How are PFAS affecting your work and our world? Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are a large class of long-lasting, synthetic chemicals used extensively in industrial and household products. Many PFAS don’t degrade readily on their own, and some are highly mobile in the environment. They can be found worldwide in water, soil, air, plants, animals and even our bloodstreams. We’re still uncovering the full impact of these chemicals on the health of humans and our environment, but here’s what is clear: it’s a complex challenge at scale to remediate these so-called “forever” chemicals. Our guests are defining the solutions for clients and the industry: Sharon Minchak, Global Solutions Director for Remediation and Regeneration at Jacobs, and Dr. Russell Ford, Global Director for Drinking Water & Reuse Solutions at Jacobs.

Transformation has become an over-used buzzword for companies and consultants in the last five years, but the market-proven truth is that companies, and by extension, employees, are now required to be more agile and resilient — and willing to upskill. So, how do large companies manage significant, lasting changes across their operating model during times of transition with organizational performance, innovation and collaboration as priorities? Success is driven by engaged and empowered employees, but it requires the right leadership, corporate culture and silo-busting collaboration. There’s one golden thread that runs through all three: the power of collective purpose. Our guests for this episode: Shelie Gustafson, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Jacobs, and education and leadership development coach Michael Chavez, who is Founder & Managing Director at Broad Vista Partners.

Like most markets and industries globally, the water sector is facing greater and more complex challenges due to climate change, population growth, rising costs and a shortage of incoming talent. The question is: how can water companies deliver the best value for customers by turning these challenges into opportunities for people and places? In this episode, we unpack innovation, core values and close collaboration between Jacobs and Northumbrian Water, which supplies 2.7 million people with water and wastewater services in North East England, and 1.8 million people with water only in Essex and Suffolk. Our inspiring guests for this podcast are Heidi Mottram, CBE, CEO of Northumbrian Water Group, and Kate Kenny, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Buildings & Infrastructure Europe at Jacobs.

How do you build resilient healthcare that benefits patients, health carers and communities? It’s a complex challenge that requires a new approach, one that builds on lessons from the pandemic and introduces evidence-based design, tech-led innovation, cross-sector collaboration and hybrid skill sets. Our guests for this episode are pioneers in these fields: Matthew Holmes, Global Director of Health Infrastructure at Jacobs, and Dr. Diana Anderson, Dochitect and healthcare principal at Jacobs.

The climate emergency is rapidly emerging as one of the biggest global challenges of our time. In response, many organizations have set ambitious sustainability commitments and become focused on doing business more responsibly. Achieving these commitments requires a mindset shift to drive increased employee engagement and adoption, which are vital for long-term success. Organizations are increasingly looking to their employees to do their part to contribute. But if you’ve never worked in sustainability, then where do you begin? In this episode we’ll explore how sustainability can benefit employees and their careers, revealing why sustainability should be embedded into every role and, crucially, how we can do it.

In a world where climate change and ESG are becoming increasingly popular buzzwords and themes for Big Business, how can we ensure that companies truly "walk the talk" on sustainability by taking actions that deliver tangible, impactful results? On this episode of If/When, this question is tackled by Global Solutions Director of Sustainability, Resilience & Climate Response for the Americas Region at Jacobs, Hollie Schmidt, who shares what she's learned in her career around helping organizations move the needle on sustainability and how to avoid pitfalls in their efforts.

On this episode of If/When, Jacobs Vice President and Market Strategist of Global Program Management Jilma Jimenez shares her insights on the factors putting pressure on supply chains today and the strategies that organizations can take to minimize their risks, as well as some examples of emerging technology useful in addressing supply chain challenges in the construction industry.

On this episode, Marc DeSchamp, program manager and a leader in the Transportation Decarbonization practice at Jacobs, shared his insights on trends we’re seeing in green transportation, including some of the challenges that municipalities face when deploying a green transportation program, as well as the opportunities and technologies that are helping to make more sustainable and environmentally-friendly public transportation a reality.

On this episode of If/When, Dr. Peggy Whitson, Axiom Space’s Director of Human Spaceflight, discusses the future of human spaceflight and the role that privatized, commercial endeavors will play to help us push the frontiers of human space exploration. Before joining Axiom Space, she enjoyed a storied 37-year career as a NASA astronaut and scientist. Among her accomplishments, Dr. Whitson was the first female commander of the ISS and has flown three long-duration missions to the ISS, has conducted 10 spacewalks and has spent more cumulative time in space than any woman in the world. Upon joining Axiom Space, she commanded the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2), becoming the first female commander of a commercial spaceflight mission to the ISS.

Forty-five years ago, a crew began working on a film with a modest budget, under the helm of a director making only his second picture and starring a cast of very talented and accomplished actors who were yet largely unknown. The filmmakers themselves acknowledge it was by all accounts a B movie, but by virtue of emotionally compelling performances, a well-crafted story and visuals that were out of this world, they created a stunning experience that literally exploded into a lasting cultural phenomenon. On this episode of If/When, we sat down with two of the legendary cast members of ALIEN – Tom Skerritt, who played the role of Captain Dallas, and Veronica Cartwright, who played the ship’s navigator, Lambert.

On this episode of If/When, we explored intelligent O&M with two experts from Jacobs - Digital OneWater Strategic Growth Lead Dr. Jennifer Baldwin and Joshua Registe, data scientist and environmental engineer. We discussed the concept of “OneWater” and how digital tools enable greater support for water management facilities and professionals, as well as the positive environmental impacts that digitally enabled water operations can achieve.

On this episode of If/When, we discussed the impact of generative AI, with a focus on the legal, creative and user experience impact of the technology. Our guests for this episode are Todd Marks, founder and CEO of Mindgrub Technologies, a digital experience agency, and Darrell Collett, associate general counsel for Jacobs. In his work at Mindgrub, Todd and his team use AI technology to enhance the digital solutions their agency provides to clients, while at Jacobs, Darrell studies and evaluates the intellectual property implications posed by generative AI.