NAW2023: Krissy’s passion for the Environment

Throughout National Careers Week, we’ll be shining a light on various roles within our business and the range of routes our employees have taken to get to where they are. Meet Krissy, our Environmental and Sustainability Manager.

Krissy began her environmental journey in Peru, where she started her career as an intern for the Mining industry. This is where her passion for the environment started and since then has continued to further develop her knowledge and understanding of the subject moving into the Oil & Gas industry.

She decided she wanted a change and moved to the UK to complete her master’s degree in Sustainability. After completing her degree, she started working in the food sector, with a focus on food waste.

An opportunity came up to join Van Elle, an exciting challenge Krissy wanted to pursue. Krissy now plays a vital part in the business’s commitment to sustainability.

If you are interested in a career in Environmental and Sustainability, read more about Krissy’s career journey below. 

Tell us about your career journey so far.

My career journey varied across different industries and two different countries. Originally from Peru, I decided to start my studies in environmental science whilst working part-time in a bank.

Mining is a big industry in Peru which presents many environmental and social challenges, that’s why I enrolled in an internship programme for a mining company, working in the Andes at 4,200 m above sea level. It was a challenging and rewarding experience.

After that, I moved to Environmental Consultancy, still in the mining industry. Then I moved to the Oil & Gas industry where I worked in a Lubricant Plant as SHE (safety, health and environment) Coordinator for almost 5 years.

I then decided it was time for a change and to pursue a master’s in Sustainability in the UK. Where after completion I started working for another industry, the food sector as a Sustainability Advisor with a focus on food waste. Finally, I encountered the opportunity with Van Elle as an Environmental & Sustainability Manager – my current role.

Tell us about your current job role/duties.

As well as my current role in environmental management, which ensures our operations are aligned with guidelines and legal compliance. I am currently developing and implementing the wider Sustainability Strategy for Van Elle. Some of my duties involve:

• Monitoring the environmental and sustainability KPIs such as fuel consumption, to calculate our direct and indirect carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (Scope 1&2) according to the Greenhouse Gases Protocol.
• Developing the plan for our Net Zero journey
• Carrying out internal audits against our ISO 14001 certification standards
• Developing environmental management procedures for our operations and assessing the risk of the environmental aspects
• Advise to project teams on sustainability and environmental matters during the bidding process

What does an average week look like for you?

My working weeks have never been the same in any industry or company I have worked for. Although there are standard reporting practices, monitoring and audits. There is always something new arising, due to the nature of the topics in environment and sustainability that are constantly changing.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Interacting with different areas and learning about the environmental and sustainability challenges in the civil engineering industry.

What education or training do you need for your role?

Predominantly, for a role within Environment & Sustainability, you will require a science-based degree or another form of education related to the industry. I would also suggest keeping updated on training around evolving and relevant sustainability and environmental topics within the industry.

Why did you choose a career in construction?

I found an opportunity to make a new change in an exciting role and decided to move to the construction industry.

What are your career aspirations?

To become an industry expert in the challenging environment of construction and civil engineering.

What advice would you give to somebody looking to get into the role?

First, you need to be passionate about what you want to do and research the different topics related to Environment & Sustainability. This field is extremely wide, and not everything is science related, so deciding which are your area of interest is key to deciding the path you want to move forward.

Visit our careers page for more information on Van Elle opportunities. For more information on career guidance visit National Careers Week.