Each year the Sustainability Leaders Awards entries are judged by an esteemed panel of sustainability experts, hand-picked for their specialist knowledge and experience within their own specific field.
Scroll down to check out who will be judging the 2021 entries. The judges will whittle down a shortlist of finalists and decide upon the winners.
Elaine Cohen
Managing director
Beyond Business
Elaine is an expert voice in the field of CSR, sustainability strategy and reporting and the CSR interface with Human Resources Management. Elaine is the founder manager of Beyond Business Ltd (www.b-yond.biz), a specialist CSR Consulting and Sustainability Reporting firm, working with clients on all continents. During Beyond Business’s 12 years of activity, Elaine has personally worked on the preparation of more than 80 published CSR/Sustainability Reports, several strategic CSR processes, social and environmental audits, assurance processes and related services for global clients such as Caesars Entertainment (USA), Nexeo Solutions (USA), Liberty Global (Europe), Mahindra Sanyo Steel (India), Ajinomoto (Japan), Cushman & Wakefield (USA), Strauss Group (Israel), Netafim (Israel), ECI Telecom (Israel) Teva Pharmaceuticals (Israel) and many more. Elaine is the author of three books in the field of sustainability and sustainability reporting, and writes the widely-read CSR Reporting blog. She lectures widely on corporate sustainability and reporting and Sustainable Human Resource Management, is a frequent conference chair and judge in sustainability award programs. Elaine was selected as a Trust Across America 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and tweets as @elainecohen to 18,000 followers.
Nick Turton
External Affairs Director
Energy Institute
Nick Turton is External Affairs Director at the Energy Institute, the chartered professional membership body that brings together expertise for urgent global challenges. He is working to build the professional status of those working in energy and to reinforce the role of evidence and expertise at the heart of the public debate, so that energy, and its critical role in our world, is better understood, managed and valued.
He previously spent more than a decade in Westminster, Whitehall and in consultancy advising government ministers and corporate leaders across the energy sector, dealing with issues as complex and contentious as global climate talks, new nuclear power and home energy bills. He is a board member of the Energy Leadership Panel of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Gudrun Cartwright Environment Director Business in the Community
Gudrun Cartwright is Environment Director at Business in the Community. She is a strong advocate for the ability of business leadership to drive positive change for people and planet. Gudrun leads BITC’s Environment programme focused on ‘smart growth’ - creating prosperity and opportunity through a rapid transition to a resilient, net zero carbon, circular economy that restores the health of water, land and biodiversity in urban and rural areas. Gudrun is passionate about developing collaborative, cross sector projects that deliver a step change at a system level and has established water and circular economy taskforces to enable this work. Since joining BITC in 2008 Gudrun has headed up environmental work across England West, working closely with regional and local stakeholders, led a refresh of the ‘Forces for Change’ research and had a focus on innovation and partnerships. She has an MSc in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development. Prior to working at BITC she worked in the NHS, manufacturing, logistics and retail, supporting innovation and change to improve quality, productivity and customer experiences. Gudrun is available to talk about how business can achieve zero carbon, the circular economy and how businesses can work together to be consider thier environmental impact.
Ryan Jude
Associate
Green Finance Institute
Ryan joined the Green Finance Institute in 2020, having previously worked in investment banking, specialising in power, energy and infrastructure and with a particular focus on renewable energy transactions. He is currently leading the Institute’s Zero Carbon Heating Taskforce, part of its flagship Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings. Ryan joins green finance journalist Helen Avery in hosting the Institute’s Green is the New Finance podcast series.
The Green Finance Institute was launched in 2019, on the Green Finance Taskforce’s recommendation to the UK Government. The Institute brings together global experts and practitioners to co-design sector-specific financial solutions that channel capital towards an inclusive, net-zero carbon and resilient economy. The Institute serves as a vital interface between the UK public and private sectors, unlocking the deployment of capital at pace and scale towards impactful, real-economy green outcomes.
Sarah Mukherjee
CEO
IEMA
Sarah Mukherjee is the CEO of IEMA. She was the BBC's Environment Correspondent for many years, presenting on national and international BBC radio and television news, working – and winning awards - across the world. Since leaving the Corporation, she has had leadership roles in utilities and agriculture. She was a panel member for the National Parks Review and sits on the National Food Strategy Advisory Panel. She is a Trustee of the Woodland Trust and a governor of Harper Adams University.
Sarah has been a Campaign for Real Ale beer judge and a rugby reporter in the past - two activities she still enjoys - and is a runner and yoga addict.
Anya Ledwith
Founder
Eshcon
Anya Ledwith has a mission to make environmental management the business norm. Founder of award-winning consultancy Eshcon, Anya works with a range of sectors, from micros to multinationals, on ISO 14001 EMS, carbon reporting & ESOS energy audits. Being both a consultant and implementer of systems, Anya see both sides & understand the challenges faced, so tailoring advice accordingly. This helps clients embed the environment into core business activities and so gives them the results they are looking for: real improvements & commercial benefits. Reducing risk, promoting efficiency, saving money & winning business: This is Effective Environmental Management.
Anita Longley
Chair
Institute of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability
Anita has over twenty years experience at a senior level in the private and public sector. She is CR professional with particular expertise in sustainability in the energy industry. Anita is currently Chair of the Institute of CR and Sustainability, (ICRS). Launched in June 2014 the ICRS is dedicated to supporting CR and sustainability professionals to be brilliant at all stages of their careers. It recognises, promotes and supports high standards of professional practice. Anita is also a trustee of the Scottish Power Foundation and until recently NED at Secure Meters. As Director of CR at RWE npower for 12 years, Anita established the CR Team and developed the CR strategy for the UK business and for the generation business across Europe. Anita has also participated in a number of charity fund raising activities, including rowing the English Channel and climbing Kilimanjaro.
Mike Thornton OBE
Chief Executive
Energy Saving Trust
Mike Thornton assumed the role of Chief Executive in April 2020. Mike holds a First Class Honours degree in genetics and started out as an academic undertaking research as a PhD student. He went on to work for seven years in the private sector in software development management with what is now Nestle in York, before joining Friends of the Earth Scotland for three years as their Development Co-ordinator. He then became the first Director at LEEP (now Changeworks), a regional NGO working on energy efficiency, transport and recycling.
Mike joined EST as head of the Scottish team in 2002, he worked for many years as Group Director of Operations, leading the delivery of all Energy Saving Trust programmes.
Martin Fry CEng FEI
Chair
Energy Management Standards Committee
Martin Fry has been in the energy management consultancy business for many years. He now plays a major role in international energy management standards, committee chair for the British Standards Institute and heading UK delegations to drafting committee meetings, for example for ISO 50001 on Energy Management and ISO 50002 on Energy Audits.
Martin is a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor at City, University of London, where he is a module leader for the Energy and Environmental Technology and Economics Master’s Degree.
Martin is Hon President of the Energy Services and Technology Association. On ESTA’s behalf he is a member of the Executive Council of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies, PGES.
Mike Pitts
Deputy challenge director
Innovate UK
Mike is the Deputy Challenge Director for Transforming
Construction – the government’s Industrial Strategy
programme linked to the sector deal and managed by
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. He acted
as interim Challenge Director in securing the programme as
part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
Mike was previously Head of Urban Systems at Innovate UK,
covering the priority areas of Urban Living and Smart
Infrastructure. He joined Innovate UK in 2012 to lead on
embedding sustainability across Innovate UK’s strategy. He
has also led Clean and Cool entrepreneur Missions in 2013
to Brazil and 2015 to San Francisco and ran the Resource
Efficiency programme during 2013/14.
Innovate UK
Block 4, Floor 2, Polaris House, North Star Avenue,
Swindon SN2 1FL
Tel: +44 (0)1793 442 700
Email: support@innovateuk.gov.uk
www.innovateuk.gov.uk
Previously Mike spent five years driving sustainability-led innovation in the chemical industry with Chemistry
Innovation. He has developed and managed projects on lifecycle analysis, renewable chemicals, industrial
biotechnology and resource efficiency across the chemistry-using industries. Mike holds a PhD in organic
chemistry and spent his early career in several technology spin-outs leading R&D teams developing process
technology for the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and electronics industries.
Phone: +44 7920210844
Email: mike.pis@innovateuk.gov.uk
Twitter: @pittso
Blog: https://innovateuk.blog.gov.uk/author/mike-pis/
Trewin Restorick
Chief executive
Hubbub
Trewin Restorick is Founder and CEO of the award-winning charity Hubbub UK www.hubbub.org.uk which transforms the way environmental messages are communicated by bringing people and organisations together as a force for good. He is also Chair of Student Hubs http://www.studenthubs.org/ Previously Trewin created Global Action Plan the UK’s leading environmental behaviour change charity. Trewin is a frequent media commentator on environmental issues and was trained by Al Gore as one of his climate change ambassadors. Before starting Global Action Plan, Trewin was Director of Fundraising at Friends of the Earth where he created PaperRound London’s leading community recycling business. Prior to Friends of the Earth, Trewin worked at Plymouth City Council and produced a youth TV programme for the BBC called Something Else.
Sally Uren OBE
Chief executive
Forum for the Future
Sally oversees Forum’s mission to accelerate a big shift towards a sustainable future by catalysing transformational change in global systems. This involves working with global organisations, to address complex challenges in systems such as food, energy, apparel and shipping. Sally is directly involved in a number of projects at Forum including Cotton 2040, a collaboration to accelerate the mainstreaming of sustainable cotton. As well as regularly speaking at conferences and writing for publications, Sally is also an independent advisor on Advisory Boards for several global businesses.
Susanne Baker
Associate Director - Climate, Environment & Sustainability
techUK
Susanne is responsible for techUK's Environment & Compliance Programme. The programme, which spans issues such as eco-design, chemicals policy and producer responsibility legislation to conflict materials, circular economy and climate change policy, helps techUK members to get to grips with the latest compliance issues, policy developments and environmental trends, and in turn works with government to ensure that regulation in this area is targeted and effective. Before joining techUK, Susanne worked in the policy and representation team at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation. For several years she was a senior writer for The ENDS Report, an environmental policy and business journal, and worked in several Whitehall press offices. She holds a BSc in Environmental Science from Kings College London and is a fellow of the RSA.
Patrick Mahon
Chief strategic adviser
WRAP
Patrick Mahon is the Chief Strategic Adviser at WRAP. He is responsible for WRAP’s Government Affairs programme, managing the organisation’s responses to the developing resources and waste policy agenda and its relationship with politicians and NGOs across the UK. He joined the organisation in 2004, after a decade doing policy work in the civil service and for a trade association. Patrick has a BSc in Maths and Physics from the University of Warwick and an MSc in Environmental Decision Making from the Open University. He is a Chartered Resource & Waste Manager.
Henry Majed
Co-founder
MyMynd
Henry is a Future Proofer tackling the impact of Covid19 on Mental Health & Wellbeing in business and society. He recognises the potential for business to contribute at scale towards achieving the SDGs, and passionate about developing the next generation of responsible leaders. Henry was previously the Partnership Director at Innovation Gateway.
Charlotte West
Strategic account director
Global Action Plan
Charlotte is Strategic Account Director at Global Action Plan overseeing the charity’s corporate partnerships and campaigning work with businesses. Charlotte is a change-agent in Corporate Sustainability who has worked with over 40 major companies over a 10 year period across in-house, NGO and consulting roles. Prior to Global Action Plan, she was Director of Sustainability at department store chain House of Fraser, UK head at sustainability consultants AccountAbility, and spent 6 years at The Prince of Wales’ business network Business in the Community as a campaign Director and an Account Manager to member companies. She holds a Masters in Environment & Sustainable Development from University College London.
Michael Rea
Chief operating officer
The Carbon Trust
Michael joined the Carbon Trust in 2002 as Director of Strategy, responsible for developing existing and new services to reduce carbon emissions and develop low carbon technologies. He has carried out a number of strategic and operational roles at the Carbon Trust, including Director of Technology Development and his current role of Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Michael was at McKinsey & Co where he specialised both in corporate and business unit strategy and performance improvement. Prior to that Michael worked at Procter and Gamble in product supply. Michael is a graduate of University College Dublin where he completed a BEng (Mech). He was awarded the faculty gold medal in his final year. He also completed an MBA at INSEAD, Paris in 1996.
