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Chrissa Pagitsas

Chrissa Pagitsas is a keynote speaker and author on the intersection
of ESG and business, known for her innovations in green financing
and leadership at Fannie Mae.

5.00 of 5

Top rated!

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5 of 5

Without a doubt, Chrissa Pagitsas was the best choice as our conference’s keynote speaker. As a dynamic speaker, Chrissa engaged our audience and created a real-time conversation on ESG leadership and business.

Nima Farshchi

Executive Director, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

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Why you should book Chrissa Pagitsas for your next event

  • Chrissa has extensive knowledge and experience in the intersection of ESG and global business, having authored a book and launched the ESG strategy at Fannie Mae. She has been recognized for her market-transforming innovations, making her a valuable asset for events.
  • With an MBA and a BA, Chrissa brings a well-rounded educational background to her work in ESG and sustainability. She combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience to provide engaging and impactful insights.
  • Chrissa has a proven track record as a keynote speaker and strategic advisor to senior executives and boards on ESG and global business. Her experience, expertise, and passion make her a sought-after speaker for events looking to delve into the latest trends and best practices in sustainability.

Chrissa Pagitsas is the CEO of Pagitsas Advisors, an author, and board member. She and her team advise senior executives and boards at global companies on meeting growth targets and driving results through transformation strategies. Her leadership and expertise are rooted in seizing the opportunity to build Fannie Mae’s Green Bond business from zero to $51 billion—an industry-defining achievement at a Fortune 50 company. Her best-selling book, Chief Sustainability Officers at Work, provides leaders of any business a roadmap on how to navigate disruptive innovations and markets successfully.

Read the full profile: Chrissa Pagitsas

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Keynotes

Keynote by Chrissa Pagitsas: Thriving in the Disruptive 21st Century: How Successful Businesses Innovate & Grow

In this keynote, Chrissa reveals the disruptive forces shaping global business, from geopolitical tensions and economic volatility to wildly divergent consumer attitudes, AI transformation, and increased regulatory risk.

Drawing on her own experience building a $51 billion bond business during a similarly challenging environment, Chrissa introduces a proven framework that will inspire leaders to innovate and drive meaningful results.

Highlighting executives across diverse industries who have successfully navigated these complexities, she reinforces how these principles can empower businesses to meet the moment and find new growth. Leaders will leave with a clear roadmap for navigating uncertainty and turning disruption into opportunity.

Request a quote: Chrissa Pagitsas Thriving in the Disruptive 21st Century: How Successful Businesses Innovate & Grow

Keynote by Chrissa Pagitsas: The Art of the Calculated Leap: How Visionary Leaders Take Risks for Success

This dynamic keynote ignites a growth mind

set for senior executives to aspiring leaders to develop a clear vision and manage the risks surrounding it. Drawing on insightful data and captivating case studies—including her own corporate executive experience—Chrissa equips audiences with a playbook for evaluating, managing, and capitalizing on risk with clarity and confidence.

Designed for leaders at all levels, this keynote inspires attendees to unlock their potential and empower their teams, offering new tools for turning bold decisions into drivers of growth.

Request a quote: Chrissa Pagitsas The Art of the Calculated Leap: How Visionary Leaders Take Risks for Success

Keynote by Chrissa Pagitsas: Building Resilience: Businesses & Teams that Drive Lasting Value Creation

Thriving in a world of constant change and disruption starts with building a culture of resilience and adaptation. Drawing on her own experience and insights from exemplary leaders, Chrissa Pagitsas equips executives and their teams with the tools to turn inward and deploy strategies to navigate uncertainty and drive long-term success.

Chrissa also explores how resilience extends beyond internal operations, emphasizing the role of product innovation, partnerships and pilot programs in accelerating the development and adoption of value-creating solutions.

Designed for leaders across industries and functions, this keynote leaves businesses with a powerful playbook to embrace change, inspire new ways of thinking across teams, and create a sustainable culture built to last.

Request a quote: Chrissa Pagitsas Building Resilience: Businesses & Teams that Drive Lasting Value Creation

Keynote by Chrissa Pagitsas: Commercializing Sustainability: Creating Value, Accelerating Impact

In an era of political turbulence, rapidly evolving regulations and stakeholder pressures, and shifting corporate commitments, leaders face evermore challenges and complexities—and opportunities—with sustainability. In this keynote, Chrissa demonstrates how corporate sustainability must and should connect to tangible business value to achieve meaningful impact.

Drawing on her experience as Fannie Mae’s head of ESG and in building its $51 billion green finance business, Chrissa offers actionable strategies for “commercializing sustainability.”

Deeply experienced sustainability leaders to those just learning about it will leave this keynote inspired and armed with a blueprint for how to integrate sustainability with strategy, strengthen partnerships, accelerate progress, and drive measurable results.

Request a quote: Chrissa Pagitsas Commercializing Sustainability: Creating Value, Accelerating Impact

Customer Reviews

5 of 5

Without a doubt, Chrissa Pagitsas was the best choice as our conference’s keynote speaker. As a dynamic speaker, Chrissa engaged our audience and created a real-time conversation on ESG leadership and business.

Executive Director, Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

Chrissa Pagitsas

5 of 5

Chrissa’s insights are practical, action-oriented and balanced – three attributes that are all-too-rare in the ESG and sustainable finance space.

Global Head ESG and Sustainable Finance Strategy, Jefferies

Chrissa Pagitsas

5 of 5

As our keynote speaker, Chrissa hit the exact note for our audience: revealing the big-picture vision for the future for sustainability and business while clearly laying out how to execute on practical actions today.

CEO, Measurabl

Chrissa Pagitsas

Rated 5.00/5 based on 3 customer reviews

Chrissa Pagitsas

Unlocking Innovation & Growth Potential
Chrissa Pagitsas is a keynote speaker and strategic advisor to senior executives and boards on the intersection of environmental, social, governance (ESG) and global business. Chrissa is the author of the book Chief Sustainability Officers at Work (Apress, 2022) which explores the leadership strategies of Chief Sustainability Officers and Heads of ESG at Fortune 500 companies including BlackRock, Coca- Cola, Duke Energy, and Procter & Gamble.

Recognized as a “Green Bond Champion” by the Climate Bonds Initiative and a recipient of the US Green Building Council Leadership Award, Chrissa is responsible for market- transforming innovations including the first Green Commercial MBS in the US, a standardized energy audit for the commercial real estate market, and the US EPA ENERGY STAR® 1 to 100 Score for Existing Multifamily. 

As the first Vice President of ESG at Fannie Mae, Chrissa launched the enterprise’s ESG Strategy to integrate ESG principles into the core strategy. Prior to her work in ESG, she launched and led the Green Financing Business which issued over $51 billion in Green Bonds through 2018, making Fannie Mae the largest issuer of Green Bonds globally. 

Her prior experience includes developing sustainability strategies for large real estate investors and delivered financial management software solutions for utility companies in the U.S. and Europe. Chrissa holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business, University of Virginia and a BA from Johns Hopkins University.

Chrissa Pagitsas Keynote Speaker

Watch Chrissa Pagitsas in action

Fannie Mae's Chrissa Pagitsas on sustainability in financing for housing

Watch Chrissa Pagitsas in action

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