Impact Hired Spotlight #1: Veena Jayadeva of Guardian Life
Veena Jayadeva, Head of Enterprise ESG, Guardian Life
The Impact Hired Spotlight series highlights the stories of impact professionals across industries to demonstrate how people got to where they are. Few folks in sustainability and ESG have linear paths, and through these stories we hope to inform and inspire impact job seekers as they navigate their own career journeys. In this edition, we hear from Veena Jayadeva, Head of Enterprise ESG, Guardian Life.
Why did you pursue a career in impact?
There was never a question about pursuing a career in impact. As the child of immigrants, born and raised in western New York, I grew up visiting my extended family in India throughout my childhood and adolescence — hearing the stories of my family’s humble beginnings and seeing the tremendous disparities and extreme poverty left an imprint that I continue to carry with me today. While my early career focused on international development and microfinance at multilateral institutions in D.C. and nonprofits in India, I learned that there was much work to be done to serve our communities in the US, in my own backyard. I’ve always been aware of my privilege, from my upbringing, educational opportunities, and professional experiences — and that has always driven me to find ways to give back in my career.
Can you talk about some of the challenges you have faced throughout your impact career getting to where you are now?
As a former nonprofit executive, I know firsthand the constraints that community organizations face and the need to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of the scarce resources that are available — from funding to talent. After my first graduate degree, I thought that I would never pursue an MBA or work in the private sector, as I thought they were not meant for those who wanted to pursue an impact career. However, through my experience in my 20s, I realized that both an MBA and working in the private sector could provide me with the tools to be even more effective in the nonprofit and impact sector. Taking a detour to get my MBA at MIT Sloan and working at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) were the best decisions I could’ve made for my impact career. It’s allowed me to leverage my nonprofit experiences and be more effective in sitting on the other side of the “table” in building and leading CSR and ESG programs.
Can you tell us a bit about the skills you use in your current impact job? Where did you learn them?
I’ve never been scared to get my hands dirty, dig into the details and data, and build programs from scratch — and this comes from working in the nonprofit sector, where one must wear many hats at all times — it’s like being at a startup. Also, the ability to build meaningful, lasting relationships across roles, functions, and companies has helped to foster collaborations, partnerships, and innovation — these are also skills learned from my time at nonprofits and from building and leading a CSR function. As we know, impact teams at companies can be notoriously small and not well resourced, so our ability to build effective relationships and bridges across an enterprise is the only way to scale our programs, engage employees, and embed an impact mindset into a culture of a company.
What do you love most about working in an impact career? What do you like least?
As Head of ESG, I love being able to work with so many talented colleagues across different functions in the company and bring us together united around our company‘s purpose. I love building deep relationships with community organizations and trying to find multi-pronged approaches to authentic, effective partnerships. The challenge of working in this type of career is the need to articulate and educate about the business value that impact professionals bring to the table. More than a cost center, we are a value creation center that can bring connection and purpose in a corporate environment.
What advice would you give folks currently struggling to find their way in an impact career?
There’s no one way to get into an impact career — you can start with an internship, a volunteer experience, or a warm introduction or opportunity provided to you by someone not even in your immediate network. I think the key is to keep an open mind and keep your eyes open for opportunities to be of service to others and not compare your journey with others. None of us have a linear path, and there are a million ways to carve out your own path and create a meaningful career.
Anything else you'd like to add?
As they say, comparison is the thief of joy. Don’t be afraid to embrace, and celebrate your own unique journey.
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