UNLEASHING the potential of an early career

UNLEASH, a non-profit organisation with a mission to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is designed to do exactly that. By mobilising young talent in community leadership and innovation, UNLEASH empowers participants to develop social and environmental solutions that make real-world impact.

This year, the Rambøll Foundation has partnered with UNLEASH to bring this talent programme, nurturing the next generation of changemakers through hands on experience, global teamwork, and skills for innovation.

The 2026 theme, “Fostering Urban Resilience,” brings a sharp focus to challenges such as energy in data centres, nature-based solutions, and thermal comfort. Participants from a broad background, including some from Ramboll come together to explore new ways of thinking, unlock creative approaches, and collaborate with peers they might never otherwise meet.

Karry Zhang Kairui, Graduate Landscape Architect from Henning Larsen, Charyssa Lawrence, Environmental Scientist from Impact Assessment and Zheng Hao See, Senior Consultant from Energy, share their experience of taking part.

Although their skill set and backgrounds are distinct, they all share the same passion for sustainability, finding nature-based solutions and building resilience. Each delegate contributes their unique competencies and experiences of working on impactful projects.

Making a difference through everyday work

Our Early Career Professionals are able to make a difference from day one through their involvement in regional projects. Zheng Hao explains:

“The projects I have been working on involve waste to energy and carbon capture, both highly impactful and exciting areas. My role involves exploring new and emerging technologies, supporting early-stage project decision making, and contributing to the transformation and optimisation of waste to energy systems.

“It is exciting to be involved in carbon capture work at a time when it is still emerging in the region and helping clients to take those first few steps in adopting new carbon capture technologies.

“I am also being supported by the business to pursue a Master’s degree and as part of this, I explored the willingness to pay for low carbon from a consumer perspective to help build the commercial understanding needed to better serve the client.”

“Working on projects to achieve a sustainable solution to waste is also something that I truly believe in. Being part of a foundation owned company also means that the work we do gives back to the community, which is deeply meaningful and reinforces long-term sustainability in the business.”

Charyssa Lawrence, shares this view, adding:

“Working for a foundation is one of the most compelling aspects of being part of Ramboll. It means being part of an organization that is not just focused on business success, but also on making meaningful social change in the world.

“Our commitment to giving back to society and driving impactful initiatives is something I deeply value. I love being a part of this effort, as it aligns with my personal values and provides a fulfilling dimension to my professional work.”

A global support network for young talent’s growth

At Ramboll we are committed to nurturing bright young minds. Exposure to opportunities and support from line managers are essential elements of career development. Karry describes the support from his line manager over the last three years:

“I felt that taking part in Unleash would be a good opportunity to be exposed to other landscape architects and talent from elsewhere in the business. My manager supported me with no hesitation, recognising the need for a green associate which is highly related to urban resilience and sustainability.”

Zheng Hao was encouraged to take part in Unleash by his manager, which has provided the opportunity to work on different types of projects on a global scale, alongside European counterparts.

This knowledge exchange is upskilling him and the wider team through sharing best practice:

“We have adopted a competence group approach made up of a group of experts, providing the opportunity to learn from each other and acting as a go to platform that you can reach out to.”

Karry has had a similar experience and has enjoyed collaborating with colleagues from across the world on the application of AI to landscape works and architecture. He has found these insights useful and developed new skills as a result.

Charyssa agrees:

“The best thing about working here is the opportunity to connect with colleagues from all over the world who share the same passion for environmental management. Collaborating on projects that have tangible impacts on the local environment and communities is truly rewarding. This global network and the meaningful work we do together make Ramboll a unique and inspiring place to work.”

Beyond technical competencies

Problem solving and developing new perspectives sits at the core of UNLEASH. This has been welcomed by participants who have valued the opportunity to approach projects through a different lens.

Karry explains: “My team members were landscape architects and engineers, and we all agreed that we didn’t want to focus on what we already did in our daily work. So, we chose to work on social resilience, focusing more on people. This was really refreshing and we also had a lot of fun with it.

Zheng Hao valued the heavy focus on problem framing and ideation, adding: “This is very helpful in consultancy work for drilling down to the small details and identifying fresh perspectives.”

Charyssa sums up how she has benefited from the programme: “Unleash has enriched my professional experience by exposing me to diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and new ways of thinking. It has allowed me to build and learn from a wide network of experts and professionals from different parts of the world, fostering a culture of knowledge-sharing and teamwork.

“These global interactions have not only enhanced my understanding of global issues but also strengthened my ability to contribute effectively to international and domestic projects.”

At the end of the programme, participants leave with new skills, new connections and fresh perspectives. Their continued development is supported through the UNLEASH Innovation Hub, providing access to additional workshops and mentoring.