Chief sustainability officer

As well as being clear on the impact of sustainability in an organisation, the chief sustainability officer will need to be both analytical and creative. They should have excellent project management, organisational and planning skills, allowing them to manage multiple tasks and assess priorities effectively. As such, it is essential that their insight skills in particular are of the highest standard. However, this is a constantly evolving area and they need to ensure they continually keep abreast of change and motivate individuals to move forwards too, thus showing great drive. At this level, strong collaboration skills are also required.  

As the expectations on corporate responsibility increase, governments and the private sector have recognised the need for a structured approach to sustainability. Professionals in this field are key to developing and executing effective sustainability strategies and have become an essential link between the organisation, its stakeholders, regulatory bodies and an increasingly socially conscious workforce. They promote environmental protection, social responsibility and profitability and help re-enforce a positive image about the company both internally and to the wider public.