It was an absolute pleasure welcoming our alumnus, James Dymond, who is now in charge of the ESG Investor Relations at SAP, Germany, as a ‘Guest in Classroom’ to address our MBA International Management candidates. The coincidence was, that the seminar took place in the same room where James had studied during his MBA at Hochschule Pforzheim so that he stated ‘This brings back many fond memories’.
James, in his lively and eloquent style, presented the crucial, yet sensitive topic ESG (Environmental. Social and Governance) to the students and helped them demystify it. James elaborated on the regulatory drivers, the investors’ mindsets, the current pushback on ESG and its probable reasons. He also discussed with the current MBA students the most important idea of incorporating the ESG objectives into the business model justifying it with a business link: setting achievable targets and working towards fulfilling them consistently.
James also discussed the different ways investors implement ESG in their work, using Robeco, Allianz Global Investors, Blackrock and Norges Bank Investment Management as examples. James posed a case to the students and asked for opinions on ‘whether Tesla would be a good option for ESG investing and the reasons for the same.’ There were some interesting views from the audience, both for and against the notion considering the technology competency, work environment, carbon neutrality and so on. Also, the ESG Index as the students learned, may or may not be a fool-proof indicator. James then gave his feedback on the case and emphasized on the fact that since there are many complex factors involved in making an investing decision, one should have a holistic understanding, which includes ESG indicators, to be able to make predictions as accurate as possible, and of course, be prepared to take on the surprises.
Thanks for being an amazing mentor to us, James. We are grateful to you for answering our queries so patiently and inspiring us with your passion for sustainability. We look forward to staying connected with you.

Text and photo: Aditya Yardi, MBA Class of 2025