Tensie Whelan: Shaping the Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI) (EP.10)

In this episode of Turbo Impact, Tensie Whelan, Distinguished Professor of Practice at NYU Stern and founder of the Center for Sustainable Business, joins host Kenny Chen to discuss how sustainability becomes a measurable driver of financial performance. Over the past decade, Tensie has advanced the Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI) framework to help companies and investors move beyond ESG reporting and quantify the financial value embedded in sustainability strategies. The conversation centers on how ROSI is being applied within private equity and companies to link material sustainability KPIs directly to operational efficiency, risk mitigation, growth, and exit value. Drawing on her Responsible Private Equity research, Tensie explains what distinguishes proactive integration from reactive compliance, and why outcome-based performance matters more than process-based disclosure. She also highlights circularity as an emerging financial resilience strategy amid commodity volatility and supply chain risk, reinforcing the case that sustainability, when treated as disciplined management, becomes a source of competitive advantage. Key Topics Covered • Why sustainability must be evaluated through financial performance rather than disclosure metrics • ROSI as a structured framework to connect material sustainability practices to measurable value creation • Responsible Private Equity research findings on integrating sustainability into operational strategy and exit outcomes • Human capital and employee ownership as drivers of productivity, retention, and multiple expansion • Circularity and resource efficiency as financial resilience strategies in a volatile global economy Further Reading Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI) Framework https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-... Responsible Private Equity Research https://www.stern.nyu.edu/experience-... Who Should Listen: Private capital managers, institutional allocators, and corporate leaders Subscribe to our newsletter: www.turbo-impact.com Email us: [email protected] Follow on X: @turbo_impact Follow on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/turbo-impact Produced by: Turbo Net Zero