Member Story: David Vazquez, Head of Sustainability, London Luton Airport

1. How did you get into CR&S, and why did you choose this profession?

When I was 16, an oil tanker split in two off the coast of my home region in north-west Spain, causing the country’s worst environmental disaster. I joined thousands of volunteers from all around the world cleaning up thick oil from our beaches. 

It was a defining moment - it showed me both how environmental damage can devastate livelihoods, and how powerful we are when we work together to protect our communities and the environment. 

Since then, I’ve worked across sectors and countries, but my “why” has stayed the same: to help shape positive, lasting change.

2.  What makes your sector unique from a CRS perspective?

Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, so the work is high-stakes, highly scrutinised, and full of trade-offs. 

The innovation and technical challenge are only half the job; the other half is change leadership - helping people see the benefits and bringing them with you. I’ve learned that progress beats perfection, and that we need to keep the conversation going without slipping into greenhushing (staying silent for fear of greenwashing).

3.  What do you need to do your job brilliantly?

In my experience, doing this job brilliantly depends on clarity, courage and curiosity. 

• Clarity, because sustainability can feel like ‘everything is urgent’, so you have to simplify complexity into a few choices people can act on. 
• Courage, because you often need to challenge assumptions and translate between the Board, frontline teams and partners, especially under scrutiny. 
• Curiosity, because the best solutions come from asking better questions, listening well, and staying open to different perspectives. 
• As a chess player, I lean on a ‘chess mindset’ too - seeing the whole board, planning a few moves ahead, and adapting quickly as the context shifts.

Ultimately, progress comes from collaboration and innovation - relationships don’t replace performance, but they multiply it, and innovation turns ambition into delivery.

4.  What advice would you give to others on getting into CR&S?

The profession needs different skills, perspectives and lived experience - so don’t worry about fitting a mould. 

• Start with a clear “why” - it carries you when the work gets tough and progress feels slower than you’d like. 
• Put your hand up: volunteer for projects, take on new challenges, and learn by doing - you don’t have to be the ‘sustainability expert’ to make a difference. 
• Keep learning and invest in relationships: this is a fast-evolving discipline, and a strong network and good mentoring will amplify your influence and impact. 

I’d recommend the ICRS mentoring scheme. As an ICRS founding member, I’ve seen it add real value from the start - and I’ve benefited hugely both as a mentee and as a mentor. 

5.  Anything else you’d like to share? 

As an ICRS Board Director, I’m keen that members get real value from the community. If you have ideas on how we can strengthen ICRS and support the profession, please get in touch.