Bhairav Raja (He / Him)

Motivational Business Lead | Practitioner in Sustainability Development Strategy, Design, Implementation and Reporting  19 years of professional experience, including 15 years: specialising in designing and leading global sustainability, social and economic responsibility initiatives, policy development, and impact measurement.  Regional expertise: Africa, Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean; lived and worked in the UK, Spain, Colombia, Brazil, and South Africa.  Roles: Proven experience in roles such as Business Strategy and Growth, Practice Leader, Client Portfolio and Account Director, Team Lead, Technical Specialist, and Trainer.  Sustainability reporting: Experienced report writer and content creator for executive-level presentations on sustainability topics and corporate reporting; skilled in training teams to produce high-quality reports.  Sustainable and climate-aligned finance: Implementing advisor to banks on designing and implementing climate financial products, and appraising climate risk as part of their overall credit risk.  Supply chain enhancement: Strengthened supply chains through local content, low-carbon industrialisation, and climate change mitigation solutions; implemented digital tools for KPI tracking.  ESG policy and regulatory initiatives: Led flagship projects such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive.  Trusted advisor to multinational corporations across sectors, including industrials, mining, energy, chemicals, ports, logistics, FMCGs, retail, and financial services.  Private sector market systems: Designed and implemented initiatives that address systemic challenges with private sector commitment and capital, resulting in award-winning initiatives.  Career foundation: Experience in investment banking, strategic communications, and journalism.  Expert coach, mentor, and trainer: Led and trained teams in areas such as low-carbon development, energy transition, climate finance, circular economy strategies, and supply chain localisation.  Government clients: Delivered complex economic development programmes for USAID, Prosper Africa, FCDO, SDC, GIZ, and the European Commission.  Innovation and SaaS: Developed bespoke digital tools, including a subscription-based climate risk assessment software. Contributed to the development of a SaaS tool for local content in supply chains and its sales plan.  Leadership: Builds cohesive, inclusive, and values-driven teams; strong intercultural agility and multilingual communication skills.  Thought leadership: Regularly publishes and speaks on sustainability topics; part-time teaching instructor at the University of Chicago in Circular Economy and Sustainable Business.  Multi-lingual communicator: Fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Gujarati.