How long have you been with the company?
Three and a half years. Having said that, I am a part-timer, so, if you count in hours, many colleagues have worked much longer for the company than I have.

What does your role focus on/include?
My specialism is EU climate change policies, extending to decarbonization efforts in energy, transport, industry, and agriculture sectors. I also know how EU policies are made in practice, from conception and early development through the EU decision-making process to implementation.

What is your favourite aspect of working at Rud Pedersen Group?
The most interesting thing about the job is listening to clients to understand the challenges they face, and then identify with them the best way forward. Every client is different, so we always need tailor-made solutions.

Who are some of your major influences at work? (Shout-outs to people you work with that put a smile on your face or motivate you to be your best self!)
I have to say that I’ve been impressed by so many – whether partners, senior adviser peers, or full-time colleagues, but I must give a shout out to Ilaria Lojodice, with whom I have worked closely since she joined as Associate Director early in 2020. She has led the energy and climate work from the front and is an enormous asset to the firm.

What is your favourite productivity hack?
The flight mode of my mobile phone.

Any advice to colleagues considering starting their career at RPG?
From almost 40-years of professional experience, I have found that career development isn’t linear. Everyone encounters both opportunities and setbacks. The secret is to be open to opportunities, and correct your course when you realise you’ve taken a wrong direction. I started working for an accountancy firm, soon decided I didn’t want to be an accountant and ended up in climate change. Yet I find I still use skills I acquired in that first accountancy job – think of carbon accounting towards our ‘net zero’ goal in 2050. My advice above all would be to work hard, keep on learning and to rely mainly on yourself for career fulfilment.

What is one thing you cannot live without?
Marmite. This edible spread is not widely known outside the UK. A more serious answer would be ‘work’ of some sort or another, not necessarily for payment.

Where is your favourite destination you’ve visited, and why? 
I have the pleasure of regularly going to Florence, where I work part-time at the European University Institute. My university degree is actually in History. The Renaissance is the most fascinating period of history, and Florence figured large in the achievements of the time.

What is the book/podcast you recommend the most?
I’m a fan of The Economist podcasts. There’s a great 8-part series on President Xi Jinping of China called “The Prince”. It is fascinating and available to non-subscribers.  

What is your favourite quote? Or life advice you’ve received? 
I keep a collection of favourite quotes. One of the best is by the Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881): "Go as far as you can see, and when you get there you’ll be able to see farther."

If you could have dinner with one historical figure, living or dead, who would you choose? And what would be the one question you would ask them?
I wouldn’t mind having sit down with the Pope and trying to explain emissions trading to him. In the 2015 he published an Encyclical that was rather critical of the instrument, so I’d want to ask him for a fuller explanation why, and I would welcome the chance to explain why I think it’s a good thing to make polluters pay – and emissions trading is a way of doing that.