Like you, I believe in a sustainable and compassionate planet
I invite you to collaborate on my vision to reduce suffering, improve health and promote – in Dutch historian Rutger Bregman’s views – “moral ambition” to create a better world
Connect with me
Working With
“I love working with people who share my drive to make the world a better place. I enjoy setting up new organisations and supporting the growth and development of existing organisations. I enjoy supporting them to reach higher levels of achievement, impact, and professionalism.”
My Story
I was around eight when my interest in the natural world was awakened in our primary school gardens. We were looking for owl pellets, and I was fascinated to find fur and rodent bones within them.
I became a vegetarian at the age of 12 – a first in the family, and in my high school class. Back then this was often an uphill battle, as it was poorly understood, and seen as ‘extreme’.
Fast-forward six years, and I was keen to become a veterinarian, but I hadn’t taken physics in high school and didn’t meet the admission criteria. I chose the closest option, which was a new BSc (Hons) degree in Animal Management, in 1993. It took me to Thailand where I lived for 10 months on a remote island, studying gibbon behaviour, and caring for other rescued wild animals. I then studied Animal Science for a year, followed by a Master’s degree in animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Edinburgh – another pioneering course.
I started campaigning for neglected and abandoned sled dogs in Canada and Greenland in 1999. I then specialised in animal care and welfare within teaching, education, and curriculum development at further and higher education levels for many years.
I have more than 25 years of international professional experience and have held global executive leadership positions since 2011. I am the Global CEO at ProVeg International, where I am responsible for strategic direction and international operational management. ProVeg has grown its presence from six countries in 2018 when I joined, to 15 offices on five continents now, with further expansion in the pipeline.
I am a co-founder of the European Alliance for Plant-based Food (EAPF), and the Plant Based Food Alliance UK (PBFA), and a Director of six other entities. I have previously worked in a range of international organisations, including as CEO of The Vegan Society, and I founded and led a UK political party for four years from 2006.
In my free time, I like to read, run, hike in the mountains, dance, and travel. Most pictures on this site are my own.
My Story
I was around eight when my interest in the natural world was awakened in our primary school gardens. We were looking for owl pellets, and I was fascinated to find fur and rodent bones within them.
I became a vegetarian at the age of 12 – a first in the family, and in my high school class. Back then this was often an uphill battle, as it was poorly understood, and seen as ‘extreme’.
Fast-forward six years, and I was keen to become a veterinarian, but I hadn’t taken physics in high school and didn’t meet the admission criteria. I chose the closest option, which was a new BSc (Hons) degree in Animal Management, in 1993. It took me to Thailand where I lived for 10 months on a remote island, studying gibbon behaviour, and caring for other rescued wild animals. I then studied Animal Science for a year, followed by a Master’s degree in animal behaviour and welfare at the University of Edinburgh – another pioneering course.
I started campaigning for neglected and abandoned sled dogs in Canada and Greenland in 1999. I then specialised in animal care and welfare within teaching, education, and curriculum development at further and higher education levels for many years.
I have more than 25 years of international professional experience and have held global executive leadership positions since 2011. I am the Global CEO at ProVeg International, where I am responsible for strategic direction and international operational management. ProVeg has grown its presence from six countries in 2018 when I joined, to 15 offices on five continents now, with further expansion in the pipeline.
I am a co-founder of the European Alliance for Plant-based Food (EAPF), and the Plant Based Food Alliance UK (PBFA), and a Director of six other entities. I have previously worked in a range of international organisations, including as CEO of The Vegan Society, and I founded and led a UK political party for four years from 2006.
In my free time, I like to read, run, hike in the mountains, dance, and travel. Most pictures on this site are my own.
My motivation
My professional experience
I have executive management experience leading national and international animal and vegan advocacy organisations since 2011, and extensive education, programme, policy, and research experience from 1999-2011. Details of these positions are on my LinkedIn profile.
My key skills
- Change and growth management: organisational and cultural development, leadership development and staff coaching (“vision into practice”)
- Strategic analysis: horizon scanning, evaluating emerging opportunities and external and internal developments to constantly pursue impact
- Funding and income generation: effectively increasing income through donor relationships and developing organisational growth strategies
- Movement-building: strengthening organisations through collaboration and collective impact
- Policy development
- Research: overseeing, advising and conducting research
- Campaign and project management
Media & PR experience
I have been interviewed on more than half a dozen TV programmes including the BBC ‘Big Questions’, Sky News TV, Channel 5 News TV, and EuroNews TV. I have been featured in over 100 UK, NZ and other print and online publications, including The Guardian, The Sun, Telegraph and New York Times. I have been interviewed on dozens of NZ, UK, Irish and Dutch radio shows (e.g. the BBC PM programme, BBC Today, BBC World Service).
Get in touch for my comments on food system change developments here.
My professional experience
I have executive management experience leading national and international animal and vegan advocacy organisations since 2011, and extensive education, programme, policy, and research experience from 1999-2011. Details of these positions are on my LinkedIn profile.
My key skills
- Change and growth management: organisational and cultural development, leadership development and staff coaching (“vision into practice”)
- Strategic analysis: horizon scanning, evaluating emerging opportunities and external and internal developments to constantly pursue impact
- Funding and income generation: effectively increasing income through donor relationships and developing organisational growth strategies
- Movement-building: strengthening organisations through collaboration and collective impact
- Policy development
- Research: overseeing, advising and conducting research
- Campaign and project management
Media & PR experience
I have been interviewed on more than half a dozen TV programmes including the BBC ‘Big Questions’, Sky News TV, Channel 5 News TV, and EuroNews TV. I have been featured in over 100 UK, NZ and other print and online publications, including The Guardian, The Sun, Telegraph and New York Times. I have been interviewed on dozens of NZ, UK, Irish and Dutch radio shows (e.g. the BBC PM programme, BBC Today, BBC World Service).
Get in touch for my comments on food system change developments here.
My impact
People
When I think about my personal impact, I realise that my knowledge and experience are best used when supporting a team. I enjoy working with ProVeg’s senior leadership team to optimise international and country-level strategic interventions, communications, public engagement, corporate and institutional engagement, EU policy and advocacy, research, fundraising, internationalisation, people and culture, and our grants programme.
Feedback about my leadership style commonly includes being a supportive leader who serves and empowers team members. I’m normally viewed as approachable and caring, while constantly focused on impact and improvement. I often have ideas about new initiatives and innovation but prefer ideas to be nurtured within teams. I capitalise on successes, enabling them to be replicated, and I encourage synergies between teams and organisations. I recognise and reward talent, and aim to increase effective, diverse, and inclusive teams.
Leadership
The world is constantly changing and so are the opportunities and hurdles to advancing more plant-based or plant-forward diets. While pursuing a clear mid-term strategy, and providing clarity on policy, framing and priorities, decisions need to be flexible from time to time to ensure the focus remains relevant. However, if changes are made too often, there would be chaos and inefficiency.
Opportunities frequently present themselves, but not all can be acted upon. Listening to subject experts, senior colleagues, and external leaders remains vital to good leadership. Inspiration does not always mean suggesting plenty of new initiatives. Sometimes it means modelling the behaviour one would like to see within the wider organisation, and showing resilience, facilitating cohesion, and collaboration. I prioritise organisational goals to achieve the mission, which includes taking a big picture view of the team’s strengths and opportunities.
A financially strong organisation
There is no doubt that recent years have been challenging for most organisations and companies globally.
Fortunately, an increasing number of foundations and philanthropists are keen to support diet change and food systems change advocacy and collaborations, and I believe the future of our sector is promising. But we all need to focus on bringing in more funding to create sustainable change. Simultaneously, we work with other stakeholders, including national governments, to encourage more state-level (or federal level) investments into sustainable food systems.
We must reduce animal production and consumption globally if we are to meet the Paris Climate Agreement, and limit global warming to well below 2°C by the end of the century. However, this can only be achieved on a large scale if we make these changes work for people’s livelihoods and the global economy. Impact-driven philanthropists understand that we need a multi-pronged solution to address the complex problems of the global food system.
Food system transformation
Leading teams
I enjoy sharing my knowledge and skills with wider audiences and stakeholders interested in the plant-based food sector and related issues. I’m regularly interviewed by the media and support teams to grow and flourish.
Success is not built on luck
Organisational and mission success depends on many things, notably:
