Rooted: The Human Side Of Sustainability Leadership

10: Martin Wayman - Director of Sustainability at Arriva

This one's all about career pauses, both intentional and unintentional. Martin shares the lessons he learned following redundancy (essential listening for anyone going through something similar), and the ambitions he has for his next role, as he becomes Arriva’s first ever director of sustainability.   We’re exploring the moments Martin's most proud of over 20 years in sustainability, and the difference between the impact he made in his early career, working on visible projects you could easily explain to your friends, and the legacy he now seeks to leave in any organisation he works with through embedding sustainability into the very fabric of the organisation. Whilst it’s not necessarily work that’s as fun to talk about in the pub, it’s Martin’s formula for a deeply satisfying career.  This conversation also takes us into the workings of our minds - how that inner critic and inner doubt can sometimes get noisy, and the benefit of working out how to amplify that inner coach that’s ready to cheer us on, if only we’d listen.  You can connect with Martin on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinwayman/]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join. [https://7537bd94.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAKbyk1HPyLJbTsfKYn2tm8vY-to6njxuHRTIdwi-fhJBRCxQIKWaLqa2NrK9jVR5ErK3VtYRCZBZ6acVlfi2qC61qk1kbDwyvrzTN6pUsjVPNzv001pFRWEyda39zEWedCTVjm99guOOGAQQbtTiHcRvJ9Zsg3VXNY7e1tJqarEn-y69qo9J_fhhL_YZ8dfYpykeDR6p-sZw] Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liv-cropper-yellow-bench-coaching] or Instagram [https://instagram.com/livcropper_yellowbenchcoaching]. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website [https://www.yellowbenchcoaching.com/]to book a  free discovery call. Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛

9: Abby Chicken - Head of Sustainability at Openreach

From sparkly eyeshadow to underground cables Abby Chicken has been powered by a  strong sense of activism through her career. She now heads up sustainability at Openreach, one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure organisations. As always, we go beneath the shiny headlines and delve into how this work really feels. Abby shares how she came to sustainability part way through her career, describing a journey initially shaped by family expectations of success, but with a strong thread of agency and activism running through her life (including sitting in a tree all day at age 8 to protest it being cut down). We explore the impact she’s made from the more glittery end (literally) of sustainability at Selfridges, through to the scale and complexity of her role today at Openreach. Along the way, she shares a brilliant mantra: sustainability strategy is a small number of big things and a big number of small things. We also get into the reality of tough days and what helps. Community comes up again and again. From training your LinkedIn algorithm, to secret WhatsApp groups, to informal in-person gatherings like People, Planet Pint [https://small99.co.uk/people-planet-pint-meetup/]. And one moment that blew my mind (and helped reduce some of my recent grumpiness about AI): how AI can be used through fibre optic cables to detect water and gas leaks underground. (Also… apologies for the slightly ropey sound quality on my side. I’ve been told off accordingly by sound producer/Mr Cropper.) You can connect with Abby on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbychicken/]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join. [https://7537bd94.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAKbyk1HPyLJbTsfKYn2tm8vY-to6njxuHRTIdwi-fhJBRCxQIKWaLqa2NrK9jVR5ErK3VtYRCZBZ6acVlfi2qC61qk1kbDwyvrzTN6pUsjVPNzv001pFRWEyda39zEWedCTVjm99guOOGAQQbtTiHcRvJ9Zsg3VXNY7e1tJqarEn-y69qo9J_fhhL_YZ8dfYpykeDR6p-sZw] Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liv-cropper-yellow-bench-coaching] or Instagram [https://instagram.com/livcropper_yellowbenchcoaching]. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website [https://www.yellowbenchcoaching.com/]to book a  free discovery call. Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛

8: Lisa Tennant - Chair at Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)

Lisa Tennant, who I’m calling the “queen of governance”, joins me on my yellow bench for this episode of Rooted. Alongside the usual Environmental and Social focus, we’re really leaning into the G of ESG in this episode. This episode is for you if you work with boards, are considering a portfolio career, or have ever wondered what it’s really like in a boardroom. This is a wide ranging conversation in which we discuss the formative impact of early experiences in nature and working with animals, the entrepreneurial spirit that Lisa has carried through her career, neurodiversity, and juggling motherhood with senior leadership. Lisa shares some fantastic advice for anyone thinking about working in boardrooms, and reminds us that success in the boardroom is much less to do with your age, and far more about leaning into your unique strengths and experiences. You can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tennantlisa/]. If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join. [https://7537bd94.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAKbyk1HPyLJbTsfKYn2tm8vY-to6njxuHRTIdwi-fhJBRCxQIKWaLqa2NrK9jVR5ErK3VtYRCZBZ6acVlfi2qC61qk1kbDwyvrzTN6pUsjVPNzv001pFRWEyda39zEWedCTVjm99guOOGAQQbtTiHcRvJ9Zsg3VXNY7e1tJqarEn-y69qo9J_fhhL_YZ8dfYpykeDR6p-sZw] Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liv-cropper-yellow-bench-coaching] or Instagram [https://instagram.com/livcropper_yellowbenchcoaching]. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website [https://www.yellowbenchcoaching.com/]to book a  free discovery call. Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛

7: Elisa Moscolin - Executive VP, Sustainability & Foundation at Sage

Elisa Moscolin, Executive Vice-President, Sustainability & Foundation at Sage, joins me on my yellow bench to talk about influence, power and building long-term relationships with executive teams. We go right back to her roots, exploring formative early experiences which shaped her drive to tackle social injustice and poverty. We hear about what makes her most proud, repeating a recurring theme on Rooted, that it’s often not about the shiny initiatives and headlines, but instead about the ripple effect generated by powerful conversations and trusted relationships. This episode offers a fantastic insight into the conversations that take place in the boardrooms and executive teams of large organisations, seeking to balance business imperatives with social and environmental sustainability. You can connect with Elisa on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisamoscolin/] and find out more about her team’s work at Sage here [https://www.sage.com/en-gb/company/sustainability-and-society/].  If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join. [https://7537bd94.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAPhTg5m6kWus1YoUPioOMVQfwy92YmKq50S-aKWqbjOtkuc5-NapP9abHe1XkV1gzJHV0L4sJ7t911LjTSJMEGj7IIIh-6cbKetfW4yURsqImNZwAfZLw9E_jJBCM9FzMd3qExvWERnW4EpuZIeNyrj_zcJFqah0gK8Ofokils6EK3cgKS6uHgt2ICi2bp9zW130hCJw2WvG] Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liv-cropper-yellow-bench-coaching] or Instagram [https://instagram.com/livcropper_yellowbenchcoaching]. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website [https://www.yellowbenchcoaching.com/]to book a free discovery call.  Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛

6: Tara Schmidt - Executive Director at Transition Finance Scotland

In this episode of Rooted, I am joined on my yellow bench by Tara Schmidt, Executive Director of Transition Finance Scotland, part of the Green Finance Institute’s mission for Scotland. Tara shares the roots of her sustainability career, from growing up on the Texas coast and witnessing environmental damage first-hand, to a global career spanning engineering, strategy, finance and policy. That combination gives her a unique combination of big picture thinking and on-the-ground pragmatism. In this conversation we explore why small actions really do matter, reflecting on Jane Goodall’s final words and her reminder that seemingly tiny steps can snowball into meaningful impact (watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfLKHY52ERc [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfLKHY52ERc]). We also talk about reconnecting with what brought you into sustainability in the first place, whether that’s time in nature, forest bathing, or simply remembering your ‘why’, and the importance of understanding your own USP in a complex, evolving field. This one was thoughtful, grounding, and genuinely good fun. You can connect with Tara on LinkedIn [http://uk.linkedin.com/in/schmidttara] and find out more about the work of Transition Finance Scotland on the Green Finance Institute’s website.  [https://www.greenfinanceinstitute.com/] If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join. [https://7537bd94.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAKbyk1HPyLJbTsfKYn2tm8vY-to6njxuHRTIdwi-fhJBRCxQIKWaLqa2NrK9jVR5ErK3VtYRCZBZ6acVlfi2qC61qk1kbDwyvrzTN6pUsjVPNzv001pFRWEyda39zEWedCTVjm99guOOGAQQbtTiHcRvJ9Zsg3VXNY7e1tJqarEn-y69qo9J_fhhL_YZ8dfYpykeDR6p-sZw] Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/liv-cropper-yellow-bench-coaching] or Instagram [https://instagram.com/livcropper_yellowbenchcoaching]. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website [https://www.yellowbenchcoaching.com/]to book a  free discovery call. Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛