Role

Director of Sustainability

Location

Manchester, United Kingdom

Dave leads the sustainability team as they provide advice to clients on minimising their environmental and social impacts. He works to embed sustainability into our core services, and collaborates with the ESG team to help improve Gleeds' own operations.

As sustainability and net-zero carbon solutions are such a strong presence in our projects, he spends most of his time working with clients and teams to promote sustainable practices. His team are essential in creating tailored solutions, by testing ideas and exploring ways to help clients deliver projects that benefit them, the planet, and society.

I get really excited about projects that make a tangible difference to the world. To be able to walk around our cities and say, 'we helped save thousands of tonnes of carbon on that project’, or ‘we managed to get some rare birds to nest there’ is an incredible feeling.

The built environment is responsible for 40% of global carbon emissions and consumes vast amounts of materials. Playing a part in reducing that impact is what drew him into the industry, and what brought him to Gleeds. The relationships he has built with people across the industry provide a unique opportunity to guide and influence individuals and organisations towards more sustainable practices. With over 20 years of experience in sustainability, he finds it exciting how it has become a central topic in mainstream conversation.

It's unsurprising that accountability is the Gleeds value most important to Dave, which he believes serves as the cornerstone for all other values. He emphasises that acting with integrity is crucial in maintaining trust, which he sees as the most precious commodity we have.

His proudest achievement is delivering the University of Northampton's decarbonisation strategy. Exceeding client expectations and seeing them implemented in the teams’ recommendations was highly rewarding.

Outside work, Dave enjoys being outdoors with his partner and kids. A keen dinghy sailor, he is a volunteer instructor at his local club, helping kids learn to sail. He is also a volunteer board director of SKArating, an environmental accreditation system helping to make fit-outs and refurbishments more sustainable.