Our Environmental Commitment, with Georgia Gillen
Recently, we sat down with Georgia Gillen, Vibro Menard’s Environmental Advisor to discuss her role, ambitions and commitment to improving the business’s environmental standpoint.
What brought you to work at Vibro Menard and how long have you been in your role?
I came to Vibro Menard in January 2022 as an Office Assistant fresh out of university, where I had just completed a Degree in Human Geography & Sustainability achieving a 1st class honours. I had no experience when arriving at VM as this was my first full time job. I had enjoyed Geography at school and researching various soil types, so when a vacancy came up in a Ground Improvement company it was a perfect fit for me.
Starting out as an Office Assistant gave me an opportunity to learn the fundamentals as well as all aspects of the business and build relationships with each department. This was invaluable experience in a new field and gave me an insight of what it was like to work in an office environment. I quickly became involved in the monthly sustainability meetings where I was able to bring new initiatives and ideas to the table and put my university degree to good use. From here, I was then appointed Environmental Advisor to look after all environmental issues and initiatives for Vibro Menard.
I have now been in this role for 6 months where I have developed a CO2 tracking dashboard, supported our BU manager in all sustainability efforts and encouraged a greener ethos throughout the office.
What activities are you doing to help the environment?
My main activities include:
- Monthly BeSafe Reporting to Menard
- Daily monitoring of the environmental dashboard and tracking and reporting on our Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
- Constantly focusing on reducing our fuel emissions and material usage
- Introducing new initiatives such as HVO fuels where we are currently realising a saving of 34 tonnes of CO2 across 6 jobs
- Participating in the environmental steering group and supporting initiatives that help VM reach its 40% reductions in CO2 emissions by 2030
- Advising sites on how to become more sustainable and carrying out regular environmental site inspections
What do you love most about your job?
One of the main things I love most about my job is helping people become more aware of their environmental behaviours and a being big part of making a change for the future. I am grateful for the training opportunities I have been given to help advance my career and I have achieved certificates and accreditation in ISO 9001 Internal Auditor course, IEMA and SEATS associate. Simultaneously, I love the opportunity that I have newly been given to travel whilst also making a difference.
I am heading to Poland at the end of Feb to take part in the Menard Environmental Champions support group to share what we are doing for the environment in the UK and to discuss how we can do more. With my new role, I am looking forward to becoming more experienced in Environmental audits and gaining greater knowledge on how to become more environmentally aware on site.
