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Leeds School of Business MBA alumna Jenny Gerson is currently the Senior Director of Energy and Environmental Management at Zayo Group Holdings, a company that  Her responsibilities include cost mitigation through energy management and environmental compliance at Zayo’s facilities.

“In my current role, I like that the opportunities are endless and that anything I do has an impact,” Jenny says, “but the challenge is deciding what to focus on. The key is to bite off something small rather than trying to take on more than you can handle. I struggle with trying to do too much at once.”

An additional role that Jenny Gerson has taken on at Zayo is managing the company’s green teams - groups of employees who are passionate about different issues - located in Boulder, Denver and Tulsa offices. These teams have created events and projects for causes such as waste and energy reduction, and this is just one of the many ways Zayo is working to make a difference. 

Careers in Sustainability

For those currently pursuing a similar career path, it is important to remember that persistence is essential to your success.

“If you want to work in sustainability, there may not be positions open, but you can always create one yourself,” Gerson says. “You have to be persistent, gain the trust of your company, and once you show them value, you can move into a full time role as I have.”

Jenny also emphasized the importance of communication skills.

“Communication is key - be able to communicate what sustainability is to a variety of people and convince them that it matters.”

Leeds MBA Experience

When asked about the best part of Leeds’ MBA program, Gerson highlighted the relationships she developed:

“I think the network that it provided both from professors and from my classmates was the most beneficial part of the program” Jenny says.

The network that students build while at Leeds is enduring and extremely valuable as they progress through their careers. Students maintain contact with their peers and professors long after their time at Leeds, continuing to watch each other learn and grow throughout their professional lifetime. 

To learn more about sustainability careers, read our articles on alumi Tim Weiss and Amir Abouzalam. For the latest updates on research, events and CESR articles, sign up for our .