Meet the Team

Colin Curtis

Founder and Director

A former Group Head of Sustainability for one of the world’s largest technology companies, Colin spent many years consulting with business leaders to help them understand the importance of balancing people, planet, and profit.Colin is passionate about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the vital role of businesses to help achieve the goals. He’s a straight-talking Lancastrian who prides himself on his ability to keep things simple and honest – this can get him into trouble!

Corporate Sustainability Research Manager

Orla has recently graduated from her MA in Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies at Lancaster University, she is now working as a Graduate National Management Trainee at Black Country Transport.

She is passionate about Sustainable Cities and Communities - Goal 11 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Orla used to play guitar in a band, and they played at the O2 Academy in Liverpool 3 times!

Corporate Sustainability Research Manager

Kate is currently studying for a BA in International Relations at Lancaster University.

She is passionate about Peace and Justice Strong Institutions - Goal 16 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Kate has a beginner’s qualification in Modern Standard Arabic!

Strategic Advisor

Kevin is Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer and a member of the global Executive Board for HH Global. He has a deep knowledge of the innovation landscape and has developed an ecosystem of partners that includes startups, leading universities, and NGOs that help drive meaningful change for HH Global’s clients.

Kevin possesses a wealth of experience from 30 years in the marketing and technology sectors. He has driven and implemented technology solutions for some of the biggest brands in the world. Kevin is a member of the Forbes AI Executive Advisory Board and an Ambassador for the Meaningful Business 100.

Strategic Advisor

Oliver has been getting equally excited and frustrated about sustainable business and responsible supply chains for 15 years.

He helped develop and grow the 2degrees network over the last decade – a global sustainable business collaboration platform of thousands of practitioners and leaders – and has worked with clients across industry sectors such as Unilever, Mars, Johnson & Johnson, Sky, Co-op, Interface, Stanley Black & Decker, npower and EDF Energy, as well as advising some of the leading sustainable business technologies and consultants. He is now the Founder of Galvanised, where he makes positive change happen faster in businesses and supply chains.

Strategic Advisor

Steve has managed the Secretariat of the UN Global Compact Network UK since 2008, connecting UK companies and other organisations in a global movement dedicated to driving corporate sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals. He also Chairs UNGC’s Global Network Council and sits on the UN Global Compact Board.

He was previously a Programme Director at the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) leading projects across a wide range of responsible business issue areas. Prior to joining IBLF, Steve was the founder and Managing Director of a successful retail sports equipment business in Canada.He has a B.Comm from the University of British Columbia and an MSc in Business & Environment from Imperial College London.

Strategic Advisor

Karen is Chief Happy at marketing and creative company, Happy Creative. As a Strategic Advisor, she is sharing her 30+ years of marketing expertise and is delighted to be playing her part in raising visibility of the importance of supporting the Goals.

Karen held a number of international marketing roles before setting up her own business in 2005. She has a strong commercial background, is a member of Vistage, and in her spare time is a marketing mentor. Karen and her team of Happies have helped hundreds of business improve their marketing. With a number of clients in the sustainability space, she believes that supporting the goals is key to creating a happier world.

Strategic Advisor

Rachael is the Student Employability Officer at Lancaster University and currently organises a range of events where students can meet potential employers and access great opportunities to develop their employability skills through volunteer and internship programmes.

She has lived and worked in Japan, Denmark and the UK and has many years of experience working with multinationals and SMEs in marketing and project management roles. She works with organisations and businesses, locally and nationally to enable them to access student talent in a way that meets their business needs.

Strategic Advisor

Will is the Chief Operating Officer of Grouptree, a London-based technology focussing on empowering businesses from FTSE 100’s to SMEs on the use of technology in supply chain strategies.

Having worked in the technology industry for 20 years for businesses including M&S, Sky, Stella McCartney and LG he has seen first-hand the journey towards more sustainable supply chains and transparency and is passionate about the use of technology to help businesses achieve their social and environmental goals.

Strategic Advisor

Ben is Head of Sustainability for Informa, a leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business and a member of the FTSE100. Before joining Informa, Ben spent nearly 15 years working as part of KPMG’s Sustainability Advisory Group. He was one of the architects of KPMG’s New Vision of Value report which explains the need for a revolution in the way we value assets.

He believes that we need to move far beyond the immediate financial impact on the asset owner and instead look at the systemic value creation and destruction that the asset provides.

Strategic Advisor

James is the Managing Director of Octego, a UK-based energy services business. He has previously held positions in Lloyd’s of London as an oil, gas, and renewable insurance broker and has a particular interest in new energy efficiency finance mechanisms.

James has an MBA in energy management and a strong commercial background in consulting and finance.

Corporate Sustainability Research Team Leader

Becky is currently studying for an MRes Arts and Humanities at Queen’s University in Belfast, after completing her BA in Fine Art at Lancaster University.

She is passionate about Good Health and Well-being - Goal 3 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Becky has a welsh accent because her parents are from South Wales, but she was born and raised in Manchester!

Corporate Sustainability Research Team Leader

Laura has just graduated with a BSc in Biology at Lancaster University.

She is passionate about Life Below Water - Goal 14 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Laura once accidentally kicked a white tip shark!