Running The Finance System Transformation Gauntlet - Simon O'Connor Is Sustainability's Diplomat
EP.126
Today’s guest is Simon O’Connor, who for more than two decades has worked at the forefront of responsible investment and sustainable finance. From his training and time as an economist and working with the Australian Conservation Foundation, running the Responsible Investment Association of Australasia for over a decade and helping to established the Australian Sustainable Finance Initiative, Simon has been neck deep in everything to do with hardwiring a different financial system. His knack for building alliances has been central to his efforts and successes in trying to pull every available lever to shift the leadership, systems and culture of a system that is both necessary to undertake society-level transitions but also incentivised to reinforce itself to maintain as much of the status quo for as long as possible.
I wanted to speak with Simon because he is the archetype of the person I started this show to speak with - he’s been in the game for years, he’s been in thousands of rooms where the change I hope is possible is either unlocked or vanquished, he cares and he’s lit a path for all of us over the years for everything that I hope is still to come. Being a sustainability professional in the 2000s was different to the 2010s, and is different again in the 2020s, from a nascent outsider in those early days to a capability and mindset that is now inevitably positioned to transform every aspect of our society and economy, Simon has been and remains a leader I wanted to learn from to understand what his insights are and wisdom he has to share.
We chat about plenty in this episode, but it centres on three central questions - how was it, what happened to create change along the way, and how is it now? We get into the pendulum of despondency and optimism, personal resilience, culture and team building, longevity, the trade offs between incremental and transformative change, language and jargon, as well as a final conversation about how pursuing hard things in our non-work lives help to set us up for success in our work lives.
Some extra reading relevant to this episode from our friends at Altiorem.
What can investors do about climate change?
Driving positive social change through co-operatives and mutual enterprises (CMEs)
Navigating the winds of change Strategic foresight and the power of weak signals
We’re Going Away - Waking Country
It's Winter, the days are short and you're counting down the days til it's Spring. Why not add something in September to celebrate the arrival of the new season to also look forward to?
Waking Country is our next four expedition to Djanaba Farm and is locked for 17 - 20 September. We'll be looking for platypus, hearing story, immersing ourselves in Jocelyn King's syntropic agroforestry regenerative ag vision, eating Gus_tronomy food, awed by the Milky Way galaxy and enjoying the longer daylight and warming temperatures.
Only ten spots are available for this one, they won't last, so get your schedule sorted, can those meetings you don't want to attend anyway and come and experience the trip you keep telling yourself you want to have.
I’m Going Away And You Can Join
Slowly but surely I’ve been working my way back to what is the truest expression of me finding my nature - ultra distance running. After six up and down years of injuries, setbacks, falling off stools and building a whole new life, I’m excited to be moving closer to the Next Really Big Race.
Before whenever that is though I am going to Run Dungog on August 9 to take part. To round out the experience I’m excited to be hosting my first live podcast event with Benn Coubrough at the Tinshed Brewery. Benn will this weekend be the first Australian ever to line up at the infamous Badwater 135 - ‘The Race Through Hell’ - 135 miles from the lowest to the highest point in the contiguous United States while going across Death Valley where temperatures exceed 120°F. He’s also finished second at the prestigious Moab 240 (the 240 is for 240 mile race!). If you like running, you like terrific regional towns and you like weekends away, it’d be great to see you there.
Support Our Supporters
Check out Planet Protein and get 10% off when you sign up.
