Please provide a short outline of your current role and a brief description of any other relevant career experience:
I’m the Community and Sustainability Director at JLL UK, a leading professional services firm specialising in real estate, and am responsible for developing the firm’s community investment strategy. I lead all our strategic partnerships with charities, including our 4-year partnership with Crisis, and oversee all pro bono, volunteering and charitable giving. I also support the JLL UK Foundation, which focuses on social mobility in the real estate industry. I previously worked for Business in the Community, advising companies on community investment and worked on financial inclusion in communities as part of Lloyds’ Banking Group’s responsible business programme. I also spent two very happy and enriching years at ELBA! I ran the Project Central Hackney, a partnership for UBS, KPMG and Société Générale.

Why is CSR important to your organisation?
Our purpose at JLL is to shape the future of real estate for a better world. At the core of our business is a recognition that we have both the capability and responsibility to ensure that the built environment evolves and adapts in a way that supports social and environmental justice. We’ve been advising clients on sustainability for a number of years and have some really stretching targets ourselves, including a commitment to be net zero in our workplaces by 2030. For me, the critical thing is that we strive to be a responsible business in every aspect of what we do. It wouldn’t be good enough for us to deliver some programmes and partnerships on the side; being a purpose led business means that our role in society is at the forefront of all decisions we make about the way we run our business and deliver our services. It’s what our clients, people and partners rightly expect of us.

 Which topics, themes or initiatives are your organisation currently focused on?
Our current strategy focuses on the areas we believe we can have the most impact, including homelessness, urban regeneration, and education and social mobility. Right now, however, like all businesses, we are busy responding to the needs of communities up and down the UK dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. We remain fully committed to our charity partners during this time and are actively encouraging our people to make full use of their volunteering time. Given the nature of our business, many of our colleagues are working tirelessly to keep essential services open throughout the UK, including more than 2,500 pharmacies, many community shopping centres and food stores, delivery and logistics centres, council buildings and police and fire service operations. We have also established an emergency response taskforce, connecting NHS, charity and community needs with clients who have available space or resources, including accommodation, warehouses, parking and personal protective equipment (PPE). Our teams are playing pivotal roles in the delivery of the emergency Nightingale hospital.

 What is the best part of your job?
I’m passionate about the role businesses can play in addressing social issues and it’s exciting and rewarding to be at a company which takes it really seriously. I get to work with colleagues from across the business, at all levels and on a range of issues, who are all passionate about supporting communities. The best ideas never come from me! It is also a privilege to partner with some incredible charities delivering important support. Having seen things from both the charity and corporate side, it is fantastic when we align our respective skills and insights towards achieving positive, meaningful change.