Philip, 24, is the youngest of 10 ambitious individuals recruited by Bord Bia in 2013 to become an Origin Green Ambassador. He is currently working with McDonald’s in Chicago where he is learning about their beef sustainability programme while actively promoting Ireland’s sustainability credentials. Previously he was placed in Coca-Cola’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, working in the area of dairy sustainability.
He is already making a name for himself having recently been included in the top 25 under 25 list of individuals transforming sustainable business by global organisation, 2degrees, the world’s leading collaboration platform for sustainable business with over 44,400 members from 178 countries.
Here he outlines 10 things he has learned in his time on the programme:
1. Sustainability needs a presence at every level: Having worked on a number of sustainability teams, I have realised that sustainability needs to be part of everybody’s role. If a sustainability team becomes isolated they become far less influential and little or no progress can be made. When sustainability is embraced by everyone in the organisation and considered in all decisions, real advancements can be made.
2. It’s a small world! During each placement, I met a new circle of colleagues and spent time to get to know those I worked with closely. However, it quickly became clear that within these different circles, there are many points of intersection, someone who knew someone or used to work for a certain company and you begin to realise that it is a close knit network of people and you will likely come across people more than once. The sustainability network I have met is certainly a well linked community.
3. Multi-stakeholder groups require patience: As part of my placements, I was working with some multi-stakeholder groups. I quickly learned that these type of groups move slowly and in order to reach agreement on these issues, you must have good patience. When agreement is made, it is a valuable and worthwhile milestone.
4. Sustainability is very broad: If I mention to someone that I work in sustainability, they often stare at me blankly. I try to keep it simple when explaining to someone what I do. For example, when explaining what I did during my time with Coca-Cola, I might have said the aim of my work is to ensure that those involved in the production of the vast array of drinks in The Coca-Cola Company portfolio minimise their environmental impacts, treat their workers fairly and ensure that those involved in the production, such as the farmers, are able to have a viable business.
5. Simplicity is key: In all walks of life it is important to maintain focus on the job at hand and not get carried away by complexity. Particularly in the area of sustainability, projects are susceptible to over complication. It is really important not to lose sight of the basic target that was set out in the beginning of a project.
6. Moving city is exciting but unsettling: With each placement comes a move. I had the privilege of having three amazing opportunities; McDonald’s London, Coca-Cola Atlanta and finally McDonald’s Chicago. At the beginning of each placement, there is that period where you do not know anybody, struggle to find accommodation, don’t know how things like public transport systems work and have difficulty being understood (at least I did!) or understanding local accents. You adapt and all of a sudden it is easy to feel part of your new surrounds – then it is time to up sticks and move again! Being unsettled is good for you though and it enables you to become very adaptable and pushes you out of your comfort zone.
7. Presentation skills come with practice: Over the past two years I have had a large number of opportunities to present. Lots of these presentations were similar, but the message is always tailored. Making good presentations takes time and effort. I found that it really pays to practice and to know the subject in depth. Then there is no need to worry about sticking to a script and it makes the presentation come across more naturally.
8. Irish people are everywhere! When you move to a new city as an Irish person you will quickly realise that Irish people can be found everywhere and have left their mark. The Irish pubs and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) clubs are well known hubs of ‘Irishness’ worldwide, however Irish people have also made strides to senior roles in many major global companies and will always look out for fellow expats.
9. Importance of networking: I have found it is important to spend time retaining and harnessing every connection you make. Aside from the social aspect of keeping in contact with people you meet, these networks can come in handy when trying to find a solution to a problem and a strong network can also help you gain credibility.
10. Sport is a good way to get to know people: When you join a new company or a new team on a project it can sometimes be hard to move the connection beyond the office small talk. Taking part in five-a-side soccer or other recreational activities is a good way to get to get to know colleagues. There is nothing like a sliding tackle on the purchasing manager to start a bit of office banter!
How to become an Origin Green Ambassador
Origin Green is the sustainability programme developed by Bord Bia (the Irish Food Board) to demonstrate the commitment of Irish food and drink producers to operate sustainably in terms of emissions, energy conservation, water management, biodiversity, community initiatives and health and nutrition.
The Origin Green Ambassador programme allows ambassadors to undertake a Masters in Business Sustainability with the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School while working with a global food and drink multinational company to develop international expertise in sustainability and deepen existing Irish connections with the world’s leading food and drink companies.
Recruitment for the next Origin Green Ambassador programme is currently underway. The closing date for applications is the end of April 2015. For more information, or to apply, visit www.smurfitschool.ie/bordbia.
Content on this page is paid for and provided by the Irish Food Board, supporter of the Food hub.
