TALAR SAHSUVAROGLU
Doha
Summary
SUSTAINABILITY & ENVIRONMENT LEADER
A seasoned, versatile and visionary Sustainability & Environment leader with 20 years of proven technical & strategic expertise delivering complex,
interdisciplinary projects, driving change & implementing pioneering sustainability strategy across the Middle East, North America & Europe.
Trusted strategic partner & thought leader to executive leadership teams, leveraging best practices and an intuitive passion for championing holistic
sustainability through environmental assessments, waste management & tackling climate change through innovation.
Major event experience as Environment & Sustainability Senior Manager for FIFA 2022 World Cup; well-versed in navigating green buildings, waste,
water and carbon. Confident communicator; skilled in driving cross-functional teams, championing high-performance & enabling lasting change. Actively seeking an intellectually stimulating new challenge to capitalise on my expertise and authentic interest in environment & sustainability through
raising awareness, developing technical expertise in teams & implementing sustainability throughout all business lines.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager
FIFA World
01.2013 - Current
- Selected as key member of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup
- Established all phases of the environment & sustainability project, including tournament & legacy planning, an intensive design & construction program, and organising tournament operations
- Provided thought leadership & technical expertise on behalf of the SC for scope, evaluation & overview for sustainability & environmental requirements in design & construction program; led to certification of 8 World Cup stadiums for GSAS Design & Build and GSAS Construction
- Served as Client representative for sustainability & environmental requirements of all packages of the Doha Port Redevelopment Project
- O Included the Sports Marina & Container Park, Grand Terminal, Mina District & Seawater Diving Pool, Garden District and landscaping
- Collaborated fluidly with external stakeholders (FIFA, Q22, Ministries and multiple private & public organizations) for waste, carbon management, renewable energy & sustainable development
- O Instrumental in driving results such as the One Tide Industry Coalition; focused on plastic awareness, collection, reduction, recycling & alternatives
- Increased recycling rate at tournaments in Qatar from almost 0% to ~80% at the FWC; led segregation & recycling projects across all 8 stadiums
- Spearheaded the team responsible for managing the entire sustainability program; concurrently managed 3-6 groups of specialized green and environmental construction consultants & contractors, handling competing deadlines, stakeholders, and client groups with poise
- O Successfully project managed and delivered several stadium design & construction projects ranging between $700M to $1Bn
- Directed a lean, horizontal core environment & sustainability expert team, reporting directly to the Sustainability Executive Director
- O Represented the Client, as the Host Country, leveraging extensive experience in multiple stakeholder management, complex scheduling & project management, and strategic prioritisation, all while representing the Country’s best interest
- O Managed workload & delegated scope effectively via strategic leadership & communications, despite team doubling in size closer to operations
- Championed the ‘Climate Program’ with a view to driving Carbon Neutral status; gained deep experience across inventories, boundaries, mitigation projects, and carbon markets/offsets
- Led Sustainable Procurement drive to minimize waste & identify alternatives to single-use plastic.
Oman Environmental Services Holding Company
01.2012
- Be’ah) – Muscat, Environmental Expert (Secondment)
- Be’ah is responsible for managing municipal, industrial, and healthcare waste in Oman; seconded to provide technical expertise to enable development & implementation of a pioneering new waste management strategy
- Played a pivotal role in developing & implementing the Corporate Strategic Plan for the Waste Management Projects & Environmental
- Department
- Conducted in-depth reviews of Environmental Impact Assessments for a landfill, 2 transfer stations, and a healthcare waste treatment facility
- O Prepared RFPs for the same projects under a design, build, operate and transfer option
- Developed and rolled out a best practice standards documentation library for the department, driving operational efficiency & compliance.
Sustainability & Environmental Specialist
SENES Consultants Limited
01.2009 - 01.2012
- Recruited to provide expert advisory services in Canada & abroad for key interdisciplinary environmental engineering & scientific projects
- Spearheaded ~20 field studies for 4 projects across Guyana, Belize, Oman & Palestine for solid waste management
- O Conducted end-to-end data collection, analysis, technical writing, feasibility assessments, project management & peer review
- Led environmental impact assessments, literature reviews, technical writing & peer review of 3 projects in nuclear energy & 1 in hazardous landfill
- Produced 5 Certificates of Approval (Waste) packages including Design & Operations reports, applications and related documentation
- Evaluated air quality health impact assessments of exposure to outdoor air pollution for 600K+ Hamilton residents and 3M+ City of Toronto residents
- Developed and implemented an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System for a key heap leaching gold mine.
Environmental Scientist
Gartner Lee Limited, AECOM
01.2006 - 01.2009
- Directed and oversaw major Canadian & Middle East projects focused on climate change, environmental assessments & waste management
- Led data analysis, peer review & site assessments for Abu Dhabi Waste Management Strategy for 7 transfer stations & 2 landfills
- Provided expert advice, strategy development & review for Qatar Gas's Greenhouse Gas Baseline Study & Climate Change Strategic Action Plan
- Selected as project manager to lead an environmental review of the Barwa Residential development, Qatar
- Conducted assessment of the baseline human environment component for Ontario Power Generation’s Deep Geological Repository
- Environmental Assessment for radioactive waste near Kincardine, Ontario (Canada).
Education
PhD - Human Geography
McMaster University
MSc - Environmental Management
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania
BSc - Public Health, Environmental Health
American University of Beirut
| GSAS Certified Green Professional | Certificate of Renewable Energy -
University of Toronto
Diploma - Events Management
Josoor Institute
Implementing Sustainable Events Management -
CERTIFICATIONS PMP Certified (renewed until -
2025
Accomplishments
- Spearheaded design & implementation of a best-in-class Environment & Sustainability Program for the design & construction of 8 FWC stadiums
- Seamlessly navigated & obtained over 1000+ environmental permits and green building certifications while ensuring regulatory compliance
- Successfully led the FIFA World Cup (FWC) Waste Segregation Project; resulted in recycling ~80% of tournament waste generated at stadiums
- Led sustainable procurement code development and implemented scope & oversight for major departmental contracts
- Organised, coordinated, and successfully delivered the EdX HBKU Professional Certificate in Sustainability & Major Sport Events
- Instrumental in developing the Corporate Strategic Plan for Be’ah’s Waste Management Projects & Environmental Department.
Certification
Sustainability Management | Project & Programme Management | Green Building Certification | Environmental Compliance & Regulatory Approvals
| Waste Management | Circular Economy | Strategic Leadership | Multiple Stakeholder Management | Low-Carbon Strategies
Additional Information
- SELECTED PRESENTATIONS, PUBLIC SPEAKING & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP , Sustainability Legacy of FIFA World Cup 2022, GORD, 2023. More coverage here Sustainability in Football World Cups, Future Leaders in Football Workshop, Female Edition, Education City. October 31, 2022. More here. Sports and Greenwashing, Media Majlis Panel. The Green Sheen. Northwestern University, August 16, 2022. Available here. Podcast (here) Center for International & Regional Studies, Georgetown University, Qatar - Sustainability at the Qatar World Cup 2022. COP27 – Carbon avoidance, mitigation and offsetting at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt Developed SC program in Professional Certificate in Sustainability & Major Sport Events at EdX. here Qatar Sustainability Week 2021. Sustainability Features of our Stadiums. October 2, 2021. TalkGreen. Msheirib Properties. Available here.
Timeline
Sustainability & Environment Senior Manager
FIFA World
01.2013 - Current
Oman Environmental Services Holding Company
01.2012
Sustainability & Environmental Specialist
SENES Consultants Limited
01.2009 - 01.2012
Environmental Scientist
Gartner Lee Limited, AECOM
01.2006 - 01.2009
PhD - Human Geography
McMaster University
MSc - Environmental Management
Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania
BSc - Public Health, Environmental Health
American University of Beirut
| GSAS Certified Green Professional | Certificate of Renewable Energy -
University of Toronto
Diploma - Events Management
Josoor Institute
Implementing Sustainable Events Management -
CERTIFICATIONS PMP Certified (renewed until -
Sustainability Management | Project & Programme Management | Green Building Certification | Environmental Compliance & Regulatory Approvals
| Waste Management | Circular Economy | Strategic Leadership | Multiple Stakeholder Management | Low-Carbon Strategies
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