We sat down with our Senior Director of Energy and Climate Practice Strategy EMEA Maureen Bray to learn what it’s like working at 3Degrees in Europe, how her career brought her to the work she does today, an inside look into 3Degrees culture, and more.

What brought you to 3Degrees?

Previously, I had been working for about 10 years at a consulting company that worked with international corporations. I was initially attracted to 3Degrees because of the meaningful work, and it seemed to have a great culture. When I joined, I found that the people here are really intellectually curious, inviting, and down to earth, and ultimately it was this culture that drew me to 3Degrees.

What does a day in your life look like?

My day-to-day work is different on a regular basis, so it’s really dynamic. At the moment we’re growing at a great pace in Europe, so I’m helping build our team here and looking for great talent. Aside from building our teams, I talk to clients and figure out how 3Degrees can help them achieve their sustainability goals. I work on developing solutions, crafting projects for consulting engagements, and work on deliverables. We really want to make sure we’re always providing clients with great value, and ultimately give them what they’re looking for.

We work with so many different types of organizations, our solutions are always different and tailored to what that organization needs. Some people are at the start of their journey, and some are very experienced and mature in their climate journey, so we have a huge variety of different customers and types of work we deliver.

Something I really enjoy about my role is the speed at which science changes and guidance is being developed. Our team does a great job of keeping on top of this and making sure we are distilling all this new information into bite-sized, useful, and actionable pieces for our clients. So it’s finding this balance of staying very current but still bringing it back to basics, and that’s really exciting.

How would you describe the culture at 3Degrees?

This is my first time working for a company that’s headquartered in the U.S., and I will say that I was slightly nervous as to what that would mean when I joined, being based in Europe, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised! I find it to be very international already- in the way individuals work and interact and in the type of work that is being done. I never feel that 3Degrees doesn’t recognize the requirements outside of the U.S., and there’s a huge respect for the differences that occur in different regions globally. 3Degrees is very careful and respectful in the way they approach markets, which is great.

In terms of our rapid growth, we’re learning as we go and that’s the best sign I’ve seen so far. There are always going to be teething problems while you’re growing an organization in new regions, but being able assess what’s working and what isn’t, and then taking action to ease any issues and mitigate any problems that we face is great. And it didn’t take that long to mitigate those things and implement measures, so it’s been a good experience so far.

Can you describe a memorable moment you’ve had with your team?

Our teams in Europe have had two large get-togethers. For the first one I was really nervous going in because I didn’t know if the culture I experienced over Zoom was going to be the case when we all got together, but I’m happy to say that it was! It was a great first experience getting everyone in the same room; getting to know each other and how we each work and really building our vision together.

In the second gathering, we had even more people join since the first, and once again there was an ease of communication and we all clicked really well. I guess it’s not specifically a memorable moment, but it’s the great feeling of knowing we have a great team, and while we’re still growing we have amazing individuals that contribute and grow this culture that I feel 3Degrees is really known for.

What are your hobbies outside work?

I’m a mom of two, so my hobbies often revolve around doing things with the children. We really like being outside, walking, and enjoying nature. I have recently developed a love of yoga so I practice yoga in the morning, and 3Degrees’ flexible way of working is great because it allows me to do yoga in the morning when I need to, and I do a little bit of extra time at night to coincide with my American colleagues, so it fits really well within my day.

I’ve also been Highland dancing since I was very young and growing up in Canada, and I continued when I moved to Scotland. Although I’m not competing anymore, I’m a judge for Highland dancing and I’m looking to start teaching as well, and maybe teach my kids when they get older.

What is your work/life balance experience?

There’s nothing that’s all that restrictive. There are a lot of policies in place that definitely add to the culture like the flexible time off which is great. I find that 3Degrees isn’t very prescriptive- you know you have your core working hours and you should be available for your customers and your colleagues, and there is flexibility around that. 3Degrees also has great wellness programs and other ways to support their employees. There’s a monthly contribution towards wellness that you can use towards classes, so I use some of that funding towards my yoga classes. And because of the flexible hours, if I don’t have any meetings I can do things that I want to do during the day and make up for it in the evenings. It’s all about balance and I think 3Degrees really facilitates that and allows employees to take the time that they need to.

What would you say to someone interested at a career at 3Degrees?

When I’m speaking to potential candidates that are interested in joining 3Degrees, we’re always looking for individuals who are purpose-driven, looking to make a difference, and are excited by change and building. We’re building in Europe and we’re going to be building in other geographies globally, and having people that are motivated by being part of something new is very important.

How does your work connect with your personal passions?

I have a personal passion for the environment so there’s a very clear link there. I like to try and put the knowledge I gain through the work that I’m doing into practice as much as possible in my personal life. I’ve made a point to install solar panels, I have air source heat pumps, we’ve moved away from oil, we have battery storage at the house. I’m trying to do the things I can that I’ve learned through the work and consulting I do with my clients as much as possible. I’m also trying to teach my children, making sure that they’re well aware of water conservation and recycling and not using more than we need. There’s a very clear link between my personal life and the passion I have for the environment and the work we do at 3Degrees against climate change.