Leading for Sustainability: My Journey from Waste to the Boardroom
A native of Belfast, I have built a distinguished career across the region in urban and rural contexts. A former Chair, Chief Executive, Consultant and seasoned Non-Executive Director, I’ve extensive experience in transport and capital projects, ferry and port operations, economic development and placemaking, here and in Scotland.
My core passion lies in creating better places through her work on energy, net zero, and sustainability initiatives. I’m a Belfast Harbour Commissioner, serving as a member of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, a Senior Independent Board Member for the Department for Communities and sit on the Scrutiny Board of the NI Investment Fund.
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of taking part in Creative Boardroom: Collaborate4Climate — a pioneering all-island initiative led by the Institute of Directors Ireland, the Institute of Directors Northern Ireland, and the Creative Futures Academy. The programme brought together chartered directors, students, designers, entrepreneurs, and innovators with one shared ambition: to respond creatively and practically to the urgent challenge of climate change.
Why I Joined
My own journey into sustainability began during my decades in local government, with a growing awareness of the scale of waste our society produces. Managing waste responsibly is one of today’s most pressing challenges — financially, environmentally, and ethically. From illegal dumping and water pollution to the wider consequences of poor resource management, it became clear to me that our systems were unsustainable.
History reminds us of the human costs of environmental failure: smog and air pollution, acid rain, ozone depletion, nuclear and chemical disasters. Today, the climate crisis is intensifying with record-breaking storms, life-threatening heatwaves, and devastating wildfires across Europe. These realities make it impossible to continue as we are.
Closer to home, Lough Neagh — the UK and Ireland’s largest freshwater lake — tells its own story. Once a place where I swam as a child, it is now unsafe due to blue-green algae, poisoning wildlife and threatening livelihoods such as the eel fishery.
Having worked in sustainability across transport sectors — fleet, road and rail, aviation, and maritime — I’ve seen first-hand how businesses and public services are making major commitments. It is inspiring to see leaders driving change.
Personal Commitments
For me, sustainability is not only professional but also deeply personal. At home I have invested in:
- Solar panels and solar thermal
- Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery
- An air-source heat pump
- Enhanced insulation
I’ve also created space for nature, started growing food, and embraced re-use and recycling — including re-thinking my consumer habits. No more fast fashion. These choices, while small, have deepened my conviction that we must lead by example.
Learning Through Collaboration
Collaborate4Climate offered something rare: the chance to step back from day-to-day demands and reflect alongside others. The creativity and energy of younger participants were especially inspiring. The programme reminded me that innovation comes when diverse voices are heard, and that climate resilience depends on our ability to work collaboratively across generations and sectors.
Sustainability in the Boardroom
As a Chartered Director, I ask myself: How can we influence change in the boardroom? Leadership carries responsibility. Boards must ensure that, both individually and corporately, we reduce our impact on the environment, society, and the communities we serve.
Too often, strategy is viewed only through a business lens. Yet genuine sustainability requires engaging with wider voices — activists, communities, government, and the media. Boards should ask:
- What concerns exist around our operations?
- Who is raising them?
- How do we respond constructively?
That requires practical steps, such as:
- What concerns exist around our operations?
- Who is raising them?
- How do we respond constructively?
- That requires practical steps, such as:
- Embedding climate strategy at the heart of business planning
- Re-imagining how we use buildings and energy
- Rethinking transport choices
- Designing for circular resource use
- Listening to non-business interests
- Building climate resilience into decision-making
Looking Ahead
For me, Collaborate4Climate was an opportunity to see the bigger picture — not just where we are, but where we need to go. The challenges are immense, but so too are the opportunities.
If creativity and leadership align with the courage to act, then we can shape solutions worthy of our children, our grandchildren — and the planet they will inherit.
