Q&A with Sara Firouzyar, who joined Gong as a Senior Account Executive and an early hire in the finance team, working predominantly on private equity clients. Sara progressed to Account Director before leaving to live and work in South Africa for just over a year. Returning to the UK, Sara rejoined Gong as financial services lead. She finally left the agency in 2020 to join CDP – a not-for-profit that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts – as Global Comms lead for the Capital Markets Team.

How did we first meet you?

I had been working at Maitland but was looking for a new role and was introduced to Gong by a recruitment agent. I knew immediately during the interview process that Gong was somewhere that I would be able to make a difference. I loved the team, and at that time, the agency was small enough (I was the fifth or sixth hire) that I knew I would be given significant client exposure and responsibility.

What was it about Gong that appealed?

Beyond my colleagues – who are all lovely – I was attracted by the clients. They were predominantly emerging markets focused, with a strong narrative around the transformative power of capital. I trained in corporate law but have always been drawn towards companies that make a positive impact on society, so communicating these stories within the private equity sector sat very nicely within my skillset. I was pleased to be able to bring my legal knowledge to our professional services clients too, which included law firms among them.

What were your highlights from working at Gong?

How long have you got? I loved the team – even as the agency grew, the supportive culture has never changed. Everyone is approachable and it is a very collaborative environment. Despite the various client team focuses, there are no silos or obviously-felt hierarchy. I think this stems from the agency ethos of supporting clients that want to communicate their positive impact on society. It is an ethos that runs to the core of Gong and all of the (very diverse) team that works there, meaning that everyone is pursuing a common goal.

Another huge highlight of working at Gong for me was the opportunity to travel, particularly to Africa. Working with clients and journalists on the ground in other countries gave me a new perspective to communications that I wouldn’t have had in another agency.

Also I think Gong’s flexible working policy was a huge boon. We were well ahead of the curve in pursuing this and it’s still a highlight for colleagues today. That and the corporate benefit of finishing work early on Fridays in the summer!

How did working at Gong help to hone your career interests?

Certainly it cemented my belief in the positive outcomes of capital flows when invested responsibly. And without doubt Gong’s sustainability focus had an impact on my choice to extend my career within the environment sector, and ultimately in the capital markets team at CDP.

What does your role look like now?

I work for the gold standard in global environmental disclosure systems, which pioneered using the influence of capital markets to drive corporate environmental transparency and action. It’s a fascinating area, especially as we see increasing corporate commitments to reduce carbon emissions and pursuit of net zero. We are all aware that climate change presents significant risk to the economy – so much so that last year, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak announced plans to make climate risk assessments mandatory, in line with the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), for large swathes of the economy by 2025. I’m pleased to be working for an organisation that supports capital markets actors to understand and manage their own climate-related risks and impact, engage meaningfully with their portfolios and make more informed financial decisions. Not only will this help with meeting net zero goals but ultimately move towards a more sustainable future that works for people and planet.

At CDP, I am responsible for designing and delivering the comms strategy for the capital markets team with the objective of mobilising investors and financial institutions to enable transition to a net zero economy. No day is the same, but I’m used to that after working at Gong!

Sara Firouzyar is Global Communications Lead for the Capital Markets team at CDP, a not-for-profit charity that runs the global disclosure system for investors, companies, cities, states and regions to manage their environmental impacts. CDP is backed by over 590 investors globally with over $110 trillion in assets.