Last updated on August 10th, 2023
Nick Bonneau, our ESG Intern, shares with us his experience at Novisto and offers his personal advice to future interns.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m a 23 year old from Massachusetts who came to Montreal for University. In September I will begin my final year as an undergraduate student at the John Molson School of Business where I study Business Technology Management (BTM) and Sustainability.
Outside of school and work I enjoy playing sports (soccer and recently basketball) and getting involved in extracurricular activities. Last year I joined the case competition program at my school and was also the president of a business sustainability committee. My professional interests consist mainly of learning about Technology and Sustainability.
What drew you to apply for this internship?
After learning of this internship and speaking with a few employees in the company, I knew I would be a great fit. As a BTM student I learned how to navigate the world of IT and software. But what drew me the most to this internship was that it was a sustainability-related software company. I had been searching for an opportunity to work in this field so I was confident that I would find this internship purposeful.
What are your responsibilities at Novisto?
At Novisto, my main responsibilities involve maintaining our database of proprietary ESG metrics and implementing new standards, frameworks, questionnaires in our software for customers to meet their ESG data collecting and reporting needs.
In addition to my core responsibilities, I’ve worked within the ESG Innovation team to complete client-related work and standardize processes for internal use. Most recently I’ve also had the chance to work with the AI team to improve the accuracy of their models.
How would you describe your experience at Novisto?
My experience at Novisto has been great from the start. One aspect of the culture that has contributed to my overall success and satisfaction has been the assurance that mistakes are seen as part of being an intern and that I would not be penalized for them as long as I was able to learn from my mistakes.
Another highlight of my experience has been the immense amount of sustainability knowledge I’ve gained. Consistent knowledge sharing between employees and top-down push to increase our understanding of ESG has been a big motivator for me so far. Finally, being in a startup environment has allowed me to explore working with departments within the company.
How will your experience at Novisto influence your future career?
Working at Novisto has shown me the number of possibilities that lie ahead in the ESG space. I’ve also been able to develop my skills and knowledge in areas which will benefit me in the future. Spending time in Novisto is also helping to grow my network of people with similar goals and interests to me.
What advice do you have for interns?
Take on as many different types of tasks as possible regardless of how well you think you can do them. Overcommunication is rarely a bad thing. There are times I could have saved myself hours of work if I had just asked that one question I was unsure about. Over-delivering and going beyond what’s expected of you shows that you can handle more responsibility and that you are giving something your best effort.
