Below is an overview of professional work, education and short-courses.
Professional Experiences
Between 2010 and 2014 we developed a range of product-service-system (PSS) strategies for the company’s Clothes Washing Business. Concepts finally converged into a project on Remanufacturing.
The project finally shifted to high value (margin) cooking products. A trial was planned for development in Paris, for one of the brands. The project won a European project funding application in 2013, including Circular Economy and Remanufacturing expert partnerships from the UK and Germany. See video below explaining what remanufacturing is.
During this time, other innovative projects, including the support of new health services, and a new living-lab was developed in the Basque Country.
Fagor Electrodomésticos S.Coop | New Sustainable Businesses | April 2010 – May 2014 | Spain
Between 2010 and 2014 we developed a portfolio of products and services around cooking and food, initially based on the internet-of-things (IoT). All were built around education, kids and parents, and mastery of cuisine. All physical products were eco-designed, through materials selection and design for circularity. Apps were developed with support from digital pedagogy and UX experts.
The project developed into a consortium spin-out, between this industrial manufacturer, a super-market chain, a Michelin restaurant, and a food research centre. We lead the project as a consortium developing concepts along the entire ‘journey of food,’ from domestic food waste composting to initial vertical farming concepts.
During the period between 2008 and 2010, within this household equipment manufacturer, the work developed from innovation of products to the innovation of the production systems ‘behind’ the product. We went ‘upstream,’ back into the different areas of washing, cooking and cooling production systems.
The main output of these projects, was a new combined business vision for cooking and cooling (food preservation), and a washing strategy that looked more holistically at laundry care. Part of the work was to develop an in-house knowledge wiki, where we could share knowledge and projects around a sustainability strategy. A large work was also spreading awareness of sustainability and global issues within the company.
Between 2006 and 2008 we began focusing on developing a completely new
product platform around the microwave technology. Microwaves had been historically reducing in price, and only high end microwave-ovens remained in production in France. The focus was to redesign the microwave, the way it was perceived (and valued), and how it worked with users (with the help of some new technologies). With this, the intention was to also integrate eco-design into the product and its service life (with an advanced after-sales repair service), and attempt to ‘bring back’ production to France, and the company’s manufacturing plant in the north of France.
1st role was the development of the concept, which included focusing the project direction, communicating to key internal decision makers, developing a holistic consumer experience (from packaging, buying experience, and after-sales services for example), and industrial design tasks (i.e., materials, CAD design, prototyping).
2nd role was to build and manage the multi-disciplinary internal and external concept team, budgeting and timing. The team included: consumer specialists; product, packaging, graphic and web UX designers, an UI ergonomist, pricing expertise (ESCP Europe); and engineering. See the video of the product launch here.
ElcoBrandt (now Groupe Brandt) is the leading manufacturer of large household, and particularly domestic equipment in France. Based in Lyon, this innovation management position included the conceptualisation and R&D transfer of functional & technical innovations, within existing product platforms (for different business groups and sub-brands).
During this period, between 2004 and 2006, work included project management, finding and working with external expertise, user research, concept development, ergonomy & interface design, technical & visual prototyping (including CAD design), industrialisation support, internal communication, and patent writing. Below are examples of concepts successfully brought to market during this period. Also see the video of our ecological automatic detergent dosing system ‘Dose-e.’
During 2003, worked within this industrial and engineering consultancy in Cambridge, UK, responsible for the industrial design of a number of pharmaceutical delivery devices for GlaxoSmithKline (including asthma inhalers and medication packaging), CSR Bluetooth development products, and toys for an independent developer.
During the period of 2001 to 2002, based in Germany, working within the adidas innovation team (a.i.t), and more specifically for the football and apparel teams. Responsibilities included the development of new product concepts for Athens 2004; concepts were prototyped in-house and in Asia.
During the period from 2002 to 2003, work continued as a full-time consultant for the apparel group, within adidas innovation team (a.i.t), based in Germany. Fifty percent of the time was spent working autonomously to create new concepts around given themes. The remaining 50% was spent developing concepts and visual tools for communicating technical concepts to in-line development groups (helping to transfer scientific foundational work to production designers and marketing), and working with thermo-physiology scientists in the UK on ClimaCool products.
JCB is an international British manufacturer of large industrial and agricultural vehicles. Working between 1999 and 2000, within the industrial design department, responsibilities included external styling, and internal cab design and ergonomics, for all new product concepts and product range upgrades. Located within the headquarters, and one of the industrial production plants in Rocester U.K., experience was gained in a manufacturing environment, whilst working with internal R&D engineers and model makers, marketing and external engineering contractors.
This course has been developed and is given by Dr. Elaine Ingham. After discovering the Soil Food Web Approach (Nature’s Soil Operating System) nearly four decades ago and pioneering research in the field, Dr. Elaine Ingham is recognized as the foremost soil biologist in the world.
The Soil Food Web Foundation Course | January 2016 to December 2018 (Part-time)
Grade: Distinction (above 90% overall)
An intensive summer school, based in Pécs Hungary, which provided substantial knowledge from global experts, on the methodology and principles of the Blue Economy: social entrepreneurship, system thinking, system design, regional development and sustainable technology. Teachers included Prof. Gunter Pauli, Prof. Silvia Barbero, Prof. Tibor Kiss, Ivanka Milenkovic, and Curt Hallberg, supported by Katalin Hartung, Péter Fodor.
University of Pécs | Faculty of Business and Economics | Blue Economy Summer School | July 2015
Grade: Blue Economy Expert Certificate | 6 ECTS Credits.
Introduction to Microeconomic (orthodox) theory, with a main focus on the development of an economic intuition supported by tools. Covering Consumer Behaviour, Theory of the Firm, Competitive Market Equilibrium, Monopoly, Factor Markets, General Equilibrium Theory, and Welfare Economics.
London School of Economics (LSE) | EC101 Microeconomics | July 28 2014 – August 15 2014
Grade: Pass overall.
An international (20+ countries) distance learning, master-level course in sustainability. Work included individual and group web presentations and projects, webinars, and an exam. Covering the core concepts in Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD), including the TNS Sustainability Principles, Backcasting from Sustainability Principles, FSSD, and an analysis of a company through the SSD lens.
Blekinge Institute of Technology | M12407 Introduction to Strategic Sustainable Development | Autumn 2011
Grade: 85% Overall passed with distinction (Swedish System) | 7.5 ECTS Credits.
Distance learning University Foundation Course in Mathematics. Covering fundamental mathematic techniques including, recurrence relations, matrices and vectors, calculus and statistics.
Open University (OU) | MST121 Using Mathematics | January 2006 – October 2006
Grade: Merit Overall
An Industrial Design and Technology Course, mixing engineering including material science, electronics, mechanics and CAD/CAM, with branches of business and social sciences, marketing, ergonomics, and physical prototyping and rendering. Major project was a fully operational, emergency inflatable one-person shelter for mountain emergencies.
Loughborough University |BA (hons) Industrial Design and Technology | 1997 – 2001
Grade: First Class Hons.
One year multi-disciplinary foundation course, including Painting, Sculpture, Fashion, Photography, Product Design, Graphic Design, Art History, and Film. Specialising in Product Design.
Norwich School of Art (NUCA) | BTEC Diploma Foundation in Art & Design | Sept’ 1996 – June 1997
This agroecology course was based on developing agroforestry and cover-crop systems in vineyards.
Gers | France | 2018
Teachers were: Alain Canet is a leading French agronomist and agroforester. He is director of Abre et Paysage 32 in Gers, he is also very active in the French Agroforestry Association and the European Agroforestry Federation. And Konrad Schreiber is a leading agronomist engineer, with expertise in soil conservation. He is founder of La Vache Heureuse (Happy Cows), La Belle Vigne (Beautiful Vines), and trainer with the Institut de l’Agriculture de Durable (IAD) and the Programme AGR’EAU.
This ZERI Foundation and Blue Economy Network event, brought together innovators, entrepreneurs and thinkers working in Blue Economy and Circular Economy style companies and projects.
Rotterdam | Netherlands | 2017
The Living University is the annual cross-road on which we gather energy by exchanging ideas, tools and insights in order to break off and continue our own paths of changing the economy. An initiative by Gunter Pauli‘s ZERI foundation, the Living University is a co-created event: for the people, by the people.
This two week on-farm course was based on the Keyline Design framework, developed and taught by Darren J. Doherty of Regarians.
Perpignan | France | 2016
We studied a farm through the lens of Yeoman’s Keyline Scale-of-Permanence – from climate, geography, water, access, forestry, buildings, fences, soil, economy and energy. As part of the economy ‘layer’, we developed a short video, aimed at the family that owned and worked the farm, in an attempt to communicate the wonder of the place, during the current moment of heritage transition and instability.
This two week Schumacher College course, was based on Bioregionalism by design. Developed and taught by Joel Glanzberg and Pamela Mang from Regenisis Group and John Thackara, in collaboration with the Bioregional Learning Centre.
Devon | UK | 2016
During this course we studied the frameworks developed by Regenisis Group, and applied them to the local bioregion of the local watershed (the river Dart), and the local town (Totnes). We learnt from local hydrologists, ecologists, farmers, entrepreneurs, craftspeople, growers, historians (and Myth Tellers) and activists, which revealed the essence of the place. Together we learned to track the landscape through time and space, and look for patterns that could hint at paths to regeneration.
This course, was on small-scale integrated mushroom farming, developed and taught by Ivanka Milenkovic and other experts, built on their experience running a mushroom business, and international consulting. This course is a masterclass, from one of the global experts in the field, not only on mushroom farming, but also in a real integrated agriculture, Blue Economy, and ethical business example. This truly is about turning ‘waste into food,’ by using a range of organic wastes/by-products as inputs (e.g. brewery residues, apple branches, water hyacinth, salt cedar biomass, pineapple residues, banana leaves, and weed biomass), and producing high quality, and healthy food.
System Ekofungi School | Fungi Production | Serbia | 2016
This course, was an introduction to natural bee-keeping, based on working with the natural biology and behaviour of bees. The course taught bee husbandry, and was a foundation in managing animals based around their nature; learning to work with them to produce a surplus that we can use, whilst supporting healthy bees and hives (e.g. the Warré Hive, Kenyan, and Sunhive), and supporting the health of our ecosystems. Taught by apiculture Olivier Duprez, one of the leading practitioners and teachers in France.
Diplôme d’Instruction Apicole | France | 2016
A training course with the German Biogas Association, IBBK Frachgruppe GmbH. The course covered the foundations of the biological process of biogas formation, the principles of designing a biogas plant, technologies and safety, and site visits.
BBK Fachgruppe Biogas GmbH | Internationales Biogas & Bionenergie Kompetenzzentrum | 2016
This online distance learning course, was developed as a deep-learning permaculture course, initially developed by the late Patrick Whitfield. Taught by his associate, Caroline Aitkin, this PDC (Permaculture Design Course) was unique at that time, in that it was international, online, and went over a period of several years (rather than the more typical, intensive two weeks). With this format, we were able to go deeper, and to practice and prototype what we were learning, and share experiences in monthly meetings – and with a network of experts. The first part of the course is split into four modules: The Soil, Ecology, Organic Horticulture, and Sustainable Forestry; and the second part has one module: The Permaculture Design Course Final Project.
Caroline Aitkin | Patrick Whitefield Associates | UK | The Land Course Online – PDC | 2016 – Ongoing
This course was the first international course given by Yuval Noah Harari on release of his book, Sapiens. The course went over 20 weeks. It was a deep dive into the history of humans, from the Stone Age to the age of capitalism and genetic engineering. Grade: 93%
A Brief History of Everything | Coursera | Hebrew University of Jerusalem | 2015
This was the first international course given by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on their circular framework, for an economy that is regenerative by design. The course was a pilot MOOC, taught by Circular Design Programme Lead Joe Iles, and the Head of Innovation Ken Webster.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation | Exploring a Circular Economy MOOC | 2013
The Masterclass was designed for leaders and senior managers from all sectors and functions, and focused on their role in mainstreaming sustainable development within an organisation. Given by Sir Jonathon Porritt, this was an intensive look at some of the key issues, and what businesses can do, to be part of the solutions.
Forum for the future | Sustainability Masterclass | 2010
This course was developed and given by Oliver King, Managing Partner of Engine group. One of the first courses teaching the emerging field of service-design.
London UK | Engine Group | DMI Professional Development Program | 2009
