At heart I have always been a traveller who loves new people and places. That’s why I studied languages and spent my early career promoting links between the UK and Latin America. But I could see that travel had complex impacts on communities. So I studied a masters in Tourism, Environment and Development studies and since then have been working in the travel and tourism sector in roles which have spanned consultancy, policy, strategy, communications and sustainability. Two stints at the World Travel & Tourism Council where I was part of, and latterly led, the team that ran the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, and where I was able to shape the discourse around industry issues through my oversight of the content for the organisation’s annual Global Summit, and spearhead initiatives to drive sustainability awareness across the industry. In between I spent time as a sustainable tourism consultant, working with local authorities in the UK and abroad to develop tourism strategies. After WTTC, I spent three years in consultancy working with hotel chains on their ESG metrics, reporting and strategy, where I also authored the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels and the Net Zero Carbon Events Methodology. I am now VP of Sustainability at BCD Travel, where I oversee company sustainability strategy and initiatives, as well as working with corporate clients to reduce the impact of their business travel.