I’ve retired from the system - so I can reinvent it

It is official. I have retired.

Not from working altogether - but from my former life as a social specialist. After years of project-based impact, I’ve chosen a different path. A path that lets me ask better questions, build better tools and hopefully serve more people than I could one resettlement plan at a time.

Yes, I had a huge impact on my projects. That work mattered - a lot! But somewhere along the way, I realised I had more to give than just good mitigation plans. I wanted to support the whole industry, not just one community at a time. That dream is what led to the founding of E&S solutions, to the writing of ‘What is a Social Impact?’, and to launching The No Nonsense Sustainability Podcast.

It’s why I’ve slowly stepped back from short-term consulting gigs - the day-rate document prep that expects us to change the world with our ESIA. And it’s why I’ve started showing up differently: not just as a practitioner, but as an innovator, a challenger and a host of bigger conversations.

Why This ‘Retirement’ Isn’t an Ending

When I say I’ve retired, I don’t mean I’m on a beach sipping something tropical - not yet, anyway. I mean I’ve retired from the cycle of being the external expert who parachutes in, diagnoses, delivers and leaves. That version of me was effective and even reached my wildest dreams - joining the IFC team, where I had a front-row seat to the global sustainability agenda. But it was limited. It wasn’t scaleable.

The truth is, the industry is shifting. Climate pressure is rising, customer awareness of human rights and labour issues is increasing. AI tools are here. Policy frameworks are evolving. But the way we do environmental and social work? That’s lagging behind. We’re still under resourced, overwhelmed, and often treated like compliance afterthoughts.

So I’ve stopped trying to fix broken systems from the inside. I’m building better ones from the outside.

What I’m Focused On Now

I’ve traded day rates for real returns. Not in profit - but in purpose, possibility and permanence. Because better tools don’t just help consultants - they lead to better outcomes for people, ecosystems and communities.

I’ve redirected my energy to the following:

• E&S Solutions: developing AI-based tools to help sustainability professionals work smarter, whether it’s stakeholder engagement, AI documentation analysis or project planning. The tools are practical, context-aware, and grounded in the realities of E&S work.

• The No Nonsense Sustainability Podcast: Where I hold space for conversations we should be having - cutting through the buzzwords, inviting disagreement and challenging the fluff.

• I still write, teach and speak - but now I do it on my own terms, with the goal of empowering the next generation of E&S practitioners to be both principled and pragmatic.

After doing nearly every role this sector has to offer, I have a rare advantage of perspective. I know what’s broken. And I know where the levers for change really are.

The Industry Is Ready for Disruption

We’ve got smart people doing hard jobs with outdated tools and backwards incentives. We reward verbosity over clarity, and box-ticking over real impact. We underpay for the most emotionally complex work, and overpay for vague strategy decks.

The people doing meaningful work are burning out. The systems supposed to support them are barely keeping up. And don’t get me started on the buzzword inflation.

It is time for a reset.

And if it means ‘retiring’ from a role that no longer serves the bigger mission - then I’ll hand up that hat with pride.

What’s Next?

If you’ve ever:

• Wondered how to do real sustainability in a world obsessed with metrics,

• Felt like the only one who cared about the human side of impact,

• Wanted tools that actually help, not just look good in a proposal

Then follow along. Listen to the first episodes of the podcast (coming out in June), explore our AI tools, or simply share this post with someone who’s also ready to retire from business as usual.

I’m not done making social impact. I’m just doing it differently now.