Insights from industry leaders, Volume 4: Fiona Ball, Group Director at Sky
Meet Fiona Ball, Group Director at Sky, who has been a driving force in the sustainability space for over 27 years. Fiona has made it her mission to lead the charge in developing Sky’s sustainability strategy. As a leader in the sustainability space, Fiona has been recognised for her outstanding work with numerous awards and accolades; her dedication and efforts have not gone unnoticed. Her forward-thinking approach and unwavering commitment to sustainability make her a true force to be reckoned with, and a role model for women everywhere. Fiona shares the daily challenges and hurdles faced by those in the media and technology sector as well as tips for upcoming sustainability professionals.
What’s 1 thing you want people to know about sustainability at Sky Group?
We have 2 main focuses within our strategy and we want to help mobilise everybody to get to Net Zero by 2030. Secondly, we want people to realise the uniqueness of a media and technology company that really does care about the wider communities involved.
What are the biggest challenges for sustainability in your sector?
One of the most significant obstacles we face is measuring and reducing scope 3 emissions across our entire value chain. It’s also important to ensure that products in our supply chain are circular, and we must be innovative in the way we collaborate with suppliers to achieve this goal.
What initiatives is Sky Group taking to increase its impact on the environment?
One of our major efforts is Sky Zero, which aims to mobilise everyone’s journey towards net-zero. We’re also focusing on our social impact through Sky Up, our campaign to help people succeed in a digital age, ensuring that those who are most at risk of being digitally excluded are given access to the right skills, technology, and connectivity.
Our goals for Sky Up are ambitious, and we’re working hard to ensure that both younger and older generations have access to these opportunities with Sky. We are doing lots of work with Spectra, supporting young people aged 18 – 25 leaving the care system by providing tech grants aimed at those who may not have an internet connection at home or devices of their own. We’re also proud to have a fleet of electric shuttle buses that transport our employees to and from our offices. We have tens of thousands of staff members at Sky, who are committed to making a difference in their communities. Over half of our staff members volunteer for causes that we support. It’s really embedded within the culture of the business and it shows how that we believe a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community.
What is 1 piece of advice you’d give to someone starting their career in sustainability?
The reason I’ve stayed so long in this role is because you have to do your homework on the business you go into. One key frustration you’ll find is when the business isn’t on board with the sustainability strategy they need to have. It’s going to be challenging and frustrating at times but you have to keep positive and walk away knowing you made an impact. Choosing a business wisely will make a huge difference.
MORE SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEWS
You can read last weeks interview with Nancy Hobhouse, Head of ESG at EVRi here.
If you would like to be featured in one of our spotlights please contact Amy.Hayward, Amy.hayward@iac-recruit.com.