The Role of Insurance in Building a Nature-Positive Economy

Speakers

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  Mark Chadwick

  CEO, Kew Reach

  Mark has over two decades of leadership at the intersection of sustainability, technology, and climate strategy, he brings deep expertise to advance our mission of driving impactful bioengineering and landscape restoration. Prior to joining Kew Reach Mark worked from ENGIE Impact, where he served as Managing Director for EMEA & APAC. In this role, he led the development of innovative sustainability solutions for global businesses, cities, and governments. Under his leadership, the team delivered integrated decarbonisation programmes—balancing ambition with action across industrial actors and hard-to-abate sectors—leveraging advanced digital tools and long-term strategic planning. Mark founded Carbon Clear in 2005, a pioneering climate consultancy that was ultimate acquired by EcoAct. His firm helped shape the industry’s approach to climate action, ultimately providing advice to 25 of the FTSE100 and many large international businesses. Beyond his executive roles, Mark has been an active advisor and investor in technology and sustainability ventures, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and circular innovation.

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  Olivia Brindle

  Head of Sustainability, Canopius

  Olivia Brindle joined Canopius as Head of Sustainability in November 2024, having previously held a similar role at The Fidelis Partnership. She came to sustainability from a career focused on financial markets. After starting out as a strategy consultant for Deloitte working with financial services clients, she spent ten years as a research analyst covering European (re)insurance at a series of investment banks (Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch). She then worked for Swiss Re in Zurich as Senior Investor Relations Manager. Olivia has an undergraduate degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Finance from the London School of Economics. She is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.

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  Will Butler

  CEO & Founder, GaiaSicura

  Will is the CEO and Founder of GaiaSicura Ltd. Following over 10 years in specialist global construction insurance broking he took the decision to 'take what he's good at and make it do some good', and so set GaiaSicura in motion. His accolades include being the Chairman and Founder of the Insurance Institute of London's Nature and Sustainability Committee, insurance lead for the FloodAction Coalition, management and nature group member for Climatewise, research aid for UNEP/UNDP/Naturance/BNG Assurance Group and many others. Fundamentally though, Will is the son of a farmer, his upbringing cementing him as a truly passionate advocate for nature.

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  Paul Wilkin

  Head of Ecosystems, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew

  My current role is to lead and drive forward Kew’s science and conservation via helping to deliver its science and collections strategies. In so doing I will strengthen its position as a global resource for plant and fungal knowledge, and promote plant and fungal-based solutions to current global challenges. My personal research is primarily on the tuberous yams (Dioscorea), and Enset (Ensete). Yams provides both dietary starch for millions and secondary compounds of considerable economic importance. Enset is a key starch staple for 20 million people in southern Ethiopia, as well as providing a broad range of further ecosystem services and having the potential to be a climate smart crop with a major role in the future of Africa. Approaches encompass taxonomy, systematics, conservation and metabolomics, including phylogenomic and population genetics to investigate crop, crop wild relative and edible/wild yam diversity with a view to improved livelihoods and economic innovation.

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  Antony Ireland

  Founder, Better Insurance Network (moderator)

  Antony Ireland is the founder of Better Insurance Network, a global community of insurance professionals driving sustainability best practices, implementation and innovation through knowledge sharing, networking, mentoring and education. Key achievements include developing Sustainability for Insurers e-learning - the first dedicated online sustainability training tool for insurance professionals, created in collaboration with 15 organisations and adopted by major carriers in the UK, Europe and Bermuda. Prior to launching Better Insurance Network in 2021, Antony covered risk, insurance and asset management for 15 years as a financial journalist, editing trade publications and launching emerging markets titles in Asia, Africa, Latam and the Middle East.