'After studying textile design at university, I worked my way up in the fast fashion world until I was advising various brands as a freelance marketing consultant. As the climate crisis became more prominent in the media, I grew uncomfortable with the scale of waste in fast fashion, the consumption culture and the unsustainable materials used. I began to educate myself about sustainability in the sector and pivoted to advising slow-fashion brands on how to improve their eco credentials and market their initiatives to environmentally conscious shoppers.'

'I have a Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design from Leeds Arts University. After graduating, I moved to Manchester where I completed an internship at Online Fashion Inc., leading to a job as a merchandising assistant. I later moved into the marketing side. After several years in the fast fashion industry, I became curious about sustainability, which led me to pursue various certifications in my free time, including the Business and Climate Change certificate from The Learning Co.'

'I’m very familiar with the Climate Change Act and the Environment Act. I’ve also studied the Paris Agreement and the EU’s Green Deal in depth. I regularly review updates so that I can accurately advise clients on regulations and recommend changes.'

'I believe that your commitment to sustainable fashion is genuine, and I am impressed by your environmental outreach projects in the local community. Your brand has an excellent reputation, and partnering with sustainability influencers seems to have been a winning marketing strategy. I’d love to be a part of your team and leverage my experience to help you grow and better serve the slow fashion industry.'

'I consider my passion for the environment to be an asset, as it drives me to continue learning and working hard to make a difference. I’m also good at quickly interpreting data and drawing conclusions that I can develop into new strategies or recommendations. Finally, I’m a naturally outgoing person, and I find it easy to communicate with others. This helps me present even complex issues in an accessible way and persuade interested parties to support changes that promote greater sustainability.'

'During a previous project, a team member disagreed with my idea for implementing an upcycling scheme. I remained calm and listened to their concerns. I then went away and conducted a risk assessment for the programme. I presented my findings and asked if we could start with a trial period, limited to our busiest branches. This was a compromise we managed to agree on, and the scheme ended up becoming widely adopted. When conflict arises, I believe in taking a calm approach and ensuring that the other party feels listened to.'

'At the previous company I consulted for, I implemented a waste-reduction programme. This involved analysing the supply chain to identify inefficiencies. We overhauled the packaging process to focus on minimalism and reusable alternatives. This reduced waste by 40% within a year, and customers who were surveyed indicated their satisfaction with the new packaging.'

'I begin by identifying the most relevant metrics to analyse for the company’s unique goals. For example, this could be their carbon emissions, if their primary goal is to reduce their carbon footprint. I like using tools such as lifecycle assessment software to collect and analyse data. I create a report with my findings, then begin working on ideas for change. It’s important to me to bring all relevant parties on board before designing the strategy. My primary process is to then outline a phased plan for implementation that includes measurable KPIs.'

'Data collection and analysis are my greatest technical skills. I use tools like MS Excel, along with various modelling software, depending on the area of sustainability that I’m working in – which can vary from one client to another. I believe that data plays a key role in making sustainable changes. I use it to predict potential profits and losses, assess risks and to get a feel for the market. Using data to create detailed reports and presentations can also help build trust with collaborators.'

'I’d love to know more about your sustainability goals for the next five years. Since this is a new role, I’m also interested in hearing how you plan to integrate it with your existing departments and what opportunities you foresee for collaboration on future projects, both within the company and with the local community you regularly engage with.'