Group Head of Sustainability

This Global Head of Social Impact role was created to provide strategic oversite and coordinate the development of the Group’s social impact strategy across customers, colleagues and communities. The creation of the HSBC Just Transition framework and approach published in the Net Zero Transition Plan, was also part of my accountabilities.

Responsible for the execution of HSBC’s Corporate Sustainability strategy within our core environment and social areas to support a just transition. Working in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to develop the partnerships and solutions for our customers, colleagues and communities.

Responsible for the our sustainability activities in the UK, Channel Islands, first direct and M & S Bank. This included the development of our sustainability strategy for HSBC UK including the supporting infrastructure focused on showing sustainability leadership. I was instrumental in ensuring sustainability leadership is incorporated in our values and behaviours framework globally. While my holistic approach to our successful £30m charity partnerships supported 25,000 young people into training, education and employment and resulted in a supporting HR programme that now forms part of our social inclusion strategy. To support our sustainability goals I facilitate bespoke sustainability leadership programmes, and have developed a sustainability network of circa 3000 employees who raise awareness and engagement in our programmes. Our environmental programmes include behavioural change approaches utilising action research techniques.

Responsible for our environment, charity, volunteering, community, health & wellbeing and diversity strategy. My proactive relationship management was used to develop our strategic charity partnership, by embedding we brought together employees and customers with an all-inclusive programme across HSBC Contact Centres and first direct. Our charity partnership fund-raising rose from £50k to an astounding £500k the year we formed our team. By the end of year 4 we had smashed our £2m target raising a staggering £4.26m. The NSPCC executive team viewed the partnership as the model for future corporate partners and HSBC included the NSPCC case study in their global Corporate Sustainability report. At the end of the partnership The Countess of Wessex awarded me the NSPCC patrons award. We also received highly commended at the Business Charity awards were I was nominated for outstanding individual. I was instrumental in creating our sustainability strategy which resulted in first direct becoming the first bank to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard. During my time in first direct I was also the spokesperson for Corporate Sustainability and participated in the Grand Designs seminar, Carbon Trust and National Charity partnership webinars.

Responsible for first direct's pay review, equal reward audit and the development of their recognition programme. The recognition review included development of a leadership toolkit, employee on-line peer to peer scheme and annual awards following collaboration with Chester Elton's carrot team. A similar approach was then introduced in HSBC and externally by QVC and the NSPCC.

Designed and delivered an employee engagement intervention, which led to our team being selected as the first direct team of the year at the HSBC annual recognition awards, achieved a significant increase in engagement and re-entry into the Sunday Times Top 100 companies to work for, receiving 36 place.

Excellence in customer service