Thomas Kolster (C-Suite Impact Leaders Accelerator) wants to close the gap between marketing and sustainability

Danish sustainable marketing pioneer, Thomas Kolster, also known internationally as Mr. Goodvertising, launched, together with International Advertising Association (IAA), a groundbreaking program that brings Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Sustainability Officers together for the first time: the C-Suite Impact Leaders Accelerator (CIL).

The mentioned program starts in March 2026. It includes 10 live 60-min sessions with Thomas and bonus meetings, including one focused on recalibrating personal purpose and lesson learned, which is scheduled to take place during next year´s Cannes Lions festival.

The fee to participate the mini-MBA can be paid either annually – €3.999 – or on monthly basis – €350/month for the duration of the program.

Thomas gave AdHugger a little more information regarding the reasons for launching the program, what sustainability means for leaders and so on.

AdHugger: Why have you decided to launch this mini-MBA now?

Thomas Kolster: I’ve always felt there was a planetary gap between marketing and sustainability. Marketing has been living on Mars, chasing growth. Sustainability has been on Venus, trying to save the planet. When the two don’t talk, brands suffer. You get spin on one side and silence on the other. In a world this chaotic, that’s not just a missed opportunity – it’s a business risk.

AdH: You talk a lot about “sustainable growth.” What does that actually mean for leaders?

Thomas Kolster: How do you spell sustainable growth? Simple: CMO + CSO.
One drives relevance and revenue. The other protects risk and reputation. Alone, each is half a strategy. Together, they’re double protection for the bottom line – creativity and credibility in one package. That’s what real, future-proof growth looks like.

AdH: Why do you think modern brands can’t rely on “saying” without “doing”?

Thomas Kolster: Saying without doing is marketing theatre. Doing without saying is missed opportunity. Today’s leaders need to master both – but most companies split them into different silos and hope for the best. Spoiler: it doesn’t work. You can’t campaign your way out of inaction, and you can’t whisper your way to influence.

AdH: What’s the biggest challenge you see CMOs and CSOs facing today?

Thomas Kolster: Loneliness.

The CSO is often the lone voice of conscience in the boardroom. The CMO is battling skeptical consumers who can smell BS a mile away. Both are fighting for the future – but separately. It’s like trying to row a boat with one oar from the left and one from the right, but never at the same time. Not pretty.

AdH: What do you mean when you say that building a future-proof brand “isn’t a solo sport.”?

Thomas Kolster: Companies still expect one person to carry the full weight of impact or growth. That’s madness. If your bottom line only has single protection, it’s exposed. If your future rests on one department, it’s fragile. The brands winning today have two engines: the ones that make growth irresistible and the ones that make it responsible.

AdH: Why pair CMOs and CSOs specifically in the Accelerator?

Thomas Kolster: Because together, they’re the most underrated power couple in business. Think creativity meets credibility. Storytelling meets substance. Momentum meets meaning. When these two align, you get a brand that grows – and one that can survive what the world throws at it.

AdH: What makes this programme different from traditional leadership courses?

Thomas Kolster: Most leadership courses offer inspiration without transformation. We’re not here to talk about purpose – we’re here to practice it. This is part learning, part doing, part therapy session for two roles that desperately need each other. And it doesn’t stop when the modules end. The community continues, because meaningful change doesn’t happen in a six-month box.

AdH: If brands take away one thing from this Accelerator, what should it be?

Thomas Kolster: That growth and impact are not enemies – they’re interdependent. When you stop pitting them against each other, everything gets easier: your story, your strategy, your trust, your bottom line. And honestly? The world could use a few grown-up brands right now.