Meet the Judges – round 2!
28 judges, 16 categories, one star spangled awards night. We’ve confirmed all of our panel of world-beating judges for the 2018 Global Good Awards, and it’s exciting. So we wanted to give you the chance to get to know them all a little bit better, as we take the opportunity to show off about our panel!
In this month’s “Meet the Judges” feature, we’re hearing from:
- Tom Idle, experienced editor, writer, journalist and commentator in the field of corporate responsibility, and Founder of content creation agency Narrative Matters.
- Rick Benfield, Founder of third bridge, a social enterprise dedicated to building partnerships between the private and third sector so that every organisation maximises their positive impact.
- Georgina Wilson-Powell, Editor for pebble magazine, a magazine that aims to make “eco” and “ethical” words of the past, as they become “just the way we all do things”.
- Mark Jenkinson, City Director of Sustainability at leading global engineering and technology services company, Siemens.
Find out a little bit more about them, below.
Plus you can see our full 2018 GGA judging line-up here.
Tom Idle, Founder of Narrative Matters
What inspired you to become a GGA judge? As a storyteller in the world of sustainability, I have a vested interest in the success of this facet of business. Reading the submissions, assessing the landscape of best practice, and challenging what it is that constitutes ‘good’ right now are at the forefront of my mind and the GGAs offer a brilliant window into doing all of that. Of course, getting to know my fellow judges is great too.
What does the term ‘global good’ mean to you? I love meeting organisations that are creating truly positive change in the world. Yes, there’s some great examples of companies turning the dial on making things less bad. But the really ‘good’ ones are shaking the roots of what’s gone before and challenging conventional ideas and processes. That’s the exciting bit.
Who’s your favourite sustainable company or brand, and why? (Other than your own!) Tesla has been a remarkable success on a global scale; any organisation that can make energy and batteries seem even remotely sexy deserves incredible applause. I also love IKEA and H&M for making bold commitments to turn inherently unsustainable business models upside down.
Rick Benfield, Founder of third bridge
Why did I become a judge? I attended the National CSR Awards in 2016, which at that time had a conference before the awards event. It was by far and away the best CSR conference I had been to in years – covering the full range of topics that a company should be considering from tax policy, to pension investment, to supply chain to environmental impact and beyond. I thought: “I need to get involved with this organisation, they actually ‘get’ that CSR is about more than a philanthropic donation to charity!”
What has been – for you – the best entry over the years? I really liked the Beyond Business entry last year. Supporting ‘infrastructure’ (in this case a support structure to launch social enterprises) is often seen as less sexy than direct support to beneficiaries, but the indirect impact is normally much higher, so I really thought that Investec should be commended for the support they give to Beyond Business.
Georgina Wilson-Powell, Editor for pebble magazine
What inspired you to become a GGA judge? As the editor of pebble magazine we’re inundated every week with new eco-friendly brands across fashion, tech, food and homewares which is fantastic to see. I’m passionate about helping small businesses succeed as well as shifting the way we consume everything from food to fashion. The GGAs reflect the growth I’ve seen even in the last couple of years to support eco businesses and products.
What does the term ‘global good’ mean to you? It’s about considering what’s best for the planet – environmentally and socially – as well as ourselves. We need global solutions to our eco and economic problems and we’re now aware that our individual actions combine to have a global impact – so we can use that to help rather than harm the planet and our global population.
Who’s your favourite sustainable company or brand, and why? (Other than your own!) Oh that’s too hard to choose! I have so many. I love Know the Origin and People Tree for clothes, Raw Copenhagen for jewellery, Veja and Nisolo for shoes but then there are so many fabulous skincare, homewares and designers working with less waste and closed loop systems.
Mark Jenkinson, City Director of Sustainability at Siemens
Why did I become a judge? The awards were originally held at the Crystal, one of the world’s most sustainable buildings and a showcase for Siemens and our target to be carbon neutral by 2030. As well as an interest from a corporate perspective, I am also personally interested in the low carbon economy and hearing of all the great stuff that organisations both large and small are involved with in order to play their part.
What has been – for you – the best entry over the years? I’ve been a judge for the last two years and have come across lots of great entries. One that stands out is from 2016. Élan Hair Design of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire is a family hairdresser with a commitment to the environment and which won the Clean and Green Award. Although a small business, the hairdresser embarked upon an eco-friendly project which has included a £250,000 refurbishment of its premises followed by the implementation of a series of working practices which have allowed the salon to cut its carbon emissions by 94% and divert 95% of its waste from landfill.
