Introducing Chemistry Australia’s emerging leaders

Last year, we established the Emerging Leaders Advisory Council (ELAC) to support the professional development of our industry’s #futureleaders and advise the Chemistry Australia Board on future strategic opportunities for the growth and sustainability of our industry.?

18 people were selected to be part of the first ELAC and, over the next few months, we’ll profile each of our emerging leaders and their professional experience to celebrate the wealth of talent within our industry.

We’re beginning our series of professional profiles with ELAC member Stephanie Thoo , General Manager Innovation & Sustainability at Pro-Pac Group:

Striving to find solutions to some of the world’s biggest sustainability challenges by day and a contemporary ballet dancer after work, Stephanie Thoo is the General Manager Innovation & Sustainability?for the Pro-Pac Group.

Stephanie has spent her career in innovation consulting, start-ups and social enterprise.

Her career has been fueled by an unwavering passion for empowering individuals, whether they be entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs, to create change.

Driven by the power of collective effort, Stephanie takes pride in uncovering people’s unrealised creative and problem-solving ability to solve some of our greatest environmental and social challenges.

Today, Stephanie leads Pro-Pac’s innovation and sustainability agenda.

?What are you most passionate about in your working life?

I’m most passionate about helping people realise their ability to affect change. A lot of people doubt their creativity and their potential for impact, however when given the right tools and environment, they often surprise themselves at what they can create and achieve.

What do you believe are the most important qualities of an emerging leader in your industry?

Three qualities I admire in an emerging leader are listening, empathy and resilience.

The ability to listen deeply to your peers, team members, customers, stakeholders and the wider societal environment is critical in an increasingly complex and fast-paced world.

Having empathy to truly understand another’s perspective and motivations is critical for leaders to gain the respect and trust of their teams.

Finally, resilience is a must-have in today’s world, something that has been well tested over the last 2 years. Your team will look to you as a leader to reassure and inspire them in times of trouble. Resilience in these times is critical.

What do you want to be known for??

I’d like to be known for helping to transition large, traditional businesses into progressive, innovative and sustainable enterprises that meet shareholder expectations whilst also addressing some of the world’s biggest sustainability challenges.

What problem would you most like to find a solution to in your industry?

I’d like to bridge the gap that currently exists between customers and consumers wanting and being willing to pay for sustainable solutions. Sustainable packaging solutions are still demanding a significant premium which makes it difficult for customers and consumers to adopt in a scalable way. There’s no easy solutions and it will likely take a combination of consumer awareness and education, technology and process innovation, and policy levers for this to significantly shift. I’d love to be a part of bringing these solutions to life.

What do you do when you’re not working?

Outside of work, I enjoy contemporary ballet. Despite its difficulty, it’s a very calming environment to settle your thoughts and gain perspective.