On the lighter side of things , we ask the industry experts what makes them tick . . . .

Technology wasn ’ t the first starting point in my career ; I actually started in sustainability and finance . At the time I was starting out , I was working with huge organisations like the UN and stakeholders from all across the world . Technology as a means of collaboration and communication was invaluable . Thus , there was no way to not become a big advocate of technology .

As I developed in my sustainability career , I continued to learn more about technology – and indeed how to apply it . For instance , in my role at DEFRA , I had to apply the use of satellite capabilities in agriculture and think about sustainability and business outcomes or the use of data centres for hosting our solutions and the energy consumption associated with it .

What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?

Sustainability has been an evolving area . In the 90s , it was clear that sustainability was very environmentally focused . However , now everyone is talking about ESG with a focus on social and governance . What I ’ ve seen over the years is a focus on deep sustainability expertise to allow us to quantify and calculate the impact on society .

Specifically in the last 12 months , I ’ ve seen a big emphasis – at CGI and in the industry – on the integration of sustainability into different business functions like finance , marketing and operations .

I ’ ve spent quite a few years supporting CEOs with large transformation programmes . What I ’ ve seen is a need to ensure a systems thinking approach . There is definitely an increase in the adoption of sustainability across many industries , and I ’ m incredibly proud that CGI is leading the way .

What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain C-level position in your industry ?

Attaining a C-suite title all boils down to the experience and skills you ’ ve developed over the years and being able to apply the experience and skills in a meaningful way to add value . So , my advice would be to absorb and learn as much as you can ensuring you specialise in an area but also broaden your skills thinking about transferability .

Simply put : ask questions , be curious and be inquisitive . For example , obtaining a certificate or qualification in a different subject area , receiving some coaching from people who are subject matter experts or shadowing someone , are all relevant and expose you to new experiences and skill sets which are crucial .

At the C-suite level of course you will need subject matter expertise and be able to see the bigger picture and the small picture be able to devise plans and strategies .

If you could go back and change one career decision , what would it be ?

It ’ s not necessarily a specific decision in my career , but if I could go back and speak to my younger self , I ’ d say ‘ you ’ re doing OK ’. I think I was always anxious about whether I was investing in the right learning

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