BOARD OF ADVISORS, UK
Gavin Tweedie
Advisory Board, UK
Gavin’s purpose is helping to create a better future for his kids and the next generation. Building back a society that is driven by people and planet positive values. These values will attract the workforce and customer of the future and enable the transition to a low carbon economy.
After a career driven by growth and profit in the hi-tech industry, Gavin realised his mission and purpose centres around tangible and credible actions that tackle climate change and deliver meaningful social value building capability and resilience in communities around the world.
A committed leader, creative thinker and community builder. Gavin is a serial entrepreneur, in the founding teams of 6 hi-tech enterprise tech startups since 1995 achieving exits and mergers to blue chips that include IBM, HP and Sun Microsystems. He spent 3 years as chief exec in a natural resource and carbon measurement business providing input to the North American Cap and Trade market.
He is a co-founder of the Scottish Net Zero Community which has 1600 members and a co-founder and director working in two purpose-led organisations (Net Zero Nation and Fuel Change) committed to people and planet positive business transformation. With a focus on helping engage the next generation workforce and SME community to create a low carbon & sustainable future.
Pieter-Paul Groenhuijsen
Advisory Board, UK
Dutch born Pieter-Paul Groenhuijsen is the founder of Vegvisir Advisory. The Glasgow-based consulting firm aims to include ecosystem services into corporate bottom line strategy with a hands-on approach to connecting corporates with nature conservation and restoration projects. Delivering on corporate ESG strategies, VA activates its network to ensure value creation for all parties involved, resulting in balanced ecosystems to the benefit of all.
Prior to founding Vegvisir, Pieter Paul was the General Manager of the Alladale Estate, a pioneering rewilding estate located on the outskirts of Ardgay in the Highlands of Sutherland, whilst working alongside the Nature Reserve Manager, Innes MacNeill. Alladale is nationally renowned for its Scottish wildcat breeding programme, wild boar re-introduction and an experimental moose enclosure. It is a very forward -thinking estate with further rewilding ambitions. Alladale was also on the vanguard of both peatland and woodland restoration projects. It has more recently launched successful wildlife photography safaris attracting international customers as part of a successful ecotourism initiative.
During his time at the helm of Alladale, the wilderness reserve won a number of awards including Europe’s Most Eco-friendly Hotel and a Scottish Green Energy Award. It also featured in influential publications such as National Geographic magazine. The much-loved BBC television programmes, Springwatch and Autumnwatch, have filmed live from the Alladale Nature Reserve.
Pieter-Paul has worked in various industries in The Netherlands, England, Sri Lanka and Scotland. He now uses his experience in business development to develop a marketplace for stacked ecosystem services and nature-based solutions.
Nigel Tomlinson, MBA BA MCIM
Advisory Board, UK
Mr. Nigel Tomlinson is a Non-Executive Director/Advisor and innovation specialist with a career in international business, capacity building and the development of business-to-business services spanning almost 40 years across five continents and has served on the boards of nearly 20 different organisations.
Between 1981 and 1997 he worked for British and US blue chip multi-national corporations on international trade and corporate investment overseeing and developing operations and distribution channels around the world. He also designed and implemented strategy, leadership and change management programmes for group subsidiary companies worldwide and led teams, which won two Queen’s Awards for Export Achievement.
After spells in the USA, Middle East and Japan, Nigel joined Sheffield Chamber of Commerce in 1997 as Chief Executive Officer (at the age of 37 he was the youngest Chamber CEO in the UK). He oversaw a dramatic change in the organisation and its fortunes, which coincided with the economic regeneration of Sheffield which he helped to facilitate. The Chamber developed into a group of companies and became a lead Chamber in the UK for the provision of international trade, commercial training, enterprise support and business capacity building services with the EU and UN. During this period, Nigel became a trade and economics advisor to Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
Under Nigel’s leadership Sheffield Chamber won awards for Excellence in International Trade (2006) and UK Chamber of the Year (2008) and in both 2007 and 2009 was a finalist in the World Chamber Awards. As a result of these successes, Nigel was selected to serve as a director of the British Chambers of Commerce in 2008.
In 2011 he stepped down as CEO of Sheffield Chamber to build an extensive portfolio of Non-Executive positions and together with partners, to lead an international business capacity building company, Universal Projects. He was a World Chamber Award Finalist for a record third time in 2013 in recognition of his work in designing and leading the Greentouch Cambodia project on behalf of the World Bank to promote and embed sound environmental management practices among the country’s business community.
In 2015 he was the recipient of the Council of British Chambers of Commerce in Europe’s Special Award for Excellence. Nigel is also a Board Member and Head of Practice of Leoron PDI one of the world’s fastest growing professional development companies and has lectured for the UN, World Bank, EU, Eurochambres and the World Chambers Federation in a number of subject areas including leadership, change management, corporate strategy, business internationalisation, organisational development and operations.
Nigel is also an Associate Lecturer for London School of Business & Finance, IBAT College Dublin and a Visiting Lecturer for the University of Hull Business School and in 2021 was nominated for the UK Leadership in Education Award. He has an MBA from the University of Hull specialising in International Corporate Strategy and operates out of offices in London and Dubai.
Jeremy Thompson, BSc
Advisory Board, UK
Jeremy is the Managing Director and founder of Forestry Direct Ltd, located in the Scottish Borders.
Jeremy’s training began at Newton Rigg, where he completed a National Diploma in Forestry, moving from there to the Northeast of Scotland, where he began his long and varied career with The Forestry Commission.
With the advent of multi-purpose forestry, Jeremy moved with The Forestry Commission to cover the Scottish Borders and Central Belt, where he was able to play a leading role in the rollout of forest design plans, land acquisitions and woodland creation.
Leading the Forest Management team in the Scottish Borders, he was responsible for planting over a million trees annually. While also driving forward the recreation, community and heritage developments, including the setting up and implementing the Tweed Valley Forest Park.
Jeremy was the founding Secretary and Trustee of the Tweed Forum, a Trustee of Borders Forest Trust and a Council Member of the Royal Scottish Forestry Society.
He set up Forest Direct Ltd in 2011, using his 46 years of experience to provide advice on all aspects of forestry. His innovative approach to forestry allowing him to make the most of new opportunities.
Harry Wilson, BSc
Advisory Board, UK
Harry Wilson has worked in forestry, both man and boy, throughout his whole career. He is one of the most senior, experienced foresters in the United Kingdom. Harry is currently Contracts Director with RTS Forestry located in Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. His forestry career spans thirty-five years with roles previously with Smiths Gore (acquired by Savills UK) and Tilhill.
Harry develops exceptional forest project designs which include diverse native planting schemes and the reintroduction of rare species. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from Aberdeen University.
Rosemary Gallagher, MSc MA
Advisory Board, UK
Rosemary has worked in marketing, public relations, communications and journalism for more than 20 years. She is currently Head of Commercial Content for The Scotsman, one of Scotland's leading newspapers. Rosemary is also a freelance journalist contributing to a range of titles, including The Times and Sunday Times.
Rosemary was previously a Director of Beeline PR and Muckle Media PR both located in Edinburgh. Prior to that, Rosemary was Head of Communications with the Scotch Whisky Association where she was responsible for media relations, digital media, publications, member communications and working on the organisation of events, such as the Westminster and Scottish Parliament receptions. She also curated an exhibition on the history of the Scotch Whisky industry to mark the SWA’s centenary. This was displayed at The Scottish Parliament, the Mitchell Library and the Spirit of Speyside Festival.
Rosemary has worked with PR agencies and in-house PR teams in Scotland and London. She was also a Senior Media Relations Officer with The Scottish Parliament. She was previously Business News Editor with Scotland on Sunday and Personal Finance Editor with The Scotsman.
Rosemary holds a postgraduate MSc in Marketing from the University of Strathclyde, an MA (Social Science) Honours from Glasgow University, a CIPR post-graduate diploma in PR and a certificate in digital marketing.
Jonathan Wood, BA
Advisory Board, UK
Mr. Jonathan Wood previously worked in the British Consulate in Chicago, USA in the role of Vice Consul. During his several years in Chicago he operated as a trade envoy for inward investment into Great Britain from the United States. That role took him to various trade shows such as the Chicago Boat Show, Detroit Car Show and many more. Prior to that, Jonathan worked for the Regional Development Agency in Leeds, Yorkshire Forward, attracting inward investment into Yorkshire.
Mr Wood's grandfather and father built many of the schools, pubs and hotels in Doncaster, England. He is both a property developer and local Councilor for the Green Party. As a businessman, he is very much ‘pro-business’ and keen on attracting inward investment. Jonathan holds a senior role on the Planning Committee and was previously a member of the Mayor’s Cabinet for Doncaster DMBC.
Jonathan’s political interests relate to Green Belt protection, preventing risky development in flood zones and ‘common sense’ tree policies to avoid unnecessary tree removal in Doncaster like that undertaken by the nearby Sheffield Council.
Jonathan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hull University in England. He attended Boarding School at Worksop College in Nottinghamshire, UK.
He lives in Scarborough and High Melton, Yorkshire, in England and in Orlando, Florida, USA. Jonathan's hobbies include piloting small aircraft, boating and scuba diving.