I’m a global ocean, climate and sustainability expert with 20+ years of experience, including progressively more strategic and leadership responsibilities. My most recent roles include Director/Trustee at the Marine Conservation Society (the UK’s largest marine conservation charity), Senior Strategic Expert in Blue Economy at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Global Director of Impact at the international sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future, Director/Trustee at the New Economics Foundation (a think tank focusing on social, economic and environmental justice), Head of The Economist Group’s World Ocean Initiative, and Practice Lead (EMEA) for Sustainability, Climate Change and Natural Resources at Economist Impact (part of The Economist Group). My previous roles at The Economist Group include managing editor, global health lead and Europe editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit. I love to work with organisations that build a just, resilient and regenerative future for people and planet.

Values
I am driven by the pursuit of progress, my optimistic outlook, and empathy for people and planet. Working on understanding and transforming major systems has taught me valuable skills in futures, mindset shifts and building multi-stakeholder collaborations. The most valuable lesson I have learned is the need to unlock the change-making potential of key stakeholders.

Key Skills
My expertise includes deep knowledge of the ocean economy, food, climate and nature. I am well-versed in system change theory and practice, having completed the School of System Change’s Basecamp training. I am an experienced communicator and public speaker, having spoken and/or moderated at major global events such as Economist Impact’s World Ocean Summit and Sustainability Week events, UN Ocean Conference, UN World Ocean Day, UN COP climate change conference, World Water Week, Sustainable Foods, Blue Earth Summit, EV World Congress, World Green Economy Summit, Founders Forum Climate Summit and Global Conference on Sustainable Food Systems.

Having led global, cross-disciplinary teams at Forum for the Future and The Economist Group, I have a deep understanding of creating inclusive work environments in matrix organisations. As part of senior leadership teams and boards, I have gained experience in strategic decision-making and advancing organisational goals. An experienced research director, I have a strong track record of fundraising and building high-impact partnerships with public and private-sector organisations, in areas such as:

• food sustainability,
• decarbonising technologies for cities,
• getting to net zero,
• the circular economy,
• ESG and real-world impact,
• social impact,
• building a sustainable ocean economy,
• the ocean and the SDGs,
• electric vehicles, and
• advanced plastic recycling.

Achievements
I’m proud of having accelerated the growth and impact of the World Ocean Initiative, helping to establish The Sustainability Project (winner of a Webby Award for Best Writing – Editorial), serving as project director for the award-winning Food Sustainability Index, and giving a TEDx talk on “How a just & regenerative mindset can help us navigate the polycrisis”.

As part of my wider engagement on sustainability, I have been a member of the Advisory Committee for the UN Environment Programme’s Global Environment Outlook for Business, a senior rapporteur at World Water Week, a faculty member in the Food & Sustainability Certificate Program provided by the European Institute of Innovation for Sustainability, and a judge at the Reuters Events Responsible Business Awards and the Electric Vehicle Innovation & Excellence Awards (EVIEs).

I earned a bachelor of economic and social studies in international relations from Aberystwyth University and a master’s degree in diplomacy and international relations from the College of Europe.

In addition to English and my native German, I also speak Dutch, French, Italian and a bit of Spanish.

Outside of work I have been a Latin dancer since 2014, specialising in salsa and cha cha cha. I have performed with various dance teams (Caramelo, OtraDanz, Pexava) mainly in London and other parts of the UK but also internationally (including in Amsterdam, Antalya, Marrakech and Berlin).