From Business Manager to Corporate Sustainability, A Career Transition Case Study
Belinda Hudson created her own role in her workplace and eventually shifted into a full time position delivering sustainability impact.
WHERE ARE YOU NOW?
Corporate sustainability for a Japanese bank
WHAT WERE YOU DOING?
Business manager to the CEO of the EMEA Securities Group
WHY DID YOU CHANGE?
I enjoyed my role, however wanted something to ‘own’ which was something I cared about.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT MAKING THE SHIFT?
I had voiced the fact that I was very interested in getting involved in climate change (in a way that wasn’t assessing the risk of climate change on our client base), and was very fortunate that I was heard, and in a position to take on an additional component to expand a role I love.
WHAT HELP DID YOU GET?
The first step was hiring someone to take the lead on the work, and ensuring that person was equipped to perform the job well with appropriate internal support. It was her suggestion that I take the CISL course, which has been invaluable.
WHAT RESOURCES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?
Get reading and understanding in whatever way resonates for you, and ideally get some formal, structured education to stand you in good stead.
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING YOU DID?
Caring about sustainability is one thing; having the knowledge to do it is entirely different. I had an enormous learning curve, and what felt like zero time to dedicate to it.
WHAT HAVE LEARNT IN THE PROCESS
That I am capable of whatever I put my mind and efforts to. Making this transition has been challenging as it’s a totally different subject area to my core role, and requires a completely different way of thinking. We also have very different stakeholder views which can make it challenging to actually get anything done. However - we have persevered and it’s been incredibly rewarding.
WHAT WORDS OF ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO THOSE LOOKING TO MAKE A TRANSITION THEMSELVES?
“Dive in! Having a comfort blanket of doing it alongside something you already know and are good at, is a great option if available to you ”
