Master in International Sustainability Management (MSc)
Meet our alumni: Marei von Goetz, Class of 2019
From the fashion industry to the field of sustainability, Marei von Goetz’s journey marks a meaningful change in purpose. Having seen firsthand the environmental impact of fashion, she chose the MSc in International Sustainability Management (2017–2019) to align her career with her values. Today, at Save the Children, Marei uses the knowledge and global mindset gained at ESCP to advance corporate responsibility and champion children’s rights worldwide.
Tell us about yourself.
I’m from Germany but spend more than half my life living abroad in countries such as Australia, India, Jordan, the US and the list goes on and on. After high school I did a diploma in business and a Bachelor for hospitality management before working in the fashion industry for multiple years in Switzerland, Italy and London.
Walk us through your thought processes when you decided to apply to this programme. What did you feel it could add to your profile?
With finite resources on our planet, we face a future that challenges entire industries to rethink their business practices; to challenge their products and assume social and environmental responsibility. “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” however cliché, took on urgent and relevant meaning for me while working in fashion. As one of the most polluting industries in the world, reducing the environmental impact of conventional fashion became a career path I want to pursue.
It’s been about 6 years since you graduated from ESCP. Can you share a bit about each step to where you are now? What do you today?
The study course broadened my horizon and gave me the opportunity to explore different sectors that I had not been in touch with before. In the end, it was this exposure, which sparked new interests and led me towards working for a children’s rights organisation. I’ve been with Save the Children for six years now and work to collaborate with corporate partners to gather their financial contributions, as well as sharing their expertise and embedding children’s rights into their core business practices - which plays a vital role in transforming children’s lives.
What aspect of the curriculum did you enjoy the most? Is there anything specific that has served you well in your career so far?
One of my highlights was the Environmental Economics course, which helped me grasp the role sustainability plays in basic economic principles. It has given me a “bigger picture” approach,
which helped me to apply the sometimes “vague” concept of sustainability into different contexts and environments. But I also really enjoyed the excursions into fields such as ecosystem- and climate theory as well as NGO management.
What was your experience with the Company Consultancy Project (CCP)?
For me it was fascinating to work with a small aspirational social start-up and to explore different business models in the Berlin start-up scene. We had great experts at hand to help us really tackle the challenges we were facing and come up with valid solutions that could create a long-term impact to create awareness for neurodiversity.
How important for you was studying in Berlin and in Paris? What was the experience like?
Living in Paris had always been a dream of mine, so I feel very grateful that I got the chance to study at such a beautiful campus there. Going with my entire semester made the experience even more special, as I was surrounded by my closest friends—which made our time in Paris both fun and truly unique. At the same time, I also loved studying in Berlin. The city has such an energetic atmosphere, especially around social impact and start-ups, that I often felt like I was right at the pulse of innovation and change.
To what kind of specific person would you recommend the SustM? Tips for them?
Having worked for a couple of years after my Diploma and Bachelor’s degree, I really had a lot of appreciation for going back to university and starting a new study course. I think this course also works for people straight from their Bachelor, but I think having worked for multiple years helped me put many things into context and gave me a more holistic understanding for the course.
My tip for anybody starting this degree is to work hard, play hard and soak it all in - time flies!
Campuses