Meet Carla Matthews, our Director of Sustainability at Access, with over 15 years of expertise in embedding sustainability into core operations across technology, professional services and manufacturing
What book have you read recently that you would recommend?
Tony Juniper’s “What has nature ever done for us!” Reading the case studies was enlightening and demonstrates the important role nature plays – in particular two of the case studies stuck with me – how over $1 trillion in annual sales are dependent on animal pollination; and how the loss of vultures in India cost $34 billion. A recent study shows the decline led to about 500,000 deaths.
What’s your favourite job to do outside of work?
I love gardening, in particular planting pollinator gardens to encourage bees and butterflies. I am now trying to plant to ensure they have food sources year-round.
What's something about you that might surprise the people you work with?
Probably nothing astounding – what you see is what you get!
What achievement are you most proud of throughout your career?
In 2013 I was awarded the Game Changer award by His Majesty, King Charles III (then HRH The Prince of Wales) for my commitment to embedding responsible business practice, contributing positively to the communities in which our company operated, leading a Seeing is Believing visit for the Prince’s Trust, as well as pioneering a benchmarking index for SME members of Business in the Community. This award led me to study further, and I went on to read a Post Grad in Sustainable Leadership at the University of Cambridge.
What are you most excited about when thinking about your future career?
I am passionate about sustainability and making a difference – it is rewarding when colleagues come together to drive meaningful change and give back to our communities. We recently held a river clean-up in Timisoara and I was delighted when over 70 colleagues arrived on a Saturday morning to help clear the riverbanks.
Can you tell us about a mistake you made at work and how you handled it? What did you learn from the experience?
When organising a global event in three regions, the courier company failed to put the staging onto the plane as they thought the cost would be too high. I ended up having to arrange for it to be couriered on a smaller plane and driving to the airport to fetch it and fit as much as could fit in my car while we waited for the rest of the crates to be delivered. The event was on the same evening. I learnt never to assume anything.
What do you think it takes to be successful at Access?
I think success requires a combination of clear goals, consistent effort, and adaptability to achieve results – and at Access the focus is also on enjoying achieving success. We work hard but there is a great sense of camaraderie – Love Work, Love Life, Be You.
How would you like to see Access grow in the future?
I would like Access to become a leader in sustainability … obviously!
