Getting to know Persefoni: Meet Stephanie Bilet

1. And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?" (Tell us your journey?)

I started my career in 2008 at Creative Artists Agency in the music department, where I lived by Louis Armstrong’s words:‘’ Music is life itself.’’ So I set off for almost a decade on a mission to ensure that we would bring all types of great music to those wanting to listen - I worked with all kinds of artists, from unknown bands to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

But my life changed in 2013 when I met with global marine conservation NGO Oceana who wanted to expand into the UK. At the time, I knew very little about the dire state of our environment or that the impact already had irreparable damages on humanity. Devastated by what I saw, I knew I had to be part of the solution – however small it might be. So while still working at CAA (and graciously supported them, too), I helped build and launch Oceana here in my spare time. Today, nine years on, Oceana now have full-time staff on the ground and countless conservation success stories.

Most recently, I was Commercial Director at Emitwise, where I experienced the virtues of carbon accounting and the existing cataclysmic gap in the market to support all types of businesses in their journey to Net Zero Carbon. I joined Persefoni to support this life-defining path to empower every organisation and person with the technology to positively impact the health of our planet. The world has finally shifted - ‘’the ESG craze’’ it has been called, is here and now; people more than ever can combine purpose with profit to come together to tackle the biggest humanitarian crisis we have ever faced.

2. And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile. (What do you do at Persefoni?)

I’m Senior Sales Director for EMEA, where I am growing our team and our corporate customer base across the UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. My primary day to day focus is to demystify the complex world of carbon while making it easy for all types of businesses to get started on their carbon measurement journey – because you can’t manage or reduce what you can’t measure. Our world-class technology and expertise (across our sustainability board, in-house climate experts and carbon data experts) empower our customers to embed carbon into their decision-making to ensure they successfully transition to a Net Zero economy.

3. And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?" (What are your hopes for your time at Persefoni?

We are creating a new category at Persefoni which means that we are charging ahead through new and exciting unchartered territories as we build the world’s leading carbon management platform. My hopes are that we succeed in our mission, and Persefoni’s technology becomes the ERP of carbon, embedded into the DNA of all businesses to ensure we save this beautiful world of ours. In the words of Lyndon Johnson: “If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it.”

4. And you may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done?" (Why is Persefoni a great home for you?)

Persefoni is my 4th start-up. This is where I thrive most. I am so excited to build a new category with a team of incredibly talented and passionate people, all working towards a common goal. My past experience in carbon accounting was invaluable to understanding the impact and responsibility we (the climate tech sector) have in creating this new category. The market is listening and it is ours to support, and with less than 2 Olympics left to save the world - we have to provide solutions for lasting impact. Climate change is sector agnostic, so as a business we have mirrored this breadth by building the only scalable, transparent, and auditable carbon solution in the market - we have been able to achieve this due to our unique cross-sector expertise across climate, data, and technology.

5. And you may find yourself in another part of the world... (Tell us about your life/hobbies away from work?)

I grew up between Paris, London, and New York, so traveling between these cities and escaping them has always been a great passion of mine! We have the luxury in Europe of being very well connected by trains (to maintain a low carbon footprint) – meaning that a weekend immersion in nature, be it skiing or hiking, surrounded by diverse culture is never out of reach. Culturally being French, food has always played a central role in how we spend time as a family - I think most of our family activities revolve around sitting at the dining table, most likely discussing our next meal. My brother, Maxime, is a chef, so I played sous-chef to him in my formative years and developed my love of cooking thanks to him. My partner and I also love trying our hand at new dishes together and when that fails, heading out to new and exciting restaurants is a great source of happiness – especially anything farm to table. It has been a while since I have been able to do this, due to Covid, but one of my great loves, is watching live music. The music world is quickly recovering, and we will soon be reunited in the magic of live musical experiences.