Meet Suhas Pala

Tell me a bit about your background. 

Suhas Pala: I’m originally from India, born and raised in Hyderabad. I moved to Germany about six years ago for my master’s degree in advanced manufacturing with a specialization in sustainability management and LCA.  

I did my thesis and internship in the same field at a sustainability consultancy in Berlin. After that, I joined Quantis.

What drew you to a career in sustainability?

SP: What drew me to sustainability is, to some extent, my own personality. I always try to reuse, reduce and recycle. That’s how I’ve been since I was a child.

​What also drew me in is how sustainability relates to manufacturing and all industries. In mechanical engineering, we often design and produce things without knowing what will happen next — how products will be maintained or if they will or can be reused or recycled. While studying sustainability during my master’s, I realized that this is an important part of the cycle that we’re missing. I felt this was a good opportunity for me to align with my personal interests and provide value to businesses.​

I think Quantis is doing an amazing job here, engaging with big industry players across sectors and trying to have the greatest impact possible. It’s very much aligned with my values. I love it here.

I like my colleagues’ spirits too. We have a colleague here in Berlin who is very passionate about yoga, and she offers yoga classes twice a week after work. Having yoga at work after a long Monday is quite relieving and refreshing.

What are some things companies can do to facilitate the transformation of their businesses?

SP: Keep track of what you’re doing — if you don’t measure, you won’t be able to know how to address your impacts and dependencies. Track, measure, set ambitious goals and work with nature and not against it.  

Beyond identifying and understanding their environmental hotspots, companies need to take ambitious action towards lowering their footprint. There are creative solutions that can serve as a win-win for both nature and business (e.g., using recycled materials to lower production costs or placing organic goods at a premium price.) 

What has been your favorite project to date? 

SP: I was recently part of a project where we worked closely with the client to develop a methodology for a Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) compliant tool that calculates the environmental impact for the whole product portfolio at scale. We had to visit factories to collect primary data to model emission factors for some products and activities which was quite fun. This enables the client, who manufactures a huge number of products, to identify their hotpots and take action to lower their footprint. 

What are some things you’ve learned in your role as a sustainability consultant?

SP: I’ve learned how to make decisions and act quickly, as someone who used to get stuck in “analysis paralysis.” Sometimes perfection is the enemy. I’ve tried to overcome that and I’m currently on that journey. Quantis has helped me to develop these skills.  

I’ve also acquired a lot of technical skills here. I had some basics beforehand, through my academic knowledge and background. At Quantis, I learned how all this connects to the business. It’s a great learning curve. 

What advice would you give someone applying to Quantis? 

SP: You don’t have to have all the answers today. 

Initially, I was a bit overwhelmed being surrounded by all these experts. No matter how much you learn, you still keep learning and adapting. At some point, you have to realize that you can’t know everything — and you have to be okay with not knowing everything. Have confidence in yourself. Tackle one problem at a time.  

Any parting words?

SP: I previously worked in India for another consulting firm and it was very hierarchical there. At Quantis it’s relatively flat. While we have  a role architecture to allow for career progression, we still work with a collaborative culure. You’re valued and respected — and treated as an equal even as a junior. You can approach more senior consultants as your equals rather than feeling the need to artificially prove yourself to them.  

We also have offices across Europe, and I really like how open it is. If you’re visiting the city, you can just pop into the office and work from there. People in other offices are always welcoming and friendly. It’s the spirit at Quantis. So far, I’ve only seen the Berlin and Zurich offices, but I plan on visiting more of them so I can meet more Quantisians.