Green Careers Week

As it is Green Careers Week, our team wanted to share more about their roles within a STEM environment. Hear what Amber, Matt and Amy have to say here.

Amber
Hi, I’m Amber, Strategy and Partnerships Manager across Anode and Evolve. I’m an engineer and more recently, I’m combining my skill and passion to make positive change.

What was the catalyst to chart a new path in your career?
At the beginning of the pandemic, I volunteered with the Ventilator Challenge UK, which saw businesses come together to accelerate the production of medical ventilation equipment. I was really proud of my contribution to this, it was new and challenging, and I felt like I was making an impact, helping to solve a problem - every engineer’s dream. The pandemic was also the moment most of us got back into nature, with a walk quite literally being the highlight of your day. I’ve always loved nature and the environment, and realising how much satisfaction I could get from a job that I felt had a positive impact in the world - I knew I needed to follow that feeling.

What green things do you do?
I’m in charge of sustainability across our organisation, so emissions accounting, creation of the impact report, setting up internal processes and documents that help us convey the carbon footprint of a product to customers and collaborators, the list goes on! I also help to encourage green practices throughout the business and liaise with companies in our sphere of influence on sustainability.

I get to tackle a new challenge every day, I like that

What makes this role different?
I’m in that rare group of people that can say I really love my job. I feel I’ve got purpose, I work with a great group of people with shared values and within my role, I get to tackle a new challenge every day, I like that.

If you could give one piece of advice to anyone hoping to pursue a green career, what would it be?
Don’t get hung up on experience or skill level. We’re all trying our best and everyday is a school day. Do something that makes you happy and do it to the best of your ability.

Matt
Hi, I’m Matt, Co-Founder of Anode and founder of Evolve. I’m an Engineer, or more broadly a problem solver.

What’s your background?
I started out working in the Automotive Industry before moving to work in the R&D side of Formula One. I set up Evolve in 2014 as an engineering services company and that’s what started my journey into business. I’m motivated by finding solutions to problems, interested in engineering that gives a high level of challenge.

Did you always intend on working in the green sector?
No, not at all. To be honest when leaving college to embark on a part time degree I didn’t know what I wanted to do but let my interest and enthusiasm guide the way for a few years. It was during the period of Covid-19 that things changed more significantly for me. It was a great time of reflection to look at the journey I (or we) had taken. There were no regrets and the whole journey had been challenging and super fun, but putting an answer to the question of ‘why’ we were in business was difficult. This was the time to pivot and put passion into doing something with purpose. That’s why we created Anode, to use our engineering skills to make a positive impact for the future. You could look at it as creating our own space within the ‘green sector’.

You can spend a large percentage of your life in a working environment, so spend that time doing something you enjoy

What’s green about your role?
In time hopefully everything! More seriously, right now as the CEO of the company and leader of a great team the most green thing about my role is the influence over the direction of the business and the team. All of our decisions day to day have an impact, some small and some fairly significant, so making the best decision you can with the information you have can help to make that impact positive, or at least reduce any negative impact so we can continuously improve for the sake of the planet. We’re also pushing more and more of our time into developing sustainable product solutions that will help reduce energy consumption and reliance on fossil fuels in the future.

If you could give one piece of advice to anyone hoping to pursue a green career, what would it be?
For me I would urge people to act on their values. To find something they have interest in and find where they can make positive change for the right reasons. You can spend a large percentage of your life in a working environment, so to spend that time doing something you enjoy, with people with common values and interests working towards something with a great sense of achievement is very fulfilling.

Amy
Hi, I’m Amy, Co-Founder of Anode

What’s your background?
My career started within Technical purchasing - always within the engineering sector. Previously I held roles within the Automotive and Motorsport industries. In 2016 I left my position within an F1 team to run a business alongside my partner. I’ve never looked back.

Did you always intend on working in the green sector?
Not necessarily. I’ve always been passionate about my impact on the planet in the actions I take and decisions I make personally, but never really felt there was movement in this area within the jobs I held elsewhere until several years ago. I always felt that there was more to life and my career than the boring, bureaucratic, ‘business as usual’ approach within the engineering sector.

What makes this different?
As a business we choose to work with people who share our values and vision, and who are making progress in the right areas.

I’ve always been passionate about my impact on the planet in the actions I take and decisions I make personally

What’s green about your role?
I have influence over what we spend our money on, who we spend it with, and the relationships we have with our suppliers and customers. This means we as a company can base business decisions on sustainability criteria we set in house.

If you could give one piece of advice to anyone hoping to pursue a green career, what would it be?
Find a role where you feel you can have a positive impact. Don’t expect success or conversion of people to this sector to come overnight, you have to roll with the ups and downs, this area is in its infancy - so commitment is key!