Meet the judges for the Marie Claire UK Sustainability Awards 2022

Join us as we celebrate the products, organisations and brands helping to protect the future of our planet.

Sustainability Awards 2022

Join us as we celebrate the products, organisations and brands helping to protect the future of our planet.

The wait is over – the winners of the Marie Claire UK’s annual Sustainability Awards, now in its second year, where we celebrate the brands, organisations and products that are taking on the climate crisis have now been announced

Sustainability needs to be much more than a trend that brands pay lip service to. That’s why we’re highlighting the businesses that are going above and beyond to protect the future of our planet and make a genuine difference. 

Each entry was judged by some of the best sustainability experts in the industry. Keep reading to meet our incredible panel of judges or watch the video below.

Andrea Thompson

Editor-in-Chief, Marie Claire UK

@andreacanwrite

Andrea has worked as a journalist for a range of publications including The Daily Mail, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Channel 4, Glamour and Grazia, before joining Marie Claire. For much of her career, Andrea has specialised in investigative journalism and loves helping bring to light inspirational stories from people who traditionally have not been given a voice in mainstream media. At Marie Claire, Andrea oversaw a hard-hitting feature on rape as a weapon of war that won the title an Amnesty Media Award, and now acts as as a judge for the awards each year. She regularly chairs events for Marie Claire and mentors young women trying to break into the industry.

Ally Head

Health, Sustainability & Relationships Editor, Marie Claire UK

@allyyhead

Ally is a leading editor with over five years industry experience and has worked for the likes of Women's Health, Stylist, Glamour, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, Refinery 29 and more. Day-to-day she writes news and features, advises on campaigns, SEO, and social strategy, and is always first to volunteer to sweat-test the newest fitness trend or share a measured, expert-led take on current sustainability topics. She’s also a keen presenter, hosting her Decoded Instagram live franchise with some of the biggest names in wellness. She loves marathons and isn’t mad—or so she says. Her career highlights? Winning the ‘Spirit of Hearst’ award while working at Women’s Health, and being asked to re-visit City University each year to give insight to current postgrads.

Alex Layton

Head of Marketing, Decanter

@alexmlayton

Alex has over a decade’s experience in the wine industry across retail, marketing, wine writing and judging. He is currently Decanter’s Head of Marketing with a key part of his role involving the brand’s prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards and global events programme.

Aditi Mayer

Photojournalist, Labor Rights Activist, Sustainable Fashion Blogger

@aditimayer

Aditi Mayer is a sustainable fashion blogger, photojournalist, labor rights activist, and frequent speaker on topics of social and environmental justice. Her work looks at fashion and culture through a lens of intersectionality and decolonization.

In 2014, Aditi had her start in the sustainable fashion movement after learning about the Rana Plaza Factory Collapse. Seeing the fashion industry’s disproportionate impact on people of color globally, Aditi looked to understand the historical and sociopolitical underpinnings that allow the fashion industry to function in a colonial manner, rooted in exploitation and extraction of both labor and the natural environment.

Since then, she has become a voice in the larger sustainability movement, approaching her work from multiple domains: grassroots organizing, brand consulting, journalism, content creation, and more. She serves on the council of Intersectional Environmentalist and State of Fashion. Aditi will be spending 2022 as a National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow, spending one year documenting the social and environmental impacts of India’s fashion supply chain.

Amarjit Sahota

Founder & President, Ecovia Intelligence

Amarjit Sahota

Mr. Sahota is recognised as a leading expert in international sustainable product industries. He has been doing research, analysis & consulting on organic foods, natural cosmetics, fair trade products, health & wellness products for over 20 years. Mr. Sahota is the founder and president of Ecovia Intelligence, which has been encouraging sustainable development in specialist industries since its formation in 2001. For over two decades, is company has assisted a wide range of clients that range from multinationals, government organizations, to dedicated ethical product companies. The client list of Ecovia Intelligence includes Unilever, Aveda, L’Oreal, Weleda, Arla Foods, Organic Trade Association, Phytotrade Africa, CBI (Dutch government), APEX Brasil, and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Research and analysis of Mr. Sahota has been quoted extensively in the media, including The Financial Times, The Independent, Forbes, Fortune, BBC World Service, The Economist, Food Chemical News, The Straits Times, South China Morning Post, CNBC News, Nordic Business Report and Asian Business. He regularly delivers papers at international events.

Pre-pandemic, he presented at BioFach / Vivaness (Nuernberg, Feb 20), Natural Products Masterclass (San Francisco, Jan 20), Cosmoprof Asia (Hong Kong, Nov 19), Organic Food Day Finland (Helsinki, Oct 19), Natural & Organic Products Asia (Hong Kong, Sep 19), Naturals in Cosmetic Science (Manchester, July 19), Cosmetics Business (Munich, June 19), UEBT Beauty of Sourcing with Respect Conference (Paris, May 19), Natural & Organic Products Europe (London, April 19), In-Cosmetics Global (Paris, April 19), and Cosmoprof Global (Bologna, March 19).

Mr. Sahota has degrees in Applied Chemistry and Management Science, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing. He has co-authored a number of books on Sustainability and organic products. His latest publication is called Sustainability: Greening of the Cosmetics Industry (Wiley & Sons).

Amy Nelson-Bennett

Co-CEO, Positive Luxury

positiveluxury.com

Amy is the Managing Director of Positive Luxury, who provide the luxury industry’s leading independent sustainability certification with The Butterfly Mark, alongside data benchmarking, expert advice, and industry-leading reports. Born and educated in the USA, Amy brings 25 years of global experience to Positive Luxury across Brand Strategy, Marketing Communications and Business Transformation gained across media, retail and luxury goods - most recently as CEO of Molton Brown and then the Clive Christian Group. By championing the alignment of the core principles of luxury and sustainability, she aims to accelerate the actions of the luxury industry and the positive impact they can make as a collective to shape a better society.

Amy Wislocki

Magazine Editor, Decanter

@decanter

Amy has 30 years' experience in publishing, and has worked at a senior level for leading companies in the consumer, business-to-business and contract publishing arenas. Magazine editor at Decanter, Amy joined the title in October 2000 as editor, aged just 28. Since then she has been instrumental in helping the brand to achieve commercial success in a challenging media climate, and in developing the editorial side of the Decanter World Wine Awards, the world's biggest wine competition. As well as overseeing content planning and production for the print offering, she has also been involved in developing digital channels, Decanter.com and Decanter Premium, and produces regular sponsored guides for clients.

Before her time at Decanter, Amy spent five years at Redwood, a leading contract publisher. While there, she produced magazines for blue-chip clients including Psion and AA before becoming editor of BT Talking Business, a quarterly publication sent to 250,000 small and medium-sized businesses. Prior to that she worked as a writer/researcher at Reed Business Information after graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in Classics.

Annabel Thomas

Founder, Nc'nean Distillery

@annabelthomas1

Previous strategy consultant, Annabel left her job in 2013 to pursue an ambition to change the way the world thinks about whisky, with the planet front of mind. Unafraid to disrupt the ‘rules’ for conventional Scotch. Nc’nean aims to break down the barriers associated with whisky to encourage a younger, more diverse audience to think differently about the ways it can be produced and enjoyed.

Annick Ireland

Founder & CEO, Immaculate Vegan

@immacultevegan

Annick Ireland became vegan in 2016 after adopting a greyhound from the Retired Greyhound Trust and making the connection between the pets we love and all other animals. Wanting to also wear her values, she searched far and wide for stylish, high quality vegan fashion that was sustainable too – and struggled!

However, after many hours, days and months spent on the internet and Instagram, she discovered that a wealth of beautiful vegan fashion brands were out there, but they were hard to find. So with a background in marketing and business (having worked in senior leadership roles for many large media companies), she realised she could combine her passions by bringing together the best and most beautiful vegan products in the world, and make it easy for others to discover and buy them.

Annick lives in with her partner in North London and, when not hunting out wonderful items from every corner of the globe, she spends her time reading historical crime fiction, going for long walks in nature, and entertaining friends in the garden with a lovely glass of Pinot Noir.

Ashlee Piper

Sustainability Expert, Author & TV Personality

@ashleepiper

Ashlee Piper is a sustainability expert, author, speaker and media personality whose work has been featured on 250+ television segments, including The TODAY Show & Good Morning America, and in VOGUE, The Washington Post, InStyle, & NY Magazine, to name a few. Piper believes in the power of our individual habits and creating the ideal conditions for anyone to make small, sustainable shifts. Piper's book, Give A Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet. has been branded the 'sustainability Bible.' She's consulted on sustainability practices with well-known companies such as airbnb, LUSH, Nissan, and Eileen Fisher, has been a cabinet level advisor to two Massachusetts Governors, and has spoken at the United Nations and TED. She holds a BA from Brown University and a Masters degree in Evidence-Based Social Intervention from the University of Oxford, UK.

Barbeline Lusandu

Creative Director, Barbeline London

@barbeline_

Barbeline initially began her design career in 2012, producing quirky patterned childrenswear, “I have always had a passion for interiors, but when I first started designing the Scandi vibe of clean lines and minimalism was still very much the trend, so I decided to specialise in childrenswear, where fun is at the forefront. Friends would come to our home and say how much they loved the punchy patterns and colour we had in every room but were almost fearful of trying it themselves. I began making cushions and lampshades for them, and encouraged them to be bold, bright and try new things.”

Bettina Campolucci Bordi

Plant Based Chef & Owner, Bettina's Kitchen

@bettinas_kitchen

Culinary wellness guru and social media star Bettina Campolucci Bordi is world-renowned for her wholesome, colourful and internationally inspired cooking.

For Bettina, the benefits and possibilities of plant-based cooking knows no bounds. She has published two cookbooks, Happy Food and 7 Day Vegan Challenge, with her third book, Celebrate, due to be published in September 2021.

With a Norwegian father and Bulgarian/Danish mother, and time spent living in Tanzania, Sweden, Ireland, Spain and the UK, Bettina's recipes are globally inspired.

Bettina's goal is to make plant-based cooking more sustainable, accessible, and delicious for all. She uses local and seasonal produce where possible and loves supporting small farms across the UK.

Bianca Foley

Sustainable Content Creator, Writer and Podcast Co-Host of Sustainably Influenced

@biancaffoley

Bianca, 34, is a proud woman of mixed heritage – Jamaican and Sicilian descent, she attempts to bridge both cultures in everything she does. Bianca first began dabbling in the world of sustainability around 7 years ago with the launch of her first fashion e-commerce business. Around 3 years prior, Bianca started blogging - writing and creating content was the passion project. Now, a full time Digital Content Creator, she has worked with incredible brands. She was featured in a sustainability segment for ITV news in September 2021 and continues to expand her knowledge of the world of sustainability through her podcast, Sustainably Influenced. The podcast was created to help guide people through the minefield of sustainability. The podcast started in January 2020 after the success of an earlier event by the same name the previous year. Over the past 2 years, the podcast has gained notable traction and they have been asked to speak at many events including the Cheltenham Literature Festival in October 2021.

Caroline Rush

CEO, British Fashion Council

@97crush

Since her appointment as Chief Executive in April 2009, Caroline Rush has focused on strengthening the British Fashion Council’s network and platforms to connect businesses with global audiences, both trade and consumer. During this time London Fashion Week (LFW) has become a globally recognised platform for creative and innovative fashion talent and more recently due to the global pandemic LFW merged womenswear and menswear and pivoted to a digital-first event. The Fashion Awards has become the global award ceremony for the fashion industry and raised millions for the BFC Foundation and its charitable projects. In 2020, Rush spearheaded the launch of The Institute of Positive Fashion as an engine room for change, galvanising the industry to address how it can more positively impact the environment, the people and communities. As part of this work, Rush and the BFC launched the first ever Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee.

Charity Wakefield

Actor and Woodland Trust Ambassador

@charitywakefield

Charity's resumé boasts a colourful spectrum of critically acclaimed and award-winning projects. She stars in THE GREAT (Hulu/Starz), alongside Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. She's also known for playing ‘Marianne Dashwood’ in the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, the Golden Globe and BAFTA winning, and Emmy nominated WOLF HALL, Ron Howard’s Emmy nominated GENIUS; CLOSE TO THE ENEMY directed by Stephen Poliakoff for BBC2, the global phenomenon DOCTOR WHO. She made history as the first woman to play Shakespeare at The Globe in Nicole Charles’s ‘exhilarating’ all-female production of EMILIA. Additional theatre credits include a ‘beautifully executed’ (LA Times) THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Olivier Theatre at the The National Theatre, THE BLACKEST BLACK at the Hampstead Theatre; CANDIDA at the Theatre Royal Bath and THE RIVALS with Celia Imrie at the Southwark Playhouse. She is an ambassador for The Woodland Trust and is hugely passionate about environmental issues.

Charlotte Keesing

Director, Walpole

thewalpole.co.uk

Charlotte Keesing is a Director at Walpole, the UK's association of British luxury brands. With 15 years experience in the UK luxury's sector she leads Walpole's international work, corporate affairs, partnerships, thought-leadership and most recently led Walpole's sustainability strategy and the creation of Walpole British Luxury Sustainability Manifesto.

Charlotte Horler

Founder, Nula

nula.work

Charlotte is the founder of Nula. Nula started out as a carbon consultancy, working with businesses and individuals alike to understand their carbon footprint and embed nature-based solutions into their sustainability strategy. After spending close to two years talking to businesses about their sustainability challenges, Charlotte has now pivoted Nula to become a new platform on a mission to embed sustainability at the heart of the workplace, making it easy and accessible for every employee to be involved in the solution.Prior to founding Nula, Charlotte spent her career working across the sustainability and development sectors both in the U.K and internationally. This involved a period working for SOKO Kenya, an ethical manufacturer, where she co-designed and implemented an up-cycled, washable sanitary pad project on behalf of SOKO's Community Trust.

Dave Coleman

Managing Director, The Carbon Literacy Project

@carbonliteracy

After studying Biochemistry at the University of Manchester, Dave began his career with accountants Deloitte, spent 12 years at an award-winning UK IT company, then founded and spent ten years as a management trainer and coach in his own practice in the commercial sector. As a former trustee and non-executive director of Friends of the Earth in the UK, in 2011 he co-founded and now leads low-carbon culture-change charity The Carbon Literacy Project, and speaks and advocates on climate change issues.

Donna Okell

B Leader and Founder, Cheshire for Good

@Cheshireforgood

Donna lives in Willington, Cheshire, and first became interested in responsible business when she was a Private Wealth Manager for Coutts & Co. In 2021 she followed her dream of shaping a cleaner, greener, fairer world. She established Cheshire for Good; a unique organisation dedicated to supporting businesses leaders who are committed to making a bigger difference to their people, communities, and the planet. Working with a team of six dynamic, passionate female leaders they inspire, inform, and enable forward-thinking leaders to build businesses for Good - Good for people, Good for the planet, and Good for profit. With her B Leader hat on Donna works with businesses who want to become B Corp Certified. B Corps are a new type of business which meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance. They’re transparent, and legally accountable. In short, they are businesses that walk the talk.

Dr Uchenna Okoye

Clinical Director, London Smiling Dental Group

Dr Uchenna Okoye is a celebrity dentist, well known for her appearance on the makeover show 10 Years Younger in 10 days, previously on Channel 4 and a new series now on Channel 5. She has launched a Luxe beauty dental range ‘MySmile’ based on her experience of treating patients for almost 30 years in her London practices. A dental phobic, her passion is to demystify the whole practice of dentistry for consumers. She feels knowledge is power and uses her platform to educate, engage and encourage consumers to take control of their oral health.

Dr Uchenna is a key opinion leader and ambassador for both dentistry and some dental brands. She is a regular guest on both tv and radio, and features regularly in national papers and magazines. She has a special interest in the effects of hormones especially menopause on oral health and uses Instagram as a medium to answer messages from people all over the world. "It can be hard work, finding the time as I manage my own account but it is totally worth it as I can reach a vast number of people and really make a difference".

Ele Ward

Sustainability and Brand Consultant

@ele.ward

Ele Ward is passionate about businesses who understand the power of brand identity, community and impact. She works with founders and early-stage teams who are focused on building purpose-driven brands. Ele’s mission is to drive for a world where purpose-driven business is the norm.

Ella Robertson McKay

MD, One Young World & Co-Author, How To Make A Difference

@ellarobertson_

Ella is the MD of One Young World, the global forum for young leaders. A UK-based charity, One Young World Ambassadors have impacted the lives of 30 million+ people in every country in the world. Ella is the co-Author of "How To Make A Difference" - the authoritative handbook to effective activism.

Emma Slade Edmondson

Founder ESE Consultancy, Author and Presenter

@emsladeedmondson

Emma Slade Edmondson is a London-based creative director and writer - she specialises in social change and sustainability. In 2020, Emma was named by Forbes as one of the 'Top 100 Environmentalists'. She is the founder of ESE consultancy (which works to elevate brands, initiatives, and organisations that have a desire to do some social or environmental good).Emma is also one half of the popular podcast 'Mixed Up' which explores mixed-race heritage identities and race. Emma openly talks about her experiences as a mixed-race woman of Jamaican, British (part German-Swiss, part Cornish Pirate) heritage.

Erin Baker

Editorial Director, Auto Trader

@schoolrunmumerin

Erin is an award-winning motoring journalist and broadcaster across a range of national and lifestyle titles. She champions the female automotive consumer and specialises in automotive written and video content that engages women.

Eshita Kabra-Davies

Founder, By Rotation

@arentyoueshita

Passionate about changing the way we consume fashion, Eshita Kabra-Davies founded By Rotation, a peer to peer social rental app in 2019. Now with over 200,000 users from all over the UK, by Rotation is enabling fashion lovers to lend and rent out other people’s wardrobes, helping save money and the planet at the same time.

Gemma Styles

Podcaster, Writer and MQ Ambassador

@gemmastyles

Gemma Styles is a relatable voice online and utilises her 8.1 million Instagram followers to raise awareness on the global matters she is passionate about. Gemma hosts the ‘Good Influence’ podcast, which invites discussion on topics that we should be familiar with, such as mental health, sustainability and feminism. Sustainability runs through every choice Gemma makes for both her business and personal life. If something can be done in a more sustainable way, Gemma will ensure it happens. She has launched two successful sunglasses collaborations in partnership with Kenmark, ensuring that longevity and sustainability were a key focus throughout. Gemma studied science and loves to understand the processes and research behind the products she uses and brands she shops from. Gemma is the perfect global platform for brands that are sustainable or are on their journey to becoming more sustainable to elevate their presence with eco-conscious individuals. Her collection with Kenmark Sunglasses was created with sustainability and longevity in mind. Even the case the glasses come in was designed to last longer than your standard case by using more durable yet recyclable materials and can be reused in a multitude of ways, Gemma’s favourite being a jewellery case. Gemma has worked with sustainable brands such as BMW, Organic Basics, Depop, Go Climate and more.

Georgie Hyatt

CEO & Co-Founder, Rotaro

@georgiehyatt

Georgie Hyatt is the Co-founder and CEO of Rotaro, a leading fashion rental platform for brands in the UK. Rotaro is on a mission to make fashion more circular, forever through innovative technology.

Giles Gibbons

Founder, Good Business

Good.business

Giles founded Good Business 25 years ago. He advises brands, start-ups, foundations, voluntary organisations and social enterprises on strategy, purpose and reputation. He’s worked with organisations as diverse as The Coca-Cola Company, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aesop and WWF, making sure that they keep up with the changing times, and move with the tide rather than against it. He also chairs the Sustainable Restaurant Association, the restaurant world’s Michelin stars for sustainability; he chairs the Paraorchestra, an elite disabled orchestra; and Shift, A service design agency for the charity sector and Talking Taboos, a charity focused on raising issues hidden by society.

Hannah Cox

Founder, betternotstop & The Better Business Network

betternotstop.com

thebetterbusiness.network

Hannah runs betternotstop a sustainability impact agency, helping purpose-driven businesses to implement strategies, policies and frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, B Corp Certification and Carbon Literacy to increase their revenue, customer base and employee retention.

betternotstop also runs “The Better Business Network”, a community for purpose-driven business owners and leaders who want to grow their business and make the world a better place. The community helps them grow their network, impact, income and audience while advocating for systemic change.

Hannah Reiss

Marketing & Communications Manager, B Lab UK

@bcorpuk

Hannah is Marketing & Communications Manager at B Lab UK, the charity building the B Corporation Movement in the UK. B Lab supports a growing community of companies that are using business as a force for good. Before joining B Lab, Hannah worked in the fashion industry as a stylist and consultant, working with individuals and organisations to promote and progress the sustainable fashion agenda.

Harriet Vocking

Chief Brand Officer, Eco-Age

@ecoage

Harriet heads up the team at Eco-Age and has lead the sustainability consultancy company since the very beginning. Harriet has extensive experience in developing and delivering brand communication strategies for UK and International businesses. Her wide experience of both in house and agency marketing and communication allows her to add significant value to Eco-Age and its growing international client base.

Ingrid Newkirk

Founder, PETA

@petauk

Ingrid Newkirk is the founder of animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and all its foreign affiliates. PETA works to establish and protect the rights of all animals, and opposes speciesism - a human-supremacist worldview. PETA believes that animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment or abuse in any other way.

Jayn Sterland

Managing Director, Weleda UK

@weledauk

Jayn Sterland had a successful career in fashion before joining green beauty pioneers Weleda in 2008, where she was appointed managing director in 2016. An inspirational sustainable business leader and lifelong environmentalist, Jayn has continuously championed sustainability in business, sharing the company’s near-century of knowledge through her daily work, both as a public speaker and columnist. An energetic activist for social and environmental responsibility and a committed campaigner for cleaner beauty, Jayn has once again been voted into the industry Top 25 ‘Who’s Who in Natural Beauty’ where she has featured in the top 3 since 2013.

Jenny Proudfoot

Features Editor, Marie Claire UK

@jenny_proudfoot

Jenny is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment, feminism, careers and politics. Jenny started at Marie Claire seven years ago as an intern and has since risen to Features Editor. She is now the most published Marie Claire UK writer of all time, having personally written 10% of all articles in the website's 22-year history. She was announced a a 30 under 30 award-winner in 2021 and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.

Jessi Baker MBE

Founder & CEO, Provenance

@provenancehq

Jessi Baker, MBE, is the founder and CEO of provenance.org, the global leader in sustainability marketing technology. Provenance is now working with 120+ leading beauty brands and retailers to power proof-backed impact claims for ecommerce – including Cult Beauty, Douglas, Tropic, The Ordinary, Urban Decay, REN, The Inkey List and Pai.

Jessi is an Art and Science hybrid, with a Master’s in Engineering from Cambridge University and Design from the Royal College of Art. Across the US and Europe, she has worked with many brands on technology and digital design strategy.

Joanna Abeyie MBE

Founder & CEO, Blue Moon

@joanna_abeyie

Joanna is Founder and Director of Blue Moon — an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy and Executive Search Process.

Karen Hamilton

Global VP Sustainability, Divisions, Unilever

Karen Hamilton

Karen has over 20 years’ experience of driving market share and catalysing innovation in 100+ countries.

In 2010 she spearheaded the creation of Unilever’s groundbreaking Sustainable Living Plan, which has been the company’s north star sustainable business strategy for 10 years. Committed to deepening its commitment to sustainable business, in 2021 the company launched the Unilever Compass, a fully integrated corporate strategy, which Karen helped to shape. She works with Unilever’s leading brands, such as Dove, Hellmann’s and Sunsilk, to bring their purpose to life and embed sustainability into product innovation.

Karina Marriott

Stylist, Writer and Content Creator, The Style Idealist

@styleidealist

Karina Marriott is a Stylist, Writer and Content Creator based in Bristol, inspiring, encouraging and empowering women to style themselves in a way that makes them feel most confident. By creating regular styling reels from the comfort of her own home, she brings her community along with her each morning to get ready. Whether that be making an outfit stand out with bold gold jewellery, a colourful dress or the best figure-hugging trousers she’s found that week, Karina is there to give you her advice on all things styling. After opening up about her struggles with low self-esteem, Karina also uses her platform to highlight lessons she has learnt over the years; from self-discovery, body acceptance and confidence, to relationships and career changes. As well as her expert fashion tips and styling recommendations for midsize women with curves, Karina’s candid, funny and feel-good content is regularly featured in publications such as Sheerluxe, Glamour Magazine and Who What Wear. Karina has partnered with brands including John Lewis, H&M, Mejuri and Lancome, to name a few.

Katie Thomas

Senior Beauty Editor, Marie Claire UK

@katie_thomas_hayne

Katie Thomas is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire UK. She covers everything from the best beauty looks from the red carpet and stand out trends from the catwalk, to colonic irrigation and to the best mascaras on the market. She joined the Marie Claire digital team in 2018, having previously sat on the beauty desks at InStyle UK and Tatler. She's obsessed with skincare, loves low-maintenance hair and wears more jewellery than the Queen.

Kristina Buckley Kayel

Managing Director, Natural Diamond Council (North America)

@onlynaturaldiamonds

Kristina Buckley Kayel is the Managing Director of the Natural Diamond Council’s North America. She is responsible for steering and implementing NDC’s marketing, communications and digital strategy, its research and insights activity, as well as supporting and partnering with retailers and trade organisations.

Lena Staafgard

Chief Operating Officer, Better Cotton

Lena always wanted a career with purpose. As Chief Operating Officer at Better Cotton, Lena loves that she works for an organisation with a single mission and clear focus that directly benefits smallholder cotton farmers around the world. Lena has a background in sustainability and holds degrees in Politics and Geography, and Environment and Development. She is inspired by commitment and by people who follow their values and passions, even if it means taking the road less travelled.

Lisa Oxenham

Beauty & Style Director, Marie Claire UK

@lisaoxenham

An award-winning journalist and creative director, Lisa is one of the world's top beauty editors. A well-respected stylist and art director, she shoots with the highest calibre of photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists, influencers and celebrities, creating timeless images and film. With 20 years of editorial experience in beauty, health and wellbeing Lisa is also a popular brand strategist, influencer, entrepreneur and public speaker, most recently talking for Cognition X.

Mandeep Soor

Co-founder, Bendi

@mandeepsoor

Mandeep is a climate tech entrepreneur and co-founder of the fashion-sustainability-tech company Bendi, which helps apparel brands to understand and reduce their environmental and social impacts. She was an early employee at the AI/data science startup Pivigo helping companies to use AI to accelerate growth as well as the British Business Bank and the Boston Consulting Group.

Martyn Odell

Owner, Lagom Chef

@lagomchef

A self titled food waste disruptor Martyn has carved a market for himself by bringing his positive, upbeat vibes to peoples homes, teaching them how to create less food waste in their home. Eat the food you but, save the planet.

Michelle Miles

Founder, Sustainable Wedding Alliance

@sustainableweddingallianceuk

Michelle is the founder of the Sustainable Wedding Alliance, a purpose driven organisation driving sustainable change in the wedding industry. The Alliance works with businesses of all sizes to help them to understand sustainability, what it means for them, and how they can develop long term sustainable strategies, that will benefit people, profit and planet. Businesses that become members are assessed on their sustainability processes and procedures, and receive a personalised action plan to make appropriate changes. Membership also includes accreditation, for those businesses who achieve a minimum standard.

Michelle is passionate about creating a more sustainable wedding industry, through education, support and accreditation.

Michelle is an Associate of the Institute for Environmental Management & Assessment and has a Foundation Certificate in Environmental Management.

Millie Kendall OBE

CEO, British Beauty Council

@milliekendall

Millie is the CEO of the British Beauty Council and Director at Brandstand Communications. During her career as a retail maven and brand creator Millie Kendall has been instrumental in the success of cult brands including Shu Uemura, Aveda, Tweezerman and L’Occitane. In 1997 she founded and created makeup brand, Ruby & Millie cosmetics and was awarded an MBE in 2007 for services to the cosmetics industry. In 2018 she co-founded the British Beauty Council, a non-profit organisation that aims to support a successful, innovative, and inclusive British beauty industry.

Myriam Sidibe

Chief Mission Officer, Brands on a Mission

@myriamonamission

Myriam Sidibe is the Chief Mission Officer and Founder of Brands on a Mission, an aspiring B-Corp aiming to get brands to drive impact in health and well-being through their business models. She’s also the woman behind the multi-award winning and UN recognized Global Handwashing Day now celebrated in over 100 countries. In addition, Myriam is a research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and an honorary Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She’s the author of the best-selling book Brands on a Mission : How to Achieve Social Impact and Business Growth through Purpose and her TED talk The Simple Power of Handwashing has been viewed over 1 million times.

Natalie Glaze

Founder, Stay Wild & By Glaze

@natalieglaze

Natalie Glaze is a UK sustainable lifestyle blogger and the Co-Founder of Stay Wild Swimwear. With a passion for the ocean, Natalie has co-created Stay Wild, a premium swimwear company that use regenerated ocean plastic bottles into their fabric. Sustainable fashion and a conscious lifestyle are at the heart of Natalie’s motivations. Natalie is a strong advocate for slow fashion and often showcases amazing second-hand finds. As an avid fan of reading, Natalie founded the Book Swap club last year, an opportunity for people to get together to discuss their favourite books and spread positivity through her community.

This year Natalie was named on Forbes 30 under 30 list to add to her list of business and sustainability credentials.

Penny Goldstone

Fashion Editor, Marie Claire UK

@pennygoldstone

Penny Goldstone is the fashion editor at Marie Claire, overseeing everything from shopping galleries, trends pieces, fashion week reporting and sartorial news. A self-confessed dress addict, she is committed to buying less but better in a bid to build a more sustainable wardrobe.

Rob Green

COO & Co-founder, COAT Paints

@coatpaints

The paint guy and half of the founding team behind luxury eco paint brand COAT, Rob has a passion for innovation that delivers a more conscious product or service, challenging the norm and setting new industry precedents.

Ruby Raut

CEO & Co-Founder, WUKA

@rautruby

Growing up in Nepal, Ruby traditionally used old sari rags while on her period, which were very sustainable but uncomfortable and often caused embarrassing leaks. Arriving to the UK in 2010, Ruby was overwhelmed by the wide range of menstrual products available, however none were reusable. While studying for her Environmental Science degree, Ruby decided to create the UK’s first period pants - WUKA are now stocked in over 400 UK stores, including Sainsbury’s and Superdrug, and in over 20 countries. Ruby also launched a campaign calling on the government to remove the tax on period pants.

Sarah Spiteri

Editorial Director, Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Country Homes & Interiors, Period Living

@sarah.spiteri

Sarah Spiteri is the award-winning editorial director of Future's high-end home interest media brands, Homes & Gardens and Livingetc. She has been writing and editing luxury design, interiors and lifestyle content for more than 15 years and is now focused on driving global growth on all platforms. Sarah is passionate about making a brighter future through sustainable style choices. Also an ad hoc interior designer and creative consultant, she regularly hosts industry events, judges product awards and mentors journalists looking to break into media.

Sophie Robinson

Business Development Manager, Beauty, Wellbeing and Textiles, Soil Association Certification

@soilassociationbeauty

Sophie is the Business Development Manager on the Beauty, Wellbeing and Textiles team at Soil Association Certification. Her desire to understand and improve supply chains stems from a practical upbringing spent gardening, crafting, and creating potions with her mum (an aromatherapist and seamstress). In 2014 she harnessed this passion for well sourced quality products by moving into her first systems role within the organic sector. A qualified nutritionist with an MSc in Gastronomy, her interest in the food system and its’ pitfalls led her to consider the health and systemic impacts of what we are putting on our bodies and into our homes by way of cosmetics, cleaning products, home furnishings and clothing. Sophie still mixes potions for her skin and hair but is relieved there are now so many amazing products on the market she can let an expert formulate most of her routine!

Stephanie de Heer

Global Senior Director, Marketing & Communications, Rainforest Alliance

@rainforestalliance

Stephanie de Heer is the Rainforest Alliance’s senior director of marketing & communications. With more than 15 years of experience in communications and PR, de Heer leads a global team that enables people to understand and engage with the mission and impact of the Rainforest Alliance.

Sujata Burman

Editor, London Design Festival

@sujataburman

Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* Magazine before moving to her current role of Editor at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.

Sunil Makan

Acting Editor, Marie Claire UK

@sunileo86

With over 12 years of publishing experience, working on print publications and their digital counterparts, national newspapers and digital pure plays Sunil is an Editor, Strategist, Content Producer and Art Director that specialises in Fashion, Beauty and Grooming, Lifestyle and Culture.

Victoria Prew

CEO, HURR

@victoriaprew

Victoria Prew is the Co-Founder and CEO of HURR, the fashion marketplace changing the way we wear. Recognised as Forbes “30 Under 30”, Prew was the first to tap into the booming circular economy, spearheading rental fashion and shifts in Millennial and Gen-Z behaviour.

HURR is on a mission to reinvent ownership and provide all the short-cuts to a sustainable wardrobe. Disrupting the £21 billion UK fashion industry, HURR has been named one of the world’s “Top 50 retail-tech startups”.

Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor

Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and saw nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.