insights into their ESG journeys to inspire other business leaders to do the same.