I am responsible for strategic planning and coordination of South West Water’s new stakeholder engagement approach – particularly in relation to our environmental agenda in the South West region. Working with the Director of Natural Resources to identify key stakeholders and establish strong partnerships across the region – including Defra-family, regional delivery partners, stakeholders, and existing partnerships/networks. Also responsible for coordination of the engagement programme and management of project-specific staff delivering stakeholder engagement and/or co-production activities across the company. Also working with the Director of Natural Resources to support and shape our key environmental commitments and ambitions including: protecting and improving terrestrial and marine ecosystems, climate change and Net Zero, sustainability, and biodiversity.

Secondment to South West Water as Stakeholder Engagement Manager focused on design and delivery of the pre-consultation engagement programme for the Water Resources Management Plan and the West Country Water Resources Plan.

I am Head of Evidence & Engagement at the Westcountry Rivers Trust - a role that includes responsibility for strategic communication and marketing.I am an experienced trainer and mentor in applied environmental science, strategic data and evidence, collaborative governance, monitoring and evaluation of systems change and strategic marketing (specialising in social marketing).I am a member of the Catchment Based Approach National Support Team and a member of the Catchment Data User Group, the CaBA Urban Water Group and the CaBA Benefits Assessment Working Group (which I chair).Since 2017, I have been working as a European Commission (Horizon 2020 and Joint Research Centre) Technical Expert on the evaluation of urban nature-based solutions (NBS), strategic evidence (including ecosystem services and natural capital) and collaborative/co-creation approaches.I also specialise in publishing, multimedia and web-development to facilitate communication and engagement on environmental issues and have been responsible for delivering the Trust’s Comms and Marketing Strategy since 2010. In 2020, I completed a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing, which means I will soon become a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and have begun working towards gaining Chartered status.I established the team in 2010 and it now numbers 19 technical specialists who are expert in the analysis, visualisation and communication of strategic information to engage stakeholders. Our work ensures that measures designed to protect and restore the environment (especially rivers and catchments) are co-designed, targeted and co-created in locations that give the greatest magnitude and diversity of social, cultural, economic and environmental outcomes.The team have broad expertise in environmental modelling, environmental monitoring/survey, stakeholder engagement, co-creation-facilitation, communication of science and education of people at all stages of life.

As GIS Principal I facilitated the use of GIS across the EA’s Thames Region through the provision of advanced technical support, the delivery of training, and the management and the production of high quality spatial data and geographic information.While with the EA, I played a key role in several significant projects including; the Regional BAP Habitat Creation Strategy, Environmental Infrastructure for London (in partnership with Greenspace Information for Greater London (GIGL) and Natural England), the All London Green Grid greenspace initiative, and the Floodwise food risk communication project.

I joined the Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning at the University of Reading in September 2005. In addition to my research and teaching in the field of Zoology and Applied Ecology, I also worked on several projects designed to develop the research skills of undergraduates by encouraging them to engage with the Cole Museum of Zoology and to play an active role in the research community of the Centre for Wildlife Assessment & Conservation (CWAC).

Funded by the BBSRC, I undertook research into murine embryonic stem cells and the role of the tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1 in regulating their self-renewal and differentiation along haemopoietic lineages. The project involved the use of advanced in vitro ES cell differentiation procedures and numerous molecular and cellular techniques, such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and protein biochemistry.