THE DIRECTORS
Richard Clarke, MSc BSc
Managing Director
Laura McLean, DVM MRCVS BA
Finance Director
Richard Clarke is a British-born entrepreneur and conservationist who was educated at Michigan State University in the United States. As an undergraduate he read Zoology with emphasis upon ecology, forestry, conservation, wildlife management, fisheries management and animal behavior.
Richard's post graduate degree was also in Zoology and continued the within the discipline of animal behaviour. Allied to his Masters' dissertation, Richard studied the impacts of agricultural chemicals upon sexual differentiation, brain development, neuro-endocrinology and behaviour.
During University, Richard co-lead the Project Recycle campaign at Michigan State University. This campaign entailed collecting petition signatures and giving talks to University leadership to successfully encourage the launch of University-wide recycling for paper products. Also during University, Richard launched an Earth Day Festival on campus, with live music and various environmental charity stands.
During summers as an undergrad, Richard held roles with Chester Zoo (UK), Clean Water Action (USA) and Michigan United Conservation Clubs (USA). During his post-grad education, Richard worked for The Recyclers charity. This was just the second kerbside recycling programme in the USA.
Following university, he held senior roles in business development and communications with The Nature Conservancy in Washington DC (world’s largest land charity), Environmental Defence in New York City (leading US environmental pressure group), the Woodland Trust near London (UK's largest woodland creation charity) and with veterinary colleges at two major universities in the States.
Today, Richard is the Managing Director of Highland Carbon, an award-winning business that he founded in 2017. He was inspired to bring a landscape conservation framework to the UK carbon market where it was missing. So doing, he established the company to successfully pioneer ‘conservation-grade UK carbon units.’
Highland Carbon partners with estates in the spectacular wilds of Scotland where it restores vast native forests, undertakes peatland restoration projects and supports rewilding activities. It then sells the carbon credits arising from those projects to more than 100 ethical businesses who have committed to actively reducing their carbon footprints.
The business has won the award for the ‘Best UK Carbon Credit Supplier’ in 2021, 2022 and 2023 – each year that it has applied – and is currently being considered for the 2024 honour. It has been lauded by the British Chambers of Commerce for its ‘inspirational approach to innovative green solutions’ during the lead up to the 2023 COP.
In the context of Highland Carbon, Richard has been interviewed by The BBC, Sky News, The Scotsman newspaper, Carbon Pulse magazine and Business Network magazine. He has delivered podcasts to the Global List in New York, NQA Global Certification Body in Scotland, the De-Carbonisation Training Centre, Wester Ross Biosphere and Aberdeen Science Museum. He has given talks to various organisations and forums such as the UK Association of Sustainability Professionals, Hull Eco Fest, Yorkshire Sustainability Festival and a virtual seminar allied to COP26 in Glasgow.
Richard donates his time to advise and support a number of charities and community interest companies including: Earthself, Fuel Change, Highlands Outdoors & Wilderness Learning, the Rothiemurchus Trust, Beyond Borders Festival, Traquair House Charity Trust, Doncaster Arts (DARTs), the Sleep Charity and Tickhill Community Connections. Richard was recently appointed as the first member of the Board of Directors of Mind Wellbeing.
Dr Laura McLean's ancestors hail from the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Her family holds reunions at the McLean hunting lodge on the Isle of Mull located off the West Coast of Scotland.
Prior to undertaking her veterinary degree, Dr McLean completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance. She worked at Senate Finance and then in banking in the USA.
Her childhood dream had been to become a veterinarian. She started over in University, taking a biology (pre-vet) curriculum then attending Michigan State University - College of Veterinary Medicine.
Today, Dr McLean has twenty-five years experience as a veterinarian working in both the USA and UK. She is the Clinical Director for Pinfold House Veterinary Clinic in Misterton, Nottinghamshire, UK. Her role includes chief responsibility for business strategy, financial performance, personnel management and clinical excellence.
Laura regularly undertakes professional development during conferences in London and New York. She previously undertook three quarters of an Ophthalmology Certification and is currently undertaking an Internal Medicine Certification specialism.
In her spare time Dr McLean has volunteered in wildlife rehabilitation and has provided free surgeries to animal rescue centres. She provides Pro Bono veterinary care to the local hedgehog rescue centre. It is very common for her to be rehabilitating wild animals at any moment: hedgehogs, rabbits, collared doves, pigeons, thrushes, crows and jackdaws.
Laura previously volunteered on a committee that saved the old trees in her village from being arbitrarily felled by a Council subcontractor as they had been in the tens of thousands in nearby Sheffield.
During summers whilst in university in the States, Dr McLean worked for NGOs, Clean Water Action and The Recyclers. She has a passion for wild places, rare species conservation, habitat restoration and mitigating climate change. Dr McLean is married to our Founder, Richard Clarke.