• EY appoints Alexis Gazzo to oversee its 4,300 person global climate and sustainability advisory team.
• The move strengthens EY’s capabilities in reporting, assurance, decarbonization, biodiversity and nature risk, amid rising regulatory pressure.
• A new Global Chief Sustainability Strategist role expands EY’s focus on integrated sustainability solutions across service lines.

EY has appointed Alexis Gazzo as Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader, placing a long serving adviser at the helm of a team that has grown into one of the firm’s central strategic engines. The decision comes at a time when corporate demand for credible climate strategy, reporting integrity and nature based risk management has intensified, driven by shifting regulation, volatile market expectations and widening exposure to physical climate stress.

A Leadership Change At A Critical Moment

Gazzo steps into the role previously held by Dr. Matthew Bell, who left the firm to become Group CEO of sustainability advisory business Anthesis. The transition places Gazzo in charge of a global network of 4,300 specialists focused on climate risk, sustainability reporting and assurance, ESG data systems, decarbonization planning, environmental and safety advisory, and nature and biodiversity strategy.

His appointment follows more than two decades within EY’s sustainability practice, including recent leadership of the France CCaSS team and oversight of the firm’s biodiversity activities across Europe. Gazzo also serves as a member of the Task Force on Nature related Financial Disclosures, positioning him at the center of emerging frameworks that are shaping how companies measure and disclose nature related impacts and dependencies.

In a message announcing the move, Gazzo said: “The meaning of the commitment of EY’s climate and sustainability professionals is precisely to rely on facts, on science, to help organizations transform themselves in the long term, rather than being subjected to the transformations underway. Today, despite the headwinds and turbulence, more than ever we are staying the course.”

His comments reflect mounting pressure on corporates to prepare for climate disruption as both a financial and operational threat. New disclosure rules from the EU, the United States, Asia and several emerging markets are changing how companies handle data, governance and risk steering, creating a surge in demand for advisory capabilities that can translate science based targets and transition plans into execution.

A New Era For Integrated Sustainability Services

EY paired the appointment with the creation of a new role, Global Chief Sustainability Strategist, naming Velislava Ivanova to lead innovation and integration of sustainability solutions across the firm. Her remit spans education, policy interpretation, advisory design and reporting alignment, bridging work across EY’s service lines. Ivanova has held senior sustainability leadership roles for more than a decade, including positions as Global Strategy and Markets Leader for CCaSS and EY Americas Chief Sustainability Officer.

The dual appointments deepen EY’s push to embed sustainability into mainstream corporate decision making. They also reflect how advisory firms are competing to shape global market infrastructure for ESG data, credible assurance, nature related disclosure and transition financing.

RELATED ARTICLE: EY Sustainability Veteran Dr. Matthew Bell Appointed as Anthesis Group CEO

Colm Devine, EY Global Vice Chair for Sustainability, said: “These appointments not only reinforce sustainability as a priority area of investment for EY, but also the strength and breadth of the experience we are drawing on to support our progress, and our clients too, in making sustainability led transformation possible.”

Implications For Executives And Investors

The shift in leadership comes as companies confront rising expectations around transition planning, scenario analysis, biodiversity risk integration and the credibility of net zero commitments. Investors have raised scrutiny on the quality of climate data and assurance, forcing issuers to strengthen internal reporting systems and governance structures.

Gazzo’s background in renewable strategy, low carbon project development and environmental economics positions EY to meet demand from corporates under pressure to connect climate risk with long horizon capital planning. His own framing of the role has been anchored in enabling organisations to move beyond compliance toward resilience. “I am seeking to help build a better working world by helping businesses address the risks associated with climate change and engage in decarbonization strategies. Almost all organizations will face major disruption from climate change and its impacts over the coming years. Our teams not only help businesses respond to climate risks but also take the opportunities, as well as improve business strategies and planning,” he has said.

Global Relevance

EY’s strengthened leadership bench arrives as sustainability regulation enters a new phase, with nature related reporting joining climate disclosure as a core expectation for multinationals. Advisory firms now play a defining role in shaping how corporates interpret emerging rules, build internal capabilities and manage the financial implications of transition pathways.

For global executives, the appointments reflect the acceleration of a market where climate and nature strategy are no longer peripheral workstreams. They are now shaping competitive positioning, risk management, capital allocation and board oversight across every major sector.

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