Strategic Partners
International Advisory Group
Nature
#1 Shareholder
Christopher Cooke
Holistic Management & Whole Systems Thinking
Christopher is Managing Director of 5 Deep Limited (Incorporated April 2001) a specialist change management company that was established as an experiment to explore the leading edge of the science and practice of complexity-aware organisational and social change.
In 2015, 5 Deep was appointed as the as the sole UK’s hub organisation for the Savory Institute under the brand 3LM. Christopher is both an accredited educator and full field professional with Savory Institute.
A water engineer by background, Christopher is an expert coach, mentor, trainer and facilitator who works at the cutting edge of innovation and change in multiple arenas from technologies to organisational development. He also advises on and delivers advanced training for the owners and trainers of Erickson Coaching International for whom he has recently delivered programmes in China and The Crimea.
Christopher brings a wealth of broad and specialised experience and expertise in his support for New Foundation Farms. His notable past strategic leadership roles have included:
- The implementation of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for the recording of underground assets across Yorkshire (1989 – 2003);
- Board level Change Agent, Yorkshire Water (1992 – 1997);
- Managing Director, based in S E Asia, of a UK Water Company / Australian Mining Conglomerate, Joint Venture in S E Asia (1994 to 1996);
- Large-scale social-change pilots in former coalfield areas in Yorkshire (1997-2000);
- Strategic design and implementation of NHS Health Action Zones across the UK (1998 – 2001);
- The design and implementation of Full Spectrum Thought Leadership training and education (1998 – current);
- Managing Director of a Swiss Research Company (2004-2005);
- Mentor, Strategic Advisor and Practice Manager for a UK Home Building Company (2003 to 2008);
- The strategic redesign, leadership mentoring, and facilitation of the re-creation of a medical school in the Texas Medical Centre, Houston (2004-2007);
- The establishment of large-scale social engagement known as Be the Change in the UK and USA (2004-2007);
- Interim CEO (2008-2012) of a UK Foundation, with two Australian subsidiaries, focused on the recovery and regeneration of soil following the failure of conventional farming methods during profound drought in New South Wales Australia;
- Technical and Regenerative practice advisor in institutional funds placement (2009-2012).
Pete Russell
Gate-to-Plate Expert
Pete Russell is the founder and CEO of Ooooby – a gate-to-plate trading platform for independent farmers and artisan producers.
Pete is driven by a vision of a real food renaissance where ecologically sound food from a decentralised network of independent producers is widely accessible, affordable and commonplace.
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Dr. Claudius van Wyk
Complex Adaptive Human Intelligence
Dr Claudius holds M.Sc. in organisational behaviour, M. Phil in applied ethics, and Ph. D in philosophy of integrative medicine.
His passion is to contribute to the discovery of deeper Complex Human Adaptive Intelligence to better manage today’s vexing challenges and intriguing opportunities. He draws insights and approaches from research in neuroscience and complexity theory held within the philosophy of holism.
His work strives to create a shift in perspective to better enable engagement with the dynamic and uncertain context – ‘navigating the edge of chaos’ – with process-orientated engagement characterised by resilience and innovation.
Practical experience includes three decades of applying neuro linguistic programming (NLP) and psychoneuroimmunology (PNI). He has published papers on these topics and addressed conferences internationally. Claudsius’ current core focus is the Holos-Earth Project and training in Cultivating Holistic Worldview and Practice.His incredible mind will help us to bridge the gap of human understanding and behavioural change needed for NFF to re-write the how to of food production and how we re-frame ourselves within these emerging systems.
Sheila Cooke
Ecological Assessment, Education & Training
Sheila holds an MBA in international business, and a BA in sociology/anthropology, and worked in international business for twenty years, including 5 years as a general manager in Japan. This was followed by a career as a facilitator and educator which led her to become a customer of 5 Deep Limited in 2011.
She is a qualified trainer for the Institute of Cultural Affairs in Chicago, and developed and facilitated courses at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (UN) in Rome.
Sheila Cooke is the lead Director for 3LM, which acts as the Savory Institute hub for the UK and Ireland. As a Savory Institute accredited educator and Field Professional, she educates and advises farmers and business leaders in Holistic Management: a framework which informs high-quality decision-making, by providing people the insights and management tools needed to work with a full awareness of nature. Sheila is really inspired by 3LM’s network of producers, brands and retailers, professionals, and consumers who seek, through constant innovation, to change the paradigm of farming from extractive to regenerative.
Through 5 Deep Limited, working with Christopher, she has been developing plans for the large-scale adoption of Regenerative Agriculture across Europe since the development of the 3LM offering in 2014.
Sheila is really inspired by 3LM’s network of producers, brands and retailers, professionals, and consumers who seek, through constant innovation, to change the paradigm of farming from extractive to regenerative.
Through 5 Deep Limited, working with Christopher, she has been developing plans for the large-scale adoption of Regenerative Agriculture across Europe since the development of the 3LM offering in 2014.
Prof. Richard Temperley-Little
Sustainable Leadership
Professor of Sustainability Leadership at the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability and visiting professor with shared oversight of leadership research and teaching at Warsaw University School of Social Sciences (with Prof. Wlodimiertz Swiatek).
For 40 years I have combined university teaching with consulting – advising organisations of every kind and size on matters of sustainability and organisation development. They include Singapore Civil Service, to which I was a retained advisor; Goldman Sachs Japan, where I advised on sustainable and socially responsible investing; the Japanese government, supporting a national campaign to improve Japan’s Global Gender Gap ranking; the National Council of Voluntary Organisations; Swiss Re, on emerging global risk and Grasmere Village Hall Committee. I should add that the last of those was by far the most taxing, personally and professionally.
I have served on several parliamentary and other panels and have held several trusteeships.
Some 40 papers and chapters published, many with co-author Jem Bendell; some others, between 1995 and 2012, under a pseudonym.
In 2000, with Kate Rawles, Chris Loynes and Richard Lemmey, I created a postgraduate course in developmental education at the Universityof Cumbria (then University College of St Martin). Shortly afterwards, we founded the Centre for Leadership and Sustainability in Ambleside. Later, we were joined by Jem Bendell and David Murphy. CLS became IFLAS, which has become a model for similar initiatives.
I lived in Japan between 1985 and 1991. We keep a house there and go back whenever we can. I am a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. My tendency to scepticism, especially about leadership, began when I was expelled from school, a career high point not since surpassed.
My professional life was conducted in time reluctantly stolen from Alpine mountaineering. I should add that it surprises me, given how much climbing I have done, how rubbish I still am at it.
Changing business education
As a consultant, an independent activist, scholar and writer, I am driven by what I see as the imperative need for change in the nature and purpose of business education. I believe that, by and large, business corporations, under the prevailing neoliberal sentiment, have come to regard social and environmental responsibilities, and even morality, as mere options, usually taking second place to rent-seeking and profit.
The business system has, since 2008 preferred to sequester profits as dead money rather than invest in socially useful innovation; much of such innovation as does occur is intended to reduce business costs through automation or to increase rents through data appropriation and corporate enclosures. The results include regulatory arbitrage, gross invasions of privacy, the erosion of civil solidarity and egregious inequality. Mainstream business education is attuned to this terrifying ideological capture while mainstream economics cultivates the dead letters of market fundamentalism and homo economicus. I propose that, just as there is an urgent need to reform economics education, so there is a present need to transform the bulk-mainstream of business education, introducing critical-scholarly and activist perspectives under the broad heading of business-for-sustainable-futures.
The spearhead of this change is leadership: a revolution in how it is understood that starts with the rejection of hero-worship and masculine conceptions of power.
Broughton Lodge, Cartmel, Cumbria, November 20th, 2022
Selected publications
- Little, R. (2022) Business Education for Arsonists: George Eliot and the ‘Global
Problematique’ (pre-print), Berlin: Peter Lang. - Little, R.; Bendell, J. (2020) The Myth of Leadership, in Debating Bad Leadership, Anders
Orteblad (ed.) New York: Palgrave Macmillan. - Little, R. (2018) Flying Saucers and Leadership. Olaf Zylizc et al (eds.) in Failed Leadership,
Conference Proceedings. Berlin: Peter Lang. - Bendell, J., Little, R., Sutherland, N. (2018) The Seven Unsustainabilities of Mainstream
Leadership, in Innovation in Environmental Leadership: Critical Perspectives. Benjamin
Redekop (ed.). New York, Routledge and Chapman Hall. - Bendell, J., Little, R., Sutherland, N. (2017) Beyond Unsustainable Leadership: critical social
theory for sustainable leadership, Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal,
Vol. 8 Issue: 4 - Bendell, J., Little, R., Sutherland, N. (2017) The Seven Unsustainabilities of Mainstream
Leadership. Conference paper. - Willocks, K., Bendell, J., Little, R. (2017) Professional Learning from Disturbances in
Healthcare Practice: Managerialism and Compassion. International Journal of Management,
Knowledge and Learning, 9(2) - Bendell, J., Little, R., Sutherland, N. (2016) Learning from the Impasse in Western Leadership:
Implications of a critical perspective for non-Western scholarship. Conference Paper. - Bendell, J., Little, R. (2015) Turning Point: Seeking Sustainability Leadership. Journal of
Corporate Citizenship, 60. - Little, R. (2011) Leadership and Mindfulness: a survey of the literature. Ambleside: Impact
International. - Little, R. (2009) Sustainability and Security in and around the South China Sea. Restricted
publication. - Little, R. (2007) Leadership for Sustainability. Edinburgh: Brightspace Publications.
- Little, R. (2000) Critical Readings in Facilitation. Restricted publication (course textbook).
Lancaster: University College of St Martins.
Harry Epsom MRICS FAAV
Regenerative Land Agency
Harry Epsom is a Land Agent specialising in strategic estate management which incorporates
regenerative agriculture.
He founded and runs Epsom Rural, a consultancy practice, and advises
clients across England on a range of rural business matters including regenerative farming,
tenancies, diversification projects, planning applications and environmental management to
name a few.
Harry provides his advice through holistic thinking to help build resilience on his
clients’ farms.
His experience includes setting up market gardens, a pastured poultry enterprise, a regenerative
agriculture tools business, and various other on farm diversification projects. He is also taking
several farms through the organic certification process.
Born in Kenya, Harry grew up on a 36,000 acre ranch before studying in South Africa and then at
the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester.
Harry is a Member of the Royal Institute of
Chartered Surveyors as well as a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers.
Additionally, Harry has studied making farms work through regenerative agriculture as well as
permaculture and holistic farm management, all of which he incorporates into his practice.
More recently, Harry has joined the Board of Directors of the Biodynamic Land Trust.
Outside of work, Harry lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife, Sarah. He is a keen on anything
outdoors but in particular loves rock climbing, hiking, camping and fishing. Harry is also a keen
gardener and dabbles in practical farming when time allows.
Ken Webster
Circular Economy
Ken Webster is currently a visiting Fellow at Cranfield University.
From 2010-end 2018, he was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy pioneer organization.
He is also Director of the International Society for Circular Economy (IS4CE).
His recent book (with Craig Johnson) ABC&D Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All uses food and farming as a focus for exploring the notion of extractive vs circulatory economies and how to transition to the latter.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).
Twitter: @CircularEconKen
Michael Boyle
Farm Retail
Michael’s love of food and farming started at an early age. His grandad owned a small plot of land where he reared animals, milked goats and lived off the land, the good life. It stuck with Michael and after some time working within the agricultural sector he made his move into food retail. He began by creating a new farm shop with a close friend in Nottinghamshire over 18 years ago. From there Michael progressed his career and became Head of Retail at one of the largest farm shops in the country. He helped the brand to grow and with his specialist knowledge in fresh food production and retail the business grew to a decent £21m turnover.
During his time working in the industry, Michael also studied Strategic Management and Leadership. All this experience gave Michael the knowledge and expertise to start Fresh Retail Group, 3 years ago. The company has gone from strength to strength and now helps advise clients with a combined annual turnover in excess of £50m. It has also helped to steer new projects with investments in excess of £15m.
Michael believes that great tasting, local, sustainable food, sold by experienced, passionate people is key and his knowledge of how to do this commercially but sympathetically for the farmer, the local community, the team and the customer makes for a better future.
Alex Godfrey
Ecosystem Services
Alexander Godfrey has ten years of experience in investment banking (fixed income), a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Global Energy and Climate Policy, focusing on regenerative agriculture and climate finance, from SOAS University.
Alex consulted on a silvopasture enterprise in the Bolivian Amazon, stacking enterprise and engaging with indigenous people whilst developing an effective nature-based solution to mitigate climate change.
Alex has worked as an analyst in the UK’s agricultural space with a focus on natural capital and carbon markets.
Last but certainly not least, Alex works on a mixed farm in the Cotswolds with Aberdeen Angus cattle and arable rotations. He describes himself as a “systems-based thinker and a firm believer in a world that believes in people, planet and profit” – not just the third one!
Walter Jehne
Soil Microbiology & Climate Science
An internationally recognised Australian climate scientist, soil microbiologist and innovation strategist, Walter Jehne was one of the early researchers on glomalin, mycorrhizal fungi, and root ecology. Walter worked for three decades at CSIRO (the Australian government’s scientific research organization), with the UN, and with NGOs such as Regenerate Earth and Healthy Soils Australia to create global change in food systems and climate response. He is also a member of The Mulloon Institute’s Science Advisory Council.
Walter has a remarkable ability to explain complex science and economic paths forward in easy to understand ways, and is passionate about educating farmers, policymakers and industry about the “soil carbon sponge” and its crucial role in reversing and mitigating flooding, drought, wildfires, and searing global temperatures. His message is that we can safely cool the climate and restore essential biodiversity by repairing our disrupted hydrological cycles. We thus return excess carbon to the soils, where it can build a sponge that soaks up water and revives the biosphere.
To cool the planet, Walter argues, we must work with the dominant greenhouse gas: water vapour. CO2 by itself only governs a small percentage of the greenhouse effect. Water and its interactions govern 95% of the heat dynamics of our planet and its role in climate control has been ignored for far too long.
His ideas are influential internationally and, for example, led to a focus on soil in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reporting.
For more about Walter:
Wayne Gibbins
COO/CTO
Wayne is a business technologist with a 20 year career in the software industry. He has worked across both various functions and geographies, covering Engineering, Product, Marketing, Management and Leadership. He has worked in roles across the UK, Europe and the United States.
Wayne spent three years as a Venture Capitalist at Notion Capital examining companies in the space of B2B SaaS, Enterprise Software, Artificial Intelligence and Developer Tooling. He was Chief Commercial Officer at Wercker and supported its fundraising, growth and final sale to Oracle Corporation.
Following a sabbatical period where he researched such topics as community, permaculture and regenerative agriculture he has retargeted his career to focus on Agriculture and brings scientific rigour, technological understanding and an innovation mindset to the industry.
He is digging deep into scientific and technological solutions to accelerate the transition of farming to regenerative including current participation in an MSc Agricultural Technology & Innovation at the Royal Agricultural University and working closely with AgriFood Tech businesses through his advisory work. Throughout the last 10 years he has advised a variety of companies on topics such as technology, strategy and operations, both directly and through a variety of leading business accelerators.
Whilst his Masters’ degree is in Agriculture he holds a Bachelor’s Degree, Software Engineering (BEng) from Manchester, and brings a broad knowledge of technologies and approaches to their utilisation to solve industry problems.
He has particular interests in Soil Science, Artificial Intelligence, AgTech, the Future of Food and the Future of Agriculture and brings those interests together for New Foundation Farms as our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer COO/CTO designate, ensuring farming operations are conducted efficiently and effectively by the appropriate use of science, technology and ecologically centred processes.
Wayne is a member of international networks Global Regeneration CoLab & Top Tier Impact and is a student member of the Institute of Agricultural Engineers (IAE), British Society of Soil Science and the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants.
Anton Chernikov
PLACEMAKING & INNOVATION
Misa Lukic
Business Strategy
Misa Lukic is one of the most prominent brand and business leaders in Europe. He is an expert in business design and combines business strategy and creativity together in the ground breaking Business Sapiens approach he has co-created and executes through his company New Startegy.
Misa was previously Chief Executive Officer of Publicis One for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) including the Baltics, Greece, Turkey and some Central Asia countries. For two consecutive years, 30 countries under Misa’s leadership achieved the highest growth and profit, not only within Publicis One Worldwide (95 countries), but the entire Publicis Group (2016 – 2018).
Over the 25 years, Misa has become a “business rockstar” who has led five marketing communications agencies. He is a lecturer, speaker and panelist on numerous international conferences, events and post-graduate courses. He is a philanthropist and humanitarian.
A multi-faceted source of inspiration and expertise, his many public awards include:
- Honorary Ambassador of Knowledge, Life Learning Academia, Slovenia
- Benchmarked with numerous awards from the most recognized creative festivals in the world: Cannes Lions, Cresta, Eurobest, Epica, Moscow Red Apple, FAB awards, EACA Care Awards, Golden Drum
- Ranked among Top 100 Business Leaders of South-East Europe – Summit100
Sue Ralphs
Strategy & Organisational Culture
Sue has had a diverse and extensive career as a senior manager and director. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, she led the international finance team in Oxfam at a watershed moment in the organisation’s history before becoming Finance Director at a national women’s organisation.
She went on to join the social business sector with the Ethical Property Company where she was FD, then Managing Director for eight years. She brings a wealth of experience of managing teams, working with boards and leading strategic change, as well as procuring social investment and growing one of the UK’s leading social investment organisations.
Sue holds roles of non-executive Director and Board Chair in the family business and social enterprise sectors.
Glyn Jones
Associate Developer
Hi, I’m Glyn. I’m a professional software engineer with over 10 years experience working for various companies from a web design agency to an innovative healthcare startup.
Technology has profoundly changed all of our lives through disruptive innovation such as the internet, search engines, and the rise of social media. I see the same disruption having a positive impact on agriculture. There has never been more information available to us than at this very moment in history and it stands to reason that we should know more about the soil beneath our feet.
A project which I am still actively involved with has cemented the adage to me that “you can only improve what you can measure”. It involves collecting readings from electrical equipment and applying statistical modelling to determine its overall health. This has already revealed many previously hidden issues from what would appear on the surface to be a healthy piece of equipment. I feel the same can be applied to agriculture to empirically show that a regenerative approach can improve topsoil health, biodiversity, and much more.
I care passionately about the environment. For a long time I’ve been aware of my own disconnect with the food that I eat and the journey it has been on to arrive on my plate. Crucially, the environmental impact durings its journey is hidden. I believe that while it’s important that people should be aware of the impact, the time has come to be bold and to fundamentally change the food production system as it stands today so that we can all benefit.
I am pleased to be involved with a group that wants to prove that a regenerative approach can work commercially.
Stefano Semprini
Associate Researcher
Stefano enjoys building bridges between the natural world and human-centered design. He applies a biomimetic lens to all challenges, drawing on the first principles demonstrated by the evolution of life on earth. He is a specialised generalist, focussing on three areas of expertise: Biomimicry, communication and governance, and regenerative design – currently as it applies to agriculture.
Stefano is trained as a mechatronic engineer (BEng), and his work began in mechanical design, followed by business development and project management in the solar energy industry. He has years of experience dealing with the pragmatics of on-farm, rural life.
As a Biomimicry Practitioner, Stefano solves form-, process- and system-based challenges by applying the philosophy and practice of Biomimicry. This is a design discipline and methodology based on learning from all of biological life, what we call “nature”.
Stefano recognises that all challenges, particularly those arising when organisations scale, entail solutions arising from communication and governance. He has therefore placed a personal emphasis on learning and practising effective communication techniques and team-building strategies. Stefano’s growth-orientated mindset catalyses the teams he works with.
During a recent sabbatical period, Stefano learned from and worked with the innovators in successional agroforestry (Syntropic Farming), assisted the restructuring of a farm-to-fork organic food enterprise, and consulted with numerous start-ups and NGOs. Through these experiences, Stefano has learned to identify drivers of and obstacles to growth.