Name: Anna Maclean
Job title: CEO and co-founder of SRE
What I do: I am CEO of SRE – the UK’s most established sustainable real estate consultancy. The work we do enhances financial value for asset owners, supports the wellbeing of end users and creates real estate which is kinder to the environment.
Why I got into the property industry: I got my first job in sustainability in 1991 because I believed that climate change, or the ‘greenhouse effect’ as it was then called, would be the most pressing issue facing us at some point. I felt drawn to do whatever I could to ensure our impact on the planet would be as minimal as possible.
How I did it: I wrote to the authors of the Green Consumer Guide who had recently founded a sustainability consultancy, SustainAbility, pretty much every other week for five months until they offered me the job of receptionist – they said they thought I would bang the door down if they didn’t! Fourteen years later I set up SRE with my co-founder who had an architecture background.
My first proper job: Receptionist at SustainAbility in September 1991.
My inspiration(s): At the age of 19 I was taught about the science behind the ‘Greenhouse Effect’ in a geography ‘S’ level (scholarship) lesson. At that time the ‘Greenhouse Effect’, was still being widely disputed and whilst some accepted that it might exist, many were still questioning whether it was a result of human activity. Not only did the science seem undisputable to me, but what struck me most in that lesson was that it was the wealthiest counties in the world who were causing this phenomenon and the poorest who were going to be most impacted – and least able to minimize any impact on them. It was in that lesson that I decided to do whatever I could to mitigate climate change.
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered to date: Eighteen months ago, we were working out of offices in Guildford. We’d been there for 26 months and had a team of 18. One very cold November day, each of the 20 companies in the building were told that we had 10 days to vacate. At the same time the heating was ‘turned off’ and internal walls started to be taken down. An unplanned office move isn’t straight forward, but thanks to the extraordinary dedication and tenacity of the team we had a smooth move to new offices, and our client service and project delivery wasn’t impacted in the least.
My greatest achievement/proudest moment to date: SRE and what we’ve achieved together over the years has given me a huge sense of achievement. However, to be totally honest, I feel my greatest achievement is my three boys – all of them positive, kind, great fun and can-do young men who I enjoy being with and who I feel immensely proud of.
The biggest misconception people have about the property industry: It is fortunately changing, but people often see sustainability purely as a cost. And yes, it is a cost, but if done creatively and collaboratively, sustainability can significantly reduce operational costs, increase yields, ensure climate resilience and guarantee longevity of asset value.
My biggest bugbear about the industry/the one thing I would change about the industry: I’ve worked with a lot of very supportive, kind, respectful and genuine men. However, there is unfortunately still a lot of unconscious and conscious gender bias in the real estate industry.
Why I’m so passionate about DE&I: I put our first job advert up on Environment Jobs in January 2007. The day after the deadline for applications, I had a friend number the applications and then complete a table I’d put together with the criteria I’d specified in the job advert – e.g. academic qualifications, experience/knowledge of the built environment, quality of application, etc. I created a shortlist from the form, not knowing what gender, age or nationality any of the candidates were.
I had no experience in recruitment and I made up the system myself. ‘Blind recruitment’, as it is now referred to, seemed to me to be the only way to recruit the best person for the job. As a result, even when our office was in a relatively remote rural location, we’ve always had a diverse team which without doubt has benefitted every one of us – the SRE team and each of our clients. It’s common sense and win-win. A no-brainer.
Why I’m so passionate about ESG: The S of ESG is a no-brainer and I think some of my other answers here cover that. In terms of the E, I was brought up on a farm in Dorset. We drank milk fresh from the cows. We weren’t on mains water, so our water came from a spring; we grew lots of our own vegetables and had home-grown meat and fish from the river that ran through the farm. I suppose I not only had a natural appreciation of the natural world and its inherent value to us as humans, but I was also deeply aware of how interconnected and finely balanced it is.
Who I’d invite, living or dead, to a dinner party: Three accomplished, constructive, realistic and personable eco-warriors – David Attenborough, John Elkington, Julia Hailes and, if I’m allowed, Fred Flintstone! He’s the ultimate in minimal carbon footprint and maximum fun factor!
What I do in my downtime: Swim in the sea, walk in the hills, spend time in my garden and hang out with friends and family. And I watch my three sons play a lot of cricket.
The job I’d be doing if I was not doing this: Whilst I feel passionately that we need to be doing whatever we can to ensure we achieve net zero, I also feel passionately that the workplace needs to be somewhere where people are valued and built up. We all spend a significant number of hours working each week. Imagine the potential for personal and professional growth and how that might impact wider society if everyone felt valued, positive about themselves, connected to others, and dare I say it, able to have fun in their workplaces. If I wasn’t in my current role at SRE I’d like to be using my executive coaching qualification to support companies create workplaces that add value to each person who works there.
My advice for someone just starting out: I’ve loved every job I’ve done and I feel that’s what has made my career so fulfilling. It’s really important to enjoy the work you do and for me, it’s important to know that I’ve been, in some small way, making a positive impact on the world we live in. For someone just starting out on their career, I’d advise them to be clear in their mind about what they value, what they enjoy and what they want to achieve. If someone is clear on those things, and they stay true to them, they’ll find themselves in their dream job.
My motto/mantra: Dance like there’s nobody watching; love like you’ve never been hurt; sing like there’s nobody listening and live like it’s heaven on earth
