The Sustainability Company was established to support business with the implementation of sustainable practice across all business activity. The core objective was to help business understand how to reduce their environmental footprint, implement higher levels of social responsibility, work beyond compliance,achieve greater economic efficiency and demonstrate a change in behaviour
The Sustainability Company have worked to develop a set of practical customisable tools to allow our client’s to explore opportunities and deliver results to make the organisation more sustainable across the environmental, economical, social and political (compliance and regulatory) systems. These tools are delivered to SME’s or corporate client’s by our team in a way that seeks to embed sustainable practice into their business.
We are a partnership with behaviour change specialists, The Shannon Company, and believe that behaviour change is critical to achieving sustainable practice. This allows us to show organisations how to change their behaviour willingly and for good, and how to support sustainable thinking, leadership and practice.
Barry was a principal lecturer in education for sustainability at the University of Canterbury and developed the Master of Environmental Education in partnership with Griffith University (Brisbane) in New Zealand 1998-2005. He co-wrote the environmental education guidelines for New Zealand Schools, released in 1999.
Barry was the National In-service Coordinator for Education for Sustainability 2003-2008 coordinating programmes between six NZ Universities. He is the education adviser to Untouched World Charitable Trust and played an integral role in the Trust and Business becoming a recipient of the UNESCO Decade for Sustainability logo in 2007.
Barry left Canterbury University in 2009 and is now working as the Managing Director of the Sustainability Company (NZ) Ltd where he works closely with The Shannon Company (NZ) Ltd in the evolving space where sustainable business practice meets behaviour change.
In his work Barry works for Phil Ker, CEO of Otago Polytechnic, helping to implement sustainable practice across that institution. Barry continues to work as a sustainability consultant for Peri Drysdale CEO of Untouched World/ Snowy Peak.
Barry has over 20 year experience in the tertiary sector specialising in experiential learning and education for sustainability. Over the past 15 years he has been involved in a number of UNESCO related activities in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada, Thailand and Fiji. He has also been a participant in an International invitational research team based in Australia, NZ, England and Denmark. During 2005- 2007 he was a member of the NZ UNESCO Decade for Sustainability Committee based in Wellington.
Working with The Shannon Company, the SP360 Sustainable Practice tool kit which Barry has developed is attracting wide ranging interest from SMEs as well as larger organizations who see the need to operate their businesses with a more sustainable focus.
Barry brings an outstanding practical academic background to the challenge of providing a more sustainable way of doing business for businesses large and small on both sides of the Tasman.
Sean is a Sustainability Advisor with The Sustainability Company, with a strong technical background in environmental science and engineering. He is recognised as a passionate, energetic and engaging professional with excellent interpersonal skills.
Sean's key strengths are:
• Facilitating;
• Innovating;
• Researching;
• Systems thinking;
• Enthusiasm;
• Sharing expertise;
• Connecting with people.
Sean is a Process and Environmental Engineer (CPEng, MIPENZ) who has expertise in water and wastewater treatment, as well as experience in project management, infrastructure development and environmental assessments. His qualifications include a Ph.D in Chemical Engineering (University of Queensland) and a Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Engineering (Massey University). Sean has experience in NZ local government, before moving into consultancy in NZ and Australia with Aurecon (formerly Connell Wagner) and AWT Water. Returning to NZ in 2013, Sean has now joined the Sustainability Company. Sean's technical skills allow him to further assist companies with the development and implementation of projects identified from the SP360 process.
Sean has excellent commercial acumen gained through his consultancy experience specifically in areas such as regulatory compliance and organisational development. Such skills allow him to apply long-term thinking to improve the efficiency and performance of an organisation - both in the performance of teams and individuals, as well as business and technical processes.
Sean enjoys working collaboratively with organisations to realise their opportunities and affect practical change, as well as learning about anything new over a coffee!
A graduate of Toi Whakaari (Wellington - 1978), New Zealand's premier Theatre Arts academy, Mark spent 15 years as a professional actor, director, playwright and opera singer.
He then spent much of the next 15 years developing work in NZ and the USA on Sustainable Leadership. After five years with Greenpeace (1990-94), he became Executive Director of Sustainable Cities (1995-2000) and then of the “Redesigning Resources Business Leadership Group” (2000-04).
He is the author of two books on sustainable best practice (2002 & 2004), and wrote a national column on the subject for the Business Monthly from 1996-2005.
His current work, beyond his direct role as an executive trustee for the Institute, is as principal of Maven Ltd., a strategic consultancy based in Christchurch.
He is also a director of Professional Arts Services, NEXT Corporation and Terra Nova and the Executive Director of the Untouched World Foundation.
Mark is widely regarded as an independent thinker and partnership broker.
Chris Pickrill is the Managing Director of Social Marketing specialists, The Shannon Company (NZ), Ltd. He is actively involved in the research, strategic planning and marketing of sustainability initiatives with economic, social and environment agendas.
Chris has nearly 30 years of general management, marketing and research experience in major New Zealand corporates including 15 years of teaching and mentoring background with the SME sector.
He is an experienced senior executive who has managed a number of New Zealand's major apparel manufacturing companies including Canterbury of New Zealand, the world famous rugby brand.
Between 1990 and 2008 Chris held general management and chief executive roles in the government, local government and not-for-profit sectors with 12 years as Chief Executive of the Canterbury Development Corporation, the economic development agency for Christchurch City. Chris also taught small business management and planning for 4 years at Lincoln University.
Chris has significant investment analysis and management experience based on his governance and management roles with the Sustainable Initiative Fund, the Canterbury Economic Development Fund (CEDF), the Canterbury Innovation Incubator (Cii) and a number of technology and research start-up ventures. He advises on investment proposals, carries out due diligence and funding structure reviews and is familiar with IP management and protection and competition and market analysis.
He left a highly successful career in the public sector in 2008 to pursue a new career providing his economic development, marketing and wider consulting expertise to New Zealand and overseas clients.
“I have been fortunate to help build and run an Ad Agency (M&C Saatchi) that was a judged best in Australia 5 years in a row. After which, I worked for one of my clients, Transurban, in a strategic marketing role globally. In both roles, my exposure to marketing that made a difference to people’s lives grew and I wanted to focus on that. That’s why I am here at The Shannon Company, to help people and companies change their lives willingly and for good.”