Sustainability Professionals Network

Nikki Bartlett
Chief Impact Officer at CDP

Nicolette is Director of Carbon Pricing at CDP, formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project, an international not-for-profit organisation providing the only global environmental disclosure system.
As part of her role, she works with companies, policymakers and investors, focusing on the price signals that can and will deliver the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. CDP plays a leading role in both the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, as well as the global business coalition, We Mean Business.

Previously Nicolette was a Senior Programme Manager at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, leading international projects within the climate policy team, including the international engagement of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group, developing a Green Growth Platform in Pacific Alliance countries, the Climate Initiatives Database and research analysing the role that non-state actors play in driving down emissions. Nicolette was also responsible for developing an international network of business groups on climate change and also played a leading role in the creation of the Corporate Communiqués on Climate Change, which are seen by many as the definitive statements from the international progressive business community in support of climate change policy.
Nicolette has been an author or reviewer for a number of publications, including the latest CDP report on Carbon Pricing, the business chapter of the latest New Climate Economy report, a business brief on the implications of the Paris Agreement, a series of summary reports for business of the IPCC 5th Assessment Report for 11 economic sectors, as well as publications analysing the potential of collaborative initiatives to increase ambition reductions internationally.

Craig Bennett
CEO, Wildlife Trust

Craig is CEO of The Wildlife Trusts and Honorary Professor of Sustainability and Innovation at University of Manchester Alliance Manchester Business School. He has been described as “one of the country’s top environmental campaigners”, by The Guardian as “the very model of a modern eco-general” and, in 2021, was included in The Sunday Times Green Power List of the UK’s top 20 environmentalists.
Craig was formerly CEO of Friends of the Earth where he led the organisation to numerous campaign victories including on bees, fracking and against the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Earlier in his career, Craig was Deputy Director at The University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), and Director of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change (from 2007 to 2010).

Craig has twenty years’ experience of designing and contributing to executive education and leadership programmes at numerous universities and business schools including the Judge Business School, London Business School, and Duke CE. He is an Associate Fellow of Homerton College (Cambridge), a Senior Associate of The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and a Policy Fellow of The Centre for Science and Policy at The University of Cambridge.
He has a BSc (Hons) in Human and Physical Geography from The University of Reading and an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation from University College London, and Honorary Doctoral degrees from University College of Estate Management (UCEM), and Anglian Ruskin University (ARU).

He is also a judge on The Wainwright Book Prize, a Trustee of the think-tank Green Alliance. and an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management. He regularly appears in the print and broadcast media.

Dame Polly Courtice
Fellow of Churchill College, Murray Edwards and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability leadership

Polly was Founder Director of the University of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (1989–2021). She is now a Board member of a number of major corporates, Chair of the Faculty Board of Engineering at the University, and a Deputy Lieutenant for Cambridgeshire

Polly is a member of the Supervisory Board of Mercedes Benz Group and a Board Member of the British Standards Institute (BSI). She is a sustainability advisor to Terra Firma Capital Management Ltd, and is a member of the judging panel for the King’s Award for Innovation: Sustainable Development.

She is a Fellow of Churchill College, an Honorary Fellow of Murray Edwards College and a fellow of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. She is a Trustee of Cambridge Past, Present and Future, a local charity dedicating to protecting and enhancing the Cambridge area and its green landscapes.

In 2016 Polly was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to Sustainability Leadership. In 2008 she was made a Lieutenant of the Victorian Order (LVO). In 2015 she received the Stanford University Bright Award for Environmental Sustainability which recognises ‘an individual who has made unheralded contributions to environmental sustainability’. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award at Ethical Corporation’s annual Responsible Business Awards in2016, Business Green’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the edie Sustainability Leaders Awards 2021.
Polly holds a BA from the University of Cape Town and an MA from the University of Cambridge.

Munish Datta
Director of Sustainability at Specsavers

Munish is Director with Specsavers Group, leading the design and delivery of its global sustainable business strategy. He is also a sustainability advisor to BNP Paribas Real Estate (Investment Management) and Danone (Specialised Nutrition).

In his roles as a Fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Fellow of University of Cambridge Judge Business School, Munish empowers leaders from a variety of global businesses and start-ups to tackle critical challenges.

He is a trustee of sustainable development charities, Bioregional and Rama Foundation and a governor of the Stephen Perse foundation of schools in Cambridge, UK. His previous roles include Director at UK Green Building Council and Head of Sustainability, Marks & Spencer.

Steve Davison
Deputy Director, Cambridge Zero, University of Cambridge

Steve is currently on secondment as the Higher Education Lead for the UN Climate Champions Team, working with institutions across the world to support university led climate action.

He has been a member of the University since 2008 when he joined as a Political Research Analyst. He went on to become Political Affairs Adviser before building and leading a new Public Affairs Team. He then took up the role of Head of Public International Partnerships following the formation of the Strategic Partnership Office in 2017 before joining Cambridge Zero in 2020. Prior to joining the University of Cambridge, Steve worked in Westminster as Head of Environment for Policy Connect: a UK think-tank.

He is the international lead for the UK Universities Climate Network (formerly the COP26 Universities Network), a former Senior Officer of the League of European Research Universities and the International Alliance of Research Universities, and a founding member of the Russell Group Political Affairs Network. He has degrees from the University of Hull and the University of Exeter and is a Professional By-Fellow of Churchill College.

Adam Elman
Director of Sustainability, Google EMEA

Adam works at the meeting point of physical, digital and natural worlds. He coordinates with Google’s real world and digital infrastructure teams – from real estate and supply chains, to data centres and products – to ensure the company is capitalising on opportunities to strategically advance sustainability.

He draws on over 18 years of experience driving sustainability at organisations including Amazon and Marks & Spencer. A Chartered Environmentalist, Adam works as a catalyst for change, building partnerships, and identifying the practical transformations and decisions required for sustainability business in the 21st century.

Lindsay Hooper
Director and CEO, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Lindsay brings over 20 years’ experience at the forefront of business and sustainability, and has a track-record of leading significant growth, innovation and impact through building the vision, strategy, structures and capabilities necessary to deliver against organisational purpose.
Working closely with CISL’s leadership team, Lindsay has been key to setting the Institute’s ambitions for impact, its international strategy and organisational purpose. She has also played a key role in developing organisational positions and shaping a foresight agenda in support of CISL’s goals.

Under Lindsay’s guidance as Executive Director for Education, CISL has become the global benchmark for sustainability leadership education. Hundreds of major organisations and
thousands of individual leaders globally have gone on to influence change and lead progress, aligning their organisational performance with the delivery of positive outcomes for society.

Lindsay has personally led engagements across banking, extractives, retail, utility and manufacturing sectors, as well as with major municipalities and SOEs in China and the Middle East – engagements which have resulted in transformational change and enhanced organisational performance. She has deep experience of harnessing the talents and expertise of leading experts and innovators internationally, building high-performing teams and long-term collaborations to develop leading edge programmes that deliver significant, positive impacts.

Lindsay also led the Institute’s position and contribution to evolving international debates on matters including fossil fuel phase out, business leadership, and the relationship between business and society. She speaks on global trends and the commercial implications for business including the business response to Net Zero transition and leadership for a sustainable future

Tony Juniper, CBE
Chair Natural England

Tony is a prominent environmental figure, active in the defence of Nature for 40 years. He has led
major organisations, run global campaigns, written many books and advised at the highest levels. He began his career as an ornithologist and went on to join Friends of the Earth, initially leading the tropical rainforest campaign and later appointed as Executive Director and Vice Chair of Friends of the Earth International. He worked as an environmental advisor to HRH The Prince of Wales (now King Charles), was President of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts and was an Executive Director at WWF-UK. He is now the Chair of the British Government’s official conservation agency Natural England, a Fellow with the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Chair of the rainforest organisation Cool Earth. He has advised many global businesses on their environmental strategies.

His books include the multi-award winning What has Nature ever done for us? and Harmony, which was co-authored with the then Prince of Wales. Tony Juniper is a frequent contributor to TV and radio broadcasts and is a prolific speaker on environmental themes.
He has received many awards and widespread recognition for his environmental work, including three honorary Doctor of Science Degrees and in 2023 was awarded the prestigious CIEEM Medal. In 2017 he was appointed Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to conservation.

Thomas Lingard
Global Head of Sustainability – Environment, Unilever

Thomas leads climate and environment within Unilever’s Global Sustainability Team. He joined Unilever in 1999 as a finance and IT graduate trainee. After 6 years in Unilever’s UK business, Thomas joined Green Alliance, a leading UK policy think tank, as Deputy Director. Thomas rejoined Unilever’s global team in 2010 and has spent over a decade working under three different CEOs in a variety of leadership roles, developing and launching successive generations of sustainability strategies, founding an in-house Global Advocacy Team, and advancing Unilever’s theory of change on systemic sustainability issues through organisations such as the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Economic Forum.
Thomas currently serves as a Trustee Director of the Unilever UK Pension Fund and an Advisory Board member of Climate Catalyst, a campaign group. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Tech for Climate Adaptation Working Group and has previously served on WEF Global Agenda Councils for Governance for Sustainability and Climate Change.

Thomas is a Chartered Management Accountant and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He has degrees in Philosophy & Modern Languages (Durham University), Development Management (Open University) and most recently in Artificial Intelligence Ethics & Society (Cambridge University), with a special interest in the societal risks arising from algorithmically targeted content on social media.
He is married to Sarah, a British diplomat, and they live with their three children near Cambridge.

Lynne Miles
Currently Director of City Access at the Greater Cambridge,
Partnership Director of Economy and Place, Cambridge City Council (wef January 2025)

Lynne is currently Director of City Access at the Greater Cambridge Partnership, the organisation set up to deliver the Greater Cambridge City Deal. In January 2025 she will take up the role of Director of Economy and Place, Cambridge City Council. Her current role focuses on reducing congestion to support economic growth. By background she is a spatial economist and local growth policy specialist, and a Chartered Town Planner. Her specialism is at the interface between economic, transport and spatial policy: understanding what drives economic growth and economic disparities. She joined the GCP from the civil service, with roles including Director of Policy in the Cities and Local Growth Unit and Deputy Director for Industrial Strategy. Prior to her public sector experience, she spent 18 years as a consultant in Arup’s Integrated City Planning team in London and was also a Deputy Director of the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth.

Neil Musk
Group Executive Director, Knowledge Services, BSI

Neil’s career has spanned strategy consulting, investment banking and international education, for organisations including Oliver Wyman, UBS, Deutsche Bank, ANZ Bank and Cambridge University. His experience includes digital transformation, strategy and business management. Neil joined BSI in May 2020 as the Director for Standards Development.

Neil has a background in Chief Operating Officer roles, with particular expertise in change and transformation, strategy, risk and operational delivery. In his last role as Director of Operations and Transformation at Cambridge Assessment International Education he helped modernise the business with more robust processes, technology and controls. Neil has worked across the globe, including 12 years in Asia and Australia.

Dr Sally Pidgeon
Head of Environmental Sustainability, University of Cambridge

Sally has worked in environmental management and sustainability for over 25 years, in both local government and the higher education sector. She has a broad understanding of a wide range of environmental sustainability issues, specialising in carbon management.She has worked at the University for 11 years. During that time, she has led on development of the University’s science-based carbon reduction target and Guidelines on Sustainable Business Travel.

Sally leads a team of 23 sustainability professionals whose work addresses the environmental performance of the University estate and supports departments in taking action at the local level to become more environmentally sustainable.

Dave Prinsep
Estates and Operations Director, Churchill College, University of Cambridge

Dave is Churchill College’s Estates & Operations Director with responsibility for both property and operational management. He is responsible for driving the College’s Sustainability Strategy and embedding this in all areas of his teams’ work. Leading on the College’s decarbonisation work, it is currently developing a long-term plan to degas and decarbonise the College estate.

Previously Assets & Property Assistant Director at Cambridge City Council, his focus was on making sure that the Council’s properties work well for delivering services, helping customers and meeting wider objectives while supporting its NZC aspirations. He was involved in projects such as Park Street Car Park redevelopment, numerous redevelopment sites including Orchard Park, Clay Farm and North East Cambridge, small and larger scale solar schemes, developing the Council’s asset management plans with particular regard to achieving NZC, and enabling an award winning community co-housing scheme, Marmalade Lane.

A Chartered Surveyor for over 30 years, he has worked in property in public and private sectors dealing with residential, commercial and community property in Cambridge, the West Midlands and Northern Ireland.

Dr Jake Reynolds
Head of Client Sustainability and Environment, Freshfields

Jake’s 30 years of experience in global sustainability complements the legal services provided by Freshfields with a mix of insights, perspectives and challenge. In parallel, Jake is responsible for Freshfields’ global environmental strategy across 30 offices, spanning governance, policy, targets, delivery, engagement, communications and reporting.

Previously an executive director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Jake is author of Rewiring the Economy, a blueprint for achieving economy-wide sustainability through effective policy, finance and business innovation. Jake founded Cambridge’s Centre for Sustainable Finance in 2014 to catalyse action in the investment, banking and insurance industries based on high-quality research and peer collaboration.

Jake is a previous commissioner for the Business Commission to Tackle Inequalities, and chair of the Digital with Purpose performance board. He is a member of the Impact Advisory Board of Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) and has authored many practitioner-focused publications on corporate sustainability. Prior to CISL, Jake was a senior advisor to three UK Government departments, commissioning the first carbon footprint of the NHS, and Head of Wellbeing at the UK Sustainable Development Commission. He holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford.

Dan Thorp
CEO of Cambridge Ahead

Dan was appointed as the Chief Executive at Cambridge Ahead in July 2023 having previously been Director of Policy and Programmes for four years. On behalf of Cambridge Ahead’s business and academic membership, Dan leads a programme of research and analysis driven by a focus on sustainable and inclusive growth into the long-term. This involves working closely with national and local policymakers so that Cambridge Ahead actively helps shape the future of the Cambridge city region.

Previously Dan worked at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as part of establishing the new Authority and focusing on place-making. This included developing the first Local Industrial Strategy for the region and instigating the Market Town Masterplans programme. Prior to the Combined Authority Dan worked in a variety of economic development and policy roles at Cambridgeshire County Council and Improvement East.

Dan is also a voluntary Board Member at Cambridge-based social enterprise The Edge, and is a member of the East of England Regional Productivity Forum.

Katie Thornburrow
Cambridge City Councillor (Planning, Building Control, Infrastructure)

Katie Thornburrow was brought up in Hong Kong and received her architectural training in the UK. She has worked in practice and research, and was a partner of a commercial architectural practice before establishing her own practice, Granta Architects, in 1995. Katie was a Director of Cambridge Architectural Research for many years. She is the co-author of many conservation management plans including those for the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, the University of East Anglia, and the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Katie’s architectural practice specialises in the restoration and extension of historic buildings.

She has a Masters in Food Policy from City University, where she studied with Professor Tim Lang, and was a director of Cambridge Sustainable Food for several years, helping Cambridge achieve a sustainable food city Silver Award.

In May 2018 Katie was elected to Cambridge City Council as a city councillor. She became an executive councillor in August 2018, and now covers Planning and Infrastructure. Katie is leading on the emerging Local Plan for the Greater Cambridge area and is focusing on reducing the use of fossil fuels in the city.