Meet our Birmingham Steering Group

I have over 20 years' post MSc experience of working in the built environment for contractors and consultants supporting clients in realising their sustainability goals, managing their risk and often doing this in the context of digital transformation. My experience has been gained in highways, utility infrastructure and buildings; including fit out, refurbishment and new build schools, offices, schools, military accommodation, commercial and retail projects. I have also contributed to many industry best practice initiatives during my career. I'm enthusiastic about achieving sustainable outcomes discovering better ways of living and working by harnessing the power of data and technology.

I am working as a Continuous Improvement /Environment Manager at Primafruit Ltd (Evesham site ). I am passionate about project delivery that provide real term benefits to the organisation so I choose Continuous improvement to understand current state and plan an action to deliver future state that improves cost, quality, time, safety and environment. Sustainability is always close to my heart, as I believe, I have role to play to bring the change I want to see in the world. So, within my scope I involve actively in sustainability work environment to bring that change. My Motto is: “Be the change you want to see” (Mahatma Gandhi)

Rebecca is Midlands 'born and bred' and has over 14 years experience in energy and sustainability consultancy following her academic studies and research (BSc Sustainable Technology and MRes Materials for Sustainable Energy - Hydrogen Fuel Cell Group ) at The University of Birmingham. In her career to date, she has spent time within engineering and planning consultancies to develop her knowledge and skills into a strong technical pre-planning advisory role in the property and construction sector. Rebecca now leads the Strategy and Planning work streams within the Smart Energy and Sustainability division at Hydrock, with a particular focus on strategic housing and employment sites across the UK.

Michael Smith is a Senior Analytical Consultant at Accelar, with over 5 years’ experience in data analytics and a background in finance and risk management. An economist with experience assessing economic impact and examining inter-relationships surrounding financial scenarios. With a keen interest in data analytics, Michael has experience modelling large datasets to provide visual interpretations and dashboards and to draw out conclusions to aid decision making. He has used his experience to deliver on a range of projects across Carbon, Climate Resilience, Green Finance and the Natural Environment. He uses his knowledge of the financial sector to help bridge the gap between financial jargon and requirements, with the needs of nature-based projects seeking investment. Michael is responsible for the Nature Finance Impact Hub, an online tool for highlighting the environmental and financial benefits from investing in nature.

Louise works as an Associate Social Value Consultant at Samtaler (The Social Value Agency), supporting diverse and multi-sector clients on their social value journeys. She graduated in 2022 from Aston University, with a degree in Sociology and Business, and has been a member of IEMA since 2022.

I have worked in various environmental roles for 16 years and have really enjoyed a varied career in lots of industries. I currently work as a Senior Environmental Manager for Kier Highways working on ph2a HS2 contract completing route wide surveys. I enjoy learning new things and challenging myself.

I am an Environment and Sustainability Manager, I have a degree in Environmental Science and a Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety. I have worked within the Construction sector on large infrastructure projects implementing Environmental mitigations and promoting the Sustainability agenda. In my spare time I coach youth football and like to keep fit.