Insights - thinkPARALLAX

thinkPARALLAX expands services and expertise with strategic acquisition of Riveron Consulting’s sustainability practice

Written by thinkPARALLAX | September 15, 2026

September 15, 2026 — thinkPARALLAX, a sustainability strategy and communications firm, today announced the strategic acquisition of the sustainability practice from Riveron Consulting, expanding its team, capabilities, and expertise. The acquisition brings senior practitioners to thinkPARALLAX with expertise in regulatory compliance, data governance, CSRD reporting, assurance readiness, investor and LP reporting, technology implementation, emissions calculation, reduction planning, climate risk, and full fund lifecycle support.

“In our 23 years in business, thinkPARALLAX has continued to evolve to meet the needs of the market,” says Jonathan Hanwit, founder of thinkPARALLAX. “Since the beginning, we’ve been committed to helping companies drive positive impact. Today, in this rapidly evolving industry, we recognize that expanding our capabilities ensures we can continue to serve that purpose and be long-term, strategic partners for clients.”

The combined team provides end-to-end sustainability support with one integrated company:

Strategy Development & Advisory

  • Sustainability strategy development
  • Double materiality assessments
  • Sustainability program development
  • Climate risk assessments & mitigation strategy
  • Emissions reduction & climate action roadmapping
  • IPO readiness
  • Leader and board alignment
  • SBTi submission

Data & Compliance

  • Standards and framework alignment, including CSRD, California SB 253 and SB 261, TCFD, IFRS, UK SDR, and EPR
  • Data governance, GHG data collection, and internal controls for sustainability data
  • Assurance readiness and pre-assurance
  • ESG technology selection and implementation, including Workiva
  • GHG emissions calculation (Scope 1–3)
  • Investor and LP reporting, including fund-level governance and LP reporting frameworks

Strategic Communication & Engagement

  • Sustainability communication platforms
  • Thought leadership
  • Brand integration
  • Sustainability sales enablement & training
  • Sustainability reporting strategy, content, & design
  • Stakeholder & employee engagement campaigns
  • Digital, video, & social amplification
  • Product sustainability claims & commercial messaging

Investor Support

  • LP-ready fund strategy
  • Regulatory & risk screening
  • Portfolio-wide data & reporting
  • Value creation & KPI tracking
  • Board & investor communications
  • Exit-ready positioning

 

thinkPARALLAX will continue to operate as a senior team in which the same practitioners handle a client's strategy, technical, reporting, and communications work from start to finish, a model built for companies that need advisors who can move as reporting requirements change, without the handoffs of a larger consultancy. With the new team members, thinkPARALLAX can bring the resources of a larger firm with the high-touch service of a boutique.

For thinkPARALLAX’s existing roster — more than 60 active clients, including some of the largest brands in North America — the expansion means deeper support without a change in the relationships they already have. Clients who came to the firm for a sustainability report or communications platform can now add emissions accounting, compliance readiness, or assurance preparation to the same engagement. Clients arriving from the Riveron practice gain access to strategy, brand, creative, and campaign capabilities that turn technical work into stakeholder engagement.

The expansion builds on a client relationship record that is unusual for the category: 90% of thinkPARALLAX clients renew annually, and the firm holds a world-class client Net Promoter Score of 88.

For more on the evolution of the business, read Hanwit's recent article.


Expanded leadership

Alongside the acquisition, thinkPARALLAX announced an expanded leadership team:

  • Former Head of Communication & Brand Janna Irons becomes Chief Executive Officer, guiding the evolution of the firm, its positioning, and its service offering.
  • Jonathan Hanwit, who founded thinkPARALLAX more than 23 years ago, becomes Chairman, focusing on partnerships and on building relationships with organizations thinkPARALLAX can grow alongside.
  • Brian Chmelik joins as Head of Growth, leading expansion into new sectors and growth with existing clients.
  • Sheila Ongie continues as Head of Sustainability Strategy, upleveling the firm’s ability to drive measurable impact and value creation for clients.
  • Suzanne McGovern joins as Senior Director of Sustainability Strategy, expanding client leadership alongside Niamh O’Mara, Senior Director of Sustainability Strategy, and other firm leaders.

"In my 13 years at thinkPARALLAX, I've helped lead the company through several strategic pivots as the market moved," says Janna Irons, CEO of thinkPARALLAX. "This moment asks more of companies than any I've seen. Leaders have to be clear about why they are investing in sustainability, rigorous about how they drive impact, and deliberate about how they communicate it — so the work moves revenue, cost, risk, and reputation. The team we have assembled is built to guide companies through all three."

For more on the evolution of leadership, watch this video with Irons and Hanwit explaining the changes

A dedicated private equity advisory practice

The acquisition also establishes a private equity and portfolio company practice, supporting investors from fund-level policy and LP reporting through pre-close diligence, portfolio company onboarding, ownership-period value creation, and exit preparation, including independent sell-side diligence and ESG readiness for public markets.

“I’ve spent almost a decade advising private equity investors and their portfolio companies on integrating sustainability throughout the fund lifecycle,” says Brian Chmelik, Head of Growth at thinkPARALLAX, who led the sustainability practice joining the firm. “Creating lasting value at portfolio companies requires analytical rigor, commercial acumen, and a strategic approach to managing stakeholders. The thinkPARALLAX team’s work with the most discerning investors and companies shows their ability to create value in that context. I'm looking forward to bringing our combined capabilities to our clients."

For more on how thinkPARALLAX can support private equity and portfolio companies, visit our Investor Support service page

About thinkPARALLAX

thinkPARALLAX is a sustainability strategy and communications firm. For more than 23 years, the firm has helped many of North America’s biggest brands meet their regulatory obligations, build credible sustainability programs, and turn that work into business value. thinkPARALLAX pairs senior advisors, data and compliance specialists, and communicators on the same engagement — so that strategy, technical rigor, and the way the work gets communicated are never handed between firms. thinkPARALLAX has been a Certified B Corporation since 2016. Learn more at thinkparallax.com.

Media Contact

John Davies

Content Director, thinkPARALLAX

john@thinkparallax.com