In this episode of Sustainable Intelligence, Sarb Thandi, Novata’s Chief People Officer delves into the strategic alignment of sustainability and people practices, emphasizing how Novata’s core values of integrity, longevity, togetherness, and agility drive a culture of resilience. Sarb highlights the challenges and successes of creating a lasting sustainability ethos that empowers individuals to drive change both within and beyond the workplace.
About Sustainable Intelligence
Novata’s Sustainable Intelligence podcast brings honest, forward-thinking conversations about sustainability in the private markets. From carbon accounting to turning data into impact, each episode explores how investors and business leaders are tackling real challenges, meeting rising regulations, and building long-term value. Join us for expert insights, practical strategies, and authentic dialogue that empower action and progress in the evolving sustainability landscape. Listen to more episodes on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Conversation with Sarb Thandi (Transcript)
Ella Williamson: Welcome to Sustainable Intelligence, where we discuss all things ESG and sustainability for the private markets, brought to you by Novata. I’m Ella Williamson, and I’m thrilled to be your host.
I’m excited to welcome Sarb Thandi, Novata’s Chief People Officer, to the podcast today. She has a wealth of experience in global reward and HR operations. Sarb brings invaluable insights into fostering resilient and high performing teams.
I’m really excited to jump into today’s topic: how you align people strategy with sustainability goals. So let’s jump in. Sarb, how do you ensure Novata’s people strategy aligns with Novata’s overarching sustainability goals?
Sarb Thandi: At Novata, sustainability is at the core of who we are and what we do. It shapes everything, from our strategy to our operations, and it’s especially central to how we think about our people.
For us, embedding sustainability into all our processes, including recruitment, development, and engagement practices, isn’t just a responsibility, it’s also a massive driver of innovation and impact. One way we’ve really brought this to life is by aligning our sustainability goals directly with our core values and mission. These values act as a compass for how we make decisions about people and partnerships. As an example, when we work with external partners, whether they’re vendors, recruiters, or other collaborators, we actively assess their commitment to sustainability and ESG principles.
Everyone we work with reflects and amplifies our values. It’s this intentionality that allows us to extend our sustainability ethos beyond Novata, creating a ripple effect that influences our entire ecosystem, whether it be our employees, clients, partners, and beyond. And as an example, one area where this plays out really clearly is in our partnerships with recruitment agencies. Now, this might be an obvious one, but I’m using this as an example because I think it is something that everyone can relate to. Now, recruitment agencies play a critical role, not just attracting our top talent, but by embedding diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging into every step of our hiring process. And we do this while maintaining efficiency, ensuring we minimize time to hire without compromising on quality or inclusivity. Now I say this one because I think a lot of organizations do this, but what I wanted to really highlight here is by already assessing our recruitment agency’s values and their own thought leadership around DEIB, it’s actually quite a nice way to make sure that this is also within their own fabric, rather than something that they do separately.
So when we talk to these agencies, this is something that is already naturally on top of their agenda. So it becomes quite easy for us to work with them. But talking about that, this isn’t a very easy thing to do, and it doesn’t come without its challenges. As we all know, there are some roles or industries that have historically been skewed towards certain demographics and achieving balanced representation in those areas requires extra effort and creativity. But we’re unwavering in our belief that building diverse teams isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. Diverse teams bring fresh ideas, foster innovation, and build resilience, ultimately driving greater success across the business. But what makes this approach so impactful is that it goes beyond just filling roles.
It’s about shaping Novata into an organization where everyone, no matter their background, has an equal opportunity to thrive and contribute. And that’s really the heart of what we’re trying to achieve. Embedding sustainability and DEIB into every layer of our people strategy so that it becomes part of the DNA of our company.
Ella: And I think, even though you said it was an obvious point about the recruitment process that you’ve embedded, it’s a very interesting point. A lot of organisations, in my experience, tend to focus their people strategies internally, but those strategies need to extend across the entire ecosystem of every business to really make an impact.
Now, when we’re talking about sustainability, it’s not just about the policies you put in place. It’s about that real shift in mindset and culture. So I’m curious to understand your views on what steps you have taken to build a workplace culture where sustainability is truly embedded as a core value.
Sarb: For us, sustainability isn’t just a lofty ideal. It’s something that comes to life every day through the way we work, collaborate, and innovate. I mean, our values and mission reflect this deep commitment and they guide clear, actionable behaviors that ensure alignment between what we say and what we do.
A big step in building this mindset has been linking sustainability directly to our core values of integrity, longevity, togetherness, and agility. These values provide the framework for how we approach challenges and opportunities. For example, integrity drives us to be transparent and accountable in our decisions, ensuring that our sustainability goals are not only ambitious, but also achievable. With longevity, we’re constantly thinking about the future, making thoughtful long-term decisions that lead to meaningful, sustainable outcomes. Togetherness encourages us to break down silos, collaborate across teams, and solve problems collectively. And one example of this actually that came through at the end of last year is, I was talking to someone and someone said, actually, individually, we’re great. But, when we come together as a team, we’re unstoppable. So hearing that directly from people is just amazing. It’s just not words that we have as our values. These people actually really live and believe these. And just going back to our values, agility, it does inspire us to stay flexible, adapt quickly, and innovate in the face of evolving sustainability challenges.
And we’ve also put structures in place to encourage bold thinking and creativity across the organization. Employees are empowered to bring forward innovative ideas and solutions that not only enhance our operations, but also advance a sustainability mission. And to make sure those efforts are recognized, we’ve created programs to celebrate contributions at all levels. I’m really super proud of this, whether it’s just a small tweak to a process or game changing solutions for a client. I mean, this has gone down a storm with everyone. They love these programs whereby people can nominate other peers where they have done incredible stuff, which is absolutely lovely and heartwarming to read as people talk about other individuals. By valuing every contribution we’re showing that sustainability is something everyone can play a part in, no matter their role.
Another key piece of this puzzle is storytelling. Through internal communications, we regularly highlight sustainable wins, whether it’s improving internal efficiencies or showcasing how our solutions have helped clients drive their own sustainability goals. These stories aren’t just about celebrating success, they’re about demonstrating the tangible impact of our work, both inside and outside the organization. They really inspire pride and create a sense of collective responsibility. Ultimately, this approach ensures that sustainability is more than just a goal for us. It’s a shared ethos. It’s woven into every aspect of how we operate, creating a powerful cultural foundation where every employee feels equipped and motivated to contribute to meaningful, sustainable impact.
Ella: I think it’s fascinating the way that you link sustainable values to actually improving employee confidence and driving that impactful change. Now, with all this progress that Novata has made, how do you measure the impact of your people strategy on the company’s sustainability objectives?
Sarb: Let’s be honest. Sustainability isn’t always easy to quantify. A lot of the positive impacts we aim for happen over the long term. So capturing those shifts require a mix of qualitative insights and hard data. At Novata, we’re lucky to have tools at our disposal that help us bridge that gap. The Novata platform, for instance, allows us to track and benchmark sustainability efforts across different areas of our business, giving us a clear picture of where we’re making progress and where there is room to improve.
Our people strategy plays a huge role in this. Sustainability isn’t just something we talk about. It’s something we embed into our culture through clear behaviors like collaboration, long-term thinking, and innovation. And because we’ve linked these behaviors to our sustainability goals, we can measure their impact not only in numbers, but also in the mindset shift they inspire across the organization.
It’s about creating a shared sense of purpose that empowers everyone to play a part. Every year we publish a sustainability report which highlights our progress, challenges, and areas where we need to grow. It’s not about painting a perfect picture, it’s about being honest about where we are and staying committed to moving forward. Also, being a certified B Corp is another way we hold ourselves accountable. That accreditation isn’t just a badge. It’s a commitment to meeting rigorous environmental, social, and governance standards.
It keeps us focused and it pushes us to keep improving year after year. But, you know, here’s the thing. Measuring impact isn’t just about data. It’s about what that data represents. It’s about the cultural shift we’re creating when every person in the organization feels empowered to contribute to sustainability, you start to see a real tangible difference, not just in the business, but in the world around us. And that’s what drives us.
Ella: Thank you, Sarb. And I think as an employee myself, I definitely feel that every day that I work here. It’s clear that by really empowering people, like myself, and being so transparent about Novata’s journey, you’re creating a model that’s not only impactful, but amazing to go on the journey with. Now I know that sustainability is a real team effort. How do you empower each and every one of your team members to actively contribute to Novata’s sustainability mission both inside but also outside of the workplace?
Sarb: At Novata, we believe sustainability isn’t just a company goal. It’s something that everyone can be part of in their own way. So we focus on embedding it into both the bigger picture and everyday actions of our people. And some of this is easier for us because actually our mission is so clear that when people actually come to us, the mission is actually something that drives them to Novata. So it makes it slightly easier for us because we already have that mindset in a lot of our employees that come to us.
We’ve worked hard to connect sustainability to our core values. These values aren’t just words on a wall. They’re reflected in the behaviors we’ve defined, and we’ve defined those collectively as an organization. They’ve grown organically, these behaviors, for everyone across the organization. For example, longevity reminds us to think long term and act sustainably in everything we do. This could mean finding ways to reduce waste in operations, designing products with a future focused mindset, or even being thoughtful about partnerships that align with our mission.
When people see sustainability as part of their role, not an extra task, it becomes second nature. We also empower teams by creating opportunities for collaboration and innovation. For instance, we encourage employees to bring forward ideas for making our processes more efficient or finding new ways to help our clients achieve their own sustainability goals. We’ve even set up some recognition programs, as we’ve said, to celebrate these contributions, because whether it’s a small tweak or game changing idea, it really does matter.
Outside the workplace, we support employees in extending their passion for sustainability into their communities. This might include volunteering initiatives, educational resources, or company-sponsored events that focus on environmental and social impact. When people feel like they can make a difference both at work and in their personal life, it reinforces their connection to the mission.
Finally, we’ll keep the conversation alive. Whether it’s the client’s success story, a new internal process, or even small steps like reducing energy use in the office, these stories inspire action and remind everyone that their efforts, no matter how small, are part of something bigger.
Ultimately, empowering our team means giving them the tools, the support, and the belief that their actions matter. When people see the impact of what they do on the company, on clients, and on the world, it creates a powerful sense of ownership and pride.
Ella: I love the point you made about sustainability being part of every single employee’s role. It should never be a side of the desk job. It should actually be second nature to every one of them to make sure it’s really ingrained in your strategy. Now, Novata has been around for just over three years. What have been some of the key lessons you’ve learned during your time here? And what advice would you share with others who are trying to achieve something similar to Novata?
Sarb: You can’t assume sustainability will naturally weave itself into your people strategy. You have to embed it in a way that feels authentic, actionable, and tied to your organization’s values. And one challenge we encountered early on was making sustainability feel relevant to everyone, regardless of their role. Not everyone sees a direct connection between their day-to-day work and the biggest sustainability mission. What we’ve learned is that you have to meet people where they are by breaking down sustainability into clear, distinct behaviors, like thinking long term, collaborating with purpose, and being bold in finding solutions. We’ve made it something that everyone can relate to and contribute towards. It’s about showing how their individual actions ladder up to the company’s broader goals.
I mean, another lesson is that progress takes time and patience. Sustainability is a long term game and you have to balance the desire for immediate wins with the reality that meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight. For us, communication has been key here, keeping teams informed about our progress, celebrating milestones, and being transparent about setbacks. This really builds trust and keeps people motivated, even when the journey feels slow. We’ve also learned that leadership plays a critical role. People need to see sustainability championed from the top. At Novata, our leadership team is deeply engaged in the mission and that visibility really matters. It shows that this isn’t just a checkbox or a nice to have. It’s the core to how we operate. My advice? Make sure your leaders aren’t just advocates, but actually active participants in aligning your people strategy with sustainability.
And lastly, I’d say that you can’t underestimate the power of collaboration and storytelling. Sustainability is a shared mission, and when people see the collective impact of their efforts, whether it’s a process improvement, a client success story, or a community initiative, it really does create momentum. Sharing these stories and celebrating contributions, no matter how big or small, is a powerful way to keep people engaged and inspired. For anyone looking to align the people strategy with sustainability, my advice would be this: Start with your values, make sustainability tangible, and never stop communicating. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.
Ella: Thank you for that, Sarb, and thank you for sharing your secret ingredients to achieving a sustainable people strategy. What I take from what you said there, it’s about real patience, it’s about focusing on your people and aligning your strategies to them and also collaboration ultimately across every level of the organization. Now one final question I’d love to ask you. If you could hire one historical figure or a fictional character to champion sustainability at Novata, who would it be and why?
Sarb: This is such an interesting question, and while I could pick a famous historical figure or a fictional character, my honest answer here would be a little bit closer to home. My nan, or my Bebe, as we called her, which is the Punjabi word for, for nan. I mean, she’s not a household name, but her story and the values she lived by make her my ideal choice to champion sustainability at Novata.
And just to tell you a little bit about her, she was a strong, determined woman who raised her children on her own in a small little village in India. Her husband had left her to pursue opportunities abroad, but over time he completely disconnected from his family, leaving her to fend for herself and very young children. My Mum was a few months old and her brother was two years old. This was also in a time and place where women were often treated as second-class citizens with very limited opportunities to lead an independent life, but she refused to let that define her or her children’s futures.
I mean, despite her challenges, my Bebe poured her energy and passion into raising her children to be strong, independent individuals. She defied the societal norms of her time by ensuring that her daughter, my mum, was given the opportunities to pursue education, something that was always unheard of for women in her community. My uncle even went on to become one of the first individuals in the village to earn an Economics degree, something he was always very, very proud of. And, the education took different ways or roads for both my mum and my uncle, because it was different for women versus men, but my mum and my uncle exceeded and became the best versions of themselves of what they had for their upbringing.
She also instilled in her children values of resilience, integrity, and a sense of purpose, even in the face of significant adversity. Now, you might wonder how this connects to sustainability. For me, sustainability is about creating something lasting and meaningful. Not just for today, but for generations to come. It’s about making the most of what you have, thinking long term and having the courage to challenge the status quo to build a better future. She made the absolute most of what she did have, turning her limited resources into a legacy of opportunity and empowerment for her family.
Now, at Novata, we talk about integrity, longevity, togetherness, and agility as our core values, and my Bebe lived all of those. Integrity kept her grounded in doing what was right, even when it was hard. Her focus on the long term meant she didn’t just get by, she built a foundation for her children to thrive. She believed in the power of togetherness, creating a supportive environment where her family could succeed together. And her agility, well, she adapted to every challenge thrown her way with grace and strength. If she were here today, I know she’d bring the same spirit to Novata, pushing us to be courageous, resourceful, and focused on leaving a legacy that matters.
The story reminds me that sustainability isn’t just about the environment or processes. It’s about people, resilience, and creating something better for the future.
Ella: Thank you so much, Sarb, for sharing such a personal and powerful answer. I would have absolutely loved to meet your grandmother. She sounds like an incredible woman who built an amazing legacy from so little. And, she’s definitely showing so many values of what we really hold close to our hearts here at Novata.
Thank you, Sarb, for all of your time and incredible insights today. I’ve truly loved our conversation. Until next time, let’s keep building sustainable intelligence together. Find out more at novata.com.
