Climate mandates, GRC strategy, and a bike metaphor that’ll change how you think about controls. In this episode, Alyssa Zucker speaks with sustainability expert Mark Mellen on California’s SB 253 soft launch—and why companies treating this year as a free pass will be blindsided in 2027. Then 25-year GRC veteran Graeme Fleming explains why governance-first programs help organizations move faster. Chapters 00:00—Intro: California, GRC, and what's at stake 01:45—Mark Mellen: California SB 253 and the soft launch 07:00—SB 261, climate risk, and the commercial case 10:00—Global mandates: CSRD, ISSB, and the fragmented web 11:30—The ESG controller and data governance 17:00—Quantifying sustainability value 20:00—Graeme Fleming: Putting the G back in GRC 22:00—AI, the EU AI Act, and GRC's strategic role 23:00—The bike brake framework Subscribe for new episodes! #ThePreRead #CFO #Sustainability #GRC #ESG » Subscribe to Workiva: https://www.youtube.com/@Workiva Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) powers trust, transparency, and accountability. Accounting, finance, sustainability, risk and audit teams from more than 6,600 organizations, including over 85% of Fortune 1,000 companies rely on Workiva for their mission-critical work. We transform how customers connect data, unify processes, and empower teams in a secure, audit-ready, AI-powered collaborative platform. Learn more at workiva.com. Connect with Workiva Online! » Visit Workiva.com: https://www.workiva.com/ » Follow Workiva on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/workiva/ » Follow Workiva on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/workiva/ » Check out the Workiva podcast, “The Pre-Read”: https://www.workiva.com/podcast/the-pre-read

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