Climate Change is the Biggest Threat

Forty years since he embarked on the Edinburgh MBA, Rob Woodward (MBA 1981) has worked in business change and transformation, particularly in the media and technology sectors. Following a period as Commercial Director of Channel 4 (2001–2005), Rob was appointed CEO of STV Group plc in 2007 where he led the turnaround of the company and positioned STV as Scotland’s leading commercial digital media company.

Currently Chair of the Met Office, Rob is also Chair of Two Rivers Media Ltd, an independent production company; Chair of the listed technology company Blancco plc; Chair of Ebiquity plc; as well as Chair of Court at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Looking back on his career, Rob reflects on what has changed the most and what he views as the opportunities for the future, both from a professional and personal perspective.

"It’s fair to say, without sounding like a dinosaur, my career started just at the point of a technological revolution. While at university in the late 1970s, we used overnight batch processing on a shared IBM 360 mainframe with the commands input by punched cards. One card out of place and your programme simply didn’t run, but you didn’t know until the next day!

"Technology really has changed the world. Everything is a lot more immediate. We have access to data in real time and the speed of processing is mind-blowing and continuing to get faster. Supply chains are shorter and more dynamic. Consumers expect brands to adapt more quickly and the cycle of expectation has never changed so quickly. In media, consumers expect a personal relationship with content driven off social media connections with a blurring between reality and fiction.

"I definitely believe that technology will continue to be the biggest driver of change. Consumers will live in a world of augmented reality where the personalisation of content and your participation with content will merge. Data pipes will become almost infinite in the capacity they offer. Cloud-based processing will become the norm and quantum computing, which is just around the corner, will enable a further step change in processing power.

"Climate change is the biggest threat not just to the sectors I’m involved in but also to humanity itself. Business needs to step up to the plate and take more responsibility for the catastrophic damage that we continue to inflict on our planet otherwise we jeopardise the viability of future generations. Governments will ultimately not provide the solutions but in my view, consumers will demand businesses to become sustainable in the way they operate. Woe betide any brand who does not have an authentic commitment to tackling climate change. It will be a central expectation of both consumers and staff.

I see honesty, openness, transparency, belief and dedication at the heart of my approach to business.

"Despite the challenges of climate change, I feel optimistic about the future. We are a resilient race. Generation Y will have a dim view of the environmental catastrophe that our generation has overseen. The folly of the carbon generating predecessors will be acknowledged. Fusion will offer environmentally friendly power and life will thrive but with very different consumer, commercial and environmental values.

"On a more personal level, I see honesty, openness, transparency, belief and dedication at the heart of my approach to business. I also believe in putting something back into society. At STV I was the co-founder, alongside Sir Tom Hunter, of the STV Children’s Appeal. So far we have raised over £24m since it was established which has helped children living in poverty across Scotland. We used the convening power of STV as a force for good.

"I have also loved to build teams of people who collectively have the power to overachieve. I think as a leader taking a chance on young people and developing their talent to the full and achieving beyond expectations is a wonderful legacy. As an event, the turnaround of STV was particularly exhilarating and I am proud that we were able to put STV back on the map as a strong, growing, profitable and relevant company.

"Looking ahead to my own future, I love my current mix of for-profit Chair positions combined with a number of not-for-profit positions aimed at improving the prospects for young people. Chairing the Met Office has given me a particular passion into the impact of climate change and sustainability. In time, when I step down from that role, I want to channel my energy and expertise into working with businesses to ensure that a more responsible approach to sustainability becomes a reality."