KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Sustainable Finance Expert | Former Group Sustainability Officer, DWS
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WHY DESIREE
Desiree exposed what she saw as greenwashing at DWS, giving her a rare insider's view into what actually works — and what fails — in ESG and sustainable finance.
KEYNOTE TOPICS
Fixler draws on her own DWS whistleblowing experience to show how misleading ESG scores and glossy reports can conceal risk and mislead investors — and how leaders can tell genuine value creation from reputational and regulatory exposure.
Speaking out nearly cost Fixler everything. She breaks down the real risks whistleblowers face and what it takes to build a culture where uncomfortable truths can survive — and drive meaningful change rather than being silenced.
With conflicting standards emerging across the US, EU, and UK, Fixler maps the gaps, contradictions, and political agendas — helping organizations reduce risk and make defensible decisions in an era of regulatory fragmentation.
Fixler helps leaders move ESG from a marketing "sideshow" to something embedded in the business — sober disclosure, real data, and upskilled boards — so that sustainability claims hold up under regulatory and investor pressure.
Desiree Fixler is one of the most influential and candid voices in sustainable finance — a former ESG champion from within the industry who became one of its most rigorous critics. As Group Sustainability Officer at Deutsche Bank's asset manager DWS, she exposed what she regarded as material greenwashing: significant gaps between the firm's public ESG claims and its internal reality. When her concerns and her role were dismissed, she went public — and the resulting investigations by US and German authorities triggered a dramatic chain of events, including a police raid, the removal of top executives, and landmark greenwashing penalties. Her action sent shockwaves through the finance industry and helped catalyze global efforts to tackle greenwashing.
With more than 25 years in sustainable finance and investment banking, Fixler held senior roles at JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank, and Zais Group, and helped develop market-transforming products including the iTraxx and CDX indices. A graduate of the London School of Economics, she now advises financial institutions and regulators — including the UK's Financial Conduct Authority and the Monetary Authority of Singapore — sits on the CFA's ESG Technical Committee and the WEF's Global Future Council on Responsible Investing, and guest lectures at Cambridge. She brings rare insider authority to the question that now defines sustainable finance: how to separate genuine impact from expensive theater.
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