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Anna Krotova is an accomplished sustainability leader with experience spanning fintech, non-profits, and global standard-setting. She shaped sustainability reporting frameworks at GRI, integrated green finance tools at Mambu, and now serves as Chief Sustainability Officer at Picnic Technologies. She’s also the author of How to Be a Chief Sustainability Officer, a practical roadmap for modern CSOs.

From an early age, Anna Krotova asked the kinds of questions that don’t have easy answers—the ones about how we live, what we value, and what we leave behind. That curiosity became a career rooted in impact. Today, she is a seasoned sustainability leader who has helped shape strategy at the intersection of finance, technology, and global policy.

Anna’s journey spans leadership roles in fintech, corporate sustainability, and the non-profit world. At Mambu, she helped embed green finance into the DNA of a fast-scaling fintech. At the Global Reporting Initiative, she influenced the very frameworks that define sustainability reporting worldwide. Now, as Chief Sustainability Officer at Picnic Technologies, she’s turning ambition into action—building sustainability into the core of a company growing at startup speed.

What sets Anna apart is her ability to align purpose with performance—translating environmental and social commitments into business value. In this edition of 'Nine Questions With', Anna reflects on the evolving role of the CSO, the importance of mindset shifts at the executive level, and why cross-sector collaboration and tech innovation are critical for progress. Her insights are a must-read for leaders serious about future-proofing their business through sustainability.

Team Reblue: Anna, you’ve described sustainability as both a career and a calling. What was the moment or experience that shifted this from a professional interest to a lifelong mission? Was there a specific project, conversation, or “aha” moment that crystallized this for you?

Anna Krotova: Yeah, I think for me it was really the other way around. It was an early interest in sustainability—as a teenager—that led me to think about what I could study to better understand and address these issues. I remember noticing how much waste we were generating and asking myself: where is this coming from? What’s causing it? And how can we manage it better? At the same time, I was also aware of social inequalities that, in retrospect, tie into the broader theme of sustainability. I didn’t know the term “sustainability” back then, but environmental and social concerns were already merging into a single area of interest for me. So I started exploring where I could study to deepen my understanding. One thing led to another, and that eventually shaped the professional path I’m on now. It really began with observing the world around me, recognizing the problems, and feeling a strong desire to do something about them. Fortunately, I had access to an education that gave me the tools to work on these issues directly. It’s been a series of steps—each one building on the last—always driven by that same core interest in sustainability, in learning and in helping.

"The future isn’t about retreating to climate-safe zones—it’s about changing how we live, produce, and consume."

Team Reblue: You’ve worked at the intersection of fintech and sustainability at Mambu. How do you see AI tools reshaping sustainability efforts in finance—for example, in measuring ESG risks or scaling green investments? What ethical guardrails do we need to ensure AI doesn’t become a band-aid for systemic issues?

Anna Krotova: At Mambu, we used digital technology to advance sustainability in financial services. Mambu was a composable banking platform, and one way we embedded sustainability was by integrating green finance instruments—like green mortgages. For example, our tools could screen loan applications to identify if a household planned energy-efficiency renovations. If so, the platform could offer a discount. These weren’t necessarily AI tools—but smart digital solutions that encouraged more sustainable lending. As for AI more broadly, I think we need to be thoughtful. Right now, it’s mostly a productivity enhancer—great at removing repetitive tasks and freeing people up to focus on more meaningful work, like driving mindset shifts or enabling change. But the transformative impact people hope for? We’re not quite there yet. That said, AI has a significant footprint—and many of its externalities are invisible. Running these models takes a lot of water and energy. There are also human rights concerns, especially for workers tasked with moderating harmful content, which can be psychologically harmful. We should begin thinking about AI usage in terms of resource impact—maybe even asking, what’s the carbon cost of 10 minutes of AI use? Personally, I’ve caught myself relying on tools like ChatGPT for tasks I could do in simpler, lower-impact ways. So I think it comes down to this: How do we hold ourselves accountable for how we use these technologies? Being mindful of both their environmental and social costs is going to matter more and more.

"We must stop treating sustainability as ‘doing good’ and start speaking the language of CFOs and COOs."

Team Reblue: In your book, How to Be a Chief Sustainability Officer, you share a roadmap for aspiring leaders. Looking back, what’s one piece of advice you wish you had received earlier in your career, and how has your understanding of the CSO role evolved over time?

Anna Krotova: The one thing I wish I had truly embraced earlier is patience. The CSO role is about long-term change, and that takes time. You plant seeds and wait for them to grow. But the urgency of the climate crisis can make waiting feel unbearable. And if you push too fast, it can backfire. You also have to recognize that not everyone shares your values or pace. That’s okay. Honor the differences, stay resilient. The CSO role is evolving fast—especially in Europe, where regulations have turned sustainability from soft law into hard law. Today’s CSOs operate across three key roles:

• Strategic thinker – guiding long-term direction and resilience

• Change-maker – driving internal transformation

• Operational manager – overseeing systems and execution

The CSO role now spans strategy, transformation, and operations. But not all companies set CSOs up for success. Some embed them in core decision-making; others leave them siloed, without real authority. In those cases, CSOs must get creative—building coalitions and pushing change without a clear mandate. That’s why it’s crucial to communicate what’s possible—and what isn’t—based on the support you have. The upside? Things are shifting. Regulations are raising the bar, and companies are learning what the role truly demands. Those who back their CSOs will lead. Others still treat it as PR—but transparency is closing that gap, exposing what’s real and what’s not. And that’s raising the overall quality of sustainability work.

"Too many companies are locking away sustainability data behind paywalls—that’s not how we drive systemic change."

Team Reblue: At GRI, you shaped global reporting frameworks. Now, as a CSO, how do you balance the rigor of standards like CSRD with the need for agility in fast-growing companies like Picnic? What’s harder: building systems or shifting mindsets?

Anna Krotova: Both building systems and shifting mindsets require people—but the process differs. Mindsets can take time to shift, but once someone has that “aha” moment, change can speed up. Systems, on the other hand, need consistent, structured work. With CSRD, while it’s framed as a reporting obligation, its real value is deeper. Once companies go through a double materiality assessment, they gain clarity on their real impacts. From there, they can create a proper transition plan—not just to report, but to transform. So even though CSRD starts as compliance, it can become a foundation for a meaningful sustainability strategy. That’s why I’m optimistic—if companies use it right, it leads to real, lasting change.

"Compliance may be the trigger, but transformation is the opportunity."

Team Reblue: Schoonschip is such a tangible example of sustainable innovation. What did that project teach you about bridging idealism with practicality—like getting buy-in from residents or navigating bureaucracy? How do you replicate that success in less “visible” industries?

Anna Krotova: This was quite a while ago, but Schoonschip started with a small group of people who wanted to live sustainably. Just five to ten people at first. They had a vision for self-sufficient, floating homes and reached out to architects, municipalities, and my then-company to help shape the project. The biggest challenge? We were creating something new. Regulations and financing models weren’t designed for it. It took ten years from idea to first house, but that team’s persistence was incredible. We had to solve everything—design, land registration, securing loans for an unconventional project, fitting heat pumps and tech into small, floating homes. But we made it work, and it became a flagship project in Amsterdam. The lesson? A strong vision, belief, and patience can turn big ideas into reality.

"Not every industry can or should transition—and having clarity on that helps define your impact and integrity."

Team Reblue: As a woman recognized on the UK Women in Fintech Powerlist, what unique challenges have you faced in advocating for sustainability in tech and finance? How do you turn skepticism into collaboration with leaders who see ESG as a compliance checkbox?

Anna Krotova: I haven't personally faced major challenges as a woman in fintech. But on the link between sustainability and cost—this connection is key. For companies with physical products, environmental sustainability directly impacts cost: waste, energy, raw materials—it all ties to financial performance. Even in hiring, sustainability matters. Companies that value employee wellbeing reduce attrition and save on recruitment costs. So yes, sustainability protects productivity and the bottom line. The challenge is in how we frame it—less about “doing good,” more about speaking the language of CFOs and COOs. That’s the shift happening now—CSOs are learning how to communicate impact in business terms.

"If you tie sustainability to performance KPIs, it stops being optional—it becomes how you win."

Team Reblue: At Picnic, you’re scaling sustainability in a company growing rapidly. How do you avoid “green compromises” when speed and profit are priorities? What’s your playbook for making sustainability irresistible to growth-focused executives?

Anna Krotova: It goes back to what I mentioned earlier—efficiency is everything. We’re deliberate about how we use resources and what we pay for them. So process optimization isn’t just a sustainability goal—it’s essential for scalable growth. One example: we made food waste a KPI across the business. It wasn’t positioned as a “green” metric—it was just smart business. That’s the point—when sustainability is tied to performance KPIs, it becomes easier to push initiatives forward. It’s not a separate agenda—it’s part of business success. But there’s a deeper layer here, especially for CSOs. In my book, ‘How to Be a Chief Sustainability Officer’, I talk about working at companies with controversial products—like tobacco. Even if you improve conditions for farmers, it raises a bigger question: Should this product exist at all? Does the company’s mission align with sustainability at its core? There’s no universal answer. It’s personal. You have to ask yourself: Am I embedding sustainability into something meaningful? Or am I trying to retrofit it into a model that doesn’t fit? Not every industry can or should transition. And having clarity on that helps define your impact—and integrity.

"The CSO role is about long-term change. You plant seeds and wait for them to grow—but push too fast, and it can backfire."

Team Reblue: You’ve worked across NGOs, corporates, and startups. Where do you see the most untapped potential for cross-sector partnerships today? Is there a specific industry or community you’d love to see step up as a sustainability ally?

Anna Krotova: Right now, with CSRD and the rise of sustainability reporting, supply chains are under huge pressure. Big companies like ours are requesting tons of data—not just from tier 1 suppliers, but all the way down the chain. And here’s the irony: most of us share the same suppliers, and we’re all asking them for the same data. It’s duplicative, inefficient, and—honestly—not very sustainable. Everyone’s locking away data in proprietary systems. That doesn't drive systemic change. We need public or government-supported platforms—neutral data repositories that multiple companies can access. That would reduce supplier strain and speed up progress. There’s some early collaboration happening with shared suppliers, but it's still too fragmented. When commercial vendors step in, data often gets locked behind paywalls again. And with the urgency we face, we can’t afford this inefficiency. We need open infrastructure, pre-competitive collaboration, and smarter policy support. Supply chains can’t carry the burden alone. We have to rethink how we collect, store, and share sustainability data—together.

"Sustainability isn’t a separate agenda—it’s part of business success."

Team Reblue: If you could fast-forward 50 years, what’s the one change you’d want to see in how humanity approaches sustainability? And personally, what’s the legacy you hope your work leaves—not just in policies, but in how future leaders think?

Anna Krotova: You're right—we don’t know what the future holds. But if I could fast-forward 50 years, I’d want to see us stay focused on mitigation, not just adaptation. Yes, we’re already adapting. But I worry that adaptation could become about retreat—about relocating to climate-safe zones and leaving others behind. That’s not the future we want. We must prioritize changing how we produce, consume, and structure our systems to reduce impact. There’s also too much faith in tech fixes—plastic-eating bacteria, carbon capture, etc. Yes, they might help, but they’re not silver bullets. Every major tech shift has had side effects. More often than not, they’ve accelerated consumption, not curbed it. What we need now is holistic thinking. We've mapped the world’s issues into the 17 SDGs—great. But that’s just one lens. We need to bring in culture, humanity, and the social sciences to redefine what a “good life” really means—less material, more mental and emotional abundance. CSOs can play a powerful role here—redefining prosperity and purpose inside organizations. Not just as a CSR slide, but as the strategic starting point. As for legacy—it’s a big word. But for me, if I can help eliminate even one harmful impact in one place I’ve worked—from “this was our footprint” to “now it’s gone”—that’s enough. If each of us takes care of a small piece of the puzzle, we can build something meaningful together.