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Q&A Nov 25, 2022

Rise Up for BeyondZero: A Q&A with Shane Durdin

In this Q&A, we connected with Vice President Global Health, Safety and Environment Shane Durdin, in connection to our BeyondZero program’s 15-year anniversary.

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Q&A with Shane Durdin Jacobs Vice President Global Health, Safety and Environment

BeyondZero® is our approach to the health, safety and security of our people, the protection of the environment and the resilience of Jacobs. BeyondZero is so much more than a typical safety program. It’s helped us recognize and emphasize our whole selves, clearing the way for safety that encompasses the physical and emotional alongside the courage to raise our hands, speak up and stand down to create our Culture of Caring.

This year, BeyondZero is marking the 15-year anniversary of its launch – creating an opportunity for each of us to make an immediate and enduring commitment to contribute to our culture of work that’s healthy, safe and secure for our people and our planet. 

In celebration, we’re talking with some of the team members leading the efforts to extend BeyondZero beyond where we work and into our daily lives, so we’re able to create a safer and healthier future for our families and our communities.

In this feature, we’re talking with Shane Durdin, who is our Vice President Global Health, Safety and Environment.

Hi, Shane. You’re one of the sponsors of BeyondZero. What does BeyondZero mean to you?

Personally, BeyondZero is a deep belief that informs my behaviors and actions to ensure that whatever I do at work or in life has a positive impact on myself, those around me and the environment. At the heart of BeyondZero is the strong sense of care for self, others and our planet.

How do you see BeyondZero supporting our strategy to boldly move the company forward?

BeyondZero is an anchor point and foundation to our culture, and therefore one of the enablers that our people can leverage to boldly move the company forward. By creating an environment where people feel, and are safe and secure, both physically and mentally it supports our ability to unleash their full potential to deliver on our strategy.

What makes you most proud about our progress over the last 15 years?

I’m deeply proud of how the evolution of Jacobs’ Culture of Caring has permeated into every part of our business beyond just the safety of our people while at work. Our culture now is felt by not only our people but across a wide range of stakeholder groups and our reputation has grown because of that progress.    

How does BeyondZero influence your day-to-day actions as a leader?

BeyondZero is both my baseline principle for decision making and my measuring stick for reflection when it comes to not only ensuring the health, safety and security of myself and those around me, or the environment I am in, but also as to whether those day-to-day actions are having a positive impact. BeyondZero is only one of many influences in my leadership toolkit, but at its core, if I just genuinely care about people and the environment, it positively influences the day-to-day actions I take as a leader.

“BeyondZero is only one of many influences in my leadership toolkit, but at its core, if I just genuinely care about people and the environment, it positively influences the day-to-day actions I take as a leader. ”

Shane Durdin

Shane Durdin

Jacobs Vice President Global Health, Safety and Environment

At Jacobs, we start each meeting with a “Culture of Caring moment,” expanding traditional safety moments to encompass more tenets of Jacobs’ culture such as mental health, emotional wellbeing, professional development and inclusion and diversity. Can you share a Culture of Caring moment that’s stuck with you?

Recently I led a Culture of Caring moment which focused on the power of connection when coupled to caring and capability. Meeting participants were asked to consider their close relationships with family and friends and rate their level of connection. They were then asked to identify a lower rated connection and send a simple text message expressing their care and why. One of the meeting participants shared with me after that meeting the power of that simple moment, when they reached out to a sibling who they have a strained relationship with they received a positive response in return. For them it was an emotional and powerful moment because they were able to share something which they thought difficult, and in doing so helped their emotional and social wellbeing, and helped alleviate something that had been dwelling on them.

What’s one outcome you hope employees take away from the Rise Up for BeyondZero movement?

We can all make improvements on the way that we do things, and the one outcome I hope that our people can take away is to recognize something that needs to change to enhance their health, safety, security or the environment, and take action even if it’s having the courage to speak up for the betterment of themselves, because we will have their back.

What does the future of BeyondZero look like?

The future BeyondZero will see that we have truly unleashed and harnessed the power of our people as a collective approach to health, safety, security and environmental management and the resilience of Jacobs, but further continues into the total wellbeing of themselves and the communities and environments that they live in.

What do you enjoy most about being part of #OurJacobs?

We genuinely care about everything we do and our planet. We are a collection of like-minded people from all walks of life who have come together in one place with a share purpose to make a difference to our tomorrow. It’s a beautiful thing I get to witness on a daily basis.

About the interviewee

Shane Durdin

Shane Durdin leads our HSE Center of Excellence and is based in Brisbane, Australia. Shane is one of the global executive sponsors for our Veteran employee network group, Co-Chair of our BeyondZero Executive Steering Committee, and Jacobs’ Mental Health Steering Committee. He has been with Jacobs for over 10 years, and came via the SKM acquisition.  When he’s not working he enjoys down time with family, but is a fitness enthusiast and can be found in a gym; however, equally enjoys a long walk every day with his wife. 

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