Tag: 3BL

Originally published by The Impact Podcast with John Shegerian

Ellen Jackowski is Chief  Sustainability Officer at Mastercard, where she is spearheading the integration of the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy into the organization. As part of this work, she is driving climate leadership for Mastercard-wide programs and commitments, such as reaching net-zero emissions by 2040, and helping accelerate the company’s impact in climate action initiatives like Priceless Planet Coalition. Mastercard’s ESG efforts, established more than a decade ago, are rooted in a belief of doing well by doing good in order to have true impact and enable both people and the planet to thrive.

Continue reading here. 

For two decades, Common Impact has crafted engaging initiatives to bolster Fidelity’s social impact initiatives while weaving community engagement into the fabric of the employee experience. Our partnership with Fidelity and their dedicated volunteers continues to flourish, so we sat down with Srinidhi Aduri, an Intern at Fidelity Investments and graduate student at Northeastern University, to give us insights into her skills-based volunteering experience.

Despite being new to skills-based volunteering, Srinidhi brought valuable experience from her three-year tenure as a data analyst at Mu Sigma. Passionate about leveraging data to solve complex business problems, Srinidhi was eager to contribute her skills to our collaborative programs. Srinidhi recognized the vital role of nonprofits in the community and saw an opportunity for professionals like herself to make a meaningful impact by dedicating their skills to nonprofits championing important community causes. 

Leading my volunteer group was a chance to sharpen my leadership and data skills.

Why does volunteering matter to you? 

I first saw the value of volunteering when I joined a small volunteer team to mentor teenagers. I was paired with a teenager to teach her English and prepare for job interviews. The mentorship program lasted 30 days, and at the end of the program, I had trouble letting go because I had such a great experience. That’s when I understood how good it feels to volunteer. It’s a nice feeling to know I can make a difference. As employees, we make a difference in a professional setting daily. What I get through volunteering is different. It’s selfless and exciting. 

You participated in a skills-based volunteering project with The YMCA of Greater Nashua. What was their business challenge? 

The YMCA of Greater Nashua helps people grow, builds strong communities, and encourages healthy living through diverse programs that embrace human connections. The YMCA of Greater Nashua aims to provide efficient and effective service delivery. To achieve this, they gather data through various methods such as membership systems, financial reports, participation tracking, surveys, and manual data collection. However, the current manual collation process causes delays in decision-making and hinders the organization’s ability to adapt and innovate quickly. The YMCA wants to transition to real-time dashboards that can provide dynamic data for better decision-making. They are looking into selecting a visualization vendor. To achieve this, the YMCA sought assistance from a volunteer team to create a structured vendor selection framework that can address their unique needs, priorities, and visions for the future.

What skills and expertise did you bring to the project?

My expertise is in analytics, data visualization, and data reporting. I perform descriptive analytics and help teams make data-driven decisions through visualization and reporting. For the skills-based volunteering project, I worked with the YMCA of Greater Nashua to develop a robust vendor selection framework. My volunteer team created a framework outlining clear criteria, requirements, and guidelines to help them make informed decisions when choosing a data dashboard software, ensuring it aligns with the YMCA’s strategic plan. We kept in mind that their goal is to transition from manual reporting to a more automated reporting strategy so they can spend more time making decisions rather than creating reports manually.  

What motivated you to try skills-based volunteering, and what were your takeaways? 

I wanted to be more proactive in meeting new people within Fidelity because I work more independently as an intern in co-op data analytics and insights. I wanted to find new opportunities to collaborate and be part of a larger team. I saw that the skills-based volunteering opportunities with Fidelity and Common Impact would help me connect with more people in the company. I became the leading member of my volunteer group, which entailed bringing the team together and moving things along to deliver a high-quality strategy for the YMCA of Greater Nashua’s vendor selection framework project. It was a great opportunity to hone my leadership skills and improve my existing data skills. 

How do you see this experience transferable to your current role? 

My team had six hours to complete the project. This tight timeframe encouraged me to be proactive and ask the nonprofit as many questions as possible because we had limited time with them. The previous day, my volunteer team and I prepared questions and thought through challenges that might come up for the nonprofit during its transition to a more automated reporting strategy. Based on the documents we received before the event, we identified what the organization might need from a vendor. I enjoyed being the team lead because it was my first experience in a leadership role. Being team lead meant I was in charge of keeping the volunteer group on track and leading the project to completion. This experience helped me tap into leadership skills I can use at work. 

How did this experience affect your perception and awareness of Fidelity’s social impact initiatives? 

It’s amazing that I am in a place where I can participate in a technical skill-based volunteering program. It’s exciting that I can be part of an organization that cares so deeply about creating positive social change. 

How do you think skills-based volunteering contributes to building a sense of community and shared purpose among employees within a company like Fidelity?

It’s easy to fall in love with volunteering. You become increasingly invested the more you contribute. I felt engaged and motivated during this skills-based volunteering event because I was part of a team and using my skills for a good cause. Having a skills-based volunteering program gives us opportunities to contribute to social causes in a meaningful and fun way with others in the company. 

Looking ahead, do you see yourself participating in other skills-based volunteering programs?

After working with the YMCA Greater Nashua, I wanted to do more to help them transition to automated reporting because I know so much about this process. In the future, I see myself being more technically invested in projects like this for a longer time, as opposed to the few hours of consulting we had with the YMCA. I envision myself continuing to volunteer my skills in a greater capacity, like long-term skills-based volunteering. 

For more social impact content like this, follow us on  LinkedIn  and  sign-up  for our monthly newsletter. Ready to learn more about skills-based volunteering? Reach out.  

For two decades, Common Impact has crafted engaging initiatives to bolster Fidelity’s social impact initiatives while weaving community engagement into the fabric of the employee experience. Our partnership with Fidelity and their dedicated volunteers continues to flourish, so we sat down with Srinidhi Aduri, an Intern at Fidelity Investments and graduate student at Northeastern University, to give us insights into her skills-based volunteering experience.

Despite being new to skills-based volunteering, Srinidhi brought valuable experience from her three-year tenure as a data analyst at Mu Sigma. Passionate about leveraging data to solve complex business problems, Srinidhi was eager to contribute her skills to our collaborative programs. Srinidhi recognized the vital role of nonprofits in the community and saw an opportunity for professionals like herself to make a meaningful impact by dedicating their skills to nonprofits championing important community causes. 

Leading my volunteer group was a chance to sharpen my leadership and data skills.

Why does volunteering matter to you? 

I first saw the value of volunteering when I joined a small volunteer team to mentor teenagers. I was paired with a teenager to teach her English and prepare for job interviews. The mentorship program lasted 30 days, and at the end of the program, I had trouble letting go because I had such a great experience. That’s when I understood how good it feels to volunteer. It’s a nice feeling to know I can make a difference. As employees, we make a difference in a professional setting daily. What I get through volunteering is different. It’s selfless and exciting. 

You participated in a skills-based volunteering project with The YMCA of Greater Nashua. What was their business challenge? 

The YMCA of Greater Nashua helps people grow, builds strong communities, and encourages healthy living through diverse programs that embrace human connections. The YMCA of Greater Nashua aims to provide efficient and effective service delivery. To achieve this, they gather data through various methods such as membership systems, financial reports, participation tracking, surveys, and manual data collection. However, the current manual collation process causes delays in decision-making and hinders the organization’s ability to adapt and innovate quickly. The YMCA wants to transition to real-time dashboards that can provide dynamic data for better decision-making. They are looking into selecting a visualization vendor. To achieve this, the YMCA sought assistance from a volunteer team to create a structured vendor selection framework that can address their unique needs, priorities, and visions for the future.

What skills and expertise did you bring to the project?

My expertise is in analytics, data visualization, and data reporting. I perform descriptive analytics and help teams make data-driven decisions through visualization and reporting. For the skills-based volunteering project, I worked with the YMCA of Greater Nashua to develop a robust vendor selection framework. My volunteer team created a framework outlining clear criteria, requirements, and guidelines to help them make informed decisions when choosing a data dashboard software, ensuring it aligns with the YMCA’s strategic plan. We kept in mind that their goal is to transition from manual reporting to a more automated reporting strategy so they can spend more time making decisions rather than creating reports manually.  

What motivated you to try skills-based volunteering, and what were your takeaways? 

I wanted to be more proactive in meeting new people within Fidelity because I work more independently as an intern in co-op data analytics and insights. I wanted to find new opportunities to collaborate and be part of a larger team. I saw that the skills-based volunteering opportunities with Fidelity and Common Impact would help me connect with more people in the company. I became the leading member of my volunteer group, which entailed bringing the team together and moving things along to deliver a high-quality strategy for the YMCA of Greater Nashua’s vendor selection framework project. It was a great opportunity to hone my leadership skills and improve my existing data skills. 

How do you see this experience transferable to your current role? 

My team had six hours to complete the project. This tight timeframe encouraged me to be proactive and ask the nonprofit as many questions as possible because we had limited time with them. The previous day, my volunteer team and I prepared questions and thought through challenges that might come up for the nonprofit during its transition to a more automated reporting strategy. Based on the documents we received before the event, we identified what the organization might need from a vendor. I enjoyed being the team lead because it was my first experience in a leadership role. Being team lead meant I was in charge of keeping the volunteer group on track and leading the project to completion. This experience helped me tap into leadership skills I can use at work. 

How did this experience affect your perception and awareness of Fidelity’s social impact initiatives? 

It’s amazing that I am in a place where I can participate in a technical skill-based volunteering program. It’s exciting that I can be part of an organization that cares so deeply about creating positive social change. 

How do you think skills-based volunteering contributes to building a sense of community and shared purpose among employees within a company like Fidelity?

It’s easy to fall in love with volunteering. You become increasingly invested the more you contribute. I felt engaged and motivated during this skills-based volunteering event because I was part of a team and using my skills for a good cause. Having a skills-based volunteering program gives us opportunities to contribute to social causes in a meaningful and fun way with others in the company. 

Looking ahead, do you see yourself participating in other skills-based volunteering programs?

After working with the YMCA Greater Nashua, I wanted to do more to help them transition to automated reporting because I know so much about this process. In the future, I see myself being more technically invested in projects like this for a longer time, as opposed to the few hours of consulting we had with the YMCA. I envision myself continuing to volunteer my skills in a greater capacity, like long-term skills-based volunteering. 

For more social impact content like this, follow us on  LinkedIn  and  sign-up  for our monthly newsletter. Ready to learn more about skills-based volunteering? Reach out.  

Dr. Anna van Poucke, Global Head of Healthcare, KPMG International, and Healthcare Senior Partner, KPMG in the Netherlands, and Avery Johnstone, Associate, Global Decarbonization Hub and Global Chair of Leaders 2050, KPMG International, discuss the impact of climate on women’s health in jurisdictions globally, and unpack the challenges and opportunities of gender just climate action as we chart the course for a more inclusive transition.

Click Here to Listen to Episode 23 of ESG voices

Dr. Anna van Poucke, Global Head of Healthcare, KPMG International, and Healthcare Senior Partner, KPMG in the Netherlands, and Avery Johnstone, Associate, Global Decarbonization Hub and Global Chair of Leaders 2050, KPMG International, discuss the impact of climate on women’s health in jurisdictions globally, and unpack the challenges and opportunities of gender just climate action as we chart the course for a more inclusive transition.

Click Here to Listen to Episode 23 of ESG voices

Originally published on Rayonier.com

Phillip Smith thought Rayonier would be a quick stop in his career before finding a job closer to his home state of Mississippi. Almost three decades later, he couldn’t be more proud to continue to call himself a Rayonier employee.

He started as a Timber Sales Forester in the Florida Region straight out of college. After 27 dedicated years, he is now the Director of Operations in the Alabama Resource Unit, where he oversees unit-wide operations and a whole team of talented foresters.

“Coming out of college, I couldn’t have drawn anything on paper that would have come close to the opportunity I was offered at Rayonier. At the time, I had a rigid vision of how a corporate structure should be. I thought it would take years to see my impact, but Rayonier is different. Immediately I saw how my contribution made a difference, no matter how small.”

Establishing a new region of forests for Rayonier

In Alabama, Phillip and his team manage approximately 260,000 acres of timberland. It’s the same area where, nearly 23 years ago, he was part of a small team that helped establish the new location for Rayonier after the company’s large Jefferson Smurfit land purchase.

“I couldn’t believe they would entrust me with such a big responsibility. I was still relatively new to Rayonier at the time, and I was given a tremendous opportunity to help establish Rayonier in a new operating area, working alongside two other employees with over 20 years of experience.”

The trust the company placed in him played a role in changing his mind about the future.

“When I started working, I really had no intention of staying at Rayonier. My heart was back home in Mississippi, and I thought that at some point I would move back.”

“But I stayed,” he chuckles. “I fell in love with the people and the company. I never thought twice about leaving. Rayonier has been a tremendous blessing to me and my family.”

An Unexpected Career Path

During his higher education at Mississippi State, Phillip studied Forest Management for his undergrad and later earned a master’s in economics. When it came time to job hunt, Phillip interviewed with several companies, including Rayonier.

“A Rayonier job posting was placed on a bulletin board in the forestry building, so I applied. Soon thereafter, I received a call from Ken Gay who at the time was the Florida Region Superintendent. Rayonier flew me out to the Division Headquarters in Fernandina, and I had the chance to interview with most of the senior management and was provided a forest tour. Coming from Mississippi, where I had spent most of my life, hopping on a plane for the first time was a big deal for me.”

Phillip narrowed his search down to two job offers: one was with a company located in Mississippi, and the other in Florida with Rayonier.

“My mom really wanted me to take the job in Mississippi, and I truly had my heart set on staying. But because of the thoughtful interview process, and how I enjoyed the people I had met, I decided to take the job in Florida with Rayonier.”

A Day in the Life of this Rayonier Forestry Leader

As Director of Operations, Phillip provides oversight to the team that is responsible for all of the operational activities within the Alabama Resource Unit. It’s a position he takes pride in because of the important rural jobs the timber industry creates, the positive impact on the environment good forest management has, and the role timber plays in providing sustainable, renewable products.

“If you think about it, it’s the most valuable natural resource we have in this country,” he says. “You add up all of the other things that we’ve got–gold, silver, what have you–our most valuable natural resource is timber.”

Collaborating is a key part of a forestry leader’s work

A significant portion of Phillip’s time is spent preparing for and participating in discussions with people within and outside the company. There are generally three different types: inform discussions, collaborative meetings and advocacy efforts.

Inform discussions are typically spent with his supervisor and those higher up in the organization. During their time together, they discuss state of business, challenges, areas of concern, opportunities, and future plans.

Collaborative meetings often involve counterparts in other areas or co-workers in other business units. During this type of meeting, everyone shares what they are working on, how they are working through issues and any improvements they have made. Here, Phillip provides input into various activities, operations and business opportunities as they relate to the Resource Unit.

Lastly, Phillip acts as a representative and advocate for the Alabama Resource Unit outside of the organization.

“Advocacy is a large component of my position here at Rayonier,” he explains. “We are heavily involved in the Alabama Forestry Association, where I serve on the board of directors and executive committee. Often, I will also attend meetings where I represent and advocate for Rayonier’s interests. This mostly includes trade association meetings, as well as meetings with local and state representatives and politicians.”

Phillip is passionate about promoting forestry and helping others understand the role it plays in their lives.

“There’s a lot of respect from the local communities about what we do. They understand that we’re supporting a lot of industries. A lot of local communities are completely dependent upon the timber industry and it’s just wonderful to be part of that.”

Working with people is the best part

There are other important tasks that require his attention while at work.

“I spend quite a bit of time planning, forecasting, and participating in strategy sessions with the team. I’m very analytical, so this is my comfort zone. I truly enjoy analyzing data and then working with our team to use the results to make well-informed business decisions, monitor business progress and analyze project outcomes.”

Other projects Phillip leads within the Resource Unit include tasks like validating inventory data and stand information for pending land sales, working with the legal team on resolving any issues with adjoining landowners, answering questions from outside the organization, and addressing requests from others within the company.

“I enjoy interacting with people. Typically, I will speak with a customer or vendor at least once a day.”

Best of all is time spent reviewing in the woods with employees:

“By far, the most enjoyable aspect of my position is getting out of the office and spending time in the field with my team.”

Due to retirements, departures and promotions, almost three quarters of the employees in the Alabama Resource Unit have joined the team in the past year. As a result, a considerable amount of Phillip’s time has been dedicated to evaluating, interviewing, recruiting and onboarding new employees.

Spending Time in the Woods

Because the unit only has one office, which is in Andalusia, Phillip has many opportunities to interact with the team, especially the Senior Timber Marketing Manager, who oversees the sale of timber, and the Senior Resource Land Manager, who oversees planting and land management.

With a team that is in the woods much more than it’s in the office, Phillip prefers to join his team in the field when possible. Having eyes on the forestry operation gives him the opportunity to better-understand ongoing operations; discover new ways to support the team; interact with Rayonier customers, contractors and vendors; and help with safety efforts.

Making a compliance visit during a timber harvest

The images in this section of this article were taken when Phillip accompanied Aaron Milstead, a Timber Resource Forester, and two younger foresters, Technical Foresters Aaron Evans and Josh Petty, on a compliance visit to an active timber harvesting operation near the Andalusia Office.

During a timber harvest compliance visit, foresters may look at the following:

Checking to ensure that all harvesting occurs in the designated areas and reviewing the harvested areas to verify all merchantable wood has been removed.Making sure that the crew is properly utilizing Rayonier’s mobile load management system (equipment and software) that is used to track and document loads. This involves making sure that records are created prior to moving a load, that the correct information concerning loads is entered and that records are updated with the scale information in a timely manner.
“We also answer any questions about the unit and system. Occasionally, we have to resolve issues with units that aren’t functioning properly.”For by-the-product stumpage sales and delivered wood sales, we also monitor to make sure that wood is being merchandised properly. “This helps us ensure the correct products are being sorted and that the wood is within mill-tolerant specifications.”
In other words, we want to send the best quality wood to the top buyer. You don’t want to send a log that would be great for high-value lumber to a pulp mill that will make it into lower-value chips, for example.

“I truly enjoy being with my team out in the field,” Phillip says. “It’s nice to see how much these folks can accomplish here at Rayonier. They never cease to amaze me.”

“Rayonier has a bright future ahead. There are some very talented individuals employed here with a lot of passion for what they are doing in forestry. Because of this, I am confident in Rayonier’s future success.”

“Some of my best friends are from Rayonier”

Phillip shares that he chose forestry as his career path because, at the heart of it, he is a ‘dirt forester’.

“That’s why I went into forestry. The hands-on part of the industry. I love seeing the trees grow, the harvesting and the operations. But it’s also very satisfying in knowing that what we do has a positive impact on society.”

Aside from his personal love and passion for forestry, Phillip holds a deep appreciation for the people and culture that make up Rayonier.

“I’ve been working for Rayonier for 27 years now, and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. At the end of the day, the vast majority of those that I have had the pleasure to interact with are genuine people that are team-oriented, ethical individuals who care about one another. Everyone works together to make sure Rayonier is successful.

“One of the most telling things is that some of my best and closest friends are either previous or current Rayonier employees. We spend a lot of time together. It’s hard to work with people that hold similar ethics and values and not become close friends.”

Phillip jokes: “It’s true, you really can’t make me leave Rayonier. They’re stuck with me.”

Originally published on Rayonier.com

Phillip Smith thought Rayonier would be a quick stop in his career before finding a job closer to his home state of Mississippi. Almost three decades later, he couldn’t be more proud to continue to call himself a Rayonier employee.

He started as a Timber Sales Forester in the Florida Region straight out of college. After 27 dedicated years, he is now the Director of Operations in the Alabama Resource Unit, where he oversees unit-wide operations and a whole team of talented foresters.

“Coming out of college, I couldn’t have drawn anything on paper that would have come close to the opportunity I was offered at Rayonier. At the time, I had a rigid vision of how a corporate structure should be. I thought it would take years to see my impact, but Rayonier is different. Immediately I saw how my contribution made a difference, no matter how small.”

Establishing a new region of forests for Rayonier

In Alabama, Phillip and his team manage approximately 260,000 acres of timberland. It’s the same area where, nearly 23 years ago, he was part of a small team that helped establish the new location for Rayonier after the company’s large Jefferson Smurfit land purchase.

“I couldn’t believe they would entrust me with such a big responsibility. I was still relatively new to Rayonier at the time, and I was given a tremendous opportunity to help establish Rayonier in a new operating area, working alongside two other employees with over 20 years of experience.”

The trust the company placed in him played a role in changing his mind about the future.

“When I started working, I really had no intention of staying at Rayonier. My heart was back home in Mississippi, and I thought that at some point I would move back.”

“But I stayed,” he chuckles. “I fell in love with the people and the company. I never thought twice about leaving. Rayonier has been a tremendous blessing to me and my family.”

An Unexpected Career Path

During his higher education at Mississippi State, Phillip studied Forest Management for his undergrad and later earned a master’s in economics. When it came time to job hunt, Phillip interviewed with several companies, including Rayonier.

“A Rayonier job posting was placed on a bulletin board in the forestry building, so I applied. Soon thereafter, I received a call from Ken Gay who at the time was the Florida Region Superintendent. Rayonier flew me out to the Division Headquarters in Fernandina, and I had the chance to interview with most of the senior management and was provided a forest tour. Coming from Mississippi, where I had spent most of my life, hopping on a plane for the first time was a big deal for me.”

Phillip narrowed his search down to two job offers: one was with a company located in Mississippi, and the other in Florida with Rayonier.

“My mom really wanted me to take the job in Mississippi, and I truly had my heart set on staying. But because of the thoughtful interview process, and how I enjoyed the people I had met, I decided to take the job in Florida with Rayonier.”

A Day in the Life of this Rayonier Forestry Leader

As Director of Operations, Phillip provides oversight to the team that is responsible for all of the operational activities within the Alabama Resource Unit. It’s a position he takes pride in because of the important rural jobs the timber industry creates, the positive impact on the environment good forest management has, and the role timber plays in providing sustainable, renewable products.

“If you think about it, it’s the most valuable natural resource we have in this country,” he says. “You add up all of the other things that we’ve got–gold, silver, what have you–our most valuable natural resource is timber.”

Collaborating is a key part of a forestry leader’s work

A significant portion of Phillip’s time is spent preparing for and participating in discussions with people within and outside the company. There are generally three different types: inform discussions, collaborative meetings and advocacy efforts.

Inform discussions are typically spent with his supervisor and those higher up in the organization. During their time together, they discuss state of business, challenges, areas of concern, opportunities, and future plans.

Collaborative meetings often involve counterparts in other areas or co-workers in other business units. During this type of meeting, everyone shares what they are working on, how they are working through issues and any improvements they have made. Here, Phillip provides input into various activities, operations and business opportunities as they relate to the Resource Unit.

Lastly, Phillip acts as a representative and advocate for the Alabama Resource Unit outside of the organization.

“Advocacy is a large component of my position here at Rayonier,” he explains. “We are heavily involved in the Alabama Forestry Association, where I serve on the board of directors and executive committee. Often, I will also attend meetings where I represent and advocate for Rayonier’s interests. This mostly includes trade association meetings, as well as meetings with local and state representatives and politicians.”

Phillip is passionate about promoting forestry and helping others understand the role it plays in their lives.

“There’s a lot of respect from the local communities about what we do. They understand that we’re supporting a lot of industries. A lot of local communities are completely dependent upon the timber industry and it’s just wonderful to be part of that.”

Working with people is the best part

There are other important tasks that require his attention while at work.

“I spend quite a bit of time planning, forecasting, and participating in strategy sessions with the team. I’m very analytical, so this is my comfort zone. I truly enjoy analyzing data and then working with our team to use the results to make well-informed business decisions, monitor business progress and analyze project outcomes.”

Other projects Phillip leads within the Resource Unit include tasks like validating inventory data and stand information for pending land sales, working with the legal team on resolving any issues with adjoining landowners, answering questions from outside the organization, and addressing requests from others within the company.

“I enjoy interacting with people. Typically, I will speak with a customer or vendor at least once a day.”

Best of all is time spent reviewing in the woods with employees:

“By far, the most enjoyable aspect of my position is getting out of the office and spending time in the field with my team.”

Due to retirements, departures and promotions, almost three quarters of the employees in the Alabama Resource Unit have joined the team in the past year. As a result, a considerable amount of Phillip’s time has been dedicated to evaluating, interviewing, recruiting and onboarding new employees.

Spending Time in the Woods

Because the unit only has one office, which is in Andalusia, Phillip has many opportunities to interact with the team, especially the Senior Timber Marketing Manager, who oversees the sale of timber, and the Senior Resource Land Manager, who oversees planting and land management.

With a team that is in the woods much more than it’s in the office, Phillip prefers to join his team in the field when possible. Having eyes on the forestry operation gives him the opportunity to better-understand ongoing operations; discover new ways to support the team; interact with Rayonier customers, contractors and vendors; and help with safety efforts.

Making a compliance visit during a timber harvest

The images in this section of this article were taken when Phillip accompanied Aaron Milstead, a Timber Resource Forester, and two younger foresters, Technical Foresters Aaron Evans and Josh Petty, on a compliance visit to an active timber harvesting operation near the Andalusia Office.

During a timber harvest compliance visit, foresters may look at the following:

Checking to ensure that all harvesting occurs in the designated areas and reviewing the harvested areas to verify all merchantable wood has been removed.Making sure that the crew is properly utilizing Rayonier’s mobile load management system (equipment and software) that is used to track and document loads. This involves making sure that records are created prior to moving a load, that the correct information concerning loads is entered and that records are updated with the scale information in a timely manner.
“We also answer any questions about the unit and system. Occasionally, we have to resolve issues with units that aren’t functioning properly.”For by-the-product stumpage sales and delivered wood sales, we also monitor to make sure that wood is being merchandised properly. “This helps us ensure the correct products are being sorted and that the wood is within mill-tolerant specifications.”
In other words, we want to send the best quality wood to the top buyer. You don’t want to send a log that would be great for high-value lumber to a pulp mill that will make it into lower-value chips, for example.

“I truly enjoy being with my team out in the field,” Phillip says. “It’s nice to see how much these folks can accomplish here at Rayonier. They never cease to amaze me.”

“Rayonier has a bright future ahead. There are some very talented individuals employed here with a lot of passion for what they are doing in forestry. Because of this, I am confident in Rayonier’s future success.”

“Some of my best friends are from Rayonier”

Phillip shares that he chose forestry as his career path because, at the heart of it, he is a ‘dirt forester’.

“That’s why I went into forestry. The hands-on part of the industry. I love seeing the trees grow, the harvesting and the operations. But it’s also very satisfying in knowing that what we do has a positive impact on society.”

Aside from his personal love and passion for forestry, Phillip holds a deep appreciation for the people and culture that make up Rayonier.

“I’ve been working for Rayonier for 27 years now, and I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. At the end of the day, the vast majority of those that I have had the pleasure to interact with are genuine people that are team-oriented, ethical individuals who care about one another. Everyone works together to make sure Rayonier is successful.

“One of the most telling things is that some of my best and closest friends are either previous or current Rayonier employees. We spend a lot of time together. It’s hard to work with people that hold similar ethics and values and not become close friends.”

Phillip jokes: “It’s true, you really can’t make me leave Rayonier. They’re stuck with me.”

AI (Artificial Intelligence) has rapidly grown to dominate the headlines over the past 12 months, proving one of the most topical evolving technologies. From generative AI, where chatbots such as ChatGPT respond to customer queries, to limited memory AI, where self-driving vehicles attempt to navigate the world around them, AI is big business, amounting to around 200 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 alone, and expected to grow to over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030[1].

Artificial intelligence is far from limited to responding to questions or creating customer artwork – it’s ideal for sifting through and making sense of big data. Put simply, AI can help to turn data into actionable insights, helping people and organisations to make more informed choices about business operations. As such, it’s a useful technology when it comes to identifying and driving sustainability initiatives.

AI’s contribution to environmental applications

Without major changes to the way we treat our planet, it will suffer unrepairable damage, but AI can be a powerful tool when it comes to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, helping to create a brighter, more sustainable future.

According to PwC, using AI for environmental applications could contribute up to $5.2 trillion USD to the global economy in 2030[2]. The same report estimates that the application of AI solutions could reduce worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4% in 2030, an amount equivalent to 2.4 Gt CO2e – equivalent to the 2030 annual emissions of Australia, Canada and Japan combined.

Insights specialists EY explains that AI can play an accelerated role in resource stewardship, highlighting its ability to help enable circular and equitable supply chains, reduce resource consumption, decarbonise energy and mobility, accelerate sustainable product and service innovation, shape materials science, and protect and enhance biodiversity.

It can be used to help create smarter, more efficient energy grids, for example, managing the supply and demand of renewable energy using deep learning and predictive capabilities. As such, it can support decarbonisation, contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring a supply of affordable, reliable, and clean energy.

Its ability to trawl through huge amounts of data, picking out patterns and creating more accurate models, can support precision agriculture, with improved monitoring of environmental conditions and crop yields.

The technology can contribute to a reduction in traffic congestion, through more intelligent and reactive mapping, with real-time journey planning helping logistics industries to pick the least congested routes. This has huge potential when it comes to organisations optimising their logistics, and real-time mapping will also play a large role in the introduction of autonomous vehicles.

AI can be applied in water resource prediction as well, where management and monitoring can help to improve the global water crisis by reducing or eliminating waste, as well as lowering costs and lessening environmental impacts.

EY adds: “AI can catalyse the acceleration of needed sustainability responses across complex natural, economic and social systems. It can help us act at the necessary pace and scale by augmenting the human ability to learn, analyse, innovate, predict and decide – exponentially.”

Of course, AI isn’t a catch-all solution to the challenges we face when it comes to sustainability. It needs to be interwoven with other approaches, complimenting existing solutions. Far from modern fears of AI taking our jobs, it can actually help people to do their jobs more effectively, with the ability to understand data to make better decisions and affect broader sustainability changes.

Introducing Lenovo’s own AI

With this in mind, we’ve been working on our own AI-powered Sustainability engine at Lenovo, called L.I.S.S.A. (Lenovo Intelligent Sustainability Solutions Advisor).

We already offer our customers a 360-degree approach to sustainability, from energy-efficient technology to sustainable packaging, efficient mode of transport, asset recovery, as-a-service models and CO2 Offset Services. Now, with our in-house capability L.I.S.S.A., we can help customers make more informed choices when it comes to meeting their IT sustainability goals.

Alongside our consultative approach to sustainability, L.I.S.S.A. helps evaluate the estimated carbon emissions impact of different Lenovo IT solutions and offers recommendations to potential IT solutions that can optimise your budget and design pathways to support the decarbonisation of your IT environment.

This encourages data-driven decision making in sustainability and enables customers to plan proactively and choose the right mix of IT solutions that align with their sustainability strategies.

Embracing AI for a more sustainable future

Whether we’re looking at AI with regard to sustainability, or across other industries, it’s clear we’re very much at the start of an exciting journey. It’s a journey which has the potential to change the world as we know it. AI has come a long way in a relatively short space of time, but it’s only going to get smarter, and it can help us drive efficiencies faster.

As PwC explains: “There is enormous potential for AI to be an important tool in the effort to decouple economic growth from rising carbon emissions. In other words, there is a path towards a prosperous, just, and more sustainable future with advanced technologies.”

[1]Statista – Artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide – statistics & facts

[2]PwC – How AI can enable a sustainable future

AI (Artificial Intelligence) has rapidly grown to dominate the headlines over the past 12 months, proving one of the most topical evolving technologies. From generative AI, where chatbots such as ChatGPT respond to customer queries, to limited memory AI, where self-driving vehicles attempt to navigate the world around them, AI is big business, amounting to around 200 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 alone, and expected to grow to over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030[1].

Artificial intelligence is far from limited to responding to questions or creating customer artwork – it’s ideal for sifting through and making sense of big data. Put simply, AI can help to turn data into actionable insights, helping people and organisations to make more informed choices about business operations. As such, it’s a useful technology when it comes to identifying and driving sustainability initiatives.

AI’s contribution to environmental applications

Without major changes to the way we treat our planet, it will suffer unrepairable damage, but AI can be a powerful tool when it comes to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, helping to create a brighter, more sustainable future.

According to PwC, using AI for environmental applications could contribute up to $5.2 trillion USD to the global economy in 2030[2]. The same report estimates that the application of AI solutions could reduce worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 4% in 2030, an amount equivalent to 2.4 Gt CO2e – equivalent to the 2030 annual emissions of Australia, Canada and Japan combined.

Insights specialists EY explains that AI can play an accelerated role in resource stewardship, highlighting its ability to help enable circular and equitable supply chains, reduce resource consumption, decarbonise energy and mobility, accelerate sustainable product and service innovation, shape materials science, and protect and enhance biodiversity.

It can be used to help create smarter, more efficient energy grids, for example, managing the supply and demand of renewable energy using deep learning and predictive capabilities. As such, it can support decarbonisation, contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by ensuring a supply of affordable, reliable, and clean energy.

Its ability to trawl through huge amounts of data, picking out patterns and creating more accurate models, can support precision agriculture, with improved monitoring of environmental conditions and crop yields.

The technology can contribute to a reduction in traffic congestion, through more intelligent and reactive mapping, with real-time journey planning helping logistics industries to pick the least congested routes. This has huge potential when it comes to organisations optimising their logistics, and real-time mapping will also play a large role in the introduction of autonomous vehicles.

AI can be applied in water resource prediction as well, where management and monitoring can help to improve the global water crisis by reducing or eliminating waste, as well as lowering costs and lessening environmental impacts.

EY adds: “AI can catalyse the acceleration of needed sustainability responses across complex natural, economic and social systems. It can help us act at the necessary pace and scale by augmenting the human ability to learn, analyse, innovate, predict and decide – exponentially.”

Of course, AI isn’t a catch-all solution to the challenges we face when it comes to sustainability. It needs to be interwoven with other approaches, complimenting existing solutions. Far from modern fears of AI taking our jobs, it can actually help people to do their jobs more effectively, with the ability to understand data to make better decisions and affect broader sustainability changes.

Introducing Lenovo’s own AI

With this in mind, we’ve been working on our own AI-powered Sustainability engine at Lenovo, called L.I.S.S.A. (Lenovo Intelligent Sustainability Solutions Advisor).

We already offer our customers a 360-degree approach to sustainability, from energy-efficient technology to sustainable packaging, efficient mode of transport, asset recovery, as-a-service models and CO2 Offset Services. Now, with our in-house capability L.I.S.S.A., we can help customers make more informed choices when it comes to meeting their IT sustainability goals.

Alongside our consultative approach to sustainability, L.I.S.S.A. helps evaluate the estimated carbon emissions impact of different Lenovo IT solutions and offers recommendations to potential IT solutions that can optimise your budget and design pathways to support the decarbonisation of your IT environment.

This encourages data-driven decision making in sustainability and enables customers to plan proactively and choose the right mix of IT solutions that align with their sustainability strategies.

Embracing AI for a more sustainable future

Whether we’re looking at AI with regard to sustainability, or across other industries, it’s clear we’re very much at the start of an exciting journey. It’s a journey which has the potential to change the world as we know it. AI has come a long way in a relatively short space of time, but it’s only going to get smarter, and it can help us drive efficiencies faster.

As PwC explains: “There is enormous potential for AI to be an important tool in the effort to decouple economic growth from rising carbon emissions. In other words, there is a path towards a prosperous, just, and more sustainable future with advanced technologies.”

[1]Statista – Artificial intelligence (AI) worldwide – statistics & facts

[2]PwC – How AI can enable a sustainable future

ALSIP, Ill., July 17, 2024 /3BL/ – Griffith Foods, a family-owned product development company guided by their Purpose of “We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World”, has released its 2023 Sustainability Report, detailing the company’s significant achievements in four crucial areas including Climate Action & Environmental Management; Sustainable Sourcing; Wellbeing & Fulfillment; and Health & Nutrition.

“We are propelled today more than ever to innovate and lead in sustainability as a catalyst for positive change,” said Griffith Foods CEO TC Chatterjee. “This year marks a pivotal point for us as we advance our purpose-driven strategy, built on our sustainability platform, to reach even higher goals as we transform our business.”

Notable achievements in the 2023 Sustainability Report include:

Climate Action & Environmental Management

Nine facilities are now operating with renewably sourced energy and five have on-site generation. 50% of Griffith Foods facilities have achieved an ISO 14001 certification, the highest standard for environmental management.

Sustainable Sourcing

Griffith Foods reached 2,403 small-scale farmers, providing them with sustainability practice education, advanced technology, access to finance, and supporting living incomes.

Wellbeing & Fulfillment

Provided $1.2 million in financial assistance to food banks, community healthcare and educational initiatives.43% of management positions are held by women.

Health & Nutrition

Achieved goal of 50% of products meeting or exceeding external global nutrition standards.Developed the Nutrition IQ training for the workforce to be knowledgeable about nutrition and working toward a target of 100% employee completion.

“As we reflect on the last year, we celebrate our progress in our key areas of focus, which lay the foundation for our ambitious 2030 Aspirations,” said Chatterjee.

The company is demonstrating progress on Foundational Goals while now striving for 2030 Aspirations that push Griffith Foods further to redefine as a regenerative leader.

“At Griffith Foods, we have always been on a journey to nourish the world. By 2030, we are dedicated to significantly improving the future through a transformative approach and a regenerative mindset. Our 2030 Aspirations serve as our action plan to nourish the world, guiding us towards greater sustainability and reinforcing the importance of our Purpose, ‘We Blend Care & Creativity to Nourish the World,’” said Executive Chairman Brian Griffith.

To learn more about Griffith Foods and its current sustainability efforts, visit them online and download the 2023 Sustainability Report.

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About Griffith Foods 
Griffith Foods is the caring, creative product development partner helping food companies meet the evolving needs of consumers while sustaining the planet. As a family business founded in 1919 and headquartered in Alsip, Illinois USA, Griffith Foods is known for true, collaborative innovation guided by their Purpose of “We Blend Care and Creativity to Nourish the World”. The company’s product capabilities range from seasonings and breading to marinades and sauces that are better for people and better for the planet. For more information, visit www.griffithfoods.com.