Sustainability is no longer a message. It is how leaders lead.
Founder and CEO: Michelle Ponto
I am an Emmy-nominated journalist turned sustainability communications strategist, with over two decades of experience working across North America, Europe and the GCC.
I began my career in newsrooms, learning how to translate complexity into clarity under pressure. Over time, my work moved closer to the frontlines of industrial and energy transformation — advising leaders in oil and gas, petrochemicals, advanced materials, science and technology.
What stayed with me was how much meaningful sustainability work was happening behind the scenes and how rarely it was explained in a way people could understand. From materials that extend food life and reduce waste, to lighter components that cut fuel use, to research shaping climate and energy systems, the intent was real, but the story was getting lost.
That disconnect is what led me to found Blue Gecko in 2021.
A Leadership-Led View of Sustainability
Blue Gecko was founded on a clear conviction that sustainability only creates impact when leaders can explain it as part of how the business actually works.
Across the GCC and globally, organisations are investing heavily in sustainability initiatives from new technologies, circular materials to decarbonisation programs and supply-chain redesigns. Yet too often, these efforts are either communicated through highly technical reports or not communicated at all.
My role as Founder and CEO of Blue Gecko is to help leaders close that gap and communicate sustainability as an operating model that runs through the entire organisation’s ecosystem, from R&D and operations to people and across the value chain.
Sustainability today is no longer about isolated initiatives or carbon metrics alone. It affects:
product design and materials innovation
R&D and manufacturing decisions
logistics and supply-chain resilience
talent attraction, culture and leadership
customer expectations, procurement and commercial strategy
When leaders can explain this clearly, sustainability becomes part of the organisation’s operating logic. And that leadership-led narrative is the foundation of Blue Gecko’s work.
Thought leadership & Speaking
If you are looking for a keynote speaker, moderator or leadership advisor on sustainability communication, organisational transformation or executive narrative, reach out.
I am an active keynote speaker, moderator and guest lecturer, with a growing focus on thought leadership around sustainability communications, leadership narrative and organisational reinvention.
My speaking work draws on what I see every day across the region: companies in the middle of massive transitions aligning with National Vision agendas, responding to regulatory pressure, rethinking supply chains and business models, all while struggling to explain that journey in a way that feels real and credible.
Keynote Topics Include
Sustainability as a Leadership System
From Reporting to Narrative: Communicating Sustainability Beyond the Report
Leadership-Led Sustainability in Complex Organisations
Reinventing Executive Communication in a Transforming Economy
Why Sustainability Fails When It Lives in Silos.
Recognition
Both my work and Blue Gecko’s approach to sustainability communications have been recognised regionally.
Legacy Award for Purposeful Communications, recognising long-term impact in leadership-driven sustainability storytelling
Named among the Top 50 Disruptors List 2026 by CEO Scoop Magazine, highlighting leaders shaping the future of business and communications
Blue Gecko ranked among the Top 10 Sustainability Communications Consultancies in the GCC (2025)
“We are entering a phase where sustainability is no longer defined by targets or disclosures, but by leadership clarity. The organisations that succeed will be those whose leaders can explain sustainability as part of their operating model and a core driver of how value is created.”
— MICHELLE PONTO, FOUNDER & CEO OF BLUE GECKO COMMUNICATIONS