Rooted: The Human Side Of Sustainability Leadership

Liv Cropper
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Is this the hardest job on the planet? Every day, sustainability leaders are expected to influence without authority, balance commercial priorities with climate ambition, and keep moving forward through uncertainty. It's meaningful work, but it can also feel overwhelming and emotionally demanding. You don't have to navigate it alone. Hosted by transformational coach and former sustainability leader Liv Cropper, Rooted is the podcast for thoughtful sustainability leaders and ESG professionals navigating complex careers with purpose. If you care as much about how you lead as the impact you create, you'll feel right at home here.  Each episode features Chief Sustainability Officers and sustainability directors driving change within some of the world's largest organisations, including KPMG, Arriva, Wickes and Sage, alongside founders and experts, all sharing practical lessons from leading change. These conversations explore creating impact, building meaningful careers, leadership, resilience, burnout, wellbeing and the realities of organisational change.  Whether you're looking for practical leadership insights, fresh perspectives or simply reassurance that others are facing the same challenges, Rooted will leave you feeling more connected, more confident and better equipped to lead. New episodes every three weeks. Follow Rooted wherever you listen to podcasts. Here’s what listeners are saying about Rooted: “I’m thoroughly enjoying this podcast” “ Very insightful. Great to hear about the people behind the role rather than just about what they do.” “Great, lovely pace and very genuine conversation” “I love them! Liv has a wonderful way of relaxing her guests and encouraging conversations.” 

  1. Jul 28

    How curiosity can transform a career... and a business, with Andrew Bowley, Principal at Bowley FI

    For almost four decades, Andrew Bowley has built his career in investment banking, holding executive and non-executive roles across the globe. He shaped sustainability strategies at Nomura and Wells Fargo, before stepping into a new chapter earlier this year with a portfolio career through his advisory business, BowleyFI (Finance with Impact).In this episode of Rooted: the human side of sustainability leadership, Andrew reflects on what it really takes to create lasting change inside large organisations and why curiosity has been the thread running through his entire career.We explore how a deep fascination with understanding how things work led him from developing financial products and building new businesses through to creating sustainability strategies. Rather than treating sustainability as a separate department, Andrew shares why he believes it has to become part of every commercial conversation if organisations are going to transform. Alongside the strategic discussion, we also have a very honest conversation about the pressures that many ambitious leaders carry. Andrew talks openly about the anxiety that has fuelled his success, the temptation to respond by simply working harder, and the importance of recognising when healthy challenge begins to tip into something more damaging.We also reflect on his experiences working through moments such as Black Monday and the 2008 financial crisis, what those periods taught him about perspective, and why today's sustainability leaders should keep their eyes firmly on the bigger picture.If you've ever wondered whether you're pushing yourself because you're growing or because you're trying to prove something, I think you'll find plenty to reflect on in this conversation.In this episode we discuss:• Andrew's journey from investment banking into sustainability leadership• Why curiosity and problem solving have shaped every stage of his career• Building sustainability into the fabric of a business rather than treating it as a standalone function• The difference between healthy challenge and destructive pressure• Anxiety, perfectionism and the hidden drivers behind high performance• Lessons from leading through financial crises and organisational change• Why sustainability leaders need to think bigger, stay hopeful and keep learning As always, I'd love to hear what resonates with you after listening. You can connect with Andrew on LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram.Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out www.yellowbenchcoaching.com to book a  discovery call.Thanks for listening! From Liv 💛

    How curiosity can transform a career... and a business, with Andrew Bowley, Principal at Bowley FI

  2. Jul 13

    Systems thinking, courageous leadership & making a bigger impact, with Janet Greenwood, former Global Lead for Sustainable Infrastructure at KPMG

    What if the biggest impact you could make wasn't creating a better PowerPoint deck, but asking whether you're solving the right problem in the first place? In this episode of Rooted: The Human Side of Sustainability Leadership, I sit down with Janet Greenwood, former Global Lead for Sustainable Infrastructure at KPMG and Times Consultant of the Year 2024, to explore systems thinking, courageous leadership and making a bigger impact. We discuss challenging ingrained ways of working, leading with integrity when faced with difficult decisions, trusting your instincts, developing self-awareness and embracing creativity in the next chapter of your career. Whether you're a sustainability leader, engineer or senior professional navigating complex change, this conversation will leave you thinking differently about leadership, influence and seeing the bigger picture.You can connect with Janet on LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights from my yellow bench - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram.Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a free discovery call.Thanks for listening! From Liv 💛

    Systems thinking, courageous leadership & making a bigger impact, with Janet Greenwood, former Global Lead for Sustainable Infrastructure at KPMG

  3. Jun 29

    Feel the fear. Trust your gut. Do it anyway, with Hannah Leggatt, Director of Environment & Sustainability at The Clancy Group

    This one's about ignoring the naysayers, feeling the fear, and doing it anyway. Hannah Leggatt, Director of Environment & Sustainability at The Clancy Group, joins me on my yellow bench to share the lessons she's learned over a 17-year environmental and sustainability career in construction and major infrastructure programmes. We talk about about career courage, authentic leadership and the power of backing yourself. We explore career pivots, self-belief, overcoming imposter syndrome, finding your voice and why being yourself at work is far less exhausting than trying to perform. A must-listen for sustainability professionals, environmental leaders and anyone ready to take the next step in their career with confidence. You can connect with Hannah on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a free discovery call. Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛

    Feel the fear. Trust your gut. Do it anyway, with Hannah Leggatt, Director of Environment & Sustainability at The Clancy Group

  4. Jun 8

    Martin Wayman - Director of Sustainability at Arriva

    This one's all about career pauses, both intentional and unintentional. Martin shares the lessons he learned following redundancy (essential listening for anyone going through something similar), and the ambitions he has for his next role, as he becomes Arriva’s first ever director of sustainability.   We’re exploring the moments Martin's most proud of over 20 years in sustainability, and the difference between the impact he made in his early career, working on visible projects you could easily explain to your friends, and the legacy he now seeks to leave in any organisation he works with through embedding sustainability into the very fabric of the organisation. Whilst it’s not necessarily work that’s as fun to talk about in the pub, it’s Martin’s formula for a deeply satisfying career.  This conversation also takes us into the workings of our minds - how that inner critic and inner doubt can sometimes get noisy, and the benefit of working out how to amplify that inner coach that’s ready to cheer us on, if only we’d listen.  You can connect with Martin on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join. Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram. Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a  free discovery call. Thanks for listening!  From Liv 💛

    Martin Wayman - Director of Sustainability at Arriva

  5. May 18

    Abby Chicken - Head of Sustainability at Openreach

    From sparkly eyeshadow to underground cables Abby Chicken has been powered by a  strong sense of activism through her career. She now heads up sustainability at Openreach, one of the UK’s biggest infrastructure organisations. As always, we go beneath the shiny headlines and delve into how this work really feels.Abby shares how she came to sustainability part way through her career, describing a journey initially shaped by family expectations of success, but with a strong thread of agency and activism running through her life (including sitting in a tree all day at age 8 to protest it being cut down). We explore the impact she’s made from the more glittery end (literally) of sustainability at Selfridges, through to the scale and complexity of her role today at Openreach. Along the way, she shares a brilliant mantra: sustainability strategy is a small number of big things and a big number of small things. We also get into the reality of tough days and what helps. Community comes up again and again. From training your LinkedIn algorithm, to secret WhatsApp groups, to informal in-person gatherings like People, Planet Pint.And one moment that blew my mind (and helped reduce some of my recent grumpiness about AI): how AI can be used through fibre optic cables to detect water and gas leaks underground. (Also… apologies for the slightly ropey sound quality on my side. I’ve been told off accordingly by sound producer/Mr Cropper.)You can connect with Abby on LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram.Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a  free discovery call.Thanks for listening! From Liv 💛

    Abby Chicken - Head of Sustainability at Openreach

  6. Apr 27

    Lisa Tennant - Chair at Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)

    Lisa Tennant, who I’m calling the “queen of governance”, joins me on my yellow bench for this episode of Rooted. Alongside the usual Environmental and Social focus, we’re really leaning into the G of ESG in this episode. This episode is for you if you work with boards, are considering a portfolio career, or have ever wondered what it’s really like in a boardroom. This is a wide ranging conversation in which we discuss the formative impact of early experiences in nature and working with animals, the entrepreneurial spirit that Lisa has carried through her career, neurodiversity, and juggling motherhood with senior leadership. Lisa shares some fantastic advice for anyone thinking about working in boardrooms, and reminds us that success in the boardroom is much less to do with your age, and far more about leaning into your unique strengths and experiences. You can connect with Lisa on LinkedIn.If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram.Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a  free discovery call.Thanks for listening! From Liv 💛

    Lisa Tennant - Chair at Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)

  7. Mar 18

    Elisa Moscolin - Executive VP, Sustainability & Foundation at Sage

    Elisa Moscolin, Executive Vice-President, Sustainability & Foundation at Sage, joins me on my yellow bench to talk about influence, power and building long-term relationships with executive teams. We go right back to her roots, exploring formative early experiences which shaped her drive to tackle social injustice and poverty. We hear about what makes her most proud, repeating a recurring theme on Rooted, that it’s often not about the shiny initiatives and headlines, but instead about the ripple effect generated by powerful conversations and trusted relationships. This episode offers a fantastic insight into the conversations that take place in the boardrooms and executive teams of large organisations, seeking to balance business imperatives with social and environmental sustainability. You can connect with Elisa on LinkedIn and find out more about her team’s work at Sage here.  If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram.Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a free discovery call. Thanks for listening! From Liv 💛

    Elisa Moscolin - Executive VP, Sustainability & Foundation at Sage

  8. Feb 16

    Tara Schmidt - Executive Director at Transition Finance Scotland

    In this episode of Rooted, I am joined on my yellow bench by Tara Schmidt, Executive Director of Transition Finance Scotland, part of the Green Finance Institute’s mission for Scotland.Tara shares the roots of her sustainability career, from growing up on the Texas coast and witnessing environmental damage first-hand, to a global career spanning engineering, strategy, finance and policy. That combination gives her a unique combination of big picture thinking and on-the-ground pragmatism. In this conversation we explore why small actions really do matter, reflecting on Jane Goodall’s final words and her reminder that seemingly tiny steps can snowball into meaningful impact (watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfLKHY52ERc).We also talk about reconnecting with what brought you into sustainability in the first place, whether that’s time in nature, forest bathing, or simply remembering your ‘why’, and the importance of understanding your own USP in a complex, evolving field.This one was thoughtful, grounding, and genuinely good fun.You can connect with Tara on LinkedIn and find out more about the work of Transition Finance Scotland on the Green Finance Institute’s website. If you enjoyed this podcast, please hit subscribe, post a review, and share this episode with your friends. I'd also love you to join my Rooted email community, where I share regular insights about the human side of sustainability leadership - click here to join.Have any questions? You can find me on LinkedIn or Instagram.Interested in one-to-one coaching with me? Check out my website to book a  free discovery call.Thanks for listening! From Liv 💛

    Tara Schmidt - Executive Director at Transition Finance Scotland
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About

Is this the hardest job on the planet? Every day, sustainability leaders are expected to influence without authority, balance commercial priorities with climate ambition, and keep moving forward through uncertainty. It's meaningful work, but it can also feel overwhelming and emotionally demanding. You don't have to navigate it alone. Hosted by transformational coach and former sustainability leader Liv Cropper, Rooted is the podcast for thoughtful sustainability leaders and ESG professionals navigating complex careers with purpose. If you care as much about how you lead as the impact you create, you'll feel right at home here.  Each episode features Chief Sustainability Officers and sustainability directors driving change within some of the world's largest organisations, including KPMG, Arriva, Wickes and Sage, alongside founders and experts, all sharing practical lessons from leading change. These conversations explore creating impact, building meaningful careers, leadership, resilience, burnout, wellbeing and the realities of organisational change.  Whether you're looking for practical leadership insights, fresh perspectives or simply reassurance that others are facing the same challenges, Rooted will leave you feeling more connected, more confident and better equipped to lead. New episodes every three weeks. Follow Rooted wherever you listen to podcasts. Here’s what listeners are saying about Rooted: “I’m thoroughly enjoying this podcast” “ Very insightful. Great to hear about the people behind the role rather than just about what they do.” “Great, lovely pace and very genuine conversation” “I love them! Liv has a wonderful way of relaxing her guests and encouraging conversations.” 

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