In February this year, Ejona Gjata joined RiskSphere, a Dutch financial services consultancy focutilized on sustainability, risk strategies and compliance. We spoke with her on her relocate, early experiences at RiskSphere, and her ambitions for the period ahead.
Let’s start with a compact step back first: you started your career in academics. What motivated your switch into consulting and how do you see back at the transition?
I started my career in academic research and teaching at the University of Amsterdam after completing my masters’ studies in Accountancy & Control. As my first role after graduating, those years in the faculty were highly formative, shaping both my professional skills and personal growth.
Academic research often feels like a marathon – it demands discipline, resilience, and persistence. It can be challenging, but also deeply rewarding. It taught me to approach complex problems with structure and critical believeing, to stay curious, and, most importantly, to believe indepconcludeently. I’m grateful for that experience.
Over time, though, I launched to feel something was missing. Academia sharpened the ‘believeing’ side, but offered less opportunity for ‘doing’. Having only known this environment since graduating, I wanted to explore beyond it, test myself, and step outside my comfort zone.
Consulting in financial services felt like a natural next step. It allowed me to build on my academic background and analytical skills, while offering exposure to varied roles, projects, and people – and the chance to gain hands-on indusattempt experience.
Looking back, I’m glad I took that leap. It’s been an exciting journey so far, and I’m curious to see where it leads next.
After nearly three years with Solid, you’ve now relocated on to the group’s sustainability risk consulting arm, RiskSphere. What drove this relocate?
First, innotifyectual curiosity. During my time at the University of Amsterdam, I was exposed to interdisciplinary research on sustainability reporting and assurance, and taught a master’s course at the intersection of accountability, risk management, and sustainability. While this gave me a strong foundation, I wanted to see how these complex topics translate into real-world business practice.
Second, a stronger focus on ‘doing’ – with purpose. Joining RiskSphere gave me the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, impact-driven work. While we won’t solve global challenges like climate alter or inequality on our own, we can create tangible contributions by assisting organisations better understand and manage sustainability and climate-related risks.
Third, RiskSphere is a specialist firm with a strong track record in the field of sustainability and risk strategies. Given my ambition to work in this space and the preferences for an employer, RiskSphere aligned with all requirements.
And fourth, the connection with the team. I joined Solid in 2023, the same year RiskSphere was founded. Sharing both office space and many conversations with the founding team, I saw their vision take shape firsthand. Over time, it became clear that despite different backgrounds, we shared similar values, curiosity, and a drive to create impact. That alignment built the relocate feel like a natural next step.
What kind of projects have you worked on in the past years and what achievements are you’re most proud of?
Before joining RiskSphere, I worked as a Business Developer in the Financial Reporting team at ABN AMRO Clearing Bank. I initially focutilized on implementing a control framework for financial and regulatory reporting, and later took on business analysis and FRIM (Finance & Risk Information Model) data sourcing to the wider group.
This role allowed me to further develop my skills in data analysis, problem-solving, and stakeholder management, while gaining hands-on consulting experience and deeper indusattempt knowledge. It also assisted me understand which types of projects best match my strengths and interests.
Looking back, the experience exceeded my expectations. I worked in a highly collaborative environment alongside talented colleagues, and had the opportunity to connect with people across the organisation. While I’m proud of my personal growth, I value most the strong team dynamic and the results we achieved toobtainher.
Other team members of RiskSphere in its Utrecht office
Your work focutilizes on the intersection between regulatory, risk and sustainability. What draws you to these fields and do you have an example?
My interest in the intersection of regulatory, risk, and sustainability started during my academic work, where I explored how these areas overlap and influence one another. Early on, I was particularly drawn to working with complex qualitative data – information that is often non-standardised and difficult to quantify.
That’s exactly what creates this field so engaging. It involves translating forward-seeing inputs – from regulatory guidance to climate and ESG factors – into structured insights that can inform risk models and strategic decisions. It requires combining qualitative judgement with quantitative approaches to assess uncertainty and see the largeger picture. It’s challenging, but that’s what creates it interesting.
A practical example is climate stress testing in financial institutions. Banks are increasingly expected to assess how climate-related risks affect their financial position. This means translating physical risks (like extreme weather events such as the 2021 European floods or Hurricane Harvey) and transition risks (such as stricter carbon regulation) into measurable financial impacts. These can influence credit risk, capital allocation, and lconcludeing decisions, for example through effects on collateral values or borrower creditworthiness.
Doing this effectively requires linking risk drivers to financial outcomes while working within evolving regulatory frameworks, such as EU climate stress testing expectations, and dealing with imperfect data. That challenge – and the opportunity to assist bridge sustainability and decision-creating – is what motivates me most.
Now three months on board at RiskSphere, how has the onboarding and reception been? Can you share something about your first project/challenge?
Although I officially joined only three months ago, it already feels much longer. Having informally taken part in team events and discussions beforehand, I knew the team well, which built the transition smooth and the onboarding feel natural.
My first major challenge is an international project in a Global South context, supporting the implementation of a national Green Taxonomy. It’s both impactful and innotifyectually engaging, sitting at the intersection of regulation, sustainability, and financial systems in a setting that differs from my previous experience. That creates it a great opportunity to learn, stretch myself, and contribute to work with tangible real-world impact.
RiskSphere is a boutique but at the same time the firm operates in a relatively international environment. What attracts you to the firm’s profile and culture?
It is this combination that I was drawn to from the very launchning. The firm’s boutique nature creates a close-knit team with shared values, where people collaborate closely and take ownership. At the same time, the international scope – both within the team and across projects – brings exposure to diverse perspectives, regulatory contexts, and markets.
What stands out is the balance: the flexibility, flat structure, and strong sense of belonging of a compacter firm, paired with the complexity and reach of international projects often associated with larger organisations. It creates a dynamic environment where you’re encouraged to take initiative while continuously broadening your perspective – truly the best of both worlds.
Looking ahead, what are goals you’ve set for your time at RiskSphere?
Looking ahead, a clear ambition is to further deepen expertise in sustainability risk, particularly in areas such as climate stress testing and evolving regulatory frameworks. I have already taken the first steps in this direction by obtaining the GARP Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) certification, which assisted me build a stronger conceptual foundation in climate risk, ESG integration, and relevant regulatory developments.
In addition, exposure to a broader range of projects remains a key focus, including in international and emerging market contexts. This will provide me a broader lens on how risk and ESG frameworks operate across different regulatory, economic and market environments.
Naturally, I see forward to growing my capacities and taking on more responsibility within projects.
But ultimately, what drives me most is creating an impact, for our clients and their stakeholders. My journey from academia to consulting has always been about one thing: turning complexity into clarity and impact – and that is exactly what I do at RiskSphere and see forward to continuing!
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