Reflecting on staff experiences: Jose's 6-month milestone
Jose Giraldo was welcomed into Oakdene Hollins in November 2022. With over six months having passed since his joining, we thought we would reflect on Jose’s expertise and time with Oakdene Hollins so far.
Pictured: Jose Giraldo, Senior Managing Consultant at Oakdene Hollins
Jose’s career in sustainability started in supply chain and procurement for Colombia’s largest retailer, Grupo Exito, where he first noticed the importance of businesses shifting to sustainability and the circular economy and the role of supply chain in that shift. Jose’s work and interests led him to implement sustainability standards within his company. Latin America usually follows sustainability regulation and best practices made in Europe, and when Jose spotted the chance to come to the UK to explore his curiosity about sustainability from the University of Exeter in an MBA, he took it. After his MBA, Jose worked in procurement for LEGO Group before joining Oakdene Hollins in November 2022.
After seven years working in supply chain and procurement, Jose has developed expert knowledge in various areas across circularity implementation, decarbonisation of supply chains, and sustainability strategies; he has also built experience in working with emissions accounting, Scope 3, and lifecycle assessments. Jose has experience in many sectors and industries of work, however notes particular expertise within retail and technology.
Since joining, Jose has contributed to several client projects with Oakdene Hollins. Notable projects include a series of studies on the Canadian post-consumer textile market, conducted in collaboration with NACTR (National Association for Charitable Textile Recycling); an indicator framework for the Circular Economy in Scotland for ZWS, and; the recently released report on behalf of Fidra looking at managing chemical flame retardants in mattresses within a circular economy. Jose's commitment to helping clients improve their sustainability makes him and his work a shining example of what can be achieved when we prioritise the planet.
One of Jose’s key reasons for joining a consultancy was to be able to work with different industries, trade bodies and public sectors to develop tailored solutions underpinned by research and technical expertise. Jose has found that being able to work directly with clients and understand their needs to find solutions is rewarding and hopes to continue to learn how to better his consultancy expertise. Jose has enjoyed most the opportunities that a boutique firm offers in giving him the opportunity to shape its direction and strategy and has worked closely with International Director David Fitzsimmons on business development.
Jose has quickly become a part of the Oakdene Hollins family and we look forward to supporting him in his career with us. Interested in finding out more about how Jose’s expertise could be useful for developing a project at your company? Get in touch with Oakdene Hollins here.