Sue Garrard

Sue Garrard is a leading sustainability strategist who transforms how major organisations embed environmental and social responsibility into their business models. As founder of Sue Garrard Consulting Ltd, she advises FTSE 100 companies and global brands including the BBC, Mars, Primark, and the NatWest Banking Group, drawing on her acclaimed tenure as EVP Sustainable Business and Communications at Unilever, where she established sustainability as a driver of brand growth, with sustainable living brands growing 50% faster than others. She serves as Chair of Blueprint for Better Business, Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and authored the RHS sustainability strategy. Audiences gain practical frameworks for turning sustainability commitments into measurable commercial advantage and lasting organisational change.

When Unilever's sustainable living brands began growing 50% faster than the rest of the portfolio, Sue Garrard had proven what many doubted: that sustainability could be a genuine driver of commercial success. Handpicked by CEO Paul Polman as one of his first external hires, she led the embedding of Unilever's ambitious Sustainable Living Plan across the business, overseeing progress against more than 70 time-bound targets whilst managing communications teams across 180 markets. Her responsibilities extended from stakeholder engagement and crisis management to forming part of the four-person executive team that successfully rebuffed Kraft Heinz's hostile takeover bid. In her final year at Unilever, she developed the company's next-generation sustainability strategy, engaging with leading global authorities on environmental and social responsibility and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Since founding Sue Garrard Consulting Ltd in 2019, she has advised FTSE 100 companies and major brands including the BBC, Mars, Primark, NatWest Banking Group, O2, and Natura on embedding sustainability into their operations and growth strategies. She serves as Chair of Blueprint for Better Business, the independent not-for-profit organisation she co-founded, and holds positions as Senior Associate at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Fellow of the RSA. Her work extends to advisory board roles with Fonterra and Zespri, and she authored the Royal Horticultural Society's sustainability strategy. Her career path reflects an unusual breadth of experience across public and private sectors, including board-level roles at advertising agency AMV and public affairs firm Fishburn Hedges, and serving as Director General for Customer Strategy and Communications at the Department for Work and Pensions. She began her career as a civil servant at the Department of Energy, working on the British Gas privatisation and leading marketing for the iconic 'Tell Sid' campaign.

Sue helps organisations move beyond sustainability commitments to measurable action and commercial advantage. Drawing on her experience of transforming one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, she provides practical frameworks for integrating environmental and social responsibility into business strategy, brand development, and organisational culture. Audiences gain insight into how sustainability drives innovation, attracts talent, strengthens stakeholder relationships, and creates competitive differentiation. Her sessions equip leaders with the tools to navigate the complexities of corporate responsibility, set meaningful targets, and build the internal momentum required for lasting change. Whether addressing boards, leadership teams, or industry conferences, she delivers clarity on how purpose-led business creates value for shareholders, society, and the planet alike.