Acre has partnered with John Swire & Sons Ltd., a multi-national conglomerate covering a diverse range of sectors from international shipping, agribusinesses and food chain, to energy transition and new fuels, to help recruit a newly created role, the Head of Sustainable Development. John Swire & Sons Ltd. hires intellectually curious, adaptable leaders who are able to drive the strategy forward. Sustainability is a key focus, and they are investing heavily in building the right team to create impact. This role will lead the sustainability agenda, and roadmap to net-zero across the group.
The Head of Sustainable Development will lead a compact team based in London and will support the various subsidiaries globally. The role will develop the sustainability strategy and be responsible for the timely implementation across the organisation.
The major responsibilities of this role will be:
To develop the group sustainability strategy and guide the organisation through a transition to become a purpose-driven business. Responsible for effective implementation of this strategy across the subsidiaries
To lead the sustainable development operations team in creating roadmaps for operating subsidiaries that encourage greater integration of sustainability and, ultimately, leadership in their sectors of operation
To ensure that the business has a clear pathway to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, including the establishment of Science Based Targets and KPIs for operating subsidiaries. To guide the group to set externally meaningful impact targets for other key pillars of the strategy
To support and influence the development of the Swire brand towards the goal of being a leader in privately owned responsible businesses globally. Lead the external engagement strategy and serve as the group's representative on relevant multi-stakeholder initiatives
To provide advice and guidance to the board on sustainable development matters and work closely with other heads of functions in the London based corporate office to embed sustainability into the culture of the organisation
Working with the publicly listed sister organisation's sustainability team based in Hong Kong to create strong relationships, synergies, and communication channels to support best practice sharing, transparency and innovation
Serve as the master subject matter expert on sustainability at a Group level
Maintain an excellent senior level professional network, providing links to the organisations strategic leadership as appropriate
This is a rare opportunity to join a business that has ambitions to transform itself into an industry leading sustainable business within the privately held sector. With an ecosystem of diverse enterprises within the portfolio, this role will offer the successful candidate the opportunity to develop and lead an ambitious sustainability strategy across a diverse industry portfolio of subsidiaries and geographical remit.
The successful candidate will need experience in:
Effectively developing and delivering successful international sustainability strategies including the development of science-based targets across complex global organisations
Strong leadership experience and competencies, that allows for tactful influencing across the business leadership team and the development of a high performing team and function
Experience of engaging C suite/Director level on strategic business transformation at scale
Relevant technical expertise and proven ability to keep up with changes in legislation and sustainability trends globally
Significant credibility in sustainable business transformation
Proven experience of driving successful programmes and initiatives across multiple regions and industries
International experience with emerging market experience an advantage
If you are a sustainability leader with the experience our client is looking for and are interested in this unique opportunity to create impact and change across an array of industries and regions, please apply today or contact Greg Brittian at Greg.Brittian@acre.com for more information on the role!
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