Google EMEA channel head latest to join CRN Tech Impact judging panel

Shortlist to be announced next Wednesday

CRN is delighted to announced that Google EMEA channel head Sylvaine Smith is joining the Tech Impact judging panel ahead of the publication of shortlisted finalists next week.

The awards - which will honour companies leading the way on environmental and social sustainability - have received close to 100 entries in their inaugural year. Visit our Tech Impact hub here to find out more.

Smith - who is responsible for the channel strategy and GTM for Chrome OS in EMEA - joins a judging panel that already includes top executives from HP, Softcat, Tech Data, Computacenter and Jigsaw24, as well as England rugby ace-turned sustainability champion Andy Gomarsall and Support the Goals founder Colin Curtis.

Quickfire Q&A with Sylvaine Smith:

Why did you agree to become a CRN Tech Impact judge?

Whether it be economic, environmental or social, sustainability is such a critical topic today and it's becoming a real urgency... I agreed to be a CRN Tech Impact judge because sustainability represents one of my core personal values and I want to contribute to spreading the word and sharing best practice amongst our industry. The current situation is terrible and we all need to act on it. Every little step a business or an individual can make is part of a journey.

How would you assess the IT channel's record on environmental and social sustainability overall?

The IT channel is more aware of sustainability than ever before and is also implementing plans; hopefully events like this will help accelerate actions as there is still so much to do.

What's the most alarming sustainability-related stat you've heard recently?

There are a lot of alarming data on sustainability but one that strikes me even more is the fact that around 1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction - many within decades - according to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service.

What advice would you have for IT providers looking for quick wins on sustainability?

Join in and listen to all best practices which will be shared during the campaign and the competition… I am sure IT providers will take away many ideas they can easily implement… Here are some personal thoughts: recycling, using filtered water, using renewable energy, using green products, surrounding the offices with plants and trees, creating social gatherings around litter picking, gardening, set up cooking classes where participants need to cook from scratch, set up KPIs within your teams around sustainability... I am also a big fan of social sustainability at work, even more so during these difficult times of the pandemic and here are some thoughts I can share: creating psychological safety, make sure everyone participates in meetings, be inclusive, integrate some fun activities during your meetings, ensure your teams have a work-life balance, have empathy, try to put yourself in the other person's position, listen and be present in the moment...

Have you or your company's outlook towards sustainability changed in the last year?

Google has taken sustainability very seriously since its founding in 1998. Part of our culture after we've hit a milestone is always to ask ourselves "what more can we do?" and this applies to this topic too. So for example in terms of environmental sustainability, after becoming carbon neutral in 2007, we later set a goal to match 100% of our electricity consumption with renewable energy and accomplished that for the first time in 2017. We're proud of the environmental work we've done. Our most recent achievements include:

• Neutralising our legacy carbon footprint, making us carbon neutral for our entire operating history.
• Issuing $5.75 billion in sustainability bonds.
• Achieving a spot on CDP's Climate Change "A List" for the seventh straight year with our CDP Climate Change Response

By 2030, we're aiming to operate on 24/7 carbon-free energy and add 5 GW of carbon-free energy through investments across key manufacturing regions. We're also keenly focused on empowering people and communities to take action. By 2022, we aim to help 1 billion people make more sustainable choices through our products (think bike shares and electric charging stations listed on Google Maps), and by 2030 we plan to help more than 500 cities and local governments reduce a total of 1 gigaton of carbon emissions annually.