Founder Impact Investment Fund Geoff Gourley has applied as director of ESG at leadership and executive coaching firm Apricot Consulting.
Gourley will lead all ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), Social Value & Impact, NetZero and social and sustainable procurement management advisory activities.
Apricot founder Derek Linsell said the appointment recognizes Gourley’s experience as a social entrepreneur, innovator and impact investor, and will bring a step change in expertise and capability for the company nationally.
“Our work has always been based on the principles of ESG. One of our first efforts was to establish social impact programs in 2002. Geoff’s appointment is the culmination of this experience and accelerates the natural progression of this journey,” he said.
Apricot’s client list includes Aurecon, Transurban, John Holland Group, Kraft Heinz, RMWilliams, APA and SA Water.
Head of Partnerships Ben Hellstrom said that when it comes to ESG, many companies focus on board-level strategy, and that’s where it stays.
“Our passion as a company is in the execution part of this; helping companies lead ESG change. And we’re really averse to just walking away once a strategy is written – we want to be part of the journey here and we’re getting things done.”
Gourley, Chair of the Advisory Board of Swinburne University Innovation Precinct, said there has been a rapid increase in demand for ESG support and consultancy across a wide range of industry sectors.
“Boards and executive management teams are influenced, in some cases, by investors, stakeholders, employees and customers to have an ESG strategy, measure their impact and baseline, and set goals for better performance and compliance,” he said. .
“I am excited to take on this executive leadership role at Apricot and lead the way in working with customers and their supply chains to quickly adapt to a changing business and operational environment.”