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Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL)

Beth has been a Tutor, Assessor and Lecturer with the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL) since 2016. She is currently a Head Tutor for CISL's online courses and a Supervisor on executive education programs. Beth has been published in the Journal of Organizational Change Management. The article entitled 'Behavioural competencies of sustainability leaders: An empirical investigation' is based on her Master's research which proposes a model for sustainability leaders to map their competency levels and guide their development over time. An alumnus of the CISL Postgraduate and Masters programmes, Beth was amongst the first cohort of CISL Alumni Ambassadors and played a key role in launching the Alumni Network groups in both London and Nairobi. Whilst living in Kenya in 2017/8, she delivered Guest Lectures for the African Sustainability Leadership Program with CISL partners at the Strathmore University Business School.

Biography

Beth is an award-winning corporate sustainability director with over fifteen years' experience driving transformational change across large scale, global and cross-sector organisations. Recognised as 'Great British Businesswoman of the Year' in 2022, Beth focuses on: 'technology for good', sustainable production & consumption, finance and business transformation. She is highly skilled in shaping strategy and policy, community investment, program/ product innovation, academic research, thought leadership, materiality assessment and ESG reporting.

Beth's previous roles have included: Head of Community Investment for Europe at Amazon, Global Markets Director at EY, and Head of Corporate Sustainability for EY's EMEA Financial Services business. During her time at Amazon, she led the company's humanitarian aid response to the Ukraine war and COVID-19 pandemic relief programs. As a member of the GRI stakeholder council for a full four-year term, Beth advised the GRI Board of Directors on strategy and policy changes related to international reporting standards. She also trailblazed the first UK Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) Apprenticeship standard - improving access to sustainability careers for individuals from the global majority.

Beth is a working parent with two young children. She is passionate about diversity in sustainability, supporting displaced people /refugees, and innovating through technology.

Beth Knight
Senior Associate, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership