ESGmark® was founded by two long-standing colleagues, Portia Patel and Justin Bates, both top-ranked analysts working together in the investment industry in London, UK. They observed that ESG-focused investing is growing as a hugely important theme, with investors increasingly demanding that the companies they invest in meet their own Environmental, Social and Governance criteria.
The founders realised that organisations of all sizes, not just large national and global corporations, want to play a role in addressing the climate crisis and securing a fairer society for all. Their research led them to conclude that a new standard was required. It needed to simplify the complex subject of sustainability and provide a framework of straightforward action points for those seeking to make positive changes. Thus, ESGmark® was born.
Through our certification process, we award the ESGmark® to organisations, irrespective of size, which prove they are committed to making a positive difference to the environment, their clients, employees and communities.
Our mission is to:
Inform, educate and empower organisations to act
Help them navigate their ESG journey
Promote their ESG credentials to the growing population of environmentally and socially-conscious consumers
ESGmark® is a symbol of trust and distinction, which allows consumers to identify organisations who believe in and act to deliver a fairer, more sustainable future.
The founders have assembled a team of highly-qualified individuals from a variety of disciplines, united by a passion for driving sustainability in business, to bring ESGmark® to life. Oversight of ESGmark®’s activities and the certification process is provided by our expert Advisory Board and panel of International Ambassadors.
If your organisation is keen to join the ESGmark® community then please apply using the Join Us button below. Alternatively, if you are interested in joining the ESGmark® Team, or would like to work or partner with us in some way, then we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact us at info@esgmark.co.uk.
Portia Patel – Co-founder
Portia is a top-ranked analyst in the investment banking industry. She brings expert research and evaluation experience to the Group and shares responsibility for strategic oversight with Justin. She holds an MSc Economics with Distinction from University College London and an MA Philosophy, Politics and Economics from University of Oxford.
Justin Bates - Co-founder
Justin is a top-ranked analyst in the investment banking industry. He brings 25+ years’ experience in research and evaluation to the Group and shares responsibility for strategic oversight with Portia. He holds a Masters in European Business from Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Paris and a BSc (Hons) in Business Studies from CASS, London.
Ian Stanlake - Advisory Board
Ian is a passionate advocate for the power of positive ESG-led change within organisations. An experienced finance and investor relations leader, Ian has worked across both the private equity and listed arenas. Most recently at ICG plc, a UK listed FTSE 250 asset manager, Ian was a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and was responsible for answering the increasing level of investor enquiries on ESG and sustainability matters.
Charlie Bronks - Advisory Board
Charlie is Head of ESG and Sustainability Lead at CAB Payments, a FTSE 250 firm. Charlie has been instrumental in leading the sustainability transformation at CAB Payments, firmly embedding ESG principles during its pivotal transition to a PLC. Her experience includes international development, fund-raising, and complex key account management, specifically focusing on working with governments, the United Nations, and the private sector.
Rhiannon Thomas - Advisory Board
With over 26 years experience in media and retail, Rhiannon brings with her a wealth of experience across brand, marketing and communications. Having led teams within market-leading businesses in the UK and Australia, she now consults for a number of partners from her own brand consultancy, Sun & Windrose, specialising in creative communication strategies and building brand sentiment, including a passion for sustainable, planet-positive business practices.
Kayla Ellis - Community Development Associate
Kayla supports the ESGmark® community through liaison, organising informational and networking events, and producing content and thought leadership pieces for our blog and library. She holds a Ba(Hons) in Anthropology from the University of Bristol, in which she tailored her learning around environmental relationships, and she has previous experience working for social and environmental startups.
Connor Burke - ESG Analyst
Connor works on our carbon footprint calculation and analysis programme. He also conducts due diligence and evaluation to support the ESGmark® certification process. He has a BSc in Mathematics and previous experience as a modeller within the engineering industry. He is currently studying an MSc in Environmental Modelling at University College London and has an interest in sustainable and environmental policy.
Nadiah Nik Arif - ESG Analyst
Nadiah conducts due diligence and evaluation to support the ESGmark® certification process. She is currently studying an MSc in Climate Change, Management and Finance at Imperial College Business School. She holds a BSc in Business Economics from University of East Anglia and has previous experience in working for climate startups
Zsófia Bekker – ESG Analyst
Zsófia conducts due diligence and evaluation to support the ESGmark® certification process. She is also involved in producing content and thought leadership pieces for our blog and library. She has recently completed a BSc Social Sciences University College London and has an interest in sustainable policy.
Sasha Vaswani - ESG Analyst
Sasha works on our carbon footprint calculation and analysis programme. She also conducts due diligence and evaluation to support the ESGmark® certification process. She is currently studying for a BSc in Environmental Management at the University of Manchester and her special interest areas are Sustainable Finance and Renewable Energy.
Isobel Dunn - Outreach Associate
Isobel focuses on outreach and marketing at ESGmark®. She holds a Ba(Hons) in Geography from Newcastle University, where she tailored her learning around sustainability and governance. She is especially passionate about driving sustainable development, climate action policies and corporate responsibility.
Jamie Berry - Outreach Associate
Jamie focuses on outreach and marketing at ESGmark®. He is currently studying a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Manchester. He is passionate about green chemistry, environmental legislation and sustainable development.
Ceandra Faria - International Ambassador
Based in Paris, Ceandra works with the OECD and UNDP as a Communications Specialist and has over 10 years of advocacy and engagement experience including at Save the Children and Creative Partnerships Australia. She holds an MBA and degrees in Journalism and French Literature. Ceandra is ESGmark®’s Ambassador for France.
Cris Robertson - International Ambassador
Cris is a sustainability communications and online learning professional, based in Cape Town. He has lived and worked in South Africa, Canada and England, and has completed two fully-funded master's degrees in Sustainable Development and International Public Policy. He serves as ESGmark®’s Ambassador for the Southern African region.
Danny Thurtle - Sector Specialist - Aviation & Transport
Danny holds a BA in International Business and an MSc in Sustainable Resources: Economics, Policy and Transitions at University College London, where he focused on decarbonising aviation through policy. Danny’s current role is ESG Analyst at IBA Group, an aviation finance advisory firm.
Virág Pabeschitz - International Ambassador
Virág is an international project manager possessing multi-year experience with NGO, USAid, cultural heritage and museum projects in seven different countries across Europe and the Middle East. She recently obtained her MBA degree in Germany writing her thesis about the ethics of antiquities investments. She is ESGmark®’s Ambassador for Central and Eastern Europe.
Carlota Veal - Sector Specialist - Energy
Carlota has a BASc in Arts and Sciences and an MSc in Economics and Politics of Energy and the Environment at University College London. Carlota currently works in the energy sector.
Julia Fawsley Grant, Sector Specialist - Arts & Small Business
Julia has 15 years' experience working for corporate international companies in the Arts world along with over 4 years remotely mentoring clean energy entrepreneurs in Uganda. Her combined passions for business, ethical leadership and sustainable development led her to the ESGmark® team.
William Hughes - International Ambassador
William is the Sustainability Services lead in the UK for Mazars, the international accountancy firm. He is an IEMA certified carbon footprint analyst. William has produced sustainability reports for companies and organisations based on the GRI standards and SDGs and calculated carbon footprints for companies and organisations based on the GHG Reporting Protocol. He is ESGmark®’s Ambassador for the UK