Sue Riddlestone
Executive Director and co-founder

Sue is a Skoll Award winning social entrepreneur. As a founder of BioRegional’s One Planet Living programme, she has worked to introduce sustainable communities in countries from China to the USA.

Sue has pioneered projects on sustainable paper production, creating The Laundry, London’s first kerbside recycling collection, and leading a team to develop the MiniMill, new small-scale technology to produce paper pulp.

As a member of the Mayor’s London Sustainable Development Commission, Sue has set targets for reducing London's CO2 emissions and the London 2012 Olympic bid – and subsequently helped to write the sustainability strategy “One Planet Olympics”.

Sue co-authored a book with co-founder Pooran Desai about BioRegional’s projects and approach - “BioRegional Solutions”, and is a regular contributor to conferences and the media. In 2008 the Government appointed Sue to the Eco-Towns Challenge Panel, with CABE Sue wrote “What makes an eco-town?”.

Read an article about Sue on 'How to make a difference' March 09

Pooran Desai OBE
One Planet Living Technical Director and Co-Founder of BioRegional

Pooran studied physiological sciences at Oxford University. He founded the BioRegional Charcoal Company and has worked to revive London’s lavender industry. With architect Bill Dunster he initiated the BedZED eco-village. Pooran has been a sustainability consultant to government and industry, in the UK and overseas and chaired the Homes and Environment group of the UK Defra Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment. In 2005, Pooran helped found sustainable community development company BioRegional Quintain Ltd (BQL), where he is Sustainability Director. He is Technical Director of the international “One Planet Living” initiative. In 2004, Pooran was awarded an OBE for services to sustainable development.

Read an article about Pooran on 'How to make a difference' March 09

Emma Croxson
Finance Director

Emma has a background in Ecology and Environmental Management, before joining BioRegional she worked for The Centre for Population Biology and The Mammal Society. Over the six years that Emma has been with BioRegional she has held a variety of positions including running BioRegional Charcoal Company for over two years.

Before joining One Planet Products Mark was the director of an award-winning internet business with a turnover of £1m and 12 staff, which he turned around from substantial losses into operational profit. Additionally Mark was elected to Croydon Council in 2002 and served as the Cabinet Member for Equalities and Community Partnerships and the e-government champion. Previously Mark was the Communications Director at Stonewall.

Mark has a undergraduate degree in environmental geography and spent three months in Dhaka, Bangladesh studying the affects of poverty on social exclusion and the environment. After graduating he led a six month expedition to the Amazon to consider the environmental and climatic consequences of rainforest destruction. Before going to university Mark spent one year working voluntarily in the township of Alexandria in South Africa. Mark is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and in 2003 he climbed Kilimanjaro to raise money for HIV / AIDS projects in Africa.

Tom has undertaken communications, IT and tour work in the past, and currently divides his time between research and support for Sue Riddlestone and engaging the community on our One Planet Living in Sutton project.

Majonne van der Bijl
Assistant and Researcher to the Director

Majonne has a BA in Communications. During her studies she volunteered as PR-coordinator for multi-disciplinary cultural festival Virus in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Prior to joining BioRegional she was Business Manager for homeless charity Emmaus South Lambeth and ran a successful furniture, electricals and household goods reuse business.

Shafique Kumbay
ICT Manager

Shafique graduated in Electronics Engineering from India and has served a number of organisations ( commercial / NPO ) providing I.T Support , application design and development. Prior to joining BioRegional he worked for BookAid International ( a large educational NGO based in Camberwell) responsible for their I.T infrastructure and supporting an array of Database Systems. At BioRegional he is ensuring optimal performance of the I.T systems in place and helping with the selection and Implementation of new systems.

Stephen Ivings
Finance Manager

Stephen joined BioRegional in June 2008. In conjunction with the Finance Director he is responsible for the day to day running of the financial affairs of the BioRegional Development Group. Prior to completing his professional accountancy qualification in 2000, Stephen worked within the engineering and the health service sectors. Since then, Stephen has gained further financial experience within the not-for profit, social housing and financial services sectors.

Phil Shemmings
Head of Marketing

Phil is responsible for BioRegional's marketing strategy, ensuring that we continue to be recognised as a world leader in providing solutions for sustainability. Prior to joining BioRegional he was Head of Communications and Public Relations for a large housing association group. Before this he worked in consultancy, local government and for the London Research Centre. Phil is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Chartered Institute of Housing and Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and he holds a first class honours degree in Housing Studies.

Jennie Organ
Communications Manager

Jennie has a BA Hons Degree in Marketing. Whilst studying she volunteered for Friends of the Earth Birmingham. After graduating she worked for a commercial PR agency, leaving to join BioRegional in 2001.

Anna Francis
Consultant for BioRegional Consulting

Since completing a BSc in International Management and French and an MSc in Environmental Science, Policy and Planning, Anna has gained a range of experience in the environmental sector. Prior to joining BioRegional she worked as an Environmental Consultant for Waste Watch specialising in sustainable resource management, recycling and waste. She has also worked on a range of local food projects, helped to co-ordinate an environmental project in the Himalayas and worked in the communications department of a multinational energy company in Paris. Anna now works with the consulting team at BioRegional.

Andrew is a registered architect now working as a sustainability consultant for BioRegional Consulting. He has over 25 years’ experience in energy efficiency and housing, having begun his career in a local authority research and development group and later working in Central government on building regulations and sponsoring construction research.

Amy Hammond
Consultant for BioRegional Consulting

As Energy Specialist for the consulting team, Amy is involved in sustainable build consultancy, energy demand and supply modelling and assessments, renewable energy feasibility assessments and development of local, regional and national environmental strategies, policies and protocols. Her previous roles include Technical Project Manager at the Centre for Sustainable Energy in Bristol and Consultant with energy consultancy TNEI.
Amy is a registered SAP Plan Assessor, is an Associate of the IEMA and holds a first class honours in BSc Geography.

Sam Smith
Consultant for BioRegional Consulting

Over the last two years Sam has worked with various projects at BioRegional. While completing an MSc in Sustainable Energy and the Environment at Cardiff University, he volunteered and completed research for The Laundry and BioRegional Reclaimed. He now works with the consulting team. At university, Sam was a keen member of People and Planet and Engineers Without Borders. He also volunteered and helped run Student Volunteering Cardiff, the largest student volunteering charity in the UK.

Chloe Souque
Consultant for BioRegional Consulting

Chloé completed an MSc in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development. Whilst at University she volunteered on the Cool Cities campaign launched by the Sierra Club, a U.S. environmental NGO and also for an architecture studio in Italy, specialising in bioarchitecture. Chloé has also worked within the in-house sustainability team at BioRegional Quintain Ltd.

Jonathan is a Chartered Civil Engineer and Environmentalist with postgraduate qualifications in Development Management and Environmental Decision Making. He has consulted on the sustainability of development projects and programmes in the UK, Bangladesh and Vietnam, following a background in power, transport and maritime infrastructure with major consultants and contractors.

Jonathan is a co-founder of the Living Well course and Sustainable Redhill, a local environmental forum. Jonathan combines his work with BioRegional with research and consultancy, focused on the linkages between climate change and visioning for future sustainability, economics and development strategies. Jonathan also sits on the advisory board of the Green Economics Institute.

Ben Witchalls
Biomass Business Development Manager

Prior to joining BioRegional in October 2008 Ben spent 6 years working for a large energy company as an environmental advisor, analyst and business developer. His work was primarily oil and gas focussed but also included a detailed analysis of urban energy systems. Most recently he was a manager in developing a biomass cooking stoves business for households in developing countries. Ben has an honours degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Masters Degree in Sustainable Development. He has spent over a year working on development projects in Africa and Asia and has project managed the build of 4 low energy houses.

Cara Whelan
ReIY Project Manager

After graduating with a degree in philosophy and literature, Cara worked as an arts festival administrator as well as voluntarily working on varied arts, homelessness and sustainability projects. Most recently Cara worked with St Mungo’s as a fundraiser for four years, specialising in charitable trusts. She is actively involved in reducing her own environmental footprint.

Ronan will be carrying out reclamation surveys, reporting on opportunities for reclamation and reuse and providing general advice for the construction and demolition industry. Prior to this Ronan completed an MSc in Design for Sustainability at Canfield University after spending 3 years implementing user-led design processes and championing better design quality for school buildings. His outside interest includes youth development and he has been helping to run weekly sessions for the 'Woodcraft Folk', an educational environmental youth movement. Ronan has a BSc in Physics and Philosophy from Leeds University.

Sarah Alsen
One Planet Living Country Manager, South Africa

Sarah comes from a nursing background and has completed an Honours in Nature Conservation in South Africa and Masters in Environmental Science at London University. She started work with BioRegional on a volunteer basis and worked with Sue Riddlestone on the MiniMills project in its infancy before returning to Cape Town for consultancy work in 1999 / 2000. Sarah now works from South Africa as Country Manager for the One Planet Living South Africa community.

Alastair McMahon
One Planet Communities Manager

Alastair is responsible for managing our relationships with existing and emerging One Planet Communities. He provides technical support on meeting the Common International Targets, undertakes annual reviews and audits of action plans, facilitates knowledge sharing between Communities and maintains quality control. Alastair’s background is in sustainable energy where he has 9 years experience in managing renewable energy and energy efficiency projects for national and local government, industry, schools and community groups. He graduated in Geography and Geology, is an associate member of the Institute for Environmental Management & Assessment, a member of the Sustainable Development Commissions’ Sustainable Development Panel, and more recently was appointed to sit on the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s ‘Renewable Energy and Planning Expert Support Network’.

Nicole Lazarus BEng Hons
Communities Team Technical Manager

Nicole is responsible for developing and maintaining the core technical capacity within the BioRegional Communities team, covering ecological footprinting, Sustainability Action Plans, carbon accounting, energy, waste and other sectoral expertise as required by the team.
Nicole comes from a civil engineering background and joined BioRegional in 1997. She led the ZED programme within BioRegional throughout the BedZED project and Nicole now lives at BedZED as well as working there. She authored the BedZED Construction Materials Report and the BedZED Carbon Neutral Toolkit.
Nicole graduated from Leeds University in 1990, spent 5 years in design consultancy at Knight Piesold & Partners and then 2 years as a site engineer for Taylor Woodrow on the Jubilee Line extension at London Bridge.

Jane Hersey
Sustainability Consultant

Jane joined BioRegional in 2003 to promote Local Paper for Surrey to offices, helping them set up paper recycling and buy back local paper. Jane then developed a sustainable waste strategy for Z-squared, a 2000 home community planned for the Thames Gateway. More recent projects include developing Ecological Footprint models to assess communities, and creating a One Planet Living online calculator that engages users to assess their lifestyles and calculate their Ecological Footprint.

Jane studied Environmental Science at Bradford University and previously worked at The Environment Council, a charity promoting more effective environmental decision-making through stakeholder dialogue.

Jill Savery
2012 Olympics Project Manager

Jill manages BioRegional's 2012 work programme, helping to deliver the One Planet 2012 vision to minimise the 'footprint' of the London Games and maximize sustainability benefits. She holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Prior to joining BioRegional, she was responsible for the establishment of a sustainability services division in a municipal consulting company in the United States of America. She has held professional and volunteer positions with the United States Olympic Committee and has over a dozen years of experience with a variety of public, private and not-for-profit organisations. Jill is an International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee, having won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in synchronized swimming.

Naomi Durkan
One Planet Products Membership Manager

Naomi joined One Planet Products in 2007 whilst completing her thesis for an MSc in Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies at the University of East London and The Centre for Alternative Technology. Her thesis investigates the environmental credentials of Green Roofs. Naomi also has an undergraduate degree in English, Philosophy and Classics from Durham University.

Jude Hassall joined One Planet Products in November 2007. In her previous life Jude worked in media before retraining and graduating from Imperial College with an MSc in Environmental Technology in 1997. She has since worked at DEFRA producing a guide for Britain’s top 200 companies to measuring greenhouse gas emissions and subsequently at the Energy Savings Trust running their managed housing programme.

Most recently Jude has completed research projects on sustainability drivers in the UK construction and housing development market for, amongst others, Beyond Green.
Jude has 3 children and lives in London.

Tom undetook his undergraduate BSc in Environment, Ecology and Economics at the University of York. Working with the Stockholm Environment Institute Tom's BSc dissertation involved examining the links between socio-economic status and the ecological footprint. He is currently in the process of completing an MA in Environment, Policy and Society at the Open University where his primary interest lies in the relationship between sustainability and values. Tom joins BioRegional after a period at EcoConsulting where he worked as a Sustainable Design Consultant.

Emily Stott
Hemp Textiles Project Manager

Emily studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Cambridge University, where she was Green officer for Downing college, promoting recycling, renewable energy and fair trade. Emily joined BioRegional in 2002 and is now working from York as Hemp Textiles project manager, working with universities and industrial partners to develop UK hemp textile production alongside completing a part-time MA in Sustainable Business.

Harriet Simpson
Laundry Sales & Marketing Officer

Harriet has a degree in Anthropology. Before joining BioRegional she worked as an assistant at BBE, an environmental projects charity for Northwest London, and volunteered at Groundwork Camden and Islington.

Sarah Mooney
BioRegional Charcoal Company Account & Operations Manager

After graduating in Countryside Management, Sarah volunteered for Sutton Ecology Centre. She then worked as a member of Sutton Council’s Environment Team for eight years, promoting sustainable transport and other sustainability issues. She left Sutton to explore new options and volunteered for CPRE and BioRegional before becoming Account & Operations Manager for BioRegional Charcoal Company in November 2003.

Michael Scott
BioRegional Charcoal Company Accounts and Supplier Officer

Michael graduated with a BA Degree in Cultural and Literary studies from the University of Cape Town, and is currently working towards a BSc from the Open University specialising in environmental sustainability and other related issues.

He was born in Northern Ireland and spent a large part of his life in South Africa, as well as having lived in the Far East for a year. He has lived in London since 2003, and prior to joining BioRegional he worked for a housing partnership, involved in various housing and regeneration schemes as well as providing community and support services.