Just the job

Meryl Bushell, BT's chief procurement officer and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) champion for BT Group.

Hi Meryl, you've actually got more than one job haven't you?
That's right. In fact I've got several roles at BT. I'm responsible for all of BT's procurement and supply chain activities around the world, I'm responsible for the company's global property portfolio and I'm BT's corporate and social responsibility champion.

Would you say there's a natural affinity between the roles you have?
Definitely. As chief procurement officer, one of my priorities is to ensure that BT maintains ethical supply chains and that the company's procurement activities are sustainable. The fact that I've been active across a number of CSR aspects for some time and generally quite vocal about some of the key issues almost certainly helped me to become appointed as CSR champion for the business.

What advice would you give to people looking to move into a CSR-related career?
They need to have done their homework. I recently visited some careers fairs on behalf of BT's graduate recruitment programme. The number of people who came up and expressed an interest in working in the CSR field was phenomenal. The competition for jobs must be immense!

To stand out, people interested in the career need to do more than have a romantic vision of doing good. They need to have researched specific subject areas. They need to understand it's not about saying fine words. It's about being able to make difficult decisions and understanding how CSR fits into a business strategy.

Has your outlook on life changed since you've been involved in CSR issues in your career? Have you dumped the 4 x 4 for example?Ha ha, I've never had a 4x4 and I never would! I'm not sure if my role has made me any more aware than I would be anyway. My two children, both at university now have always been my conscience in these matters. I remember when they were about 10 they banned me from buying a certain brand of chocolate when there was an issue about that company using child labour.

What's the most satisfying part of your role as CSR champion?
I think it's fantastic to have a job where you can go home at the end of the day and not only feel you've done a good day's work, but that you've done something that could have a positive impact on society going forward. I know that might sound a little grandiose but BT is such a large organisation. I believe our actions have an impact on CSR in the UK and around the world.