Purpose & Profit: How Sarah Whale's Making Sustainability Practical
“A change champion pays for itself in momentum.”
Chris and Mike sit down with Sarah Whale, Managing Director of Profit Impact and Expert-in-Residence at King’s College London, for a grounded conversation on how sustainability actually gets done inside busy SMEs.
Sarah breaks down why ESG should start with purpose, not paperwork—because without clarity on “why,” compliance becomes noise instead of momentum. She explains the difference between early-stage companies that bake impact into their business model from day one versus established firms trying to retrofit it, and why board-level sponsorship is the non-negotiable ingredient for change.
From dealing with LinkedIn pile-ons to supporting founders focused on circularity, wellbeing and loneliness, Sarah shows how impact becomes practical when businesses carve out time, protect headspace, and appoint a change champion (or fractional support) to make progress stick. If you want to shift sustainability from overwhelm to opportunity, this is the episode.
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Author
“Chris Argent isn’t here to play by finance’s old rulebook - he’s here to rewrite it.” From challenging outdated corporate thinking to rallying finance leaders around a more connected, adaptable future, the founder of GENCFO is leading a quiet revolution in how CFOs and finance leadership work, think, and influence. Chris Argent, founder of GENCFO, is a finance leader redefining the role beyond business partnering. A self-described “reluctant accountant,” he’s built a global community for progressive accounting and finance leaders who value connection over competition and action over tradition. Chris believes the greatest risk to the profession is clinging to outdated norms, and that mindset and adaptability outpace any technological change. His work champions leaders who turn new ideas into real-world change, blending people-centred strategies with new ways of working and technology. In conversations, he challenges, provokes, and inspires - proving that the future of finance belongs to those ready to lead it together.