Leadership Lessons on Why Quality Data Now Defines the Best Decisions

A global non-profit, CDP is the world’s only independent environmental disclosure platform for companies, capital markets, cities, states and regions to assess and demonstrate their environmental progress. 

Sherry joined CDP as Chief Executive in October 2023, placed by Odgers’ Sarah Lowndes Jones and the Public Impact team. As part of our ‘Leading Through Uncertainty’ series, we recently sat down with Sherry to discuss the biggest sector disruptors shaping leadership, her advice for boards in uncertainty and her leadership recommendations. 

What does ‘Leading Through Uncertainty’ mean to you?

‘Uncertainty’ is a word that everyone thinks they have their own definition for, but what it actually means to everyone is slightly different.

With so much developing geopolitical uncertainty and friction currently, it's a good time to consider what you can control, what you can influence and what is a fact of life. Because as businesses and organisations move forward in times of uncertainty, you have to be very clear about where you put your energy and your resources.  

In your experience, what are the key three leadership lessons?

1. Ensure your team has crystal clarity on what good looks like. It's very tempting to move ahead and act, but if you take a little bit more time to do this, especially during times of uncertainty, you're setting yourself up for success.  
2. Gather all the quantitative and qualitative data that you need. There is nothing more certain than being able to actually rely your decisions on data that is good quality and comparable. 
3. Be decisive. Sometimes not making a decision is often the worst decision. Moving forward, even if you have to course correct later, becomes a real sign that there's confidence and momentum from leadership. 

What are the biggest challenges or disruptions currently facing data and disclosure?

The first significant force at the moment is geopolitics. People often frame this as a U.S. issue, especially with some high‑profile voices downplaying environmental and sustainability risks. That inevitably affects banks, financial institutions and businesses, not just in the U.S., but globally, particularly for companies with strong U.S. ties. That said, it would be too simplistic to call this a purely U.S. shift. 

Even in the EU, long seen as a leader on environmental regulation, we’ve recently seen omnibus reforms dilute some of the mandatory disclosure requirements that CDP has championed for 25 years. While we’re excited about mandatory disclosures because they create consistent, decision‑useful data worldwide, political and policy uncertainty still makes companies hesitant. 

The second force is AI. As the global platform for earth‑positive data, including climate and nature, CDP has to reckon with how radically AI could reshape data systems. It’s tempting to say AI will change everything, but that risks overlooking the core work CDP does with more than 20,000 companies worldwide, representing two‑thirds of global market cap through supply chains and investors.

How does geopolitics and AI influence and impact leadership? 

I think this is a moment for leaders to be genuinely curious. What worked five or 10 years ago may no longer be fit for purpose, whether that’s what you’re offering the market, how it’s valued, or how you’re meeting customer needs. Being curious means asking big, open questions and not being afraid of the answers. 

That’s something I’ve encouraged leaders at CDP to really lean into. It’s no longer enough to assume that if you build something, people will come. You have to be clear about what problem you’re solving right now and accept that it may be different from yesterday and will certainly be different tomorrow. That doesn’t have to be scary. Openness and transparency, especially in listening to what clients actually want, removes a lot of that fear and uncertainty.

Can you share an example of how you or CDP has successfully navigated uncertainty? 

CDP has been around for 25 years, built on the premise that climate data should sit alongside financial data so leaders can make better decisions. Over those years, uncertainty has never really gone away including the uncertainty we’re living with now. 

That’s why we’re focused on improving how data is collected, surfaced and used by investing in new technology, including practical AI tools, to reduce reporting burden and make data more accessible. All of this is within our control, and it’s how we’re setting CDP up to stay flexible and relevant as conditions continue to change.

What leadership qualities, attributes and behaviours are proving most critical right now?

Getting the balance right of proactively seeking out information, both directly and through partners, and combining real‑world insight with solid research. It’s about being able to reflect that understanding back into the market in a meaningful way.

Strong leaders are also looking at the market from multiple angles, not just as a whole, but geographically, by sector, by company size and by stakeholder group. That external focus is what’s driving success, rather than spending too much time looking inward and getting too comfortable there.

What advice would you give to boards or executive teams preparing for continued uncertainty?

Don’t get too fixated on the next quarter or year. If you lose sight of the medium and long term and what that means for the sustainable health of your organisation, today’s decisions can quickly become short‑sighted. 

Even if those impacts are two, three or five years away, they’re still critical data points. Taking environmental impacts seriously also helps mitigate risk and uncover opportunity and we’re already seeing billions of dollars in opportunities surfaced through these conversations.

Climate risks may feel distant, especially in uncertain times, but ignoring them today can mean missing some of the biggest risks facing your business, not just this quarter, but far beyond it.

______________________________________________________

Odgers provides integrated executive search and leadership advisory services. We are deeply rooted in our local markets, which we combine with global perspective and reach to help organisations build transformational, world-class leadership teams.

Get in touch. Follow the links below to learn more, or connect directly with our dedicated executive search experts and Public Impact leadership consultants at your local Odgers office here.