Meet our newest team members
Over the past few months we have welcomed four new members to our ever-growing team: Bethany Greenman, Robert Knowles, Georgie Hopkins and Oliver Lee. They will be joining Oakdene Hollins as: Research Consultant, Senior Carbon Consultant, Senior Business Consultant and Communications Officer, respectively.
From left to right: Bethany, Oliver, Georgie and Rob
Bethany (she/her) is currently doing her MSc in Environmental Management at the University of Hertfordshire alongside her role at Oakdene Hollins. She holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Portsmouth and previously worked in air quality administration; she also has experience in digital marketing.
Robert (he/him) previously worked as the lead sustainability advisor at Yorkshire Water and worked on their 2030 Net Zero strategy as well as managing the planning and delivery of their regulatory operational and capital & land carbon targets. He was also their technical lead for carbon-related national working groups. Prior to that he was a carbon consultant working with a myriad of private and public sector companies ensuring compliance with schemes such as EU ETS and ESOS. Rob holds an MSc in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the University of Nottingham and a BSc in Physics from Lancaster University.
Georgie (she/her) joined Oakdene Hollins at the start of June as Senior Business Consultant, working alongside Peter and Helen on the management team. Her main focus is the strategy development and growth of the business, part of which includes supporting the team in meeting the needs of Oakdene’s key clients. In her most recent past, Georgie completed an MBA at University of Exeter, with a focus on purposeful leadership and sustainability. This led on to her work with Exeter Centre for Circular Economy on education programmes and outreach, in association with the NICER CE-Hub, bringing together academics, policymakers and industry to accelerate the move towards a circular economy.
Oliver (he/him) joined Oakdene Hollins in August after recently graduating from the University of Derby with a degree in Specialist Sports Journalism. Although, the links may not be obvious between his first job and his degree, he has found there to be many transferrable skills between the world of sports media and his role as Communications Officer. In this position, Oliver will look to find the most optimum ways of marketing and communicating Oakdene Hollins’ impact on the circular economy.
To get to know our new joiners a bit better, we asked them a few questions:
Why did you decide to pursue a career in sustainability?
Bethany: From a young age I was always taken to the zoo and on forest walks and I developed a love for animals, nature and the planet. I also thoroughly enjoyed science and geography in school, and everything just combined and led me down the sustainability path.
Rob: I have always wanted to pursue a career in an area that has a positive impact on the world and after reading through some great examples of science-based sustainability consulting work I knew Oakdene Hollins would be a great fit for me.
Georgie: More recently, this was a conscious career decision, however sustainability has always been important to me. In my first chapter, I studied Environmental Sciences and subsequently built a furniture retail business, based firmly on the principles of ethical trade and sustainability. My recent return to study enabled me to combine twenty years of commercial experience with specific applied learning on the circular economy, and it’s this focus that really attracted me to the work of Oakdene Hollins.
Oliver: I decided to pursue a career in sustainability due to my dad’s influence, who has been working in this industry for over twenty years. He gave me an insight into what the circular economy involves and how important it is, especially with the threat of climate change.
What topic in sustainability are you most interested in?
Bethany: My dissertation involved working with the zero waste supermarket I volunteered with to understand how packaging differed between zero waste supermarkets and conventional supermarkets. Plastics and packaging I find an interesting topic as it’s so current but also, having lived by the sea in Portsmouth, I saw the plastic pollution in the ocean daily - and I helped too by going on beach clean-ups for example. Whilst studying at Portsmouth University, there were many new developments in the plastic solutions area, as the university secured funding to commercialise a plastic-eating enzyme.
Rob: Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change is my main interest in sustainability; I believe we have a moral obligation to future generations to address this existential crisis.
Georgie: Not so much a topic, but an intersection. Understanding the commercial pressures faced by businesses in our current economic system, I’m most interested in the implementation of sustainable practices. For me, the application of the theory to make tangible change is important and I see that most often, this is driven by shared learning and a willingness from businesses to take the first small step.
Oliver: It may not be considered a specific topic, but I enjoy broadcasting new findings to interested audiences. This can be communicated in a variety of ways whether that’s verbally through a call or an in-person meeting (now restrictions have been lifted) or writing an article or a social media post.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
Bethany: When I’m not working, I love going to the zoo (I’m a ZSL member) and also taking my camera with me to take wildlife photos.
Rob: Outside of work I like to spend my time playing and creating music, watching as many films as I can, and riding around country lanes on anything with two wheels.
Georgie: I’m fortunate enough to enjoy a rural home life, with my children and our dogs, cats and chickens. We’re pretty active and can often be found outdoors walking, running, cycling and sometimes playing in the (chilly) British sea!
Oliver: As highlighted by my degree, I’m an avid football fan and often attend matches across the country. This links to my other passions such as travelling and socialising with friends.