Mat Owen, IEMA Member (he/him)
Group Manager Technical & Sustainability, The FreshLinc Group
Mat Owen’s career pivot has taken him in a new sustainability direction
Over two decades, Mat Owen has developed his professional skills working in various roles for The FreshLinc Group. His most recent step has represented something of a career change as he has moved into his first role with a sustainability focus.
Over 20 years ago, Mat started out as a Warehouse Operative for FreshLinc Group before progressing to become a Supervisor, and then Warehouse Manager. In his current position as Group Manager Technical & Sustainability, he is no longer involved in day-to-day operations. Instead, this role is concerned with food safety across the business’s various sites and activities, with Mat responsible for maintaining the BRCGS certifications for the group, and leading food safety related audits. However, the role also has a significant sustainability focus. Mat coordinates how different departments approach sustainability, as well as leading the business’s exploration of new technologies and alternative fuel sources.
The best thing about my job is that no two days are the same…. Making a difference, even a small one, in a sector crucial to the food security of the UK is hugely rewarding.
Mat Owen
Group Manager Technical & Sustainability, The FreshLinc Group
What was your educational / vocational path to where you are now?
To prepare for this new, technical role, I was asked if I wanted to do a Food Science Degree at the nearby National Centre for Food Manufacturing, which is part of the University of Lincoln. I readily agreed and undertook my studies alongside working full-time. I also needed to develop the skillset necessary for a sustainability career journey, so I recently completed my IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management.
What does an average week entail?
Not sure I’ve ever had an average week! I have to split my time between the Food Safety aspects of my job, particularly when audits are due, and sustainability. I am often in meetings or on the phone with people from different companies discussing new technologies, particularly around alternative fuel sources and energy storage solutions.
What are the key responsibilities of your current job?
My main duty is liaising with all departments, fleet, warehouse, and traffic, to ensure compliance with the Group Quality Management System (GMS). I also monitor energy use, and the output from the photovoltaic (PV) array on our Spalding warehouse. Exploring new technologies is a key aspect of the role. For example, we are trialing a prototype – the Ventum Dynamic Wind Turbine, at Spalding, looking at how we could reduce our carbon footprint by replacing old plants with more energy efficient alternatives. I report directly to the Board of Directors on environmental matters across the Group.
What do you like most about your job?
The best thing about my job is that no two days are the same. Working in logistics is challenging when it comes to sustainability, as it is such a fossil fuel dependent sector. However, this in itself means there are huge opportunities; the UK’s GHG emissions from the transport sector are estimated to be over 110 MtCO2e a year so finding a way to reduce emissions across our fleet could help have a huge impact. Making a difference, even a small one, in a sector crucial to the food security of the UK is hugely rewarding. If FreshLinc can lead the way in the decarbonisation of road transport, then there are massive wins available.
How do you see career opportunities developing in this sector?
When I did my IEMA Foundation in Environmental Management Course, if there were nine people in the room, eight of them had the word ‘and’ somewhere in their job title, and generally before ‘sustainability’. I would say this is particularly true of SMEs, where people often must juggle responsibilities within their roles. As organisations continue their sustainability journeys, and external drivers become more and more pressing, hopefully the word ‘and’ will become less prevalent and people will be able to focus exclusively on environmental concerns.
What are the challenges of your job?
With so many innovations on the market, or in development, selecting the right technologies is difficult, to say the least. The potential pathways to decarbonisation could include electric or hydrogen fuel solutions, but which is the right one? This has been likened to the competition between VHS and Betamax technologies in the 80s (for anyone old enough to remember), but I’m not sure the two situations are truly analogous as it isn’t so binary.
Going forward, I believe there will be a blend of the two technologies, with heavy transport going down the hydrogen route and final mile deliveries and private cars potentially going electric, with some crossover between the two.
What are the most immediate challenges facing the manufacturing, procurement and supply chain sector?
The immediate and predominant challenge is the lessening of reliance on fossil fuels, particularly as a fuel source for transport. There are solutions available now for issues like warehouses and refrigeration systems, but less so for transport.
As an organisation we are constantly horizon-scanning and trialing potential solutions and energy saving devices. The issue around transport is huge and will not be solved by any individual organisation. Through membership of trade organisations and groups like SELCAN (South East Lincolnshire Climate Action Network) and talking to government at both local and national levels, FreshLinc is very involved in the wider conversation.
In your career so far, what changes have you seen in attitudes towards and opportunities within sustainability?
When I joined FreshLinc the idea of a sustainability manager within the organisation was unthinkable. Operational aspects and costs would be the major considerations. When looking at fleet and equipment, environmental performance would have been very low down the list, if present at all. Of course, cost and performance are still of great importance when looking at sourcing fleet, but environmental performance is now also of great import. All FreshLinc’s tractor units are Euro 6 specification, we have taken on Eco-Drive power modules and Thermo King Advancer Refrigeration units through the natural replenishment program.
What advice would you give to someone who might be considering a career change to a sustainability role?
I am very much in the foothills of my own sustainability career, and even now, must wear other hats in my day-to-day work life. However, I would say the first step would be to have a passion for all things environmental; you aren’t going to fight your corner effectively if you don’t believe in what you are doing. The second thing is equip yourself with the appropriate skillset, and the IEMA Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management is a very good introduction to how that passion can be turned into something more concrete (sustainably sourced, of course).
