Sparks

Jess Smith

Jacobs and the World Climate Foundation (WCF) are collaborating on a special edition podcast series - “Sparks”. Come with us as we take you on a journey around the world to explore how different countries are tackling their climate challenges, sparking ideas and inspiration. read less
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COP26 and the Path Ahead
Dec 10 2021
COP26 and the Path Ahead
Kevin Berryman is President and Chief Financial Officer for Jacobs. With over 40 years of professional experience, he manages all aspects of corporate finance including accounting, investor relations, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, global business services, tax, information technology and real estate functions. In addition, he also oversees corporate communications, internal audit, enterprise business services and digital information technology. Kevin serves as Executive Sponsor for PlanBeyond, Jacobs global sustainable business strategy, and represents Jacobs as a founding member of the United Nations Global Compact CFO Task Force for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Previously, Kevin was EVP and CFO at International Flavors and Fragrances Inc., an S&P 500 company and global creator of flavors and fragrances used in a wide variety of consumer products. Prior to that he worked at Nestle for 25 years where he held various financial and operational roles including Treasury, M&A, Strategic Planning and CFO of Nestle’s largest acquisition, Ralston Purina.Kevin earned his BA in Economics from Occidental College and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he serves as a Board member for the Center for Global Management. Most recently Kevin joined the Board of Directors for PA Consulting.Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer & Global Head Sustainability Strategy, Advisory and Finance for Credit Suisse, is responsible for setting the sustainable strategy and ambition for the bank and for creating and facilitating sustainable investments on behalf of Credit Suisse's wealth management, institutional and corporate clients.Marisa has been with Credit Suisse for 18 years and in the investment banking industry for over 30 years. Prior to this, she was the Co-Head of the Investment Banking and Capital Markets Division, EMEA. Marisa serves on the advisory boards of numerous leadership, sustainability and civil society organizations, including the Aspen Institute UK, Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy, the FCA’s Markets Practitioner’s Panel and co-chair of the HLG for Humanitarian Aid and the Oceans Panel.Her external activities also include serving on EMEA Advisory Boards of The Wharton School and charity Room-to-Read.

Episodes

COP26 and the Path Ahead
Dec 10 2021
COP26 and the Path Ahead
Kevin Berryman is President and Chief Financial Officer for Jacobs. With over 40 years of professional experience, he manages all aspects of corporate finance including accounting, investor relations, strategy, mergers and acquisitions, global business services, tax, information technology and real estate functions. In addition, he also oversees corporate communications, internal audit, enterprise business services and digital information technology. Kevin serves as Executive Sponsor for PlanBeyond, Jacobs global sustainable business strategy, and represents Jacobs as a founding member of the United Nations Global Compact CFO Task Force for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Previously, Kevin was EVP and CFO at International Flavors and Fragrances Inc., an S&P 500 company and global creator of flavors and fragrances used in a wide variety of consumer products. Prior to that he worked at Nestle for 25 years where he held various financial and operational roles including Treasury, M&A, Strategic Planning and CFO of Nestle’s largest acquisition, Ralston Purina.Kevin earned his BA in Economics from Occidental College and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, where he serves as a Board member for the Center for Global Management. Most recently Kevin joined the Board of Directors for PA Consulting.Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer & Global Head Sustainability Strategy, Advisory and Finance for Credit Suisse, is responsible for setting the sustainable strategy and ambition for the bank and for creating and facilitating sustainable investments on behalf of Credit Suisse's wealth management, institutional and corporate clients.Marisa has been with Credit Suisse for 18 years and in the investment banking industry for over 30 years. Prior to this, she was the Co-Head of the Investment Banking and Capital Markets Division, EMEA. Marisa serves on the advisory boards of numerous leadership, sustainability and civil society organizations, including the Aspen Institute UK, Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy, the FCA’s Markets Practitioner’s Panel and co-chair of the HLG for Humanitarian Aid and the Oceans Panel.Her external activities also include serving on EMEA Advisory Boards of The Wharton School and charity Room-to-Read.
Live from World Climate Summit - Glasgow
Nov 18 2021
Live from World Climate Summit - Glasgow
Jennifer Lenhart, PhD Global Cities Lead, is WWF’s Global Cities Lead, convening a programme which has engaged over 700 cities in 50 countries, namely via the One Planet City Challenge. She holds a PhD in urban climate governance from Wageningen University, an Erasmus Mundus MSc in Environmental Science, Policy and Management (MESPOM) from Lund University and Central European University and has over 15 years’ experience addressing urban environmental challenges via holistic approaches. She previously worked at UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya, the City of Malmö, Sweden, an urban sustainability consultancy in Seattle, USA, and hosts a blog, the Urban Observer, recognized by the Guardian Cities. She recently moved back to Stockholm from Santiago de Chile.
Sustainable Buildings - Dubai
Oct 29 2021
Sustainable Buildings - Dubai
Ayla Bajwa, DP World Head of Sustainability and Impact, has 19 years of experience as an international sustainability expert, recognized for her work in corporate sustainability and sustainable development working with governments, UN entities and large multinational companies.  Ayla is currently Head of Group Sustainability and Impact at DP World, spearheading the global delivery of DP World’s sustainability strategy “Our World Our Future.” She leads the coordination of DP World’s key responsible business practices and 3 legacy areas: Education, Oceans and Women empowerment, unifying DP World's commitment to working sustainably across all its worldwide business functions.Ayla’s previous positions include Senior Advisor to the UN Global Compact UAE network and Head of Sustainability for the Chalhoub Group. Ayla is also the Founder of ampUz, an impact and sustainability technology & advisory company focused on SDG delivery and thought leadership. Ayla also sits on the Board of the UN Global Compact UAE network and its diversity & inclusion taskforce.  Ahmed al Khatib, Chief Development and Delivery Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, is responsible for the delivery and management of the Expo site masterplan as well as all its supporting utilities, infrastructure services, roads, networks and transportation. His role also involves managing the sustainability of the site, and coordinating with key government entities and stakeholders on the final design and construction of the site masterplan. Ahmed joined the Expo 2020 Dubai team in 2015 having played a pivotal role in the development of the site masterplan during the UAE’s successful bid to become the host city.Ahmed has more than 20 years of experience in end-to-end project delivery and construction in the field of buildings, utilities and infrastructure with blue-chip companies such as Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Holding Group, Roads & Transport Authority and Dubai Municipality. He has played a key role in the delivery of major projects for Dubai including the Dubai Airport Tunnel, access roads and bridges to Jumeirah Palm Island, the infrastructure of Dubai Health Care City Phase II, Dubai World Trade Centre Exhibition Halls and recently the mixed-use development on Dubai Trade Centre District Phase 1.
Net Zero Cities - Singapore
Oct 21 2021
Net Zero Cities - Singapore
Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director, Resilience Cities Network - As Executive Director of the Resilient Cities Network, Lauren Sorkin leads global efforts to strengthen the ability of 96 cities in over 40 countries to deal with complex challenges. Lauren serves as an advisor and spokesperson on urban resilience, women’s leadership sustainable finance, climate risk, and urbanization trends. She is on the Advisory Board of Food Tank, the Singapore Sustainability Summit, Natural Capital and Smart Cities World Editorial Advisory Board. While at the Asian Development Bank, Lauren led the Bank’s first climate change investment plan, before mainstreaming climate risks and opportunities for Vietnam’s US$7 billion portfolio. At USAID, she implemented clean energy, climate change and conservation projects in Asia, Africa and South America.
Climate Change and Global Health
Oct 15 2021
Climate Change and Global Health
Dr. Nino Kharaishvili is a healthcare expert with a working knowledge of 40 different countries across the former Soviet Union, Africa, South East Asia, and Middle East. She has over 17 years of international health consulting experience and has managed teams specializing in global health security, health system preparedness, disease surveillance, biosafety and biosecurity, program metrics and evaluation.Dr. Kharaishvili now serves as a Global Solutions Director for Health Governance and focuses on health system resilience and preparedness. As health systems are adapting and transforming to become more effective and resilient, they require the support of advanced governance frameworks and alignment of functional responsibilities, reporting hierarchies and funding mechanisms. Jacobs advises governments, healthcare agencies, organizations and communities on creating and implementing new pathways for effective decision-making, resource management and operational environments. We focus on system structure, policy frameworks, oversight mechanisms, financial models, healthcare coalitions and accountability.Andrea Rezzonico is the Deputy to the CEO and the Deputy Director of the Converging Risks Lab. She has co-led the development and execution of CSR’s converging risks work since 2016, beginning with its inaugural project analyzing the nexus of climate change, nuclear trends, and security dynamics. Much of her work at CSR centers on issues such as climate change impacts, shifts in international order, nuclear developments, ecological degradation risks, and weapons of mass destruction. She has written various reports spotlighting many of these intersections around the world. She is particularly interested in navigating and preparing for complex and/or simultaneous emergencies centered on the aforementioned issues. Andrea holds an M.A. in global security with a concentration in energy and environmental security from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in international affairs from Florida State University.
Energy Transition - Asia Pacific
Oct 8 2021
Energy Transition - Asia Pacific
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, took office on 1 November 2018. Ms. Alisjahbana was Professor of Economics at Universitas Padjadjaran and was Minister of National Development Planning and the Head of the National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), Indonesia from 2009 to 2014. In  2016, Ms. Alisjahbana was a member of the High-Level Independent  Team of Advisors to support the ECOSOC Dialogue on the longer-term positioning of the United Nations for the 2030 Agenda. Ms.  Alisjahbana obtained her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of  Washington, USA.
Green Transportation - North America
Sep 27 2021
Green Transportation - North America
Nick Albanese leads BloombergNEF's global Intelligent Mobility team, which produces research, data and forecasts on shared mobility services and autonomous vehicles. Based in Washington D.C., Nick advises the world’s leading automakers, energy companies, governments and financial players on the policies, technologies, corporate strategies and economic factors shaping the future of e-mobility. He is also a lead author of BNEF’s annual “Long-Term Electric Vehicle Outlook”. Nick holds a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and a M.A. from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.Beth Osborne is the Director of Transportation for America, a national nonprofit seeking a transportation system that safely, affordably and conveniently connects people of all means and ability to jobs, services, and opportunity through multiple modes of travel. She was previously at the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she served as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, managing the TIGER Discretionary Grant program, the Secretary’s livability initiative, and the development of policy proposals for the department. Before joining DOT, Beth worked for Sen. Tom Carper (DE) as an advisor for transportation, trade and labor policy, as the policy director for Smart Growth America and as legislative director for environmental policy at the Southern Governors’ Association. She began her career in Washington, DC, in the House of Representatives working as a legislative assistant for Rep. Ron Klink (PA-04) and as legislative director for Rep. Brian Baird (WA-03).
Home of Innovation - Scotland
Sep 24 2021
Home of Innovation - Scotland
Dr. Martin Valenti, Director for NetZero at South of Scotland Enterprise, is  an award-winning sustainability practitioner and serial disruptor, with extensive experience of strategic business engagement and innovation has recently undertaken a newly created role to lead the economic and community development agency’s efforts to help the region to transition to a NetZero economy. This includes taking forward the work of the South of Scotland Energy Transition Group’s Powering Change call to action. For over 30 years he has worked in a variety of senior management roles shaping and delivering inclusive growth initiatives and directing major collaborative projects.Martin worked for SEPA for 17 years where he held a number of senior positions. He played an instrumental role in setting up Scotland’s 2020 Climate Group and co-created the award winning 2050 Young Leaders Climate Group. In 2018 he created the Vacant and Derelict Land taskforce to transform how Scotland deals with its post-industrial legacy to make more use of land for commerce and communities.His most recent role was a secondment at Scottish Enterprise as Head of Climate Enterprise and strategic lead for COP 26.Dr. Faisal Ghani is Founder and CEO of SolarisKit Ltd, a cleantech company on a mission to provide global access to affordable, carbon free heat. He is the inventor of the world’s first flat-packable, self-assembled solar collector. A device which can turn sunlight into hot water, specifically developed for the global south were access to clean heating remains incredibly low. Faisal developed the solution after he learnt that households in East Africa were spending up to 40% of their income to pay their energy bill, the majority of which went into heating water. As a mechanical engineer with over 15 years of experience working in the solar thermal field, Faisal decided to develop a new solution which addressed barriers preventing the widescale adoption of solar thermal solutions.
Sparks - Coming Soon
Sep 14 2021
Sparks - Coming Soon
Coming soon - Jacobs and the World Climate Foundation (WCF) are collaborating on “Sparks”, a limited-edition podcast series. Join our series hosts Zoe Haseman of Jacobs and Jens Nielsen of the WCF as they welcome experts from across the globe to explore how different countries are tackling their climate challenges. Stay tuned for our first episode, as we visit Scotland in anticipation of COP26.