Getting to know Persefoni: Meet Andy Paterson

1. And you may ask yourself, "Well... how did I get here?" (Tell us your journey?)

I took the road less traveled on my way to working in climate technology. From a young age growing up in Scotland, I had a passion for food. My love of the culinary arts took me into a successful and fulfilling 10-year career working as a chef in restaurants across the UK, France, and Australia. My second passion for climate, environmentalism, and sustainability started developing while I worked in a sustainability-focused restaurant in London. I found myself more interested in food waste and the sustainable procurement of ingredients than in developing menus, training knife skills, or preparing mise en place. I knew that my passion was shifting.

In my mid-20s, with the realization that climate change is humanity's biggest problem, I decided to do something about it. I returned to Scotland to take advantage of our free higher education and studied environmental management. After graduating from university, I worked at a series of animal and environmental conservation NGOs and spent two years writing for an academic journal magazine. During this time, I learned that the private sector is often more effective force at driving change and somewhere I could make the biggest impact, which brought me to Persefoni. I believe my colleagues and I are making a major impact fight against climate change.

2. And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile. (What do you do at Persefoni?)

I am Persefoni’s content creator. I produce and edit various written content, from blogs, white papers, newsletters, and everything in between. I see my role at Persefoni as very similar to what the Persefoni platform does for carbon accounting in that I aim to make the complex seem simple. Starting with what are often complicated topics, we work to communicate them in ways that are accessible and understandable. Whether it is lofty carbon accounting jargon like emissions factors, the most recent update from a carbon accounting standard, or regulations from PCAF, TCFD, or the SEC, it is my job to demystify these topics so they are more easily understood by a wider audience.

3. And you may ask yourself, "Where does that highway go to?" (What are your hopes for your time at Persefoni?)

My hope is to raise awareness of the problems created by climate change, and how carbon accounting enables our clients with a solution. A legitimate starting point for many, one that provides credibility and auditability. All while raising my own environmental knowledge and awareness so that I can become a better steward and communicator of these subjects. Overall, I hope to contribute in whatever way I can to put our product into as many hands as possible, so we can help our clients reach their decarbonization goals for the betterment of humanity. It's crazy to go back and read that, but it's exactly what we are doing.

4. And you may say to yourself, "My God! What have I done?" (Why is Persefoni a great home for you?)

Working at a mission-driven company like Persefoni allows me to follow my passion and live my dream of being an impactful environmentalist. It is the fantastic people at Persefoni that really make me feel at home. We have so many industry-leading minds from a myriad of different backgrounds. Whether it is climate science, design, sustainability, or software engineering, the passion, professionalism, and support shared between workmates makes me excited to start work every morning.

5. And you may find yourself in another part of the world... (Tell us about your life/hobbies away from work?)

I recently relocated with my wife and dog from Scotland to Austin, Texas. I try to make the most of the good weather that was robbed from me, having grown up in Glasgow. (That's a joke.) So when I am not out walking my dog (a Golden Retriever named Hudson) or exploring the amazing cities and national parks America offers, you will find me traveling with my wife to as many far-flung places as possible. If not traveling somewhere, I like to stay active by developing my hot yoga practice, running, or playing soccer and tennis—anything to burn off the many calories I consume while sampling the wares of some of the excellent BBQ spots around Austin.

“Once in a Lifetime" is a series of articles designed to help our customers and partners learn more about Persefoni's truly passionate team. We're not just building award-winning software ... together, we're helping to decarbonize our planet.