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In this episode, Louis DeMaso speaks with Alex Nichols-Vinueza, Program Manager at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), about his role on their Food Loss and Waste team.
Listeners can expect to learn about WWF’s approach to reducing food loss and waste, the benefits and drawbacks of working for a non-governmental organization (NGO), and the importance of collaboration in sustainability efforts.
They will also gain insights into Alex’s professional journey and how his experiences prepared him for working in sustainability.
What does the job involve?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza is a Program Manager of Food Loss and Waste at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact through science-based research, industry collaboration, and policy advocacy.
His main objective in this role is to reduce inefficiencies and waste in our food supply chains.
Alex works with a variety of stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, public and private companies, and schools, to accomplish his goal of promoting sustainable food practices and influencing policy changes to reduce food waste.
He is responsible for leading projects and facilitating collaboration among all these stakeholders to make progress.
For example, Alex recently organized a coalition of environmental NGOs to develop a policy action plan for Congress to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030.
Alex’s daily activities include overseeing a portfolio of projects and communicating with his team to conduct research and write memos and policy papers.
One of the things he enjoys most about his job is working with many different types of people to find common ground that facilitates progress.
One of his main challenges is working under resource constraints, which require him to prioritize and determine where his team can have the greatest impact with the resources they have.
What skills are important for success?
Communication
Communication is one of the most important skills for Alex to succeed in his role.
Alex recommends an empathetic approach to understanding the different personalities and perspectives of the people you are working with.
Before meetings, he takes time to learn about the participants. His preparation shows partners that he is knowledgeable and invested in the project, which makes them more willing to help.
Alex also recommends listening carefully to understand people’s needs. He is not afraid to ask clarifying questions, even if they may seem dumb, to make sure he does not misinterpret something.
He must understand what motivates everyone involved in a project so that he can guide them to a consensus.
Project Management
Alex must also be able to manage projects effectively by organizing resources, mitigating risks, and adapting to changing circumstances to achieve project goals within their timeline and budget.
His daily schedule is busy with external meetings, as well as internal coordination with his team for project preparation and strategy development. Effective time management is crucial.
Alex recommends that project managers prioritize their work, set realistic goals for themselves and their teams, ask for help when needed, and not shy away from difficult conversations.
Finally, he recommends being willing to jump in and work on the project details yourself at times, which is important for demonstrating that you are a team player.
Research and Writing
Alex must be a skilled researcher to keep up with developments in his field and identify areas where his organization can have the greatest impact on reducing food loss and waste.
He also must be able to write persuasively and simplify complicated topics to convey food system changes that would be beneficial for reducing food loss and waste to a wide array of audiences.
Using these skills, Alex has helped research and write sustainability standards for the Marine Stewardship Council and the Forest Stewardship Council.
Sustainability Career Advice
Consider a Formal Degree
Alex described that having a degree in a field such as environmental science, agriculture, policy, or business can be helpful for a career similar to his.
He believes that his Master’s Degree in Environmental Management was helpful in securing his current position as Program Manager at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
He benefits from the network of classmates he developed through his Master’s Program by asking them questions and learning from them.
Getting a Master’s Degree helped him transition from consulting and tech to the environmental sector. It gave him important knowledge and boosted his confidence.
Alex noted that obtaining a Master’s Degree is seen as the norm in the NGO space. However, he acknowledged that graduate programs can be expensive and time-consuming, which can be barriers to entry.
Remain Adaptable
Alex recommends being adaptable to the ever-changing landscape of sustainability practices and policies. This requires staying informed on changes in your industry and keeping an open mind.
His experience in consulting taught him to learn quickly and adjust his approach to projects when necessary.
His experience in tech taught him that his first solutions will not always be perfect, so he must be willing to test and iterate to improve them over time.
Both of these perspectives have been important for success in his current role.
Cultivate Your Network
Alex also believes that cultivating a network of people who can provide support and help you achieve your career goals is crucial.
He recommends attending conferences, workshops, and events related to one’s field and meeting with people informally to develop strong working relationships.
He also suggests reaching out to classmates, professors, and colleagues for mentorship, advice, and career guidance.
Transcript
The following transcript has been edited to make it easier to read.
Louis DeMaso 0:01 Hey, good morning, Alex. Thanks for joining.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 0:03 Hey, good morning, Lou, thank you for having me.
Louis DeMaso 0:05 It’s great to have you on, could you start by just giving us an overview of your role with WWF?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 0:11 Sure. I am a program manager here on our food loss and waste team at World Wildlife Fund in the US. We’re part of the food and freshwater team focused on reducing and freezing the footprint of food. Our role is to work with different sectors up and down the food supply chain, as well as K through 12 schools, on trying to reduce the inefficiency that is food loss and waste, and trying to do more with less.
Louis DeMaso 0:42 Yeah, that’s a big challenge that you guys are tackling, but it looks like you’re doing really cool stuff with it. So what kinds of what kinds of challenges are you focusing on specifically with food waste? What does food waste really mean? And what what aspects of it are you focusing on?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 0:57 I would say that, what’s really nice about working on this issue, is that it’s non-controversial. When you tell someone to stop eating meat or to change their diet, while very important, it’s a hard thing to change. I can attest to that in my own house with my family. But when you talk about food loss and waste, you can bring people together politically, and across the public and private sector.
We are working at the farm level to give growers the tools to understand and measure the types of food loss that they’re seeing, and then ways in which they can commercialize and get further revenue from that surplus. This helps growers financially, but then also reduces the pressures on ecosystems of overproduction. That’s how we think about it on the production side. As you go further down the supply chain, from distribution, to food manufacturing, to food service, to grocery stores, we’re working on all those different segments as well to help them better understand their food loss and waste hotspots. How do you drive those inefficiencies out? Both from a cost perspective, and also to help them reach their climate objectives.
We have the good fortune of being able to work really holistically across different segments and try to bring people together, which is one of my favorite parts about the job. There’s all these silos. Our food supply chain is incredibly complex. Sometimes it’s as simple as increasing communication, improving data sharing, and bringing people together, to find a solution that you can’t find on your own in your individual silo.
Louis DeMaso 3:06 Definitely, it sounds like you work across the supply chain, not only with growers, but the distributors and the final retailers. How do you decide where to focus your attention at any given time?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 3:15 I am fortunate enough to work on a team, so I do not work on this alone. We have different leads for various areas. We started by determining the leverage point across the food supply chain, where we believed we could move the market. For better or for worse, the grocery retail sector is relatively concentrated in terms of market share. In contrast, the food manufacturing industry is very diverse and fragmented. We began with grocery retailers because if we can assist them in regularly measuring and publicly reporting on food waste, it will help identify interventions that we should prioritize.
This should all be pre-competitive. This does not involve sharing confidential information. This is an issue around which people can overlook their individual company objectives and say, “We should be sharing best practices. We should be sharing learning experiences.” We try to facilitate that. This is one of the things that WWF is known for, and I am proud to be a part of it. It is about finding interest and energy. As an NGO, we cannot force anyone to do anything.
We ask, “Where does this align with some of their current objectives?” For instance, in hospitality, companies provide paper hangers that you can put on your door that say, “Please don’t clean my room” so that you can help save water and do your part. More and more visitors are looking for ways to have a less impactful visit or stay. Therefore, we are working with the hospitality industry to educate consumers and fulfill that demand for less impactful travel. Simultaneously, it aids businesses in reducing their costs. We saw an eagerness to participate in these projects because it aligned with business objectives and overall trends.
Louis DeMaso 5:47 Yeah, absolutely. I like that you mentioned bringing all the stakeholders together in a pre-competitive environment, and how they’re not competing with each other, but they’re working to solve larger goals. That’s really what sustainability is about a lot of times, whether it’s on food waste or other topics.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 6:04 Absolutely. It is one of the things that I enjoy the most. I have been pleasantly surprised by the pragmatism of WWF as an organization. Having worked in the private sector before, I appreciate how we can agree on the things that matter. This also applies to competitors. Initially, it can be uncomfortable when they come together, and they will tell us that it is the first time they are doing it. It can be a tough sell internally. However, once you break the ice, you realize that there are shared objectives, and there is no reason not to work with each other. It is wonderful, and it is one of the things I love most about my job.
Louis DeMaso 6:52 Yes, so we have just shifted into this topic. I would love to hear a little bit about the benefits of working for an NGO and how it makes your mission easier as a food loss and waste practitioner.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 7:02 Well, I’m not going to lie, working for the World Wildlife Fund is extremely lucky because it’s well known. When people ask where I work, and I say World Wildlife Fund, many people will remember receiving a gift through one of our programs. This recognition helps build trust. However, what I love about this organization is its rigorous, science-based approach to making a real impact on the planet. We are grounded in the latest research and focus on what’s best for the planet and people. We’ve developed different sustainability standards, such as the Marine Stewardship Council and the Forest Stewardship Council. We know that certain companies won’t agree on everything, but we want to help them move forward. We try to convene different stakeholders and find common ground to move things forward. There are people from a wide range of backgrounds who work for this NGO, including those who came from industry. There are amazing conservationists and scientists, but I appreciate the diversity of thought that we have. This diversity of thought helps us do what we do well.
Louis DeMaso 9:07 Definitely, it sounds like diversity of thought and trust, right from the start with the partners you work with, are super important. You focus on impact and try to have science-based outcomes.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 9:19 Yes, absolutely.
Louis DeMaso 9:21 You mentioned that, as an NGO, you cannot force anyone to do anything. Are there any drawbacks to working from this position in the market?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 9:33 As an NGO, we have limited influence, so we try to work with a wide coalition when working on policy or public-private initiatives. We recognize that many of these initiatives are voluntary and lack enforcement. This is why we work on policy changes as well to have a greater impact on the market as a whole. Some individuals may not prioritize food loss and waste reduction unless it is a requirement. Our approach is to work with partners at the ground level and bring them together to effect larger policy changes.
Louis DeMaso 11:19 Definitely, it sounds like one of the main ways to overcome the drawback of not having those teeth that you mentioned is to bring together a wide coalition of perspectives and try to get as many voices in the room as possible to achieve cross-collaboration.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 11:33 Yes. I mean, when you work at an NGO, one of the drawbacks is that you are resource-constrained. Some listeners might argue that WWE is one of the largest NGOs in the world and therefore not resource-constrained, but personally, I can tell you that we are. We are always fundraising and there is never enough time in the day. If you move from the private sector, you take a significant pay cut, and that is not why you are in this business. There are challenges in being able to prioritize and determine where you can have the most impact and make the biggest difference in a market. This is a reality that people looking to get into this field should be aware of. However, I love what I do, and being uncomfortable is a good thing. I don’t like being so uncomfortable that I wake up in a panic, but I love that this job pushes me outside of my comfort zone and into new challenges. It is an important point to consider.
Louis DeMaso 12:52 Being resource-constrained can sometimes lead to more creative solutions.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 12:57 That’s true. I hate to pivot into sports, but I can say that, from my experiences as a soccer player, some of the best players are the ones who have that drive because they grew up playing in some of the toughest places. So, not to say that’s the same as working at WWF, but there’s something about being a little outside your comfort zone and having those different challenges that keeps you on your toes, which I appreciate.
Louis DeMaso 13:33 Absolutely. I like that. And even though your journey, you’ve had a huge impact. You helped lead a coalition of environmental NGOs to develop a policy action plan for Congress recently, to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030. Is that correct?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 13:48 I was very fortunate to be a part of that and to help manage the process. There were so many amazing people involved who helped drive the project forward and develop ideas. It was truly a coalition, including different NGOs and teams internally. I hate to make it sound like a super Kumbaya moment, but it was shocking how well people were able to collaborate. I was lucky to oversee a lot of it, and my background helped. I come from an eclectic background and have talked to all different kinds of people. I attribute this to my mom, a special ed teacher who taught me empathy and how to be a great listener. I understand people’s needs and look for common ground to keep things moving forward. It was one of the first big projects that I worked on when I joined WWF and it reaffirmed that this is the kind of work I want to do.
Louis DeMaso 15:19 Since we’re talking about it, could you provide a brief background on some of the different types of people you’ve worked with over the years? Also, how has your experience prepared you for working with them?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 15:29 Yeah. You mean, just from my professional background?
Louis DeMaso Yes, that’s right.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza I’m actually from Northern Michigan, which is an agricultural and tourist community. Growing up there, I was surrounded by farms and held jobs in farming and restaurants, interacting with people from all over who came to visit. I studied Business and Spanish in school, and then worked in sustainability consulting at Deloitte. This allowed me to see a variety of industries and business environments, though it wasn’t a long-term fit for me. I then transitioned to tech, specifically Google’s Ann Arbor office, where I was able to learn from a diverse group of individuals with varying backgrounds. Tech was fast-paced and required initiative, which was great for developing project management skills. I worked in the US and Latin America building partnerships and facilitating sales, working with politicians and industrial companies alike. While I appreciated the exposure to different industries and people, I knew sustainability was where I wanted to be long-term. After my daughter was born, I went back to school and earned a Master’s in Environmental Management from Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment. This helped me pivot to my current position at WWF.
Louis DeMaso 18:48 Yes, all of those experiences, working in various industries and across cultural barriers, seem to have developed your skill set in collaboration. It also relates to the approach you described for WWF, bringing different stakeholders together, and bridging those communication gaps effectively.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 19:06 I can’t recall when we last talked about this, but early in my career, I was frustrated because I wanted to work on sustainability right away. However, when I started consulting, it was during the Great Recession and not many companies were interested in sustainability. It was one of the first areas to be cut. Regardless, I still wanted to make an impact through social and environmental work. I knew I wanted to work towards a purpose-driven goal, although I wasn’t sure which topic within sustainability I wanted to focus on. It’s ironic how this led me to where I am now. Even though the door to sustainability was closed at the time, I took a roundabout path, meeting various people and gaining experience in different industries. Now, I can apply those experiences to my sustainability work and hopefully make a greater impact.
Louis DeMaso 19:58 I spoke with a friend last week who is working in energy policy in DC, and he described how he got to where he is today. He knew that he wanted to work in sustainability, but he started working on topics that were somewhat unrelated, such as water projects, to learn the legislative process. The whole point for him was just to learn the skills and related structures that he needed to understand to work in policy. It sounds like you did a similar thing where you picked up skills over time by working in jobs that were adjacent to what you were hoping to do, and eventually narrowed in on what you’re working on now.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 20:34 Yeah, I was forced to be patient and it ended up being very helpful.
Louis DeMaso That’s great. Could you describe a little bit more about how you supported the project that you worked on when you first joined WWF? It sounds really exciting. What kinds of skills did you use to accomplish that?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza I was really just the orchestrator in the sense that there was a need, and we knew there was going to be a change in administration. When policy windows open, you have a chance to advocate for an issue like this. It’s about being opportunistic and willing to jump in. You cannot overthink it or you will wind up in analysis paralysis. I was fortunate enough to have done a lot of policy writing and memo writing at Duke, and I worked with Dow Undersecretary Robert Barney, who was a professor at the time. It was really good experience in both research and writing.
I knew there was agreement among the NGOs we were partnering with about the central ideas of the project, so we were just getting things moving, providing content people can react to, and then ushering along collaboration. I delegated out tasks and asked for help when I had questions. I think one skill to highlight to listeners is that I’m not afraid to ask the “dumb” question that confirms, clarifies, and moves things along. I’ll never be the smartest person in the room, but I’m always willing to learn. Especially when you’re working in so many different fields, you can’t be an expert in all of them. So you just need to be willing to get things moving and know that you’re going to have to get help and delegate out.
Louis DeMaso 22:52 Yeah, and that question that feels dumb is usually one that many people have in their heads. Asking it just brings greater clarity and synchronization for the group.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 23:03 You need to be willing to jump in, ask questions, and roll up your sleeves to get the job done. You should know that it will not be perfect, and you need to be willing to test and iterate. This is a common practice in software development and technology. Instead of waiting for perfection and having a big release, it’s better to start and fix it as you go along. This way, you have a fast feedback loop and can avoid upsetting someone by forgetting something or being off the mark.
Louis DeMaso 24:03 I love how you are utilizing your experience in tech, which many people might consider unrelated, and demonstrating its connection to your current work, because it truly enhances those skills. Would you agree that the capability to quickly learn, comprehend, and consolidate information is a crucial aspect of your job?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 24:22 One thing I want to make sure is clear is that you have to do your research and come prepared with informed questions. It is important to be respectful of people’s time and willing to ask clarifying questions, even if they may seem dumb, in order to learn quickly. Reading everything beforehand and understanding where each person stands is also crucial. This preparation and willingness to step out of your comfort zone will show that you know what you’re talking about and people will be more willing to help. It’s also important to be able to see the big picture and not get hung up on small details. If a point is raised that needs further discussion, it’s important to table it for later and keep the conversation moving forward. This is especially important when dealing with strong personalities and intelligent people. We must always keep the big picture in mind and think about the overall goals.
Louis DeMaso 25:51 It is an important aspect of change management. I asked about the ability to learn and pick things up quickly because it is a common theme that is emerging through my conversations with sustainability professionals. While there are so many differences between sustainability roles, there are also some common threads and similarities. One of those is that, because it is such a fast-moving field, there are always changes and new developments. So, if you are a sustainability professional, you have to be able to keep up with those changes. Really, you just have to be curious and excited about learning new things.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 26:24 Having humility is important too. Like the common expression says, “the more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know.” There is such depth to this field. Climate change can be impossibly complex at times. It’s good to be confident, but it’s also important to acknowledge that you’re not an expert, be a good listener, and try to understand things quickly.
Louis DeMaso 26:57 Definitely. Could you please describe a little bit about what you do at work and talk about your day-to-day work life?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 27:03 You know, my day-to-day schedule involves a lot of external meetings, which I enjoy. This is similar to my previous positions where I met with different partners for public-private partnerships, growers, or producers. I would say that meeting with various partners across different projects is the biggest part of my job. The next significant part is working with my team on internal coordination, preparation, and developing strategies related to projects. Despite my love for travel and attending events, I only spend about 20% of my time doing so as I have two young kids. I wish I could travel more, especially to places like Costa Rica, Colombia, or the West Coast to meet with our partners from past projects. However, I want to be around for my kids, so it works out well. That’s the breakdown of my job for now.
Louis DeMaso 28:16 That’s fair. When you meet with external individuals and internal teams, what kind of work do you discuss? Is it related to data analysis, planning projects, or maybe trying to write new policies?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 28:35 It depends on the project. Currently, we are developing a new tool that growers can use to measure food loss for specialty crops, row crops, or livestock operations. There are many meetings to discuss the strategy for the tool, project management, identifying problems, key objectives that need to be completed by the next milestone, and testing it with large companies and their suppliers. There is a lot of project management involved, but I also get to go in-depth and understand the details. Past consulting jobs I’ve held were very high-level. It was necessary to be a jack of all trades, which is good early in your career to gain experience, but I also enjoy the opportunity to dive into the details. We will test the tools we create at the farm-level and to understand, for example, “Can this work for potato producers in South Africa? What issues will they have?” I get to collect data, review trials, and use that data to create accessible public-facing reports. The report must be easy to understand because everyone is busy and inundated with information. If we want people to use the tool, we must make it easy to understand and use. When we worked together on our project, Louis, you saw that we kept it simple and accessible because we wanted it to lead to tangible results.
Louis DeMaso 30:50 Definitely. It seems like your skill set relies on project management for managing things at a high level, then, understanding the needs of different stakeholders and determining what would make a project successful. There’s also data collection and analysis component involved in proving out a point or idea. And finally, you prepare reports and presentations to communicate the results with people who can implement these changes or make a significant difference.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 31:16 Yes, absolutely. I agree with all of the above. There are two other skills that I would like to highlight. Firstly, knowing how to communicate with people effectively. There can be a lot of back and forth and you can get caught up in technical details. To navigate this, you must be comfortable with jumping on a phone call, Zoom call, or even meeting in person to work through challenges. It’s important to have effective communication skills such as empathy and the ability to find common ground, especially when working with various partners, both public and private. Secondly, it’s important not to take yourself too seriously. No one likes being lectured or browbeaten all day. While the challenges of sustainability are enormous, it’s important to enjoy what you do. Whether it’s working with external partners or your team, it’s important to find a way to enjoy the interactions. Lecturing others is never an effective way to change someone’s mind. So, find your own way to connect with others and enjoy the process.
Louis DeMaso 33:05 There is a significant human element involved in driving change. I appreciate your perspective on the importance of locating common ground. It is vital that a third party intervenes and facilitates a conversation to identify areas of agreement despite potential disagreements.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 33:24 Yes, exactly. You don’t agree on everything, right?
Louis DeMaso 33:28 That’s right. So what does success look like in your role? What are you trying to achieve?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 33:35 It’s not enough to simply say we want to reduce food waste by 2030. Our Northstar is SDG 12.3, which is all about reducing food loss and waste, but practically speaking, I want to shift what’s considered normal in particular markets. I want to change the way we view food waste. It shouldn’t be seen as a sunk cost, something that’s paid to be hauled away, thrown into a landfill or incinerated. Instead, it should be seen as something valuable that can be transformed into new products that people are willing to pay for. My goal is to shift the perspective of larger players so that it has a ripple effect throughout the supply chain. If a large retailer decides to make a change in the way they report and collect data on food loss and waste, this will have a positive impact on suppliers and growers.
When we’re thinking about reducing food waste, we need to consider the impact it has on those who are already overburdened, like farmers. Our society depends on being able to eat healthily, so we need to keep that in mind. Success means implementing something that’s feasible and beneficial for those who ultimately have to implement it. We need to think about the momentum that a market shift can create.
To me, success isn’t about WWF getting its message out there or winning this or that. It’s about creating a coalition that includes the people doing the hard work on the ground. We need to showcase and amplify their perspectives and ideas, not just our own. As an NGO, we need to be sensitive to the concerns of those who are actually doing the work. We can’t forget that they’re the ones who are there all day, every day.
Our approach is to work with partners on the ground, but we also need to connect our work to policy. Whether we’re working with growers, schools, or larger food companies, we’re always looking for ways to demonstrate the need for policy changes that drive systems-level change.
Louis DeMaso 37:34 It is clear that you are very passionate about working with the people who are actively involved in making a difference and helping them achieve their goals to drive change. The goal that you have described for your team is very worthwhile, as it aims to change what is considered normal in the marketplace by reducing food waste. This has helped us to understand exactly what your team is working towards. However, I am still wondering about your role and how it fits into the bigger picture. Are you trying to push for policy changes, implement projects, or create new tools?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 38:15 My job is to manage our program in the US. This involves ensuring that all members of our team, including those who work in hospitality, food service, schools, and farms, are working together towards a common goal. I oversee team project management and strategy development to ensure that we complement each other and look for crossover opportunities. For example, we work with retailers and farms to bridge the gap across the supply chain and look for whole chain projects. This is one of my primary duties.
Zooming out one level further, I also work on policy efforts. I connect all of our individual initiatives to larger potential policy vehicles. This requires me to be opportunistic and look for opportunities at the state or city level, such as standalone bills or larger bills like the farm bill.
Robert Barney, a mentor and professor, once said, “I’m for whatever passes.” This means that we are looking for progress, even if it is incremental. We are trying to make systemic changes, even if we don’t get everything we want.
Louis DeMaso 39:54 Definitely. That’s very interesting. It seems like there’s a high-level strategic component where you’re trying to figure out how the different things that WWF is working on come together to achieve a larger goal and push things forward.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 40:10 Yeah, and I haven’t even mentioned our 100-plus network of offices or all the different teams. It’s a lot to take in, but it’s important to see the big picture and support each other. I really care about my colleagues and I want to help them succeed. Of course, you can’t be everywhere at once, so it’s important to leave work at work, but I’m always trying to think about how everything fits together like a puzzle.
Louis DeMaso You also mentioned that you get to zoom in sometimes and work directly on the projects, which is great. It seems rare for a position to have both a high-level strategy component and the ability to work on the nitty-gritty details.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza That’s why I don’t think I could let go of this. What really rejuvenates me is spending time in the morning writing or getting into the details. When I was in consulting, I wasn’t happy being so high up at the PowerPoint presentation level. I want to be closer to the actual impact and really understand it. Each person has to figure out what drives them. For me, I like to see the big picture, and I’m probably best suited for that. But I don’t want to feel insincere by not truly understanding it, so I need to get down to that level, at least 20% of my time.
Louis DeMaso 41:35 Absolutely! That sounds awesome. Are there any specific education requirements or certifications that you have obtained that are either necessary for the job or have significantly helped you progress?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 41:49 The Duke degree was very helpful, I won’t lie.
Louis DeMaso 41:52 That was the Master’s in environmental management. Right?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 41:55 Yeah, and that’s a broader type of environmental degree which includes a science background as well as focusing on project management or policy-making with an understanding of sustainability from a business perspective. It probably suits me better since I want to work on coalitions and communicate with various industries and individuals. However, I gained specific policy-related skills that I can mention, or at the very least, being around people who I could learn from was just as valuable. Despite waiting ten years between my undergrad and grad school, I still had great connections with professors who gave me mentorship and advice on next steps. Furthermore, having a network of classmates to ask those “dumb questions” was really helpful, and I still use it today.
In the NGO space, obtaining a Master’s degree is seen as the norm, for better or for worse. It’s like a stamp on your passport, which creates an equity issue. I am not saying that I support this, just sharing my observation that, as I tried to network informally with various NGOs I was considering working with, most people had a Master’s degree. Unfortunately, the reality is that grad programs are expensive and time-consuming, and for the longest time, I tried to avoid going back to school. Now, I regret having thought that way though. I really enjoyed going back to school. That’s my honest take on it.
Louis DeMaso 44:05 That’s an important perspective. Thanks for sharing it. So, there’s an access component provided by the Master’s degree that got you in the door at WWF. Are there any other specific ways that the master’s degree has helped you in your current position?
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 44:24 I will be very blunt about access to the network. When considering going to school, one should think about where they ultimately want to live. I knew we were going to live in this area, so I had to consider where the network would be most beneficial. I could have gone to school in Europe or South America, but I knew I wasn’t going to live there. For me, this also aligned well with our family’s plans. This was just a small factor, but it was something I learned.
Other than staying up-to-date with the latest science and trends, and having a network of people to use as a sounding board, I don’t think there are any tangible skill sets gained from attending the school. It was expensive, but it built my confidence and helped me to ‘right size’ my talking points when going out and trying to make a career change. Having that momentum and confidence is invaluable, and I gained it through the network and from working with those people. This was significant for me as a career changer.
Louis DeMaso 45:47 Definitely. Well, Alex, everything you’ve shared with us today is so valuable and interesting. It sounds like you’re really making an impact, and your ability to work on these policy changes and collaborate with various stakeholders is truly inspiring.
Alex Nichols-Vinueza 45:59 Thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity and I’m happy to meet with anyone who has questions. After all, I had a lot of people who were really kind to me and made time to allow me to ask all those dumb questions. So, I’m happy to pay that forward and do the same with anyone. I love that you’re doing this, Lou. Thanks for having me and thanks for creating this podcast.
