UBC Professional MBA alum and sustainability expert walks clients down the ESG path

Jessica Iida is a leader in Canada’s sustainability and climate space. A graduate of the UBC Professional Master of Business Administration (PMBA), Iida brings a diverse skillset to her role as Manager, Sustainability & Climate at Deloitte in Vancouver. Her talent for designing business solutions has attracted national praise and in 2019, she was named a Top 30 under 30 Sustainability Leader by Corporate Knights. Today, Iida is focused on advising corporate clients on their ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) strategies, as well as helping young business professionals pursue their passion for combining business with sustainability and climate action.

Making a positive climate impact 

One of the things that Iida loves most about her job as an ESG advisor is the variety. Every day offers a new opportunity to move Canada and the world toward a more sustainable way of doing business. 

“My portfolio is very broad and every client I advise is unique in terms of their ESG needs,” says Iida.

“Their industry, their operating landscape, what their customers and stakeholders expect, and what their motivations and ambitions are. These are all factors that drive how a client might focus their ESG efforts.”

Some clients may already have an ESG strategy in place, but need advice on building a decarbonization plan or adapting to new climate regulations. Other clients are taking their first steps in their ESG journey.

“The work involves everything from identifying risk to helping clients set their strategy and design roadmaps to achieve their sustainability goals and targets to putting performance metrics in place,” explains Iida. “We also develop the governance and structures needed internally for clients to activate their ESG programs. And we help with the reporting that enables our clients to disclose against their progress and meet the information needs of all their stakeholders.” 

Earning a PMBA and a seat at the table 

Lida enrolled in the UBC PMBA program in 2020 while working as a Sustainability Operations Program Manager at Lululemon. During the course of the 24-month program, a new opportunity came calling and she was hired by Deloitte. 

Being a PMBA grad lends strength to Iida’s voice, especially when meeting clients for the first time. “My degree helps to add credibility and create trust. I’m coming to the table with a business lens, as well as a sustainability lens. I can offer a balanced perspective and I think our clients appreciate that.”

In addition to building a strong business foundation, Iida developed other professional skills at UBC Sauder that lend themselves to her role as an advisor and problem-solver.   

“I learned how to break down large and complex problems and tackle them in a systematic and methodical way,” says Iida. “To be able to turn complexity and ambiguity into clarity and then find solutions within that is a big part of my day-to-day responsibilities.”

Other skills that support Iida’s success include project management, strategic communication, and teamwork.

“UBC’s PMBA program is very project-oriented and the work I do today involves working across teams and leveraging people’s diverse experiences and skillsets to produce the best product or deliver the best possible outcome. It’s a really important aspect of my job and I learned that at school.”

Building a talent pool of sustainability and climate experts 

In addition to providing ESG strategic advice, Iida offers coaching and mentorship to co-workers in her firm. When a colleague or student intern comes to her seeking advice on how to build a sustainability skillset, she’s happy to help. The more people working in the Canadian economy with ESG knowledge, the better.  

“I help them figure out their goals and then we work on how to navigate clients, projects, and industries to get them the experience and subject area exposure they’re looking for. Helping people carve out a career in their particular area of interest is really fun as there’s just so much opportunity in this space.”

As more people dedicate themselves to tackling climate change, grassroots efforts are expanding too. Iida volunteers with local non-profits that offer networking, education, and career development in sustainability and climate action. She is the past president of Connecting Environmental Professionals Vancouver and also served on the board of Learning for a Sustainable Future. 

By bringing people of diverse backgrounds together to collaborate and spread knowledge, Iida sees her field maturing, which in turn, attracts more talent and builds capacity for tackling the climate challenge.

Shifting attitudes and collective action 

Lida predicts demand for workers with sustainability and climate expertise will continue to grow. She envisions a business landscape where ESG is every employee’s responsibility. 

“Right now, most organizations have a centralized ESG team that drives most of the work, but over time as organizations embrace leadership around sustainability, they are going to need to have sustainability embedded across the organization in order to drive change. That will create a lot of opportunity for people working in operations, supply chain, finance, accounting, product design, and other areas.”

The expansion of the sustainability and climate action space is good news for anyone wanting to build a rewarding career that leverages their talents while harnessing their passion for designing solutions that yield positive environmental and social impacts.