Q&A – Get to Know Callum John, Our Lead Sustainability Consultant

What inspired you to start working in the world of sustainability?

When I was studying my degree, I chose a module in my second year called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) which taught me how businesses can have a positive impact on society and the environment. I then had the opportunity to go on a year long work placement during my degree. I decided to work in the sustainability sector. This led me to find the membership organisation Sustainability West Midlands through which I discovered Wylde Connections.

During my placement with Wylde, I got real world experience of what a sustainability consultancy is and knew this was what I wanted to do as a career.

Describe a typical working day at Wylde. 

My typical day includes liaising with our sustainability clients. This could involve supporting them through our sustainability strategy programme, calculating their Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, or assisting in the delivery of one of our many other services.

I also help in developing and evolving our services to ensure we are always ahead of the curve in our offerings and that we are adding value for our clients to help them maximise their positive impacts.

What do you find most satisfying about your job?

The most satisfying part of my job is helping businesses to design and deliver positive interventions, whether this involves putting together action plans to set out where they can have the greatest impact or by working closely with them to implement these actions. I also enjoy collecting a wide range of data from our clients and representing this information in a variety of ways to show where they can address impacts and the progress they are making towards becoming truly ethical and responsible businesses.

What one message would you give to business about embracing sustainability?

Just do it! Not only is it the right thing to do to ensure future generations can experience the same standard of living as we and older generations have experienced, but it makes business sense. The business case for sustainability is clear – sustainability is no longer a ‘additional cost’, it is imperative to having a resilient business.

How would you spend your ideal Sunday?

Depending on the weather, I will be curled up with my fiancée and my cats either reading or catching up on TV and movies, or going out with friends and family on walks, visiting National Trust sites or going into the local town centre and grabbing a coffee and a bite to eat.