STEERING GROUP

Environment & Sustainability Manager-  KIER INFRASTRUCTURE

Jamie graduated from Bath Spa university in 2004 and, following a brief spell working for a local water company as a sampler, swiftly moved into civil engineering.

Now Senior Environmental and Sustainability Manager at Kier Infrastructure, Jamie has built up a wealth of knowledge within Highways, Environmental Services, Fleet & Passenger Services, Housing Maintenance and Facilities Management.

On top of that, he has completed an MSc in Ecological Impact Assessment, hold Natural England class licences for dormice, great crested newts and barn owls and won multiple awards for environmental aspects on projects, ecological enhancements, charity projects and corporate responsibility.

Environment & Sustainability Manager – KIER INFRASTRUCTURE

Jamie graduated from Bath Spa university in 2004 and, following a brief spell working for a local water company as a sampler, swiftly moved into civil engineering.

Environment Manager (CEnv, MIEMA) Construction, Climate Adaptation, Flood management – Skanska UK

Helene is an Environmental Manager for Skanska UK Plc, managing environmental performance across Skanska’s work on behalf of Network Rail to prepare Euston station for the new HS2 terminus. Previously, she worked as an environmental professional in the UK for nine years, both in construction in the private sector and in flood risk management (tidal and surface water) in the Environment Agency.

She says:

“As a Chartered Environmentalist, I believe that managing our impact on the environment positively is not only achievable, but also the only way to build better and smarter for future generations. I think that knowledge sharing is absolutely key in order to influence businesses to consider sustainability drivers when making strategic and commercial decisions. This is the reason why I chose this career and decided to support the EBN as a steering group member.”

Environment Manager (CEnv, MIEMA) – Construction, Climate Adaptation, Flood management – SKANSKA

Helene is an Environmental Manager for Skanska UK Plc, managing environmental performance across Skanska’s work on behalf of Network Rail to prepare Euston station for the new HS2 terminus. Previously, she worked as an environmental professional in the UK for nine years, both in construction in the private sector and in flood risk management (tidal and surface water) in the Environment Agency.

Partner – ASHURST

I lead the London Environment and Safety practice at international law firm, Ashurst, and am a member of Ashurst’s Business Conduct and Risk Group. I specialise in environmental and health & safety law, with a particular focus on environmental and safety liability management, including:

• Incident response and crisis management
• Responding to and advising on regulatory investigations and enforcement action
• Private law claims and contractual disputes
• Interpreting regulatory obligations
• Permits, consents and regulatory authorisations

I advise clients in the built environment, resources, waste, energy, transport and infrastructure sectors on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious environmental and safety matters.

I am also a member of the UK Environmental Law Association and the UK Health and Safety Lawyers’ Association and are ranked in legal directories as a leading environmental lawyer.

Partner – ASHURST

I lead the London Environment and Safety practice at international law firm, Ashurst, and am a member of Ashurst’s Business Conduct and Risk Group.

Business Development Director – WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY

David is the Director of Business Development at Wessex Archaeology, responsible for building strategic relationships and shaping their work pipeline.

He is passionate about using archaeology and heritage to enable sustainable development, and is currently focussing on the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) market in the UK, and on providing services to the US Offshore Wind sector via CEWA, a joint venture with US partners Coastal Environments Inc.

BA MSc MCIfA

Business Development Director – WESSEX ARCHAEOLOGY

David is the Director of Business Development at Wessex Archaeology, responsible for building strategic relationships and shaping their work pipeline.

Head of Environment – OCTAVIUS INFRASTRUCTURE 

A passionate environmentalist with a defined skill set in ecology and habitat management, water management and environmental permitting.

MSc, BSc (Hons) PIEMA

Head of Environment – OCTAVIUS INFRASTRUCTURE 

A passionate environmentalist with a defined skill set in ecology and habitat management, water management and environmental permitting.

MSc, BSc (Hons) PIEMA

Founder, Innovation Broking and Independent Consultant

I am an entrepreneur and a chartered insurance broker – building my career by creating novel insurance solutions for new, emerging and adapting technologies. In the current world this means batteries, cement, emission cleaning, recycling, decentralised generation, supply chain and a host of new consultancy and software solutions.

Having run 9 businesses, and two consultancies employing between 1000 staff, and a two person start up, I bring a strong SME perspective to the steering group.

It is my belief that small businesses are really concerned about:

• Hiring and retaining staff, who now expect evidenced social and environmental commitment
• Being ready and able to meet the now inevitable environmental supply chain demands of their customers and clients
• Being able to borrow from the bank, by maintaining a good environmental credit score

Founder, Innovation Broking and Independent Consultant

I am an entrepreneur and a chartered insurance broker – building my career by creating novel insurance solutions for new, emerging and adapting technologies. In the current world this means batteries, cement, emission cleaning, recycling, decentralised generation, supply chain and a host of new consultancy and software solutions.

Co-founder – B-PEOPLE GROUP

Ralph is Co-founder of B-People a consultancy specialising in Inclusive Search and People, Leadership & ESG Strategy. Prior to B-People Ralph was Chief People Officer and Executive ESG Lead for Ascential plc a FTSE 200 Data & Information Services company.

He joined Ascential from Sky plc, Europe’s largest entertainment company, where he was Director for People for the UK and Ireland. Prior to Sky, Ralph was part of the team that created Getty Images, where he was Vice President of Human Resources.

Well known for his insights on technological disruption and HR transformation, Ralph is a regular speaker at conferences & events and a contributor to the CIPD’s “Future Of…” scenario planning series. At Sky, Ralph’s team won various industry Awards, including awards for Diversity/Women in Leadership and the BitC Award for Best UK Employer of Young People.

Co-founder – B-PEOPLE GROUP

Ralph is Co-founder of B-People a consultancy specialising in Inclusive Search and People, Leadership & ESG Strategy. Prior to B-People Ralph was Chief People Officer and Executive ESG Lead for Ascential plc a FTSE 200 Data & Information Services company.

Environmental lecturer, practitioner and researcher – UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

After studying a BA Environmental Management and an MSc in Pollution and Environmental Control at the University of Manchester, I further achieved a PhD in urban ecology from the University of Birmingham in 2013. Between my MSc and PhD, I worked as an Environmental Consultant for Cascade Consulting in Manchester (now a part of Ricardo PLC). In addition to working in the private sector, I have been an ecology advisor to county and district councils and assessed small-scale policy and planning developments through to those of national concern (e.g.
HS2 and East-West Rail). Thereafter, I worked for the Earthwatch Institute – a not-for-profit specialising in citizen science and corporate sustainability, before returning to academia with
Bath Spa University and now the University of Manchester.

During my career I have worked or researched in a range of disciplines including freshwater ecology and biodiversity in both temperate and tropical environments, citizen science, digital platform development (GIS), planning and bioacoustics. At Bath Spa University I led the IEMA-accredited MSc Environmental Management and contributed to the Environmental Science, Geography and Biology with Conservation pathways. I achieved a Readership in Ecology and Conservation at Bath Spa University, before taking on a lectureship in Planning and Environmental Management at the University of Manchester. I am a full member of the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (MCIEEM) and a member of the British Ecological Society Publications Committee as well as being an Associate Editor for their journals People and Nature, and Ecological Solutions and Evidence; which has a heavy
practitioner focus.

I am particularly interested in bridging the gap between academia and industry. I am keen to see this progress in several ways i) building stronger links between soon-to-be graduates and practitioners, ii) undertaking research informed by industry demand or with clear practical
benefit, iii) disseminating relevant research to practitioners to reduce the frequent lag between research and practice.

Environmental lecturer, practitioner and researcher – UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

After studying a BA Environmental Management and an MSc in Pollution and Environmental Control at the University of Manchester, I further achieved a PhD in urban ecology from the University of Birmingham in 2013.

I am an experienced environmental consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the financial, corporate and public sectors helping clients identify, provision for and manage risks, opportunities and benefits. Most recently, I have been advising and helping clients manage risks from climate change, whether that’s supporting GHG Accounting, TCFD reporting or looking at detailed Transition and Adaptation plans.

Throughout my career, I also have a deep technical understanding of Contaminated Land, Pollution Control, Water and Waste Management and have a wide breadth of sector experience, especially in Global Sporting Events, Automotive, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods and Chemical/Pharmaceutical and Infrastructure (in particular Water, Renewables and Energy).

My global experience includes delivering projects in UK, Europe, US, Nordics, CEE, India, Pakistan, Africa and Brazil. I am passionate about my clients goals and pride myself in being responsive, commercially focussed and timescale driven.

Press Lead, Ashden

I am Press Lead at climate solutions charity Ashden and have worked in the environment, development and human rights sectors all my life, working in communications for various NGOs and charities both big and small and writing about environmental issues, business and climate change as a freelance journalist. 

Sustainability Director – ALFA ENERGY

I am an experienced environmental consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the financial, corporate and public sectors helping clients identify, provision for and manage risks, opportunities and benefits. Most recently, I have been advising and helping clients manage risks from climate change, whether that’s supporting GHG Accounting, TCFD reporting or looking at detailed Transition and Adaptation plans.

Throughout my career, I also have a deep technical understanding of Contaminated Land, Pollution Control, Water and Waste Management and have a wide breadth of sector experience, especially in Global Sporting Events, Automotive, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods and Chemical/Pharmaceutical and Infrastructure (in particular Water, Renewables and Energy).

My global experience includes delivering projects in UK, Europe, US, Nordics, CEE, India, Pakistan, Africa and Brazil. I am passionate about my clients goals and pride myself in being responsive, commercially focussed and timescale driven.

Sustainability Director – ALFA ENERGY

I am an experienced environmental consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the financial, corporate and public sectors helping clients identify, provision for and manage risks, opportunities and benefits. Most recently, I have been advising and helping clients manage risks from climate change, whether that’s supporting GHG Accounting, TCFD reporting or looking at detailed Transition and Adaptation plans.