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.
Matt Ingham – Lead ESG Analyst & Program Lead
Matt brings over a decade of expertise as an environmental consultant in the commercial and industrial real estate sectors. Specialising in environmental risk and sustainable development, he has a proven track record in crafting and implementing sustainability strategies for diverse portfolios. Matt excels in embedding sustainability and wellbeing into the built environment, and has been instrumental in projects aimed at achieving Net Zero Carbon.
Kim Bergoe - Special Projects Manager
Kim has held a number of senior positions in the investment banking industry over the past 25+ years, with roles including senior credit officer at ratings agency Moody's, in equity research and M&A banking at several top-rated investment banks. The adoption and implementation of ESG-policies across companies, and how this impacts performance and valuation, has long been a focus area for Kim. He holds an MSc Economics from Copenhagen Business School and has a certificate in ESG investing from the CFA institute.
Izzy Sharpley – ESG Analyst
Izzy holds an MSci in Physics from University College London and has 7 years of experience in technology roles within the energy sector, spanning both corporate and scale-up environments. She is passionate about sustainability, energy systems, and supporting society’s transition to net-zero goals
Haaniah Hamid - ESG Analyst
Haaniah conducts due diligence and evaluation to support the ESGmark® certification process. She has a background in consulting and project management that spans sustainability and social value issues. She holds an MSc in Engineering for International Development from University College London. Her most recent work was on Net Zero energy projects for the public sector.
Jamie Berry - ESG Analyst
Jamie conducts due diligence and evaluation to support the ESGmark® certification process. He is currently studying a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Manchester. He is passionate about green chemistry, environmental legislation and sustainable development.
Carla Mulli - ESG Analyst
Carla brings experience in global sustainability science and sustainability consulting, including life cycle assessment-based tooling. She has supported compliance to European sustainability regulations such as the CSRD. Carla has worked with international clients across industries including pharmaceuticals, consumer healthcare, finance, beverages, retail, and construction. She is pursuing an MSc in Sustainable Resources at UCL.
Duncan Hodson - ESG Analyst
Duncan previously worked in the education sector in China and has hands-on experience of integrating sustainability into an organisation, having set up a successful and ecologically-conscious restaurant business. He holds a BA in History from Oxford University and an MSc in Sustainable Resources: Economics, Policy and Transitions from University College London.
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.
Francesca Seymour - ESG Analyst
Fran has a BA (Hons) in natural sciences from the University of Cambridge, where she specialised in materials science. Fran is now pursuing an MSc in Science, Technology and Society at UCL, which focuses on science policy and communication. She is particularly interested in sustainability and environmental policy. Fran has also worked as a tutor for 5 years, providing science and maths support for secondary school students.
Connor Burke - ESG Analyst
Connor 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
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 achieved an MBA degree in Germany writing her thesis about the ethics of antiquities investments. She is ESGmark®’s Ambassador for Central and Eastern Europe.
Zsófia Bekker - International Ambassador
Zsófia is a Social Scientist with a background in project management, currently pursuing an MSc in Environmental Policy at Sciences Po Paris. As part of her studies, she works for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina on topics related to Energy, Transport, Climate Diplomacy, and Circular Economy in the Western Balkans. Zsófia previously worked with ESGmark® as an ESG Analyst for 3 years and also contributed to the ESGmark® Library and content creation.
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.
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.
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. Danny previously worked with ESGmark® as an ESG Analyst.
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.
Sasha Vaswani - ESG Analyst
Sasha 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.