How to Develop a Growth Mindset to Succeed in your ESG Career?

Dr. Jeanne Ng, Founder Chair of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals Limited (HKIQEP), shares her career and personal journey, passions in sustainability and ESG, and words of advice.

Starting out with a BSc in Toxicology from the University of Toronto, Ng’s passion for the environment led her to a PhD in Environmental Management from the University of Hong Kong. With extensive experience as an environmental consultant for different sectors, she joined CLP and has since been involved in the Group’s many sustainability initiatives. Ng has also became the Founding Chair of the Hong Kong Institute of Qualified Environmental Professionals (HKIQEP), which was formed to support the development of the environmental professional industry in Hong Kong. Her current international engagements include being a Board member of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University (ASU) and the International Electric Research Exchange (IERE); and a member of the Expert Panel of the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Project.

In this episode, Ng speaks of her transition from consultancy to corporate, throwing light on the differences and similarities. She talks about the hurdles she faced, including not getting recognized for her work as she did in consultancy, and how she overcame them, and the lessons she learned from these challenges, from time management to networking. Ng recounts her experiences in balancing work and life as well, talking about coming to terms with how things are and that life does not always go as planned.

She goes on to talk about her work in HKIQEP, which was formed to support the development of the environmental professional industry in Hong Kong. Due to the lack of upward mobility in sustainability careers, much talent is lost. She saw a gap between the university-level training and professional level, and sought to bridge this gap by providing a standardized qualification. She expresses her hope for the growth and strengthening of this industry in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, for ESG professionals, but also for existing professionals to learn more about ESG at a corporate level.