EVP – Sustainability and Transition — Machine-Learning Infrastructure Stack

The mandate

Transition commitments have been stated, but they do not yet shape capital decisions across a machine-learning infrastructure stack. Post-funding growth is increasing energy, capacity, supplier and equipment choices at a pace that can lock in long-lived consequences. Sustainability reporting captures part of the footprint after decisions occur. The EVP – Sustainability and Transition will put credible economics, delivery ownership and evidence into those decisions before capital is committed.

The operating scope represents approximately CHF 1 billion in AI product and services revenue and about 175 employees and material partners across Switzerland, Zurich and the wider operating region. Relevant exposure includes data-centre and cloud consumption, hardware lifecycle, energy sourcing, procurement, product architecture and supplier practices. The role must connect these technical and commercial realities with enterprise transition commitments.

The goal is not a separate sustainability plan. The organisation needs a transition pathway within the infrastructure strategy, showing where design, location, sourcing, utilisation or retirement changes both footprint and enterprise value. Choices should reflect uncertainty transparently; weak data is a reason to improve measurement and stage investment, not to claim false precision or postpone every decision.

Why this seat is open

This newly created position is urgent because dispersed ownership cannot embed transition choices during scale-up. Interim governance protects immediate commitments but does not provide permanent accountability. A six-to-eight-week appointment process is planned. The role is onsite in Zurich, supports international relocation and reports to the Group Chief Executive or nominated executive committee sponsor.

What you will own

You will establish a decision-useful footprint and economics baseline. It should link consumption and emissions to workloads, suppliers, assets, customers and growth assumptions at an appropriate level. Boundaries, factors and estimation methods need documentation, while material gaps have named owners and improvement dates. Finance and technology must accept the same base.

Capital governance will incorporate transition effects alongside capacity, resilience, cost and performance. You will define assessment thresholds for infrastructure, sourcing and architecture proposals, test whole-life consequences and identify options that preserve flexibility. Benefits and avoided exposure must have operational owners after approval, with staged funding where technology or demand remains uncertain.

Supplier transition is a significant lever. Work with procurement and technology leaders to obtain credible data, align improvement plans and avoid contractual claims unsupported by operational change. Concentration and continuity matter alongside footprint. Customer statements must remain consistent with available evidence and the portion of the stack the company actually controls.

The 175-person employee and partner perimeter should combine technical credibility, commercial understanding, data assurance and programme delivery. You will clarify responsibilities across sustainability and operating teams, develop successors and establish assurance proportionate to materiality. External experts can challenge methods but cannot substitute for management ownership.

The first 12 months

In the first 90 days, reconcile current commitments, footprint data, capital projects and supplier evidence. Select the decisions with the largest long-lived consequences, assess leadership and stabilise any reporting or claim risk. Agree boundaries, materiality, investment gates and a board scorecard, including where the current evidence remains uncertain.

Between months four and nine, embed transition tests in capital reviews, improve high-value data and renegotiate priority supplier commitments. Mobilise selected infrastructure or utilisation interventions and demonstrate one decision where transition economics changed design, sequencing or capital. Fill capability gaps and establish independent assurance of the most material measures.

At month twelve, the board should see credible transition economics, owned delivery and auditable progress. The following capital plan must reconcile demand, capacity, cost, resilience and footprint. Present a three-year pathway with downside actions if growth, energy availability, supplier delivery or technology performance differs from assumptions.

What the board will measure

The first-year transition case should remain within 10% of authorised capital and outcome assumptions, with prospective variance reporting. Three quarterly forecasts need to align infrastructure demand, cash, customers, suppliers and teams. A selected material footprint or transition constraint should improve quantitatively from an assured baseline.

Priority delivery and claims risks must close by approved dates and withstand verification. Critical-talent retention should be 90% or better, with ready-now cover for 70% of direct reports. Severe transition or disclosure issues cannot remain undecided for more than 30 days, and significant surprises must enter governance immediately.

The person

You are an EVP Sustainability, Transition Director or Strategy Leader with 18–22 years in AI, enterprise software, cloud, data infrastructure, analytics, applied research or a comparable capital-intensive technology setting. You have owned at least CHF 700 million in P&L, budget, book or accountable portfolio and led at least 125 people.

Your evidence includes embedding transition commitments in real capital and technology choices. You can quantify cost, footprint, resilience and operational outcomes and explain how assurance was obtained. The board will test a case where data or economics contradicted a public ambition and what you changed. References must distinguish your decisions from reporting-team activity.

Compensation and terms

The expected package is CHF 320,000–430,000 base plus annual incentive, calibrated to the completed remit and current mix. Any long-term component uses normal performance and vesting conditions. Notice up to six months is workable. The EVP will engage frequently with the group board and relevant risk and people committees.

Confidentiality

The company, infrastructure footprint, commitments and supplier information remain confidential pending mutual relevance and a formal undertaking. All public context has been rounded and blended.