Our people

Emily Farnworth is the CEO of Chapter Zero Alliance. A Fellow at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, she is a globally recognised leader in accelerating climate action through bold, cross-sector collaboration.

With over 25 years at the intersection of business, government, and civil society, Emily has built a career on mobilising powerful coalitions to tackle the climate crisis. She has a proven ability to convene senior decision-makers and drive systemic change towards a low-carbon, resilient future.

As former Head of Climate Initiatives at the World Economic Forum, Emily was instrumental in launching game-changing platforms including Chapter Zero Alliance, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, the Mission Possible Partnership, and the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance. These initiatives have shaped global climate ambition and action, building on earlier success with RE100—an award-winning campaign driving corporate demand for renewable energy worldwide.

Before transitioning to the non-profit world, Emily spent more than a decade in environmental consultancy with ERM and URS, later founding her own firm to advise senior leaders on sustainability strategy.

She currently serves on the board of Chapter Zero, supporting non-executive directors in climate governance, and is a Cambridge Zero Fellow contributing to cutting-edge research and policy development. Emily holds a Master’s in Environmental Science, Management and Law from Brunel University London.

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Sylvie was the Secretariat’s first employee in September 2020 and now oversees its business operations, implementation of Chapter Zero Alliance strategy and its impact. Sylvie studied modern languages at Cambridge University and subsequently an MBA at the Open University Business School, whilst working at Save the Children.

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Simon has wide experience of leading programmes, operations, policy, risk, strategy and governance functions in UK government departments and financial services. Most recently, he was Head of Governance and Strategy for a directorate within the international group of HM Treasury. Simon holds an undergraduate degree in politics and international relations from the University of Hull and a master’s in international relations from the University of Cambridge. Simon’s master’s thesis focused on central banks’ developing role in re-positioning financial market rules within global climate governance regimes.

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Barry is Senior Partnerships Manager, working to develop and strengthen agreements with the key partners that help the Initiative achieve its goals and objectives. Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Barry has previously held several roles within Hughes Hall, where CCE is based, and worked with member-driven organisations throughout his career. 

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Kirby is the Senior Community Engagement Manager at Chapter Zero Alliance, working to enable CZA Chapters to drive global impact. Her career so far has focused on membership development and partnership account management at the Royal Society of Arts. She studied Social Anthropology with Sustainable Development at the University of Edinburgh and holds an MA in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge.

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Harriet is Head of Knowledge Exchange at Chapter Zero Alliance. She works across the Initiative teams, partners and chapters to shape and oversee development and transfer of knowledge and content that will equip board directors across the world to accelerate climate action. Harriet was previously Head of Content at the Centre for Climate Engagement where she managed research translation and content development activity to deliver targeted outputs for board directors, practitioners and policymakers. She brings over 20 years of experience working in international climate and energy policy and programme delivery, including in the public sector, private sector and environmental non-profit organisations. She holds a degree in Economics from University College London and a Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing (CIM).

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Cath has worked as a PA in the financial and publishing sectors in London and more recently in school governance and membership organisations. As part of a job share, Cath provides administrative support to the team and Executive Assistant support to the CEO.

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Ben is the Events Coordinator for Chapter Zero Alliance. With a background in international conference management, he has delivered high value programmes of meetings and events around the world.

Ben has also worked as a communications professional at the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, both of which are based in Cambridge’s David Attenborough Building. He holds a Master’s Degree in English Literature and is an award-winning short-fiction podcaster.

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Melissa manages the communications for the initiative’s Financial Sector Programme. She has worked on nature and climate issues for nearly 15 years and held pivotal communications roles at several environmental organisations including WWF and TRAFFIC, where she headed the global communications effort. She is experienced in delivering strategic communications and translating complex ideas for broad audiences. 

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Esme holds a degree in English Literature and a a Master’s degree in Journalism and International Relations from New York University, and comes from a career in strategic communications in the UK Government and public relations agencies in New York and London. She is experienced in developing impactful communications strategies for large international organisations and is Chapter Zero Alliance’s Senior Communications Manager.

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Matthew manages the teams responsible for engagement with our ‘Global Communities’: that is, the network of Chapters, Partners and Ambassadors who work with board directors on Climate and Nature in the boardroom. 

He has contributed to workshops and discussions for the Alliance in Mumbai, Tokyo, New York and Manila. 

Matthew joined in February 2024 from a varied career in communications, engagement and fundraising in Higher Education. As head of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office at the University of Cambridge, he integrated the work of the external-facing offices – communications, development, and international strategy – in their work with the VC, and wrote over 400 speeches for Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors of the University. At Homerton College, he devised an ambitious public relations campaign to reposition the College after it fully joined the University. 

In the 2012 New Year’s Honours list he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) by HM Queen Elizabeth II. 

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Sam is responsible for all operational aspects of Chapter Zero Alliance, including human resources, information technology and financial management. She brings a wealth of experience in these areas, with a track record of enhancing organisational efficiency and developing collaborative workplace cultures. She has worked across multiple sectors, ranging from retail and publishing to music and pharmaceuticals, and was also involved in the early phases of Chapter Zero, the Initiative’s UK Chapter. She is a business graduate and qualified performance coach.

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Jillian is the Knowledge Exchange Researcher at Chapter Zero Alliance, where she develops and curates engaging content for our board director audience. With a background in business management and environmental policy, she has experience in academic and market research, helping to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights.

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Abigail comes from a background of administrative roles in both the public and private sectors. Abigail began working in a French startup company before joining Cambridge University, most recently at a centre partnering Cambridge University and the UK Government. Abigail assists with the support Chapter Zero Alliance gives to its Chapters, supports the core team and is Executive Assistant to the Director. 

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Molly is the Operations Coordinator for Chapter Zero Alliance, managing the logistics required to ensure smooth and effective daily operations within the company.  Her work includes process development, and tasks of a financial and administrative nature.

Molly holds a degree in Public Relations and Media which she completed at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.  She is skilled in supporting fast-paced teams and providing effective counsel, which she’s done in roles for private and third-sector organisations.

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Gurudatta works across Chapter Zero Alliance’s teams, Chapters and stakeholders to support integration of an evidence-driven evaluation framework that will enable board directors across the world to gauge the impact of climate governance. He brings over 20 years of experience working in the monitoring and evaluation field in humanitarian and community resiliency programming.  He holds an MA in Social Work with a focus on Community Development, and an MSc in Global Environmental Change from Cranfield University.

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Jacquie is the Senior Manager for Leadership Community Liaison for Chapter Zero Alliance. She comes from a conference programme management and publishing background with extensive experience of building and supporting global teams to deliver high impact, high value events with the minimum impact on the planet.

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Rosie is a Community Engagement Manager, focused on building the Initiative’s presence in Southeast Asia. She comes to the Initiative after completing an MPhil in Environmental Policy at the University of Cambridge (Clare College) and undergraduate studies in Environmental Economics & Policy and Geography at UC Berkeley. Rosie has also worked in climate risk modelling and renewable energy research and engagement. 

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