Mine is a personal story of quest for purpose. A few years ago, I felt unfulfilled with my job, I longed for more impact on things that matter more. At the same time, I was welcoming my second baby, and navigating the mental toll of Covid-years in Singapore. As I engaged in a process of introspection, I decided to deliberately focus on what was sparking my energy.

Part of it was to learn more about Sustainability, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to act. I also became convinced that awareness and education are critical for individuals to change towards more sustainable behaviours. I took an introductory course by Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) called “Sustainability Essentials for Business”, I then attended the Singapore Management University (SMU) program called “Sustainability Strategies and Green Economy”: a good mix of academic learning, practical case studies, and tools for implementation.

When I discovered the Masterclasses and monthly events organised by The Matcha Initiative, I found a community of passionate like-minded people, joining forces and enriching each other to challenge the status quo. I felt a strong sense of belonging and became a regular participant of The Matcha Initiative community. In parallel, I came across the concept of “job-crafting”, and I decided to manifest my interest at work. Because I raised my hand, I was given the opportunity to drive the company’s environmental Sustainability Strategy, a newly crafted mission, in parallel of my role as Business Strategy Director.  

This is how my Sustainability journey started, and I don’t think it will ever end. Indeed, with each encounter I am humbled to realise how much we can learn from each other, and how inspiring this process of growing together can be. To go further, I completed the executive development program “High Impact Leadership: Leading Sustainability” by Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). With these new skills, I aim to be an impactful and inspiring leader, capable of driving the change we need for the future we want.

My role revolves around the definition of the organisation’s Sustainability Strategy, and the project management of the Sustainability initiatives, working hand in hand with the relevant teams for implementation.

It spans across employee engagement and awareness, knowledge and best-practices sharing, cross-department collaboration, stakeholders engagement, ESG reporting, etc. Essentially, my role is to drive the Sustainability transformation with maximum impact and long-term vision, embedded in the organization’s business strategy and culture.

There is a common challenge in a business context: the difficulty to reconcile 1/ the ambitions we have, what we know is right in the long run, the moral imperative, with 2/ a highly complex context for organizations, a natural fear of change, and pragmatic elements of the equation.

While we can get frustrated, these challenging situations also confirm that there is a need to nudge organizations from within, we have a role to play. It confirms that there is an opportunity for positive impact, so I see it with optimism. Driving change requires a great deal of resilience and adaptability, but it is also a very rewarding process.

At the beginning of my Sustainability journey, I faced a more personal challenge, with some level of impostor syndrome. I’m grateful for a few meaningful encounters that helped me gain perspective, reflect, and find legitimacy in my effort to drive change. My confidence grows each time I see that my actions have a tangible impact around me, and I am a firm believer in the ripple effect. I also remind myself often that no step is too small when it is taken in the right direction.

Noticing a gap in terms of Sustainability community within my industry, I launched a professional network for Sustainability professionals working in the Beauty and Luxury sectors (“Change Makers in Beauty and Luxury”). As a group we can leverage each other’s expertise, share best-practices, discuss similar challenges, get inspired, etc.

I am proud of this initiative because it fills a need and it adds value: this network connects diverse organisations of the sector (peers, suppliers…), it also connects a variety of disciplines (Supply Chain, Procurement, HR, Brand management, Strategy…), for a greater connection within the ecosystem. I’m also proud to have walked my talk: taking a first step no matter how small it may seem, and building bridges for collaboration.