Hello everyone,
I hope you are having a safe and productive week!
Some personal news…bear with me as I try to recap what has been one of the most rewarding journeys I could have ever hoped for professionally, personally, and socially.
My world turned somewhat upside-down early May when my role (along with many others) was made redundant at my previous company. It was one of the most challenging days of my professional career, but I received great solace in acknowledging the legacy behind building (in less than 26 months) an industry leading & award-winning sustainability program, and from the (approx) 800 beautiful emails I received from company staff acknowledging contributions we (sustainability) had made to improving the natural environment, client experience, business’ reputation and financial bottom line.
Being a resilient, pragmatic, persistent and cautiously optimist person, the last three months have been a wonderful opportunity, for me, to pause, reset, reflect, reconnect, and research that perfect ‘next’ opportunity. Many of you have been asking me “Kaushik, what have you been up to over the past three months”; and “are you OK?” So, here’s an update of what my last three months looked like:
- (Unconsciously) building my own consulting/teaching practice:
- Teaching MBA and Masters-level courses including Corporate Governance, People, Culture & Contemporary Leadership and Corporate Sustainability at various universities.
- MC-ing virtual events for councils and industry associations.
- Being approached by organisations (in Australia, Asia-Pacific and Africa) to submit proposals and help develop their sustainability strategies, ESG reporting etc.
- Delivering (in October) a Leadership Masterclass for an entrepreneurship program at one of Australia’s leading universities.
- Coaching and mentoring over 20 professionals/future leaders on career, impact and work-life balance.
- Writing a lot, including:
- Happiness, wellbeing, career transition and sustainability topics on my blog
- Monthly sustainability columns in the Docklands News.
- Two articles in The Fifth Estate, titled Hitting the “pause” button and Six ways to pivot your career in a time of uncertainty (these articles were written targeting the tens of thousands of vulnerable people during these times of difficulty and uncertainty, sending them a message of hope/positivity!).
- Having over 500 zoom conversations, reconnecting with old friends and forging new connections.
- Learning (self-taught) to play the guitar.
- And of course, squeezing in a 4-day road trip to Bright, VIC, right before the VIC lockdown restart!
The last three months were a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ (positive and supercharged) experience; it was special (despite external environment challenges). It gave me a taste of what a future (entrepreneurial/consulting) career might look like 😊
I am certainly glad for all the opportunities that came through and equally glad for all the potential opportunities that fell through…And now, this brings me to my latest adventure: I have figured out the next chapter in my professional life and I could not be more excited to share it with you.
My Next Chapter
I accepted (in mid-July) an awesome position with Evolution Mining, an ASX 50 gold mining company. As part of this role, I will work with the team to develop and oversee implementation of the company’s social responsibility strategy and ESG reporting efforts across the business. The transformational leadership I have already experienced with this company is one I have been yearning for a long time.
While I am eternally appreciative and thankful to the people who have helped me along my career, I always feel more gratified when opportunities come from my capability and work qualifications. I once heard a saying that stuck with me: “It’s who you know, not what you know, until who you know asks you what you know.”
There have been some amazing people, over the past three months, who made my journey fun and worthwhile. Most importantly, I owe a huge, huge, huge debt of gratitude to my amazing wife and my beautiful parents. Without their love, encouragement and patience, this process would have been far from what it ended up being.
Another big news: later this year, we will be relocating to Sydney. Leaving Melbourne is bittersweet – I am enthused about what is ahead, but equally sad to leave Melbourne and the many friends I have made here.
Looking forward, I am excited both to harness and to continue building my experience alongside my new company’s unique expertise and culture, and to see what new challenges lie in wait.
Colleagues, clients, and friends – I look forward to keeping in touch 🙂
So that is my breaking news. I will step away from the mic and allow you to return to your regularly scheduled programming.
Thank you. Take care and stay safe.