Electra Karanasiu | Executive Engagements

Senior Advisor
Strategic Transformation
& Sustainability

Electra Karanasiu — Senior Advisor, Strategic Transformation & Sustainability

For over two decades, I have helped organisations across the Middle East and Europe navigate complex transformation, sustainability strategy, and large-scale change. My foundation was built during 15 years in Big Four advisory, including nine years leading corporate teams at PwC.

I specialise in making ESG commitments commercially relevant, data-driven, and operationally effective. By anchoring sustainability at the intersection of technology and business performance, I transform operating models and corporate governance to help leadership teams improve decision-making while creating long-term value.

My focus is strictly on delivering measurable business outcomes, previously delivering a 69% reduction in operational emissions and unlocking over $4M in cost savings through travel decarbonisation, achieved within a single financial year. Today, I operate as an independent advisor and partner with consulting firms and major corporations to move environmental strategies beyond high-level ambition and into practical, profitable execution.

Discuss an Engagement Advisory Services
20+ Years delivering transformation & sustainability globally
15+ Years in PwC & EY advising multi-market programmes
9+ Years C-suite engagement, PwC ME Leadership Team

About

With almost a decade spent directly within the "engine room" of PwC Middle East, including two years as Chief of Staff to the regional Managing Partner, I understand how complex organisations actually function from the very top. I don't just provide a roadmap; I ensure the governance, data systems, and leadership alignment are in place to make Sustainability and Net Zero strategy stick.

Based in Dubai since 2013, my regional expertise was built entirely within PwC and EY, giving me a rare 'insider' vantage point on the Middle East market. Through these tenures, I have specialised in turning Scope 3 and operational data into actionable business insights, identifying the exact points where decarbonisation intersects with cost savings and efficiency.

What I enjoy most is the challenge of the execution phase, taking a complex corporate strategy and turning it into structural reality. To do this, I leverage deep PMO, change management, and digital transformation expertise to orchestrate AI and automated data solutions that drive long-term operational resilience.

View Leadership Track Record

Core Advisory Services

01

Sustainability Strategy & ESG Implementation

Architecting credible, board-level sustainability roadmaps and turning them into operational reality. I bridge the gap between high-level ambition and day-to-day execution, ensuring your strategy is embedded across data, systems, and performance tracking to remain defensible to investors and regulators. This approach explicitly positions ESG as a competitive advantage rather than a cost center, driving long-term enterprise value and unlocking strategic growth and market access.

Strategic Growth & Access Investor & Lender Confidence Preferred Partner Status ICV & Tender Competitiveness Net Zero Transformation
02

Reporting Gap Closure & Governance Operationalisation

Moving beyond technical gap reports to full governance execution, ensuring board-level disclosure obligations are met with absolute confidence. I build the internal audit trails, controls, and evidence packs required for international and UAE regulatory compliance. I specialise in policy operationalisation, translating technical gap reports into actionable roadmaps that move your organisation from voluntary disclosure to mandatory federal compliance while mitigating risk and protecting board liability.

Bridging the Regulatory Gap Operationalising IFRS S1 & S2 Greenwashing & Litigation Protection Mitigating Risk & Regulatory Pressure Mandatory Federal Disclosure (Law No. 11)
03

Tech-Enabled ESG & Digital Intelligence

Architecting the data-logic for automated ESG workflows and real-time leadership dashboards that replace manual spreadsheets with scalable, intelligent infrastructure. I design the predictive models and decision-support tools required to translate complex datasets into high-impact executive insights, optimising overall organisational performance and ensuring your sustainability data works directly for the bottom line, not against it.

Optimising Performance & Protecting Margins Monetising ESG Initiatives Strategic Data Architecture Operational Waste Identification Scope 1–3 Digital Intelligence
04

Supply Chain & Operational Execution

Operationalising sustainability within procurement and supplier relationships to manage Scope 3 risk. I lead the execution of data collection, cleansing, and validation across your value chain, ensuring your supply chain remains commercially resilient, operationally lean, and fully aligned with global partner requirements. My focus is on turning fragmented value chain data into actionable business insights that actively protect operating margins.

Scope 3 Value Chain Mapping Supplier Decarbonisation Frameworks Data Cleansing & Validation Ethical Procurement Frameworks Operational Waste Mitigation
05

Sustainability PMO & Programme Governance

Providing senior-level oversight to keep your sustainability programme on track by establishing robust Programme Management Offices (PMOs) to handle milestones, dependency tracking, and risk escalation. This delivers the senior capacity needed to drive complex cross-functional and cross-ministry delivery, effectively bringing sovereign policy commitments to life on the ground without the overhead of a permanent executive hire.

National Vision & Public Sector Delivery Sovereign Policy Alignment Cross-Ministry Stakeholder Management Workforce & Nationalisation Models White-Label Senior Advisory
06

Organisational Resilience & Capability Building

Embedding sustainability into corporate culture and governance to drive permanent institutional change. I lead the strategic change management, role clarity, and capability building required to ensure your teams have the skills to independently sustain ESG performance long after the initial implementation, while seamlessly aligning organisational purpose with regional talent development and institutional transformation priorities.

Strategic Change Management ESG Capability Building Institutional Culture Transformation Corporate Wellbeing Strategy

Selected Impact

69%

Operational emissions reduction Led Scope 1 & 2 decarbonisation across PwC ME regional operations

27%

Increase in formal SBT commitments Supplier engagement programme embedding Science Based Targets across the value chain

4,500

Employees across 5+ countries Regional service portal, Google G-Suite transformation and governance programmes

ISAE 3000

External assurance obtained Sustainability disclosures and underlying processes subject to independent external assurance

Engagement Models

Flexible ways to partner, from strategic guidance
to embedded leadership.

01

Fractional Sustainability Leadership (CSO)

Embedded, part-time leadership for organisations that require a senior Chief Sustainability Officer perspective without the overhead of a full-time executive. I sit within your leadership team to steer strategy, governance, and board-level reporting.

02

Strategic Advisory & White-Label Delivery

Providing trusted senior capacity for consulting firms to support high-stakes client mandates. Available for white-label senior delivery, managed service execution, and expert second-opinions across the full ESG and digital transformation spectrum.

03

Principal-Led Project Execution

Results-driven leadership for specific, time-bound transformations. As a Principal Consultant, I take full ownership of the "engine room" — from architecting data-logic and automating dashboards to leading cross-functional PMOs and change management programmes.

Professional Experience

View full experience

Let's Work Together

Available for
strategic partnerships
& senior leadership.

"If you are looking for experienced senior capacity to lead, advise, or deliver — get in touch to discuss how I can accelerate your transformation."

Fractional CSO White-label Advisory Interim Leadership Project-based Delivery Speaking & Keynotes
[email protected] +971 52 847 4981 Dubai, UAE — Available for travel across GCC, Europe & globally linkedin.com/in/electra-karanasiu

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