Sarah White

When did you realise this was the career path for you?

At first, I just needed to earn money to pay off a credit card bill I had built up from travelling to Australia for six months. Once I was inside the organisation, I carved out a role for myself using my degree experience and artistic flair.

I have always been happy working for SYSTRA, the culture has always been nurturing so I had no desire to leave. I’ve experienced three very different roles over the years which has kept it interesting. Being an adaptable Jack-of-all-trades has also ensured I can successfully turn my hand to many things and support many areas of the business.

Have you got any words of wisdom for someone starting out in a similar role?

Don’t be afraid to try different things, take every opportunity to learn new skills – but always ask for support if you need it.

How does SYSTRA stand out from the rest as a great place to work?

SYSTRA has always had a supportive work environment, but over the last few years this has been formalised with fair policies to cover almost all eventualities. There is a strong focus on health and wellbeing, equality and diversity, and sustainability. There are lots of resources available and events organised to support these pillars which makes colleagues feel welcome and looked after.

With such power in diversity, what unique perspective do you bring to the table?

Now I have my Senior Railcard, I bring a mature perspective to the company. As I am one of the longest serving employees, I also bring a wealth of knowledge of what came before and how we can learn from this.

Where is the place that has inspired you the most?

I travelled to Vancouver on my way back from Australia and I was inspired by their integrated ticketing on all forms of transport in the city. I bought a ticket on a bus which also allowed me to travel on a tram, a train, a ferry and a cable car – that was back in 1987, and before I worked for a transport consultancy.

What does true sustainability really mean to you?

For me it means not buying loads of stuff you don’t need, but instead re-using and recycling. We produce so much waste and a vast quantity of it is totally unnecessary.

What would a green future look like?

Cleaning up the oceans of plastic, planting more trees, producing less waste and fewer cars on the roads.

How do you look after your wellbeing outside of work?

I love cycling. I bought a bike through work using Cyclescheme about seven years ago and was just using it to cycle to the station. But during lockdown when we had an hour a day to go out and exercise, I went out on my bike and discovered all the local country parks and common land. This is something I’ve continued exploring and I’ve even completed the London to Brighton bike ride twice.

If you could spend your lunchbreak with someone you really admire, who would you choose?

I think it would have to be Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has shown such strength of character in impossible circumstances. He had no previous experience of politics apart from playing the President in a TV programme prior to his appointment. He has refused to give up, even in the face of constant challenges.

If you had to pick, which mode of transport would you use for the rest of your life?

I will keep cycling as long as I can – at least until I get my free bus pass.