Meet Suzy
Suzy Giles is the Managing Director of Giles Global Ltd, a sustainability communications strategist, leadership advisor, and communications expert based in Nelson, New Zealand. Throughout her career across the United Kingdom, Italy, The Netherlands and New Zealand, she has helped organisations communicate complex issues with honesty, particularly in the fields of sustainability, climate change, and ESG. Today, she works with leaders and organisations to build credible narratives that inspire trust while mentoring the next generation of communications professionals.
Finding Purpose in Conversations That Matter
Some careers are built through carefully planned milestones. Others emerge through curiosity, unexpected opportunities, and a willingness to embrace change. For Suzy Giles, the journey has been shaped by all three.
Looking back, what stands out is not a pursuit of titles or recognition but a consistent desire to help people understand ideas that truly matter. Whether working in universities, leading international communications teams, advising global organisations, or supporting climate initiatives, she has always been drawn to the power of communication to create understanding and meaningful action.
Her work today reflects years of learning across cultures, industries, and leadership roles. Behind every project lies the same motivation that has quietly guided her career from the very beginning: helping people navigate change with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
From Theatre Stages to Global Classrooms
Suzy’s professional story began in an environment where storytelling was already at the heart of the work. After graduating from university, she joined a theatre in the United Kingdom as a publicity assistant. It was there that she first discovered how thoughtful communication could influence public understanding and build meaningful connections between organisations and their audiences.
The experience introduced her to media relations and public relations, but perhaps more importantly, it taught her that communication is never simply about delivering information. It is about helping people connect with ideas.
Life soon presented a very different opportunity when she moved to Italy to teach English. Although it seemed like a departure from communications, it became an important chapter in her personal and professional growth. Living abroad broadened her perspective and introduced her to education, a sector that would later become central to her career.
Returning to the United Kingdom, she combined her communications expertise with higher education, taking on roles spanning international recruitment, admissions, marketing, and eventually corporate communications leadership. Each position deepened her understanding of how institutions influence society and how effective leadership depends on authentic communication.
Working with international teams also became a defining feature of her career. Leading people from different backgrounds required empathy, curiosity, and adaptability, qualities that would later shape her consulting work around the world.
When Climate Communication Became Personal
While working within higher education, Suzy found herself increasingly surrounded by one of the defining issues of our time.
At the University of East Anglia, climate science was a flagship area of research. Surrounded by researchers studying global warming and its long term implications, she developed not only an appreciation for the science itself but also an understanding of how difficult it can be to communicate complex environmental issues in ways that people genuinely understand.
That experience naturally led her into sustainability communications.
Joining ERM, the world’s largest sustainability consultancy, marked an important turning point. For the first time, she watched years of scientific research translate into practical action as global organisations worked to reduce emissions and rethink their operations.
Her role was not simply to communicate achievements. It was to help organisations tell truthful stories about difficult transitions while avoiding exaggerated claims or misleading narratives.
As she explains,
“The work myself and my team did was to help those organisations communicate this journey, authentically and without greenwashing.”
This commitment to honesty continues to define her work today. In a world increasingly affected by misinformation and public scepticism, she believes trust can only be earned through transparency, ethical decision making, and genuine accountability.
Leading Change Across Borders
Few people spend their careers adapting to as many different environments as Suzy has.
Having lived and worked in four countries, she understands that every move brings unfamiliar challenges alongside exciting opportunities. Each new culture introduces different expectations, leadership styles, and ways of thinking.
Rather than viewing change as disruption, she has learned to approach it with openness and curiosity.
Those experiences have strengthened her ability to lead organisational change because she understands the emotions people experience when familiar ways of working begin to shift. Resistance is often rooted in uncertainty rather than unwillingness.
Her leadership philosophy reflects that understanding. People are far more likely to embrace change when they can clearly see where they belong within it.
This people centred approach has also shaped the teams she has built throughout her career. Watching individuals discover confidence, develop new skills, and thrive professionally has become one of her greatest measures of success.
Rather than focusing solely on organisational outcomes, she values the quieter transformations that happen within people themselves.
Building a Stronger Voice for Sustainability
As sustainability became increasingly important across industries, Suzy recognised another challenge.
Many communications professionals wanted to contribute meaningfully but lacked practical guidance for navigating an increasingly technical and fast changing field.
At ERM, she helped establish an ESG communications function that has since grown into a thriving communications and marketing agency within the organisation. Building that foundation required strategic thinking, collaboration, and the confidence to create something entirely new.
Her passion for supporting communicators also inspired another significant milestone.
In October 2026, her first book, Sustainability Communications: A Practitioner’s Guide, will be published by Routledge. Bringing together contributions from respected leaders across the profession, the book explores topics including climate narratives, ESG crises, artificial intelligence, social performance, greenwashing, and misinformation.
Rather than presenting sustainability as a simple communications exercise, it provides practical guidance for professionals working through complex ethical and strategic questions.
The publication reflects years of accumulated knowledge but also demonstrates her belief that expertise becomes more valuable when it is shared generously with others.
Creating Hope Through Global Collaboration
One of the defining moments of Suzy’s career has come through her role as Chair of the United Nations Development Programme and ICCO Climate Communications Taskforce.
Working alongside communications professionals from around the world, she helped support the launch of the WeatherKids campaign across ninety two countries.
The campaign invited children to present television weather forecasts, encouraging audiences to think about climate change through the lens of future generations. Instead of relying on fear, it focused on hope, possibility, and collective responsibility.
Its global success demonstrated that powerful communication does not always depend on louder messages. Sometimes the most meaningful stories are the ones that remind people why positive action is worth taking.
Today, her work continues to evolve as she explores more equitable climate narratives, particularly across the Global Majority. She believes climate communication has too often been viewed primarily through perspectives from wealthier nations, leaving many important voices unheard.
By encouraging more inclusive storytelling, she hopes future conversations about sustainability will better reflect the realities and contributions of communities around the world.
Success Measured Through Others
Ask Suzy how she defines success today, and her answer is noticeably different from what it may have been earlier in her career.
Professional achievements certainly matter, but lasting satisfaction comes from seeing others discover opportunities they never believed possible.
Whether mentoring early career professionals, helping colleagues develop confidence, or supporting organisations through periods of transformation, she finds the greatest fulfilment in watching others grow.
As she reflects,
“Now it’s about having pride in seeing others succeed.”
That perspective has become even more meaningful as she continues mentoring communications professionals while contributing to global conversations about ethics, misinformation, and responsible leadership.
Looking Ahead with Curiosity and Optimism
Now based in Nelson, New Zealand, Suzy is entering another chapter of growth.
She is expanding her work throughout the Asia Pacific region while continuing international collaborations through the United Nations Development Programme and ICCO. Her focus increasingly includes misinformation, equitable climate narratives, and supporting communicators as they navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
Away from work, the natural beauty surrounding her home provides both perspective and motivation. Living near the sea and mountains reminds her daily why protecting the environment matters, not only for future generations but also for the communities who depend on it today.
That optimism remains central to everything she does. Even when progress feels slow, she believes meaningful change is built through consistent, thoughtful effort and through people who are willing to communicate honestly.
Suzy’s journey demonstrates that leadership is not defined by speaking the loudest or seeking attention. It is found in listening carefully, communicating with integrity, and helping others understand challenges that affect us all. In a world where trust has become increasingly valuable, her work reminds us that the most powerful stories are those rooted in truth, empathy, and hope.
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