A purposeful career in international development and ESG

Explicit content warning

03/12/25 • 34 min

In this episode, Leah interviews Ashleigh Sheridan, Founder and Managing Director - Ikigai Co, about her career in international development and ESG/Sustainability.

Ashleigh is a thought leader who drives innovation in sustainability and social impact through collaboration. She is grounded in the belief that achieving positive outcomes for people and the planet should not come at a financial cost and that driving financial results must be intrinsically linked to driving positive change for customers and stakeholders, for businesses to thrive.

In this episode Leah and Ash discuss the following:

How Ash first came to be interested in a career in international development
How she came to secure her first role after studying International Development
Ash's unique experiences working in international aid overseas, including her biggest challenges and resilience required to work in this field
Ash's recent work with Reece in corporate social responsibility and social impact roles
What individuals considering a career in this field need to consider

Links to the website that Ash discussed during the episode:

https://www.australianvolunteers.com/ - The Australian Volunteers Program run by DFAT.

https://www.devnetjobs.org/ - This is a great website that advertises international development roles globally. They also send out notifications about public health crises and natural disasters that will require shorter-term support.

https://www.devex.com/jobs/search - Another great website for demonstrating the types of development roles are out there around the world.

Ethical jobs – roles here in Australia for charities and social enterprises that require more conventional skillsets in the international development sector (as a way to transition). They also sometimes advertise CSR roles.

https://www.ikigaico.org/

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Thanks for listening.
www.relaunchme.com.au

In this episode, Leah interviews Ashleigh Sheridan, Founder and Managing Director - Ikigai Co, about her career in international development and ESG/Sustainability.

In this episode Leah and Ash discuss the following:

How Ash first came to be interested in a career in international development
How she came to secure her first role after studying International Development
Ash's unique experiences working in international aid overseas, including her biggest challenges and resilience required to work in this field
Ash's recent work with Reece in corporate social responsibility and social impact roles
What individuals considering a career in this field need to consider

Links to the website that Ash discussed during the episode:

https://www.australianvolunteers.com/ - The Australian Volunteers Program run by DFAT.

https://www.devex.com/jobs/search - Another great website for demonstrating the types of development roles are out there around the world.

https://www.ikigaico.org/

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