From siloes to systems: Collaborative approaches to innovate at scale

You are invited to join Meredith Odgers, CISL's Digital Learning Programme Director and CISL experts to explore how cross-sector collaboration and 'whole of system' thinking can help create the conditions to transform markets. Drawing on examples from market-shaping partnerships, innovation ecosystems and knowledge-sharing networks, the discussion will examine how leaders can break down siloes, build effective coalitions and drive collective action. 

When: 24 September 

Where: Online 

Time: 12:00 UK time 

Speakers 

Dr Martin Porter, Director, CISL Europe 

Martin joined CISL from the European Climate Foundation, where he was working as Europe Group Co-ordinator. He has also led their Industry and Innovation programme and has a long track record of working on industry, environment and sustainability issues prior to taking up that role in 2015. He is also an expert advisor to the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 on climate and resource issues, a representative on the Economic and Social Committee’s Commission on Industrial Change, a member of UCL’s European Institute Advisory Board and a member of the advisory board to the Sustainable Biomass Programme. 

Dr  Sibussio Nkomo, Programme Director, CISL Africa 

Dr Sibusiso Nkomo is Programme Director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership’s (CISL) Africa Programme. In this role, he shapes strategic direction in research, corporate leadership groups in Kenya and South Africa and multilateral engagement across CISL’s work in Africa. Sibusiso also serves as a faculty member on CISL executive education programmes, including the Sustainability Practitioner Programme, Business and Sustainability Programme, and the FSD Africa Climate Finance Leadership Programme. He co-directs the Corporate Affairs Executive Leadership Programme, delivered in partnership with the Wits School of Governance and CISL. Sibusiso brings deep expertise in research and teaching across African governance, public policy, and media. 

Jie Zhou, Head of International Innovation, CISL 

A circular economy expert with a systems-thinking mindset, Jie Zhou brings 15+ years of experience driving sustainability across industries. Jie has been an intrapreneur since she joined Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) in 2021 as a founding Innovation team member, supporting the launch of The Canopy – CISL's incubator and innovation hub. Her work including running accelerator programmes for startups, creating toolkits and training for SMEs to decarbonise, partnering with international organisations to build innovation programmes as well as speaking and building Canopy’s global presence at COPs, WEF Davos, and SLUSH etc. 

Meredith Odgers, Digital Learning Programme Director, CISL 

Meredith’s career spans global strategy and marketing leadership roles from bases in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and now the UK. She’s worked for category leader brands largely in financial services including in mass market B2C cards and loyalty programs, enterprise market data providers, institutional investment, and for niche start-ups and scale-ups in fintech, regtech, and paytech.