Isla Valenti

What’s your job title?
Organisational Services Manager

What sort of duties do you have at work?
I have the pleasure of working in the ‘engine room’ within Smart Green Shipping. My role covers a variety of activities, ranging from HR/personnel, Marketing and Comms to External Engagement and Events. An eclectic mix … just the way I like it

What has your career path looked like until now?
I feel very lucky to have amassed a wide range of skills from my career to date, spanning roles in the private and public sector, charitable sector, and from being self-employed

What’s your secret to making progress each day?
Task lists (lots of them) with prioritisation levels and deadlines and ensuring I hold myself accountable to them

What motivates you at work?
The difference I know that I am making through my role at SGS towards the big issue of meeting global shipping emissions reductions targets and, in turn, helping to tackle climate change. Also, my sense of pride at being part of a team that will leave a positive legacy within the shipping sector and beyond

What makes SGS different from other places you’ve worked for?
We are a modest, hardworking, innovative group of individuals with a clear purpose and an unwavering determination to achieve our goals

Who inspires you?
Many people, ranging from individuals directly around me throughout my life so far within my family/friend/education/work circles to individuals featured on tv/in the media who have achieved amazing things and/or overcome adversity

What kind of music do you like?
An eclectic mix that very much depends on how I feel at the time of selecting one of the many, many Spotify playlists!

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
The Personal Librarian by Heather Terrell and Victoria Christopher

What’s your favourite food?
It’s a tie break between Italian and Indian food

Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?
My ‘go to’ hobby is mosaic making using discarded/broken ceramics. I am an eternal crafter

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I either wanted to own a sweetie shop or be a librarian. Both would never have worked out, as I love chocolate too much and would never have been quiet for long enough to work in a library. But both my love of reading and eating chocolate live on to this day!

What’s your favourite thing to do on a weekend?
A walk along a beach/coastal path (windswept or sunny) or spending the day working in the garden followed by cooking, then relaxing with my husband and family/friends over a long lunch or dinner

What’s your favourite season and why?
All four – too greedy?
Summer for the beauty and abundance in the garden from the flowers, plants and vegetables in the garden
Autumn for the harvesting of the crops and making chutney, jam and soup
Winter for crisp weekend walks and cosy nights in planning for the next season of growing
Spring for the glorious anticipation of what’s to come from sowing a multitude of vegetable and flower seeds