Jaz Rabadia MBE

Winner of the Linklaters’ Pioneering Woman of the Year

Training as a mechanical engineer at university, Jaz’s interest in energy management was sparked by two modules she chose because they sounded easy, which turned out to be the catalyst for her professional purpose, together with her part-time job working on the check outs at her local Sainsbury store. Rejecting her university’s thesis subject suggestion, she researched and wrote about how the branch could save energy and create an effective communications campaign. A piece of work which earned her her first job in energy management in Sainsbury’s head office.

“Sustainability was barely even a thing in those days and it was clear straight away that there was nobody who looked like me, or sounded like me in the rooms that I was in. It was pretty intimidating. But I quickly realised that having worked in a store, my superpower was translating the data from engineering language to everyday language. Because an energy management strategy could only ever be as good as the workforce’s understanding of it. Although I’d fallen into it almost by accident, I thought it was an incredible career and the longer I did it, the more it became my mission to encourage more people, particularly young women, to consider it.

This award has come at a time when I’ve taken a conscious pause from my work – I’m calling it my ‘intentional inhale’. I’ve done 20 years at pace and now I want to map out what the next 20 years will look like. It’s uncomfortable to reflect on your own journey but I’m getting better at sitting with the discomfort. I know it’s going to involve making an impact on people and the planet and not necessarily at the cost of profit. I know I want to help take people on that journey. And I know I want to do that in a way that allows me to give more without sacrificing myself. I’m creating space on my plate. I’ve done the main course, now I’m ready for pudding. For some sweetness in my life.”

Who is the woman who has inspired you?

Her name is Pinky Lilani. She’s an incredible connector of women and she exposed me to women from so many different walks of life who I would never have met otherwise, and opened so many doors for me. Her mantra is ‘lead with kindness and collaboration’ which really informed my leadership style and how I like to be led. She was someone who saw me before I say myself.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Don’t blend in because you were born to stand out. Everybody can be anybody, but how are you going to be a somebody? I would tell myself that my intuition is going to serve me well, and that I shouldn’t doubt the impact I’m going to make, because others will recognise it in me. And lastly, I would say “it’s your emotional intelligence which is going to open far more doors than your academic achievements. However many degrees you have, however many roles on your CV, it’s your ability to connect with people, read people and genuinely care which are going to create opportunities.”

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

I always say my heart is full when my home is full. For me, having company beats a night alone hands down. So it would have to be ‘connection’. Whether it’s my family, my friends, my colleagues, or even my device, I like to be connected all the time.

What about you would it surprise people to know?

I have a huge collection of sneakers. I have out sneakers, out out sneakers, boardroom sneakers, party sneakers, birthday sneakers, everyday sneakers. They’re how I express myself and my individuality. But I’m also at my most productive when I’m comfortable and that starts with the feet.