Green Fix
A Country MD's Path Into Global Sustainability, with Darren Umbers, MD ANZ & Global Head of Sustainability at Performance Health
May 25, 2026
Episode 32
The Green Fix Podcast
Our guest in this episode is Darren Umbers, MD ANZ and Global Head of Sustainability and ESG at Performance Health.
We loved hearing about how Darren's path into ESG wasn't a straight line. He trained as a biomedical scientist, spent years on the commercial side of healthcare, and decided to come back to sustainability during COVID, when he had the space to realise he could use his influence for good. Now he's leading the climate strategy for a
global business from Australia.
A few highlights you'll hear:
- How the leader of an Australian subsidiary ended up leading global ESG
- A supplier engagement story every sustainability practitioner will recognise: a 25-page supplier survey that got no responses (and how he turned that around!)
- Why climate data has become a condition of trade.
- How to build a climate champions network inside the company.
Whether you're navigating mandatory reporting, leading sustainability inside a multinational, or being handed an ESG remit on top of your existing role, there will be something of interest for you!
Resources
Performance Health: https://www.performancehealth.com
Darren's Recommendations
Good Citizens Eyewear: https://www.goodcitizens.com.au
TEDxMelbourne "The World Doesn't Need More Ideas, It Needs Braver Failures": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVisudE7l8c
Fix the News (formerly Future Crunch): https://fixthenews.com
UK emissions at their lowest in over 150 years (Carbon Brief): https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-emissions-fall-2-4-in-2025-as-coal-hits-400-year-low/
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Dan Leverington
Loreto Gutierrez
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