Greg Lawson is managing director of sustainable packaging consultancy Aura.
Bradford-based Aura combines consultancy, strategy and technology to deliver sustainable packaging solutions. Teams working across packaging, sustainability, technology, and retail support businesses to make insight-led decisions using its sustainability solution tool, e-halo.
e-halo powers Aura’s solutions with transparent structural packaging and sustainability data, to help clients optimise packaging, manage compliance and tax liabilities – and reduce environmental impact.
For over 35 years, Lawson has provided consultancy services to shape the global packaging strategies of brands and retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Mondelez, M&S, Tesco, Next, Kingfisher, Sainsbury’s and Target.
Here, he shared his top three influences…
The person that has inspired my working career the most, and why
The people? I was 21, wondering where to go with my career and looking for advice. A chance conversation with a long-time family friend gave me direction, ambition and inspiration. The friend owned a packaging business – and the rest is history! He steered me towards packaging – and specifically learning about the technical elements of the industry – as a career.
He was a great source of advice during pivotal moments, not least when I took the big decision to set up my own business. He was a true entrepreneur and gave me the confidence to go for it, especially after failure. My parents are also a massive source of inspiration: they shaped who I am today. My father instilled the work hard/play hard mantra, balanced with the importance of self-reflection.
My mother taught me the importance of empathy, patience, and the quiet confidence to tackle any problem that comes my way. These skills have helped me time and again, both personally and professionally.
The place that has inspired my working career the most, and why
The place? You could say that Coutts Retail Communications started it all! The company specialised in the design and manufacture of POS, and I was recruited from the packaging division of the business and introduced to the world of marketing, and consumers.
I took to it like a duck to water – I loved the complexity of the sale and the opportunity to build relationships with multiple contacts across an account. This was my first chance to be inventive and creative with my sales approach – it was also my gateway into people management.
The thing that has inspired my working career the most, and why
The things? There are two things that have been inspirational in my career. The first is my relationship and that fact that its my raison d’etre. My wife has been my partner for an incredible two decades of travel, fun and incredible experiences. When our children arrived the inspiration felt the same, only tripled.
The other is business psychology and specifically NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) – yes, honestly! In my mid-twenties I discovered business psychology and with it came the impetus to think deeper around how I interact with clients and colleagues.
As my career developed I held onto my interest in NLP as it gave me an extensive tool kit to develop the people I manage intelligently (and hopefully with empathy). It also helps me to deal with the challenges I face, both in and out of work.
