The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
From Lead Sustainability Program Manager (L4) internally
3-5 years as an L4Skills to master
- Moving from managing a programme to directing a function. This means developing strong people leadership skills (coaching, performance management), strategic budget ownership, and board-level communication. You'll need to show you can handle the P&L and broader organisational design.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully led multiple complex, cross-functional sustainability programmes from end-to-end.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and secure significant internal investment for initiatives.
- Consistently mentored and developed junior team members, showing a knack for people leadership.
- Proactively identified and mitigated strategic risks within your programmes.
- 2
From Head of ESG/Sustainability Reporting at another large company
Direct entry (0-1 year ramp-up)Skills to master
- While you'll bring a lot of the required skills, you'll need to quickly learn our specific organisational culture, internal politics, and existing sustainability commitments. Adapting your leadership style to our context will be key.
You're ready to move on when
- Proven track record of leading a similar-sized team and reporting function in a comparable industry.
- Demonstrated ability to quickly understand and navigate a new corporate environment.
- Strong external network and reputation in the sustainability reporting space.
- 3
From Senior Sustainability Consultant (Big 4 or Specialist Firm)
2-4 years as a Principal/Director-level consultantSkills to master
- Transitioning from advising to actually owning and delivering within a corporate setting. This means moving from project-based work to continuous operational accountability, and developing internal influencing skills rather than relying on external authority. You'll need to get comfortable with the 'messiness' of internal politics and resource constraints.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully managed large-scale sustainability transformation projects for multiple clients.
- Developed deep expertise in a specific area (e.g., CSRD implementation) highly relevant to our needs.
- Demonstrated ability to build long-term relationships and drive change within client organisations.