Senior Consultant Makes an Impact in the Private Sector

Name: Ashley Whitt (she/her)

PhD: Environmental Science, Deakin University, 2020

What is your current job?

I am a Senior Consultant for Adaptus, located in Melbourne, Australia.

I lead and support environmental, social, and governance (ESG) projects focused on corporate sustainability, climate resilience, decision-support, and nature-based solutions. My role involves research, stakeholder engagement, advisory and strategy, and project management.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

I get to work with an incredible team, all driven to make a real impact. I get to work on a variety of different projects, and I am constantly learning from new experiences.

What is the most important skill you developed or experience you had during your PhD that now helps you in your current position?

Don’t take advice from people who haven’t lived the path you’re exploring. Talk to those who have—then trust yourself.

A professor once told me once that people who left academia could never get back in. Odd thing to say considering all the professors with the limited corner offices and high ranking positions at that university had industry experience.

How did you build the skills necessary for your current role?

I built the skills for my current role by reaching out to potential mentors and consistently engaging with my network about opportunities. Staying open and curious about new career directions helped me grow and discover paths I hadn’t considered before.

How did you find this position? What were the career steps you took to get to where you are now?

I found my current position through my network at an unexpected but perfect time. A former colleague I’d kept in touch with suggested I reach out to my now-employer—and it turned out to be a great fit.

PhD graduate ➡️ Project Coordinator ➡️ Nature-based Solution Officer ➡️ Senior Consultant

If someone is interested in a similar role, what would you recommend they start doing now to prepare?

Be curious and start exploring different areas—you might not know what’s out there until you ask around. Talk to people in roles that interest you, stay open-minded, and follow what genuinely sparks your interest.

Why did you decide to not pursue a career in academia?

I dislike publications that end with 'and management should do X', it's like nails on a caulk board for me. I was tired of the publish or perish culture that was telling others what to do. Few environmental managers have the access (don't get me started on publication pay walls) nor the time to read.

I want to be where the action is at- where the impact is being made. So I joined a global environmental NGO. During my career at that NGO, I kept hearing 'well companies should be doing X', and I knew then it was time to explore a transition where I could be making an impact in the private sector.

What advice do you have for someone getting their PhD and looking to pursue a career outside of academia?

Ask non-academics about project management skill sets and lessons learned.

And for those interested, what was your main area of research?

I researched how coastal wetlands, such as mangroves and saltmarshes, respond to sea-level rise by migrating inland. These ecosystems provide vital services like coastal protection, biodiversity support, and carbon storage, but their ability to adapt is often limited by land use constraints.

I used satellite imagery and spatial analysis to map wetland movement and examined how land tenure and planning frameworks influence their future resilience.

My work supports more effective coastal management and nature-based climate solutions.