Staff Spotlight: Matt Scholz Research Associate in General Merchandise
“I was attracted to TSC because it’s a place where powerful groups we don’t often think of as collaborators work on sometimes contentious and politically sensitive issues whose arbitration may affect enormous positive change over the long term.”
What is your role at The Sustainability Consortium (TSC)?
I am a Research Associate and am the lead researcher in the General Merchandise sector working group.
Since you have recently joined TSC, what is one thing you have learned so far that inspires you?
I’m impressed by the diversity of stakeholders. I was attracted to TSC because it’s a place where powerful groups we don’t often think of as collaborators work on sometimes contentious and politically sensitive issues whose arbitration may affect enormous positive change over the long term.
How do you envision your role contributing to the development of TSC over the next 12 months?
I’m on a steep learning curve, but I have a strong analytical skill set with a lot of math and science training that I hope to leverage to provide valuable analysis. I’ve also done a lot of consensus driven work and will try to cultivate good relationships with the members so they feel they’re heard.
What experience from your past will you rely on the most in your new position?
I think I’ve learned how to do good, dispassionate data analysis, even when the data don’t say what I want them to or what I think they should say. I think that will make me an objective researcher for TSC, and I hope that objectivity will be apparent enough to garner the trust of our members and anyone else who looks at our work.
In your words, how is TSC different than other similar initiatives?
I think the fact that we’re handling both environmental and social impacts is a key strength of ours. Also, the diversity of our stakeholders ensures our relevance.
What is one thing that the people at TSC don’t know about you?
That I’ve played electric guitar for a number of rock bands over the years.
