Leadership Lessons with Martin Wayman, Group Corporate Responsibility Director at FirstGroup

Johnny Goldsmith, Partner at Hanson Search, sat down with Martin Wayman, Group Corporate Responsibility Director at FirstGroup, to explore how he came into sustainability, the qualities that have shaped his career, and what the future holds for the profession as it shifts from impact to compliance and faces growing pressures around delivery.

Why sustainability? What initially drew you to the discipline?

It happened a bit by accident. I’d taken some time out abroad after university and came back knowing I wanted to do something meaningful. In 2006, I ended up interning at UNICEF UK in their corporate partnerships team, which introduced me to what was then called CSR, and I found it genuinely interesting. What struck me was the idea that companies could have a sense of purpose and that became the starting point. I later realised there was also an environmental dimension to it, so I pursued a few internships in that space. What’s kept me in the field is the intellectual challenge. You really have to understand what sustainability means to a particular company and sector, and that’s something I’ve always found stimulating.

What personal attributes have helped you succeed?

Curiosity has been fundamental, being interested in things you don’t yet understand and willing to step outside your comfort zone. That mindset helped me move between consulting and in-house roles. I’d also say empathy. In large organisations it helps to understand what motivates people in other functions, what they care about and how they see the world. If you can speak their language and show how sustainability helps them do their job better, you’ll be far more effective. And finally, recognising that sustainability is just one function among many is crucial. The faster you build relationships across the business, the more likely you are to drive impact.

What qualities do sustainability leaders need in 2025 and beyond?

Resilience is key. There’s a lot of rhetoric right now that can feel overwhelming. It’s important to hold on to why you’re doing the work in the first place. Taking a long-term view helps. I remember Copenhagen in 2009 felt like a real setback, but things rebounded, and I believe they will again. It helps to keep some optimism in your back pocket. And crucially, to be able to articulate the business value of sustainability, not just the environmental or social benefits, but what it means in terms of risk, cost and opportunity. That’s the language the rest of the business understands.

What are the key challenges you’re facing?

At FirstGroup, one of the biggest challenges is delivering on the targets we’ve set. We’ve committed to a 63% reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035 and we made strong early progress, down by around 26%. But recently, things have slowed. Some of the larger decarbonisation initiatives take time and significant investment. We’re now at the stage where delivery is getting harder.

My view is that we shouldn’t rush to revise the targets when the going gets a bit tougher. It’s important to remember why we set them in the first place and the timeframe we’re working toward. Staying the course matters.

How do you see the discipline evolving over the next five years?

I remember people asking over a decade ago whether the ultimate aim of a CSO is to make themselves redundant. I don’t think that’s likely. The field is constantly evolving and it’s unrealistic to expect people in functions like procurement or finance to stay across everything. There will still be a need for sustainability teams to bring it all together – reporting, board engagement and strategy. But what’s changing is how we collaborate across functions. There’s a growing need to embed sustainability into existing business processes. For example, our procurement director saw how sustainability aligned with her goals around supply chain risk and it became part of her team’s annual plan. That kind of integration is becoming the norm.

What advice would you give to those looking to enter the field?

Think carefully before committing to a second degree or masters. It’s not a requirement. I didn’t go down that path and I’ve worked with many successful professionals who didn’t either. There are great courses, the Cambridge Institute comes to mind, but they can be more useful later on, when they’re directly relevant and the investment makes more sense. Read companies’ sustainability reports. Pick a sector, read the reports and you’ll get a good understanding of the key issues, targets and partnerships. That’s how I started, and it helped when I moved into consulting. I’d also recommend looking into organisations like CDP, SBTi and the UN Global Compact. Sign up for their newsletters, attend events and learn how they fit into the sustainability ecosystem. It’s a simple but effective way to build your knowledge early on.

Is sustainability becoming more compliance-led than impact-driven? And what are the implications?

Possibly. There’s no avoiding the proliferation of reporting frameworks and the workload they generate. But I’d highlight two things.

First, materiality. You’re not expected to report on everything. Doing a proper materiality or double materiality assessment helps prioritise what matters most.

Second, these frameworks give us internal credibility. It’s no longer just the sustainability team pushing for change, you can point to regulatory and stakeholder expectations. That helps open doors. But to make it work, you still need to build relationships and translate the frameworks into something meaningful for each part of the business.

Is there enough sustainability representation at board level?

It’s improving, but we’re not there yet. At FirstGroup, we created a Responsible Business Committee, which was a great step. It gave us a dedicated chair and brought non-executive directors into the conversation. That said, it’s still vital to educate the board. Before launching our transition plan, we held a session on the TPT framework and why transition planning matters. That session was incredibly valuable and targeted sessions to educate members are something I’d recommend, especially in such a fast-moving space.

Whether you’re hiring top Sustainability talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.

Johnny Goldsmith leads the Global Sustainability & ESG practice at Hanson Search.

Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through our recruitment, interim and executive search in communications, sustainability, public affairs and policy, digital marketing and sales.