Welcome to the next edition of Leadership Matters where we ask leaders around the Pacific Zone for their insights and advice about leadership matters to support our continuing journey of personal and professional development.
In this edition, we hear from APAC Director, Sustainability Consulting Michael Cox. He is a strategist and engineer advising organisations about sustainability, climate change, decarbonisation, and resource efficiency.
With a long-standing commitment to delivering world-changing sustainability outcomes, Michael has worked in various sectors of environmental influence; including technology, property, government, manufacturing, mining, and engineering.
Michael is passionate about supporting organisations to develop their environmental, social, and corporate governance performance and achieve decarbonisation goals in their operations and supply chain.
What motivates and excites you about your role at Schneider Electric?
I’m energised by how well-positioned Schneider is to tackle the challenge of our lifetime, averting the worst impacts of climate change. I’m excited to be on that journey with such a wonderful group of genuinely engaged, capable people who are aligning behind such an important objective – our corporate alignment is paramount for me. Day-to-day, I relish working with our customers to assist them in achieving their objectives: from developing decarbonisation strategies through to mapping an implementation pathway that sees Schneider solutions come into their own as a meaningful way to make real change.
We’re one of the leading companies in the world when it comes to sustainability. How are you and your team contributing to this?
The Sustainability Consulting team has the privilege of working with our customers to build their strategic plan for sustainability, ESG, and decarbonisation. We get to work with senior members of their business to set goals and co-design strategies and drive action plans to achieve them. What’s most rewarding, and the reason why I work at Schneider, is that I truly believe we can be a leading partner on our clients’ journeys, providing them with a broad suite of solutions that will support their action. After all, while building the strategy is important, it’s nothing if we don’t take action and drive measurable change.
In terms of sustainability, which person or organisation do you consider to be an ‘#ImpactMaker’ and why?
I’ve always respected Terence Jeyarenam, the leader of EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services. Terence is one of the most authentic, compassionate people you’ll meet while also being a leader in the Australian sustainability industry for over 20 years.
What was a moment in your career that was pivotal or changed you in some way?
I’ve been a sustainability practitioner for over 20 years; however, about six years ago I realised my enthusiasm was diminishing. So, seeking a change, I took a chance and jumped into a new industry sector – IT. I was Head of Operations for a small network infrastructure and cyber security company, managing the delivery of managed and professional services. I had dual learnings in this role: I upskilled my knowledge in edge networking and IoT and, perhaps most crucially, I learned that my skills were transferrable across industries, but without a driving passion to fuel them, I wasn’t as influential as I could be.
So after nearly two years and the realisation that I was missing a true sense of purpose, I attended the national Sustainability Summit. Over the course of that first day reconnecting with the industry, I realised that my passion did lie in sustainability and made the decision to move back into it; a choice that led me straight to Schneider, where I still feel positive and invigorated each day about what we are doing.
What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Take care of your body to take care of your mind, and vice versa.” At the end of the day our bodies and minds can either work with us or against us in this pursuit called life. I choose to actively take care of both my mind and body to get the most out of life. In relation to sustainability, it’s simpler: “we only get one planet.”
Which of our company values resonates with you most and why?
Actually, it’s a tie between Customer First and Act Like Owners. Act Like Owners resonates with me as I connect with the importance of making operational decisions as though it’s my own business. Having operated my own consulting business in the past, it’s important to make decisions that enable the business to keep moving forward and drive value, rather than getting caught up in the aspects that distract you from the core objective.
And of course, if you’re treating your work like it’s your own business, Customer First is a natural resonance – without customers, we wouldn’t have a business! For me, Customer First speaks to the mindset I bring to engaging with clients and developing a robust sense of what they are trying to achieve and their pain points. Then it’s about building a solution and engaging them to build their buy-in to that approach.