Senior Consultant Sustainability

Allie Marchand, Ernst & Young

By: Sabrina Timothy, Outreach & Support Peer

Allie Marchand is a Senior Sustainability Consultant whose career path has been influenced by her deep interest in global environmental challenges. Despite initially pursuing a degree in Business Administration, she found herself embracing her environmental electives early in her university studies. During one of these classes, a lecturer had a lasting influence on her academic direction by teaching climate change through a global and geopolitical lens, highlighting its connections to major issues such as global health, conflict, and resource scarcity. Inspired by this perspective, Allie transitioned into Environmental Studies midway through her second year.

After finishing her bachelor's degree, Allie moved on to pursue a master's degree in Environment, Politics and Development at King's College London, located in England. The curriculum stressed worldwide research, theory, and practical application, exposing her to case studies and perspectives from across the globe. This experience broadened her perspective on a global level and equipped her to work with foreign clients and organizations. She then earned a Harvard certification in Sustainable Business Strategy, which allowed her to connect environmental challenges to business decisions from a well-rounded viewpoint

In addition to her education, Allie gained valuable skills from extracurricular activities and work experiences, which she has been able to apply in her daily tasks. While at Laurier, she worked as a master of ceremonies at basketball and football games, honing her public speaking skills and increasing her confidence in fast-paced situations. These skills are now essential in her employment, as she frequently delivers presentations and workshops to customers. Furthermore, while working as a waitress at Wilf's for two years, she was able to improve her interpersonal abilities. "I think it's really important to start meetings, whether it's with your colleagues or clients, from a personal conversation level because it helps build trust in a comfortable and open environment."

During her master’s program, Allie completed an internship course placement at Planeterra as a Communications Specialist, a position she successfully secured through networking efforts. In this role, she gained experience working with clients worldwide, learning about various company procedures, and addressing sustainability concerns. This experience helped her become more comfortable communicating across countries and industries, while also boosting her technical understanding and research abilities in sustainability. After completing her master’s degree, she began working full-time at Sustainable Trading as a Sustainability Consultant, an organization composed of members from the financial services industry. In this position, Allie facilitated workshops and consultation processes, collaborating with members to develop sustainability best practices, which she then co-authored based on member input.

As a Senior Sustainability Consultant with EY, Allie works on projects that range in length from a few weeks to more than a year. Some initiatives, such as ESG (Environmental and Social Governance) due diligence, are fast-paced and often intense, demanding long hours and rapid analysis to assist clients in understanding sustainability issues prior to acquiring a firm. Aside from longevity, projects exhibit varying levels of team involvement, which is more common with longer projects. For example, designing sustainability strategies for retail organizations would include workshops, stakeholder participation, and creating clear road maps for the client's implementation. She has also worked on initiatives such as conducting greenwashing risk assessments by reviewing company disclosure and marketing materials, as well as supporting clients in improving transparency around emissions data and sustainability reporting practices.

Despite her role's high demand, Allie finds the most fulfilling aspect of her job to be seeing projects through to completion and providing tangible results, such as published reports or sustainability initiatives. While managing stakeholder expectations can be challenging, such as prioritizing the expectations of multiple stakeholders that may conflict or differ, she believes the effort is important and worthwhile.

In terms of industry prospects, Allie understands that interest in sustainability may change over time. However, she emphasizes that "the impact of climate change will not go away," and anticipates that firms will continue to seek support from sustainability consultants, particularly as climate risk increasingly influences corporate decision-making.

For students interested in a sustainability career, Allie highlights the importance of understanding that climate change can directly impact a business’s financial performance through factors such as supply chain disruptions, changes in consumer demand, and regulatory pressures, and more. She suggests learning transferable skills, keeping strong relationships through networks, and staying informed on both sustainability and larger current affairs, recommending the Financial Times to start. Reflecting on her career path, Allie feels that following your personal interests and being willing to constantly learn can lead to a rewarding and adaptable career.