Download PDF

Headlines

Strategy: Reinventing organisations and developing strategic thinking. Engaging stakeholders and conducting staff consultation to focus aims, vision and metrics.

Innovation: Turning innovative ideas into impactful and cost-effective organisations. Founder of Request Initiative, a community interest company, and instrumental in launch of Carbon Brief and DeSmog UK. 

Editing: Editing fast paced environmental news websites, collaborating with hundreds of contributors to produce compelling and well presented journalism. Published with Oxford University Press.

Fundraiser: Raised £556,000 in cash and equivalent pro bono support over 15 years for public interest investigative journalism, from funders and commercial clients.

Philosophy: Using highly complex ideas to design impactful practices. Reading Hegel to inform methods in mediation, organisational strategy and investigative journalism. 

Good News Stories

Worked with Resurgence Trust management team to develop organisation-wide strategic aims and objectives. Delivering a new strategy for The Ecologist through consultation with trustees and managers, informed by colleagues, contributors and readers. Raised funds from crowdsourcing and introduced improvements such as Creative Commons publishing and membership of the industry regulator.

Worked at the cutting edge of an international communications campaign to challenge climate denial in UK, US and Australia. Launched DeSmog UK with exclusive daily content championing climate scientists and exposing their attackers - including government ministers, peers and corporate executives. Interviewed the world’s leading scientists, senior oil and tobacco employees, politicians from all parties, and activists.

Founder of Request Initiative. Gained practical experience in leadership, stakeholder engagement, client development and fundraising, Human Resources, book keeping and accuntancy. Understood the need for shared strategic aims. Developed legal expertise in FOIA, EIRs and DPA, publishing well received guides. Secured significant and newsworthy victories for charity partners. 

Skilled investigative journalist securing access to people and documents. A track record of landing exclusive interviews and breaking stories for national and local press. Reported from Baghdad children’s hospital in 2003 for the Lincolnshire Echo, publishing front page articles that measurably shifted public opinion.

Work History

Editor

2017Present
The Ecologist

Delivering impactful environmental journalism as editor (and now co-editor) of The Ecologist. Increased traffic threefold to 3.5 million during first three years; published stories seen by up to 250,000 people worldwide, increased subscription sign ups, raised income from readers. Increased the quality of content by recruiting scientists, academics and leading activists as contributors. Launched Ecologist Writers' Fund and Burst the Bubble fundraiser to support writers who are from marginalised communities or have experienced discrimination. 

Founder

20102017
Montague Media Limited (MML)

Ran a bespoke media company providing investigative journalism and research to NGOs and charities. I advised on the aim, scope and methodology of the highly respected Carbon Brief project. I founded Request Initiative. I was the founding editor of DeSmog UK, producing investigative news journalism that make national and international headlines. I delivered a new constitution and fundraising strategy for Spinwatch. I delivered investigative projects for highly effective NGOs, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Founder

20112017
Request Initiative CIC (RI CIC)

RI CIC worked with charities including Greenpeace, Shelter and Global Witness to ensure the disclosure of government held information in the public interest. Worked with Global Justice Now on securing access to US UK trade talks documents (the files, which were leaked, took centre state during the 2019 election). Successfully opposed Cabinet Office barristers at information tribunal. Obtained documents and databases which have resulted in front page and international news coverage. Published highly praised guides to FOIA, EIRs and the DPA. Added value to successful charity campaigns nationally and internationally. 

Research Fellow

2016
University of Bath

Worked as a Research Fellow in the Social and Policy Science Faculty of the University of Bath, collaborating with Professor David Miller on an extensive investigation into the corporations that funded think tanks in order to influence public health policy. Resulted in the publication of a co-authored book with the Oxford University Press.

Journalist (National)

20052010
Sunday Times, Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail.

Breaking exclusive news stories for the Sunday press in the UK, considered among the hardest gigs in journalism. Respected for my reporting from major events and for landing stories against all the odds. Worked in the newsrooms at The Sunday Times, The Mail on Sunday and The Daily Mail. I have also published with The Guardian, New Statesman, Vice.com, The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Mirror and many other publications. 

Journalist (Regional)

19972005
The Argus, Brighton & Hove, etc.

Worked as a staff journalist for local and regional newspapers across Britain, often as the politics and / or education correspondent. I worked at The Argus in Brighton & Hove, the Manchester Evening News group, the Lincolnshire Echo among others. My professional career began editing the student page in the Kent Messenger newspaper.

Education

MA: Modern Studies

19961998
University of Kent at Canterbury

I revelled in intellectual complexity, studying Derrida, Foucault, Lyotard and Adorno. My dissertation examined James Joyce's Ulysses. I was elected editor of the student newspaper, Kred.

2.1, BA (Hons): English and American Literature

19931996
University of Kent at Canterbury

Studied the English cannon as a window into society, philosophy and human nature.

AAA, A-level: English, History and Fine Art

19911993
City of Westminster College

From Chaucer, through Shakespeare to Larkin: as social commentators, as historical figures and as artists.

Training