Independent sustainability consultancy Resource Futures has celebrated its 10-year anniversary by announcing its new executive team.

The company announced in December that Operations Director Sam Reeve would be taking over as Chief Executive Officer this month, following former CEO Jane Stephenson’s move to a new role as Business Development Director.

Reeve has now officially taken up the CEO role, and will be supported by two newly-created positions at the company. Bethan Thomas will become Head of Engagement and Communications, while Emma Burlow is joining the consultancy as Head of Resource Efficiency.

Burlow will begin work at Resource Futures in May, from circular economy consultants QSA Partners, where she has been working on the WRAP REBus project, developing resource-efficient business models, since 2014. Thomas joined Resource Futures in October 2015, having previously worked with companies including Facebook, EE, and BT to encourage broad behaviour change around the adoption of emerging technology.

The company says that the new executive team marks the ‘next chapter’ for the company in supporting public, private and third-sector organisations in instigating changes to minimise the impact of consumption and production on the environment.

As part of the changes announced in December, Phil Cumming has also joined the company’s board as a non-executive director. Phil is an independent consultant, trading as Koru Sustainability, and has acted as a sustainability advisor to Marks & Spencer as well as previously working with Resource Futures on behalf of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), managing the company’s strategic advice and legacy report work on waste management at the London Olympics.

Resource efficiency is ‘powerful tool’

Commenting on the changes, Sam Reeve, CEO, said: “Over the past 10 years, Resource Futures has matured from its grassroots beginnings to become a trusted partner without losing its founding principles. It is our passion for resource efficiency to become a business norm and daily habit. The Resource Futures brand is built on robust data and insightful analysis to deliver innovative behaviour change through collaboration across the value chain. Now is the right time for us to scale up our work in delivering sustainability for our clients, be that through education, behaviour change, remanufacturing or waste prevention.”

Phillip Ward, Chairman of Resource Futures, added: “We have brought new talent to the team to mix with Sam and Jane’s enormous expertise and knowledge of the business and our customers. Both Emma and Bethan bring an extended breadth of experience and insight to help us evolve to meet the emerging needs of our clients where climate change and resource issues are becoming ever-increasing business risks.”

Jane Stephenson, Business Development Director and Board Member, commented: “Having led Resource Futures over the past 10 years, I’m delighted to step into a new role to support our growth. Going forward, we will continue to support fascinating projects that will have a positive impact from community-level upwards.”

More information about Resource Futures can be found on the company’s website.