CEP Toronto Presents: Cultivating a Career in Sustainability [Webinar]

Join us on August 27 as we chat with 3 young, established, and ambitious sustainability professionals about their career journeys so far. Learn about how they got started in their careers, what they enjoy most about working in the environmental sustainability field, challenges they faced along the way, and tips on how to kickstart and grow a successful career in the sustainability field.

This panel event is for you if you are an early to mid-career professional currently looking for a job in sustainability, or are already working in the field but hoping to gain traction in making a larger impact in your career.

This event builds upon our successful webinar back in June called “How to get a job in Sustainability”, where we discussed the types of jobs currently available in sustainability and how to market yourself to stand out. Let’s take it one step further and learn how to cultivate your career while making a tangible difference!

Panelists: 

1. Julia Zeeman, Climate & Energy Policy Consultant, The Delphi Group

As a Delphi Consultant, Julia serves as a policy expert in support of a range of Delphi’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services. Based in Toronto, she provides policy advisory and engagement support across numerous sectors including, natural gas, electricity, and transportation. Julia has expertise in solving complex challenges with actionable solutions to help organizations advance their decarbonization goals.

Julia has a Master of Environmental Studies and Business from York University. Julia has completed a Certificate in Energy Management from the University of Toronto and is a Studio Y Fellow at the MaRS Discovery District. In 2015 Julia was awarded the 9th position on Canada’s Top 25 Environmentalist Under 25 for her leadership in the community energy sector.

For more information on Julia and her work visit her LinkedIn profile here. 

2. Christie McLeod, Founder & Managing Director of Human Rights Hub Winnipeg and Articling Student at Miller Thomson LLP 

Christie completed the joint JD/Masters in Environmental Studies program at Osgoode Hall Law School and York University. During this program, Christie worked with Human Rights Watch in New York City and Toronto to research the impact of climate change on food security in Indigenous communities in Canada, and with West Coast Environmental Law as a summer student and legal researcher. Her Master’s research focused on deriving and implementing a fair or proportional emissions reduction target in Canada.

In her spare time, Christie has undertaken several climate advocacy efforts. She drafted an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson calling for Canada to adopt and legislate stronger emissions reduction targets, which was signed by nearly 500 law students and law faculty members from across Canada. She also participated in the “Future XChange” program organized by Youth Climate Lab, Gwich’in Tribal Council and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation, which brought 15 Canadian youth together in Inuvik to discuss integrating Traditional Knowledge and climate policy.

Prior to law school, Christie graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a double major in Human Rights & Global Studies and International Development Studies. After graduating, Christie served as the Executive Director of a non-profit organization devoted to children’s education and healthcare in East Africa. She concurrently founded Human Rights Hub Winnipeg, an online initiative that raises awareness about local human rights issues and promotes events and opportunities in Winnipeg’s vibrant human rights sector. Christie continued to manage and grow this initiative throughout law school. In 2019, Christie was recognized by Corporate Knights as a Top 30 Under 30 Sustainability Leader. 

For more information on  Christie and her work visit her LinkedIn profile here.

3. Lulu Li, Sustainability Advisor, Metrolinx 

Lulu is a sustainability professional with work experience from across Canada in oil and gas, consulting, academia, start-up, and the public sector. Currently, she works with a public transit agency. In her role as a Sustainability Advisor, she prepares corporate sustainability strategy and reporting, climate risk assessment, and GHG reporting. Lulu holds a BSc. in Biology and Economics from the University of Alberta and a MSc. in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto.

In her spare time, Lulu is a curious foodie learning to take on home renovation projects. When DIY isn't going according to plan, Lulu enjoys going for walks in nature to de-stress.

For more information on  Lulu and her work visit her LinkedIn profile here.

Moderator:

Mayur Mukati, Vice President at CEP Toronto, and Senior Associate, Sustainable Finance Solutions at Sustainalytics

As a part of the world’s largest verifier of sustainable finance, Sustainalytics, Mayur has managed the verification services on green, social, and sustainable finance transactions conducted by financial and non-financial corporates, municipalities & public agencies, and non-profits. As of 2019, these multi-million/-billion-dollar deals have helped in accelerating the US$850+ billion sustainable finance market while supporting sustainable and impact-oriented projects in 12+ thematic areas, including those in renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, sustainable forestry & agriculture, sustainable water management, climate adaptation as well as affordable housing, education & healthcare, and SME financing & microfinance. He is now primarily responsible for developing technical assessments and thought leadership for a wide range of green, social and transition finance.

Mayur has academic and work experience in seven countries, spanning three continents, namely North America, Europe, and Asia. Prior to joining Sustainalytics, he worked in multiple Fortune 500 firms in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and several Canadian government-funded clean technology and climate change research programs in non-profit NGOs. Mayur holds a B.E. (Honors) in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani, India, and an MSc. in Sustainability Management from the University of Toronto with a graduate exchange at Lund University in Sweden. He was recognized as one of the Top 10 Global Leaders in Sustainability in 2016 by a B Corp (Nudge) in the Netherlands, and has successfully completed CFA Level 1 exam in 2019.

For more information on Mayur and his work visit his LinkedIn profile here.

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Register your spot soon as space is limited!

CEP Toronto is a non-profit, volunteer-powered organization that strives to create opportunities for all professionals to collaborate and learn, ultimately driving sustainability and climate action. Please consider leaving a donation upon registration to help support us create more events like this in the future.