Faces of Deloitte Advisory: Why we do what we do
Meet John O’Brien
Faces of Deloitte Advisory is a series of true stories that explore the personal history of our professionals, highlighting key experiences that defined their values and explaining why they do what they do. In this story, John tells how working on an oil rig and trekking in the Himalayas led him on a path to help make “the world richer in many ways.”
“I’ve discovered that many well-meaning environmentalists don’t have a commercial bone in their body. Their pitch is to save the world. This motivates a few. But to scale and get the investment to the levels required, it is critical to make the proposition financially sustainable.”
One year out of college with an engineering degree, the planet was waking up to climate change, but John O’Brien was sleeping in. He hadn’t set his career out on a particularly strong trajectory.
“Rugby, beer, and failing in romance were my priorities in 1992,” John says, “and, oh yeah, making money.” A phobia of conformity and wearing suits drives John to both the North Sea and Syria for what he calls his “grad job”—long shifts drilling oil with a bunch of hard-living roughnecks feeding their passion for money and adventure.
“Three days on a rig, two days on base, three days on another rig, average shift 36 hours. One time it was 53,” John recalls. Painful work. But comfort came with the knowledge of the money he was making.
“I was making twice the money of my mates from Uni who had become very sensible accountants, lawyers, and investment bankers in London wearing suits.” To escape to a world away from a gritty oil rig, John retreats by consuming historical novels. And then escapes even further.
On a holiday away from the oil rigs, John looked up his sister who was living in Katmandu and flies there with another sister to trek in the Himalayas.
For 8 days, they follow the Panch Pokhari Trail to the east of Katmandu and John listens to classic rock on his portable audio player and shares stories around the campfire with his sisters; but it’s the people he meets along the way that baffles and touches him. They’re kind and content. He can’t quite figure out how they live in poverty with such full smiles.
On the final morning of the trek, John climbs a rock in the middle of a river to take it all in.
Sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive.
Let us advise you on achieving a financially sound, sustainable future.“The contrast of the poor but largely content people in the hill villages with the rich, unhappy people on the oil rigs had a big impact on me,” John says. “It was a transitional moment. It helped me start to focus on making the world not just richer, but richer in every way.”
In 1997, John and his wife were living in a one-bedroom flat in London, both bored with their jobs, when adventure called again—this time in Australia. John took a new role as a senior structural engineer.
Still uncertain of a life direction, he met with a career counselor who did psychometric testing on him. “I left the building telling myself I was going to be an environmental entrepreneur,” John says. “Even though I had no idea what that meant, I liked the way the words sounded together.” Looking into his family’s past, maybe it shouldn’t have been surprising.
“I had a great auntie who was a legendary Irish suffragette, a grandfather who worked for Ireland’s first independent government, an uncle who played professional rugby, and a mother who was a radio operator in World War II. With such a family legacy, I always felt the freedom to be different and push boundaries.
For the next decade, John worked in a number of roles where he tried to find ways to advance climate change solutions, but the jobs were not satisfying. In 2007, John accepted a job offer to lead one of Australia’s first renewable energy funds.
But on the first day of his new job, his boss told him, “Sorry, our funding is gone.”
It was absolutely a nightmare,” John says. “My wife, a lawyer, couldn’t work because of a medical condition; we had two kids; and suddenly I have no job.”
The nightmare forced John to define his dream. That night at the dining room table, he wrote a job description for Environmental Entrepreneur, 10 years after the title had occurred to him. This time he knew he would give it a go.
In leading climate change, John believes an environmental entrepreneur should focus on profitability and language. All while realizing that this approach can also create sustained growth for companies and more importantly our planet. “I’ve discovered that many well-meaning environmentalists don’t have a commercial bone in their body. Their pitch is to save the world. This motivates a few. But to scale and get the investment to the levels required, it is critical to make the proposition financially sustainable.”
John has discovered that language is critical in leading change. “There are enough technology, finance, and regulatory measures to fight climate change; it’s not hard in principle,” John says. “The real challenge is how you lead change. It needs to be understood that change is largely driven through language and psychology. People are attracted to a cause through hearing stories of a better future rather than being told how the world is going to end.”
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Explore how climate action can create sustainable opportunities.Drawing from experience, John believes a shared story is the best way to crumble the silos in which so many work.
“An environmental entrepreneur works to interpret different worlds. Technologists, engineers, financiers, and politicians - they all think they use the same language, but often entirely misinterpret what each other are saying. We work better when we share a story.”
In July 2007, less than a month after losing his job, he created his boutique consulting company, Australian CleanTech. Using his gifts for leading collaboration, he developed networks, first in the city of Adelaide, then across 5 major cities in Australia. He conducted more than 100 CleanTech pitching and network events, which attracted more than 10,000 people.
By the time of the Paris Climate Accords in 2015, CleanTech was known as a leader in Australia and Asia in sustainability strategy—and John was growing frustrated.
“Companies were realizing how serious climate change might be and they were starting doing something about it,” John says. “They were coming to CleanTech for some initial advice; but then they would often go to a larger, branded consultancy firm to do the work.”
Winging a beer in Melbourne, John expresses his frustration to a mate of his, who worked for Deloitte. “My friend looked at me and said, ‘Why don’t you come join us at Deloitte?’”
John’s first reaction was not positive. “No way, I have my own consulting business, and I don’t want to just conform into a larger, branded company!”
But after a couple of years, John reconsiders. “I knew I could achieve so much more with all that Deloitte brings to the table.” And in May, 2018, John became a Deloitte Australia Partner in the Energy, Climate & Sustainability practice.
Providing John resources, access, collaboration, specialists, and brand, the opportunity helped transform John’s ideas into cutting edge results on a much greater scale.
“Deloitte Australia’s climate practice was now working for US and global clients helping shape decisions at the top of the house,” John says. “That’s big.”
While working at Deloitte Australia, John helped create change, including:
In September 2023, John accepted a new role with Deloitte taking him to the United States. And yet another move around the world for an Irish guy who still has wanderlust for the planet he loves.
“Moving to New York City, I delight in a new world of possibility to explore. I looked forward to the new adventure.”
Get in touch
John O’Brien
Managing Director | Deloitte & Touche LLP
John is a managing director for Deloitte & Touche LLP and has 30 years’ experience in the global clean energy and clean technology sectors and works on decarbonization strategies for companies, governments, and financiers. Based in New York, he works extensively with global clients on helping them translate decarbonization ambitions into practical financial and strategic actions. John is widely published with his most recent book, Stories from 2030, launched at COP26 in Glasgow and setting out practical steps of what is likely to happen locally and globally over the next decade.
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