John Downer Email & Phone Number

There is a colossal gap between attaining Environmental, Social and Governance status (qualifications, certificates, systems) and actually Enjoying Sustainable Growth. I set up ESG33 to Extinguish Spurious Greenwashing and to build Return on Investment bridges connecting ESG to ESG; to help purpose driven firms turn certification to profit. I advise Presidents, CEOs and MDs to Energise and Supercharge Growth; strengthening corporate vision, simplifying growth strategy, sharpening sales and commercial acumen, and scaling capability maturity to survive transformation. From guiding small businesses on top line growth (circular economy innovation practice; social value tech refurber; ethical creative agency; ergonomic seating retailer; a professional body; and, a work winning consultancy), to investment advisory for an international consultancy firm on activating in the UK, to advising a Private Equity group on the attractiveness of a rail supplier investment opportunity; ESG33 is Ethical, Scalable, Global.

London

I am supporting TYLin as their UK growth lead; to establish their infrastructure design and delivery footprint in the UK for the first time. I'll be seeking to drive growth directly and to co-create growth with TYLin's sister companies in the Sidara Collaborative (including Introba, Currie & Brown, Dar, Para). I'll be focused primarily on the Rail + Transit sector, as well as Ports + Marine, Tunnelling, and Bridges. Check out: https://www.tylin.com/

Through their Bain Advisor Network, I am working on high-impact projects, adding value through my insights, extensive expertise and connections.

Appointed a Visiting Fellow to Cranfield University's School of Management. Supporting the Centre for Executive Development in strategic negotiation, influencing, sales and key account management. Supporting SMEs on the Business Growth Partnership as a Review Panelist of their growth plans.

As a GLG Network Member, I bring 20 years’ of experience to help clients solve some of their toughest business challenges in the professional services, infrastructure delivery (especially in environmental and transportation), sales and business development, business risk and opportunity management. GLG is the world’s insight network. It connects decision makers to the right experts so they can act with the confidence that comes from true clarity and have what it takes to get ahead. Its network of experts is the world’s largest and most varied source of first-hand expertise.

Mortimer, England, United Kingdom

Supporting the growth of the family personal training and fitness business with strategy, operating, marketing and financial acumen.

HSRG represents companies with relevant experience and an interest in high speed rail, we are committed to supporting the successful delivery of a world-class high speed rail network in Britain.Alongside the required Company Director responsibilities for prudent management of budgets to return greatest benefit for the investment, I am the Board Director responsible for leading on matters pertaining to climate change, environment and sustainability.I have chaired multiple Parliamentary, C-Suite, industry, Green NGO, green lobbyist and roundtable events and dinners. This includes strategising, preparing and delivering direct engagement with Ministers, CEOs and Chairs. International and national conferences organisation.I have supported the ideation and production of multiple reports, statements and press releases, including press, trade, industry and social media articles and comments.In the role of lead on climate change, I curated our 2019 “Towards a Zero Carbon Future” report, our 2020 “Nature Networks” report, provided content and editing on a succession of other reports, and chair our green stakeholders forum.One of my proudest achievements is initiating and producing the report “Laying the Foundations for Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing;” released on World Mental Health day in October 2018.

Board Director of the Railway Industry Association; the voice of the UK rail supply chain. Challenging the industry on ESG focused investment, on I&D leadership, on promoting the societal value and carbon benefits of rail.

Accountable for the growth of our European Transportation business across aviation, highways, and rail & transit sub-sectors; representing ~45% of European business.Delivering growth under the corporate 'Boldly Moving Forward' growth accelerators of: (i) climate response; (ii) data solutions; and, (iii) consulting & advisory. ▪ Accountable for managing a budget of $10m, to successfully achieve a $380m new contracts booking value, encompassing areas such as people, bidding, commercial, marketing, and communications, ensuring optimal allocation of resources to drive business growth. ▪ Authorised and operated with authority approval for Go/No-Go, Bid/No-Bid and pricing decisions, ensuring strategic evaluation of contract opportunities up to $50m in revenue, resulting in optimised resource allocation and increased win rates. ▪ Led evaluation process for Bid/No-Bid decisions, using thorough market analysis and risk assessments to determine viability and profitability of contract opportunities, resulting in an appreciable increase in bid success.▪ Oversaw opportunity pursuit budgets of up to $350k each, ensuring strategic allocation of resources, sharpening and testing value propositions and maximising ROI for business development initiatives.▪ Held final authority for contract and pricing approvals on "Elevated-Risk Projects/Programmes," ensuring compliance with company policies and fiscal objectives through opportunity planning, mitigating potential risks, all whilst deepening trusted client relationships and mitigating potential risks.▪ Cocreated and verified robust financial evaluation models, using AI, to assess the profitability and viability of "Elevated-Risk Projects/Programmes," resulting in improved decision-making and increased success rates.▪ Directly led a high-performing team of 13 Client Account Leads, overseeing their performance, guiding their professional development, and supporting their achievement against business targets.

Reading, England, United Kingdom

In this position, I was accountable for leading 1,650 people (19 offices), in a $500m revenue business. I managed a $27.5 million overhead budget to achieve a 14% FY22 net operating margin, demonstrating strong financial management skills and strategic planning capabilities. ▪ Successfully navigated challenging market conditions in the highways sub-sector, overcoming significant unplanned project losses, mitigating the impact on overall financial performance.▪ Aligned Head of Operational Growth to report to me resulting in a best-in-class 1:17 Bid costs: Gross Margin ratio for the Sector, demonstrating cost efficiency and profitability. ▪ Prioritised Health and Safety (H&S) as the top agenda item, ideating global best practice playbooks, ensuring the well-being and security of the team.▪ Implemented a relentless Return on Investment (ROI) focus with the team: driving project delivery efficiency through AI solutions, resulting in 12.5X ROI in GM savings and efficiencies in one year.▪ Established and piloted the carbon management system, boosting decarbonisation performance on projects which was adopted across the Europe business to underpin Jacobs’ PAS2080 application.

Assumed responsibilities as Interim Head of Sector (a VP level role), taking over most of the Head of Sector's role (as they transitioned to set up the Energy & Power business). Took on the responsibility of promoting expansion and raising the Global Integrated Delivery contribution to overall business growth to record levels, achieving 127% of target.▪ Successfully led the capability transformation of 1,000+ people. Led on staff engagement strategy and personally implemented initiatives, driving positive organisational change and fostering a high-performing and motivated workforce that resulted in the change blueprint for the rest of the business.▪ Leveraged my strong interpersonal skills to take on the lead role for staff communications and engagement during the transformation, fostering a positive and inclusive work environment, resulting in a retention rate 20% better than European average, and lowest in the business, noting female turnover at an 8.1% low.▪ Developed and implemented targeted sales strategies, focused on decarbonisation solutions and greater customer engagement, to maximise gross margin generation and achieve ambitious growth targets.▪ Proactively invested two months in upskilling and transferring knowledge to the new appointee, ensuring the successful delivery of responsibilities in the interim VP Head of Sector role, showcasing dedication to professional growth and seamless transition; resulting in a winning partnership in the Growth Director role.

Reading, England, United Kingdom

Accountable for growth and sales for all of our rail clients across UK & Ireland & Europe. I led a team of Client Account Leads, and a broad ecosystem of Head of Rail and their respective portfolio leads, alongside sales professionals to win >£100m of work in FY21. With total accountability for the win, I personally led, as Sales Lead, a fourth successive Tier 1 contract win in a row. Salient internal leadership and volunteering across my time in Jacobs:2018 to 2021: Jacobs’ Reinventing Excellence Award Committee. Chair in FY20 and FY21, during which time I led the complete rebuild of the procedure in line with new mission and values2018 to leaving: CEO’s Accelerated Talent Programme (Tier 2 SVP potential)2018: I trained as a Jacobs’ positive mental health first aider2014 to date: Inclusion and Diversity champion, Conscious Inclusion trainer2019: “Everything you do matters” cultural change programme leader2010 to 2014: BeyondZero committee member 2013 to 2017: Chair of Jacobs’ Joint European Works Council2012 to 2018: Initiator and implementer of the One Jacobs Welcome for new employee induction. This employee onboarding session reached 5,000+ members of staff across the UK, and it was picked up globally in 2016.

Reading, United Kingdom

Accountable for growing and selling Jacobs in the rail market.This was a role I cocreated with my Head of Growth & Sales, setting responsibilities and organisational structure to achieve FY20’s £1bn revenue bookings target. I successfully piloted the role in Rail, exceeding my £110m revenue sector target by 9%.I created the organisation, structure, roles and responsibilities, and innovative recruitment into our sector team of Head of Digital Rail and Intelligent Infrastructure lead and Head of Rail Decarbonisation.I created a 'Strategy 101' playbook, sharing this across the business, and using it to create client account strategies for Network Rail, HS2, Transport for London, Intelligent Infrastructure, and rail contractors. I led the change management needed to implement these strategies.

Reading, England, United Kingdom

Invited by the VP Head of Growth & Sales to take on the account, which had not had the due care and attention it deserved. I bought leadership and clarity of direction to successfully win a place on the Tier 1 Design Services Framework – top scoring on quality and with the best position on rates. I chartered the team, wrestling the value proposition, and concluding the commercial arrangements with our strategic sub-contractors. I spent nine months developing our client account strategy for Network Rail, using the learning from my MBA. Following robust method, this was tested with the client and internal stakeholders. I created a vision around Putting Passengers First, digital and domain expertise. I set objectives to sell the company store to achieve a 50/50 target of gross margin income between deep domain rail engineering capability and other capabilities from the company store.

Reading, United Kingdom

Sitting on the Rail, Tunnelling & Ground Engineering Business’ Leadership Team, I was accountable for growing the £100m+ per annum Network Rail and HS2 accounts; which increased revenue by 40% under my leadership.I led a comprehensive exercise to set strategic direction, budgets and governance on branding, marketing, and external communications; this reduced the budget by 50% and increased return on investment two-fold. Further, I successfully overhauled the sales investment and sale governance process, bringing discipline, rigour and empowering decision making; this increased our win rate by 10%. I applied corporate and marketing strategy learning from my MBA in inputting to the Jacobs Buildings & Infrastructure Europe Strategy (March 2019), and cocreating the Transportation market strategy (May 2019).

Reading, England, United Kingdom

I managed the relationships and smooth delivery of this £30m revenue per annum account, across the Engineering Delivery Partner, main works civils contract with ALIGN, and Phase 2b environmental services and environmental overview consultant contracts. I led our input to HS2’s strategic supplier relationship management (SRM) programme. Indeed I advised the client on multiple iterations and continuous improvement to the design of their SRM programme, which is now cited by the Cabinet Office as the best in the UK. I established Jacobs internal innovation capture process, and appointed a programme wide innovation champion who increased our engagement and idea submissions by 500%. I led all external industry and market engagement, notably through membership of the High Speed Rail Group, where I secured a position on the Board as a Director in Oct 2017. I used this to access and focus on b2b relationships, personally engaging with the CEO and Chair at multiple events, which successfully improved our C-suite zippering.During and after Jacobs’ acquisition of CH2M I spent six months full-time leading the management of conflicts of interest, establishing myself as the go-to person in the Jacobs business for advising on conflict of interest with other clients. Working with legal counsel from Jacobs, CH2M and independents, alongside multiple SVPs, I created and drove a Programme (enterprise) level plan, project plan templates, register templates, and designed a staff training programme that every member of staff deployed on an HS2 project went through (1,000+ staff). This formed the baseline and best practice for CoI in the business going forward, especially in major programmes, and remains best in class today.

London, United Kingdom

Inside Sales Manager at Jacobs, securing professional services contracts in the infrastructure delivery marketResponsible for quality and the application of the relationship based sales process, I led multi-disciplinary middle and end game professional services opportunities with Network Rail, HS2, Department for Transport, Thames Tideway, Transport for London, London Underground, and Highways England. With a laser focus on applying the sales process and leading times from operations and sales, I helped secure many prestigious wins, accruing £50m+ GM bookings; 86% of my bids top scored on quality. In my everlasting quest for efficiency, I created numerous templates to augment and expedite the sales process. Many remain in use to this day, including the Win Plan, the 9D SWOT, the Red team feedback capture form, CV, project proofs, call planning and call reporting.I created and led Middle Game, End Game and Capture Manager training, delivering to 110 participants from the Rail business over two years.

Reading, England, United Kingdom

Working my way up from an Assistant Waste Management Professional to Divisional Director in the Waste & Resource Management Team, serving under the Strategic Consultancy arm of our Sustainable Solutions business unit. I worked in the household and commercial waste management sector for ten+ years, advising local authorities in policy and strategy, and specialising in business case development and contract procurement. From 2009, I led Jacobs’ technical, procurement and commercial advisory services in PFI funded and PPP contracted transactions from £7.5m to £1bn+ contract values, involving waste management infrastructure/ process delivery CapEx up to £150m. I led 110+ professionals variously working for client, contractor, funder, regulator and central government. Of note, I helped lead the UK’s PFI experience in applying the (then new) competitive dialogue procurement procedure. I gained considerable bidding experience in developing project agreements, particularly in contract specifications, performance frameworks, and service delivery plans. I also worked the client side, developing contract documentation, tender questionnaires, and evaluation frameworks, and amassed considerable tender evaluation experience.This platform afforded me experience in commercial and technical negotiation, the art of the sale, interfacing with legal, financial and property advisors, dealing with government officials, handling locally elected politicians, engaging with statutory stakeholders, translating technical arguments into plain language for members of the public and defending schemes against lobbying and opposition groups like Friends of the Earth. During this time the contracts I led, reduced carbon footprint by 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and saved the tax payer over £150m.I have written and presented 17 technical papers at, inter alia: ISWA, CIWM, Waste 2004, and the Resource & Waste Management conferences.

Maidenhead, England, United Kingdom

Project management of waste minimisation and auditing guidanceLead author of the "The impact of increasing road transport costs on waste recovery and recycling" for the Resource Recovery ForumLead author on the "Assessment of non-obligated packaging" A DEFRA research project on reusable packagingDetailed knowledge of EU and UK waste legislationEnvironmental Management Systems, Integrated Management Systems, Environmental policyEnvironmental Impact Assessment scoping and quality reviewCollation of import export statistics for paper products and waste.

Norwich, England, United Kingdom

A part-time team leader for Environmental Awareness training courses, with additional responsibility for advising members on innovative sustainable waste management options; disseminating environmental legislation updates to small businesses through Newsletters and Fact Sheets; and, completing Landfill Tax Credit Scheme applications.

Lyndhurst, England, United Kingdom

Project management of Construction Quality Assurance for landfill; Computer Aided Design engineering using Autocad LT 2000; and, a Tender Response for landfill monitoring. Statistical analysis applied during an Initial Economic Appraisal for an energy-from-waste facility. Public sector communication during a best value review of waste services. Investigative skills needed for site exploration (Due Diligence, geological, waste facilities, refuse collection contracts).

Southampton And Norwich

Development of transferable skills through extensive customer interfacing and on-the-job training. Shift manager responsibility business operations of a £1m revenue per annum restaurant; staff motivation; stock control; quality control, food production; and, being the designated First Aider.

Master Of Business Administration - Mba, Business Administration And Management, General, Distinction (73%)

My work based project focused on how client account strategies can increase gross margin income, scored 85%. I directly used this.

Msc, Environmental Impact Assessment, Auditing And Management Systems, Distinction

A 15,000 word Thesis project, "Assessing the Effectiveness of Procurement Strategy in Promoting More Sustainable Waste Management.

Bsc, Environmental Science, 2:1

Activities and Societies: Men's Hockey Club My 10,000 word dissertation project on, ‘A Critical Evaluation of the Local Government.

Bsc, Environmental Science, Gpa: 3.96

I spent a year at the University of Illinois on an exchange. My major project analysed and evaluated ‘Student Recycling Habits.

A,A,A,D

Activities and Societies: Treasurer of the School Leaver’s Ball demanded organisation and enthusiasm. Inventive fund-raising projects were.