Green.Org was joined by Simon Leadbetter, global CEO of luxury real estate specialists, Fine & Country, who spoke about the power investors have in dictating the future of sustainable business.
Hi Simon, brilliant to be able to connect with you and learn more about your thoughts on the future of sustainability. Can you tell us a little bit about you and your background?
I first read about sustainability when I was working in financial services and read Cannibals with Forks by John Elkington. That’s when I learnt about triple bottom line. Two years in cleantech and six years running a sustainable investment magazine and I was firmly on a sustainability path. I have over two decades of cross-sector global corporate experience (Fidelity, ?Emap, Prudential, AXA, Autotrader, Barclaycard, Abbey National, Daily Telegraph and Northcliffe Media) combined with entrepreneurial start-ups (AffinityIQ, Untopia and Blue & Green Tomorrow, the UK’s leading online sustainable investment magazine). More recently I moved into property as the Group Marketing Director for the UK’s largest estate agency group Countrywide Plc (1,200 offices and 63 brands), the Global Head of Marketing for Knight Frank LLP (over 500 offices in 60 countries) and I am now Global CEO of Fine & Country.
What is a fun fact about you?
In 2010 I nearly basically tried to remove myself form the gene pool by landing on a motorway while tandem skydiving in new Zealand.
Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?
It is the most important topic as we all share this pale blue dot and we have tested its resilience to breaking point. There is no plan(et) B.
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
The future is more digital, more automated, more regulated and more sustainable.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
For our audience, high net worth individuals, it is their investment portfolio that can make the biggest difference. Money never sleeps and investment in unsustainable business is the biggest threat we face.
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