Career Profile - Sustainability and Environmental Manager
Mac Balacano
Customers are increasingly asking how companies are impacting the environment and it is Mac Balacano’s job to answer these types of inquiries as the Sustainability and Environmental Manager for MTS Allstream.
Environmental sustainability is about companies making responsible choices that reduce their impact on the environment. Mac is responsible for leading MTS Allstream’s sustainability and environmental programs and initiatives. “I love the pace. I am literally never bored at work,” said Balacano. “One day I’m working on expanding our waste and recycling programs, the next on reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.”
In 2014, MTS launched their Wireless Device Recycling program that is expected to raise thousands of dollars annually for its youth investment program, Future First.
It is hard work, but Mac says it is extremely rewarding. “MTS Allstream has received several awards during my tenure so far, including being named one of the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada in 2014 by MacLean’s and Sustainalytics.”
A career in environmental sustainability requires at least a four-year bachelor’s degree. Mac obtained his at the University of Waterloo where he graduated with an Honours Co-op Environmental Studies BA majoring in Environment and Business with a minor in Human Resources Management.
Mac’s advice for students is to push your limits. “Don’t be afraid of making big life-altering changes,” he said. “The best things in life happen outside your comfort zone, and the wealth of knowledge, experience and personal growth that accompanies being immersed in a new setting is astonishing.”
For more information on careers in environmental industries, visit: www.meia.mb.ca
