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Casey, Sr Manager Sustainability at Protiviti: Advize Career Interview
This interview with a Sr. Sustainability Manager at Protiviti offers an inspiring look into a career dedicated to fighting the climate crisis.
The path began with a passion-fueled environmental studies undergrad, leading to a diverse role involving regulatory compliance and crafting tailored sustainability strategies for various clients.
A day involves client meetings, emissions calculations, and developing impactful reduction opportunities. This exciting career demands storytelling skills, data analysis, and adaptability to a constantly evolving legislative landscape.
The most rewarding aspect is helping companies improve their sustainability programs and experiencing intellectual stimulation through building initiatives from the ground up.
This industry thrives on passionate individuals who possess broad knowledge across sustainability aspects and a drive to collaborate for a common goal.
Breaking down large tasks is key, and finding community and building a network are crucial to success.
Entry-level positions like "sustainability coordinator" and "sustainability specialist" are abundant, emphasizing the importance of showcasing passion and personal value during the interview process.
A career where passion meets purpose, offering a chance to make a tangible impact.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Casey Junod
Sr Manager Sustainability
Protiviti
San Jose State University
UCLA - Anderson
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Environmental & Related Sciences
Environment
Consulting
LGBTQ
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Career Path of a Senior Manager Sustainability at Protiviti
Casey's career path toward Sr Manager Sustainability at Protiviti started with an environmental studies undergrad, where "every opportunity" was taken to engage with the field through environmental clubs, a Sierra Club internship focused on community organization, and assisting a professor. This early immersion led to a first job in sustainability consulting for a major telecoms provider, where skills and knowledge were built upon "along the way" and opened doors to future opportunities.
Main Responsibilities of a Senior Manager Sustainability at Protiviti
As a Sr. Sustainability Manager at Protiviti, responsibilities vary widely depending on the client and their needs, encompassing both regulatory compliance - such as climate-related risk and greenhouse gas emissions disclosure - and voluntary sustainability initiatives like energy and water consumption reduction, with a strong emphasis on developing tailored "sustainability strategy roadmap[s]." The role leverages experience from both in-house and consulting positions, offering a diverse and adaptable approach to corporate sustainability.
A Day In The Life Of A Senior Manager Sustainability At Protiviti
A Sr. Sustainability Manager's day involves a mix of client meetings, project work, and proposal building, often focusing on calculating greenhouse gas emissions by "looking at a company's operational activities" to identify reduction opportunities in energy, water, and waste; furthermore, the role varies between consulting and in-house positions, with in-house roles often encompassing the broader ESG landscape, developing sustainability strategies, and seeking cost-saving opportunities to drive initiatives forward due to the importance of ROI.
Most Important Skills for a Senior Manager Sustainability at Protiviti
For a role as Sr Manager of Sustainability at Protiviti, Casey highlights "storytelling" as crucial for navigating emotions when selling sustainability projects, alongside "data analysis" which grounds sustainability work in hard science like greenhouse gas emissions accounting. The ability to parse through large datasets and interpret them neutrally, while relying on established methodologies such as the greenhouse gas protocol, is also critical.
Favorite Parts of Being a Senior Manager Sustainability at Protiviti
Casey, a Sr Manager Sustainability at Protiviti, finds their work rewarding because it allows them to help companies improve their sustainability programs and make a positive impact on the climate crisis, particularly enjoying the "intellectual stimulation" and curiosity involved in building sustainability initiatives from the ground up. The role is also fulfilling because it allows for data analysis, which they enjoy, alongside utilizing soft skills like communication and presentation development.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Senior Manager Sustainability At Protiviti
The biggest challenge for Casey, a Sr Manager of Sustainability at Protiviti, is staying current on the evolving legislative landscape surrounding corporate emissions disclosure, which is "on the precipice of just becoming mandated" in 2025. Constant changes in legislation and the way emissions are calculated, along with a shifting regulatory landscape, make it difficult to navigate this relatively new industry.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Corporate Sustainability Industry as a Senior Manager Sustainability
Casey most enjoys being surrounded by passionate individuals driven to fight the climate crisis, creating a strong sense of community and urgency, where there's an allegiance more towards fighting the crisis rather than maintaining company secrets, fostering "a passion driven working style". This collaborative environment and shared goal differentiates corporate sustainability from other industries, like the tech industry Casey previously worked in, allowing for a supportive network where everyone works towards the same end.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Sustainability Industry, According To A Senior Manager Sustainability At Protiviti
According to Casey, thriving professionals in the ESG and corporate sustainability industry are often "jack of all trades," possessing broad knowledge across various sustainability aspects, especially when working in-house or on small teams. There is a level of "being able to speak that language" and offer valuable opinions, which can be developed on the job, regarding a range of issues like energy efficiency or waste reduction.
What A Senior Manager Sustainability At Protiviti Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Sustainability Industry
Casey wishes someone had emphasized the subjective nature of sustainability as a new field, where individuals are "interpreting regulation" and expectations differently. To navigate this, Casey suggests forming one's own informed opinions by understanding climate science, corporate sustainability rules, and global legislation, emphasizing that this knowledge is "imperative to your success."
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Sustainability Professionals
Casey, a Sr Manager Sustainability at Protiviti, suggests that entry-level sustainability positions, like "sustainability coordinator" or "sustainability specialist," are "pretty abundant" in consulting and coordination and that the nascent nature of the industry allows newcomers to enter at a similar level to others and to build hard skills along the way. According to them, showcasing "passion" and personal value during an interview is more important than specific project experience because passion "you can't teach."
Significant Career Lesson From a Senior Manager Sustainability at Protiviti
The most significant lesson Casey learned is the importance of breaking down large tasks into manageable projects, especially in the complex field of corporate sustainability; as Casey noted, it's about finding "where's the biggest bucket" for impactful change and tackling it step-by-step, rather than getting overwhelmed by the amorphous nature of issues like climate change. By creating processes for addressing the most impactful and controllable aspects first, even seemingly insurmountable challenges can be broken down into subtasks and topics, ultimately leading to success.
College Experiences that Helped a Senior Manager Sustainability at Protiviti Succeed
To prepare for a career in corporate sustainability, Casey emphasizes the importance of finding community and building a network, such as through involvement in college environmental resource centers and internships at organizations like the Sierra Club, and suggests leveraging professor connections for guidance and opportunities. Casey also highlights the value of "segue career" moves that incrementally move one closer to their desired career path, referencing a former undergraduate aspiration to work in corporate sustainability at Apple and ultimately landing a similar role at another tech company.
Advizer Personal Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseyjunod/
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