Delphine-Marie Zacharias

Read Delphine's story

What was your experience prior to studying MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance? 

After graduating with my undergraduate degree in 2021 and before starting my Master's at Imperial College Business School, I completed two internships: one at KPMG and one at Planetly. At KPMG, I worked in the Sustainability Services department (now ESG Service Group), where I supported the audit of non-financial reports and provided audit-related consulting to address new regulatory requirements. Following that, I worked as a Sustainability Consultant Intern at Planetly, a climate tech company that developed digital tools to assist companies in calculating, reducing, and offsetting their CO2 emissions. 

Although I had prior work experience in sustainability and climate change, pursuing MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance allowed me to develop a more comprehensive understanding of various sectors within the climate change context, such as energy, transportation, and agriculture. This programme also provided me with a broader perspective on the different aspects of the climate change challenge and potential solutions. 

What are you enjoying learning about the most? 

With a background in business administration, I have found the most enjoyment in learning about new and unfamiliar topics, such as the science of climate change, mitigation of climate change, and impacts and adaptation to climate change. These modules were all taught by leading authors of the latest synthesis report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Learning from them has been inspiring and has helped me place my business and financial knowledge in a real-world climate perspective. 

The programme is highly practice-oriented, with numerous group assignments and individual submissions. This allows us to explore topics of personal interest in greater depth beyond the lecture content. Due to the diverse cohort with professionals and students from different backgrounds, countries, and age groups, the group assignments not only taught me teamwork but also provided a lot of fun. 

The weekly guest speaker series is one of the most excellent and enjoyable parts of the programme. The guest speakers, representing a wide range of sectors such as asset management, venture capital, carbon accounting, consulting, policy, and industry, share insights about their companies and their contributions to addressing the climate change challenge. These sessions offer valuable insights into diverse job opportunities and help expand our professional networks while learning about various possibilities for climate action. 

"The weekly guest speaker series is one of the most excellent and enjoyable parts of the programme. The guest speakers, representing a wide range of sectors such as asset management, venture capital, carbon accounting, consulting, policy, and industry, share insights about their companies and their contributions to addressing the climate change challenge."

Are you part of any clubs or societies? 

Although I am not directly involved in any clubs or societies, I enjoy attending their various events, which also allows me to network with students from other programme’s. 

One highlight for me was co-hosting an episode of the IB Green Minds Podcast with my good friend and fellow student, Claudia Hlavackova. It is a student-led podcast from the MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance programme, where we interview leaders working to combat climate change. We had the opportunity to interview Ciara Barry, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Fashion Revolution, an organization I volunteered for before starting my Master's. 

How are you planning to use your Master's for your future career? 

This unique programme has equipped me with in-depth and up-to-date knowledge at the intersection of business, finance, and climate change from a global perspective. It has helped me understand the climate change challenge from various viewpoints, and I plan to work in the startup or venture capital sphere, creating a positive impact myself or enabling the scaling of impactful initiatives. The climate change area requires a fast-paced environment and prompt action, and I am confident that I will thrive in this context. The guest lectures and networking events have provided me with a head start for my future career, teaching me how to actively leverage my Imperial College network, for example, through LinkedIn, to gain valuable insights, support, or advice from business professionals and industry experts.