Impact Leaders: Becca Samson on sustainability comms & impact

As a California native, Becca’s appreciation for the environment are some of her earliest memories. She’s translated this into her professional career by leading environmental impact programs at Tony’s Chocolonely, WeTransfer, Booking.com, and Google. Her work has focused on developing sustainability strategies that embed environmental responsibility into business goals and activates all stakeholders.

Becca is passionate about working with teams to help them realise every job is a climate job, resulting in 2.5x more WeTransfer employees opting for the train vs plane (between Amsterdam and London) and over €3.2M invested in global entrepreneurs including protection of 78 cultural sites in India and restoration 1.7K coral reefs in Dominican Republic.

When asked to describe her role in a company, she said ‘I’m the coach that helps the team form and flow together - using everyone’s potential to achieve our goals.’ Follow Becca on LinkedIn here.

Toby: Becca, great to have you. Let’s start with your career so far: what’s your elevator pitch?

Becca: I’ve worked across a few different organisations, most recently at Tony’s Chocolonely and before that WeTransfer, focusing on sustainability strategy, embedding impact into operations, and helping teams connect the dots between their work and broader environmental goals. I came into sustainability from a storytelling background - so my approach is always about building bridges between departments and creating alignment with the core of the business.

Toby: I like that framing - bridging gaps and embedding sustainability. What kind of work are you proudest of?

Becca: At WeTransfer, I worked a lot on climate strategy and published a whitepaper on measuring emissions of our ads, which was then verified externally. It helped kick off a wider data maturity journey across the company and the advertising industry. I think there's real value in showing that data can be a lever - not just a reporting tool. Also, helping other teams see how sustainability connects with their challenges. That’s when real ownership starts to grow.

Toby: What did you learn working on carbon data at WeTransfer?

Becca: It’s humbling. From the outside, it can seem like sustainability data is all formulas and certainty. But when you lift the veil, most of the data isn’t there. The calculations rely on assumptions. So it’s really about maturity: getting better over time, knowing where your gaps are, and not pretending things are more precise than they are. The most important thing is just to take the first step, even if it’s a baby step.

Toby: You mentioned building relationships and connecting with other teams. How did you approach that?

Becca: When I join a new organisation, I try to talk to as many people as possible, for as long as possible. Not just one big meeting - more like a series of conversations before I feel the need to perform or deliver. I’ll ask simple questions like: “What challenges are you working on?” or “What’s the problem in your department?” I don’t bring sustainability into it at all at that point. It’s about understanding their world. If there’s a connection, great - we might be able to work together on it. If not, that’s okay too.

Toby: So almost like a discovery process - very consultative.

Becca: Exactly. You’re not pitching. You’re just listening, trying to see where the alignment might be. At WeTransfer, for example, I found out the sales team was really looking for new content to share with clients for a while, and the engineering was looking to scale up server usage - which means  server costs - which were also a big part of our emissions. That opened a door to work together, even though it didn’t start as a “sustainability” conversation.

Toby: That’s a great example. If you were advising a business now - maybe one going through B Corp or just wanting to deepen their impact - what would you tell them?

Becca: Make sure it’s authentic. In 2020, it felt like everyone was jumping on any impact bandwagon, but now people - customers, employees, stakeholders - all have really strong BS meters. If your work doesn’t align with your values or business model, it won’t last. Sustainability should feel like a tree growing deeper roots. If it’s embedded and consistent, it will keep giving back - to your culture, your customers, and your business resilience.

Toby: If you could go back to the start of your career, would you do anything differently?

Becca: Honestly, not much - I’ve always tried to follow my heart and learn through conversations.

But if I could tell my younger self one thing, it would be to be more patient.I used to worry that I didn’t have the right skill set, or that my background wasn’t technical enough. But I’ve come to believe that every skill set has value in this work. We need everyone to address the climate crisis - not just scientists or analysts.

I’d tell myself to trust that and take the time to find the right fit.

Toby: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from working in sustainability?

Becca: That it has to be embedded in the business. Saying “it’s the right thing to do” isn’t enough. You have to align your sustainability goals with the business case - that’s how you make them stick.

And then it’s about ownership. The sustainability team can’t carry it all. You have to create the conditions for other teams to pick it up, run with it, and make it part of their own work.

Toby: What’s next for you?

Becca: Right now, we’re seeing some governments and companies start to deprioritise climate, which makes it even more important that we double down - not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes businesses more resilient, adaptable, and ready for the future. That’s where I want to continue contribute - helping businesses see that embedding sustainability is a strategic advantage, not a side project.

Toby: Thanks Becca - loved this!

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This series of interviews is in support of our mission to accelerate sustainability and decarbonisation across SMEs, NGOs and value chains. By sharing experiences, lessons learned and tips and tricks to embedding sustainability, we can all learn how to improve more, faster.

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