Best Foot Forward

NAME: Paul Cooper

JOB TITLE: Managing Director

Paul recently joined the company as Managing Director, previously having been Unilever’s Treasurer in Africa. Paul has taken over the role of MD from Nicky with the objective of developing the expanding business. Paul leads much of BFF’s partnership work and also does some project management. He has an MBA, MSc Environmental Decision Making and is a Chartered Management Accountant. 

NAME: Craig Simmons

JOB TITLE: Technical Director & Co-founder

Craig is a co-founder of Best Foot Forward who entered the sector to pursue his interest in eco-psychology – the behavioural, educational and communication issues and barriers relating to the adoption of more environmentally sustainable business practices and lifestyles. He has authored several books including Sharing Nature’s Interest on ecological footprinting and The ZEDBook, a definitive guide to creating low carbon communities. Craig is a founding member of the Global Footprint Network and member of the International Footprint Standards Committee. Craig leads technical accounting, methodology development, and directs BFF’s software team in the evolution of Footprinter.

NAME: Nicky Chambers

JOB TITLE: Strategy Director & Co-founder

Nicky co-founded Best Foot Forward with Craig in 1997 having previously worked for the CBI, the World Travel and Tourism Council and built a successful environmental management and training consultancy. In 2008 she took a step back to her roots in corporate strategy and communications and swapped her role as MD for Strategy Director.  She is now responsible for directing a number of projects, particularly those with direct input to corporate strategy and change management. She has a BSc Environmental Science and MSc Environmental Technology. She is threatening to do a degree in Economics.

NAME: Simon Miller

JOB TITLE: Consultancy Director

Simon joined the company in 2006 and now leads much of the business development and project management. He has been closely involved with a number of high profile projects for clients including Radiohead, Ecover and product labelling for The Carbon Trust. Simon previously spent over two years at AEA where he mainly worked on the government’s Envirowise programme where he specialised in ecodesign and water efficiency. Simon has a BSc Biology, MSc Environmental Sustainability and is a qualified PRINCE2 project manager.

NAME: Jacob Wallace

JOB TITLE: Senior Consultant

Jacob joined Best Foot Forward in 2009 as a senior consultant, having previously operated his own sustainability consultancy practice assisting UK businesses and public sector agencies in the application of footprint methodologies and the development of environmental policy. Jacob also brings international expertise, having previously worked within a range of Australian public sector organisations. Most notably, he managed South Australia's Ecological Footprint project, including the development of an inaugural calculation for the state. He has a Bachelor of Environmental Management (Honours) from Flinders University.

NAME: Richard Sheane

JOB TITLE: Senior Consultant

Richard joined the company in 2008 in a combined consultant and analyst role. He has worked on regional, corporate and product footprinting projects for large public sector and corporate clients including The Carbon Trust, Ecover and Luton Borough Council. Richard previously worked as an environmental consultant in the UK agricultural sector and before that as a sub-editor for The Press Association. Richard has a BSc in Biochemistry & Microbiology, an MSc in Environmental Technology and a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

NAME: Rachel Hughes

JOB TITLE: Consultant

Rachel joined Best Foot Forward in 2009 as a consultant having completed her Masters in Carbon Management at Edinburgh University Business School. Prior to her MSc, Rachel worked as a graduate engineer for WSP where she assisted in the development of a model to quantify carbon emissions from industrial and residential developments. For her first degree, Rachel read Geography at St Hilda’s College, Oxford where she cycled, ran and swam for the University culminating in her being voted Oxford University Sportswoman of the Year in 2007.  

NAME: Charlotte Dickinson

JOB TITLE: Consultant

Charlotte joined the company in 2008 as a consultant and analyst. She has worked on a range of projects including school and office footprints and event footprinting for the Forestry Commission and Welsh Assembly Government. Charlotte works closely with analysts to ensure projects meet expectations and assists with technical calculations. She previously worked as a Bioenergy Consultant for Ecofys UK and prior to that for TV Energy. Charlotte has a BEng in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Renewable Energy and the Environment.

NAME: Helen Tyrrell

JOB TITLE: Office Manager

Helen joined Best Foot Forward as Office Manager in September 2008. Helen has a varied background including teaching (English, French, and Art), working in the travel industry in the UK and overseas, and being a practising artist. She has a bachelor degree in French from UCL, studied art at Central St Martins, and is currently Secretary of the Oxford Art Society. She is committed to environmental issues and is delighted to support the BFF team.

NAME: Kevin Lewis

JOB TITLE: Senior Researcher

Kevin joined the company in 1999 and is a principal specialist in ecological footprint methodology, and has applied the concept in a wide variety of applications. He is on the Global Footprint Network’s National Accounts Review Committee and contributed towards the first global Footprint Standards in 2006. Recent projects, including for DG Environment, involved critical review of the National Footprint Accounts. He comes from an ecological background and his BSc Ecology dissertation focused on human interactions with the environment, using life cycle and Ecological Footprint analyses.

NAME: Xana Villa Garcia

JOB TITLE: Analyst

Xana joined Best Foot Forward in early 2007 as an analyst.  She has since completed more than a dozen carbon and ecological footprinting projects for clients including Ecover, Ofcom and WRAP. Her areas of expertise are oil-based products and biomass materials.  She has a BSc in Environmental Studies from Florida International University, and an MSc in Coastal Zone Management from Bournemouth University.  She has previously worked as Environmental Health and Safety officer at the Spanish headquarters of an international automotive firm.

NAME: Rebeca Laorga

JOB TITLE: Analyst

Rebeca joined the company in 2007 and works as analyst with the lead responsibility for construction projects. Since joining the company, she has worked on projects for IHG, Gentoo and the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games. Rebeca’s background includes a degree in Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering in Spain, and last year she completed an MSc in Environmental Strategy at University of Surrey. Rebeca previously worked in telecommunications and in technical sales of acoustics equipment in Spain. 

NAME: Gregor Pecnik

JOB TITLE: Analyst

Gregor works as an analyst with particular expertise in accounting transport impacts, including calculations for the National Express’ advertising campaign. Gregor is also an experienced developer of online carbon and ecological footprint calculators. Before joining Best Foot Forward, Gregor worked for two years in a consultancy in Slovenia preparing development strategies and financial and economic appraisals. Gregor holds a MSc Environmental Economics.

NAME: Claire Stentiford

JOB TITLE: Analyst

Claire joined Best Foot Forward as an analyst in 2004. She has carried out carbon and ecological footprint studies of products, organisations, transportation and regions, and worked on the carbon management strategy for London 2012. Claire now brings this knowledge to manage the development of our Footprinter software and other online tools. Claire has a BSc in Biochemistry and had a previous life in IT as programmer and systems analyst.

NAME: Adam Lofts

JOB TITLE: Software Engineer

Adam joined Best Foot Forward in 2008 as a software engineer focusing on enhancing our Footprinter development framework and producing customised Footprinter applications for clients. Adam is also an experienced web developer, and he created the latest Best Foot Forward website. His software background has its roots in the open source community with whom he is still an active member. Adam has a BSc in Mathematics from Warwick University. He has previously worked in an IT role for Oxford University and as an independent web developer.

NAME: Luhui Yan

JOB TITLE: Software Engineer

Luhui joined Best Foot Forward in 2009 and supports the development of Footprinter™ and associated databases. Luhui completed a BSc in Computer Science at Beijing University of Chemical Technology before joining the YTEC Company where he worked in software development on internet banking projects. Luhui has recently graduated with an MSc in Computer Science from Oxford University. Luhui has particular experience in Java developing as well as Flex programming.