Rt Hon. John Gummer MP
John Gummer was Margaret Thatcher’s Chairman of the Conservative Party and for 16 years a minister, becoming Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and then Secretary of State for the Environment. His experience as an international negotiator has earned him worldwide respect both in the business community and among environmentalists. Previous to his ministerial career he was a successful businessman and Chairman of a medium sized plc. In consecutive years, the BBC unprecedentedly awarded him the title ‘Parliamentarian who did most for the Environment Internationally’, while the NGO community called him ‘the best Environment Secretary we have ever had’.
Since leaving office he has held the positions of Chairman of the International Commission on Sustainable Consumption, Chairman of the Marine Stewardship Council and Non-Executive Director of Kidde Plc. He is currently Chairman of The Sancroft Group, Chairman of Valpak Ltd., Chairman of the Association Independent Financial Advisors, and Chairma of Veolia UK Ltd. In December 2005 David Cameron appointed him Chairman of the Quality of Life Commission. The Quality of Life report, “Blueprint for a Green Economy”, was launched in September 2007. John Gummer has been a supporter of Suffolk - Creating the Greenest County since its creation.
Dame Ellen MacArthur DBE
Dame Ellen hit the headlines in 2001 after single-handedly sailing around the world in the Vendée Globe race. At 18, she sailed single-handed round Britain and won the BT/YJA Young Sailor of the Year award for being the youngest person to pass her Yachtsmasters Offshore Qualification.
In 1997, Ellen undertook the Mini Transat solo race from Brest in France to Martinique in the French Caribbean. With little money she went to France, bought a 21ft yacht, learned French and refitted the boat on site. She then sailed 2,700 miles across the Atlantic, completing in 33 days. This led to her first major sponsorship from Kingfisher plc when she raced a 50ft boat in the 1998 Route du Rhum transatlantic race. Ellen won in her class and finishing fifth overall in the monohulls.
Before becoming a household name in Britain, Ellen became a heroine in France, where she has been named 'La Jeune Espoire de la Voile' or 'sailing's young hope'. She was named Dame Ellen at Buckingham Palace by the Queen in 2005. Ellen holds five WSSRC (World Sailing Speed Racing Council) ratified speed records including the solo round the world record in a time of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds set in 2005 onboard a 75-foot trimaran. Ellen established the Ellen MacArthur Trust in 2003 that takes young people sailing to help them regain their confidence, on their way to recovery from cancer, leukaemia and other serious illness.
Dame Ellen is BT's Global Ambassador for their corporate social responsibility under the 'Better World' campaign, encouraging people to think about how to live and work in a more sustainable way.
To read Dame Ellen MacArthur's presentation please download it here
Simon Mills
Simon commenced his working life as a field botanist on Cloud and Elfin rainforest in Northern Costa Rica. On returning to the UK Simon’s career path took him through a Welsh university and a succession of Local Authorities before he joined the City of London as Head of Sustainable Development in 2000. Simon’s current portfolio ranges from performance management to international development. In 2007 he developed the City of London’s climate change adaptation strategy, the first of its type in the UK.
To read Simon Mills' presentation please download it here
David Pencheon
David is the Director of the NHS Sustainable Development Unit. The Unit develops organisations, people, tools and policy to help the NHS in England fulfil its potential as a leading sustainable and low carbon organisation. In January 2009 the Unit published Saving Carbon, Improving Health: NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England. David previously worked as Director of the NHS Eastern Region Public Health Observatory from 2001 to 2007. He has also worked as joint Director of Public Health; a Public Health Training Programme Director in the East of England; for Save the Children Fund (UK) in China and as a clinician in secondary care.
To read David Pencheon's presentation please download it here
