Dr Sally Uren OBE is a globally recognised thought leader in sustainability, with more than 25 years of experience driving systemic change across sectors and regions. In January 2025, she became Executive Director and Chief Acceleration Officer at Forum for the Future, following an impactful eleven-year tenure as Chief Executive of the international non-profit. In her new role, she leads and advises on high-impact projects and partnerships, focusing on accelerating the transformation of food and energy systems, and helping businesses realise their full potential to create positive environmental and social outcomes. She has been instrumental in Forum’s international expansion, establishing vibrant programmes across Europe, the US, India and Southeast Asia.
Sally continues to shape critical initiatives, including Growing our Future, which promotes regenerative agriculture in the United States; the Business Transformation Compass, a pioneering guide to just and regenerative business; and the Climate and Health Coalition, which galvanises private sector action on the health impacts of the climate crisis. Her passion lies in equipping others to deliver systemic change, and she regularly shares her insights at leading global conferences such as Trellis (formerly GreenBiz), Sustainable Brands, and Economist Impact, offering both strategic foresight and practical tools for sustainable transformation.
With a PhD in Environmental Sciences from Imperial College London, Sally began her career by founding the sustainability group at Casella Stanger, now part of Bureau Veritas. Her work as Director of Environmental Management and Sustainability marked the start of a lifelong commitment to embedding sustainability in core business practices. Since joining Forum for the Future in 2002, Sally has held several senior roles, including Director of the Business Programme, and has consistently worked to bring sustainability to the forefront of business, philanthropy and civil society.
Beyond Forum, she serves as an Advisory Board member for Bentley Motors and EcoVadis, is a Trustee of the Galapagos Conservation Trust, and acts as a Non-Executive Director for Travalyst, the sustainable travel initiative founded by the Duke of Sussex. In December 2017, she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for services to sustainability in business, and was recognised by Forbes as one of the UK’s 100 Leading Environmentalists. Sally’s ongoing work continues to challenge conventional thinking and empower leaders to deliver a just and regenerative future.
We recently sat down in an exclusive interview with Dr Sally Uren OBE - hear her insight into corporate sustainability and more!
