Laura Sandys MSt (Cantab)
A Business Entrepreneur and Policy Innovator who uses ideas to build commercial value and shape new thinking.
Summary Laura Sandys specialises in the energy, food and resource sectors, focusing on energy markets, food and energy security and resource management. She is a leading advocate of the low carbon economy, promoter of increasing demand reducFon policies and acFve innovator in food systems policies. She believes that incumbent thinking needs challenging to promote policy innovaFon and business compeFFon and creaFvity. In her business career, Laura founded two companies that focused on energy and the environment. Her corporate work has involved her in the Caucasus and South America as well as in many parts of Europe and the United States. In that role, she also served as an advisor to the Georgian Government on the Baku-‐Tbilisi-‐Ceyhan pipeline, and her opinion has been frequently sought on issues relaFng to Russian energy. Following the sale of her last company in 2000, she joined King’s College, London, as a Senior Research Associate, and worked with the UK’s military intelligence on a spectrum of risks associated with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Her own perspecFves on the invasion were reflected in her contribuFon to The Conflict in Iraq 2003, a book edited by Professor Paul Cornish. Elected to Parliament in 2010 as the Member for Thanet South, Laura served on the Energy and Climate Change Select CommiWee, and subsequently became Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker, MP. Recently she founded the Food FoundaFon, an independent policy think-‐tank to explore the changing challenges facing UK and internaFonal food systems. Her commitment to Britain’s conFnued membership in the European Union has led her to become the spokesperson for a group of ‘Euro-‐Realist’ MPs, known as European Mainstream. This commitment along with her acFve interests in the low carbon economy and food security have resulted in regular appearances on radio and television as well as frequent contribuFons to newspapers and through social media. As well as founder of the Food FoundaFon, Laura is also a co-‐founder of POWERful Women, a group intended to ensure that women have equal access to senior execuFve posiFons in the energy sector. She, too, is Chair of the 2020 ProducFvity and Efficiency Commission, and a Member of Imperial College’s Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage Advisory Group, the largest research programme of its kind in the United Kingdom. Laura received her Master’s Degree from the University of Cambridge in 2004 specialising in Iraq.
Europe
Middle East
Leadership
Marke3ng
Poli3cs
Academia
Energy
Food
NGO
Resources Security N & S Caucasus America
Business Entrepreneur Nego3ator Management
Regions of OperaFon Fields Of ExperFse
Experience of OrganisaFons Range of Roles
Business and Policy Areas
Energy • Electricity Market Reform Energy Efficiency • New Supply Products Demand ReducFon • Demand Side Response Renewables • Energy Security Pipeline Policy
Food • Food FoundaFon Food Affordability • Food Security Food Crime • Food Supply Chains ‘Ugly’ Food
Resources • Resource Security Resource ProducFvity • Waste ReMade in Britain
• Chief ExecuFve, Challenging Ideas • Chair, European Movement UK • VisiFng Senior Fellow, King’s College London • Founder, The Food FoundaFon, the first independent think tank examining the food system • Founder of a new Business Sector, ReMade in Britain • Imperial College Carbon Capture and Storage Advisory Group • Co-‐Founder, POWERful Women, an organisaFon bringing together women in the energy sector • Advisory Group Member, Carbon Tracker
Current OccupaFon
ReMADE In
Britain
Energy • Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Greg Barker Minister for Energy & Climate Change
• Former Member of the Energy & Climate Change Select Commi?ee • Electricity Market Reform:
• Pre-‐LegislaCve scruCny of Electricity Market Reform • Member of the EMR Bill Commi?ee
• Leading on Demand Side Response and Demand ReducCon • Chairman of the Efficiency and ProducCvity Commission
Food • Founder of The Food FoundaFon – the first think tank looking at the total food system
• Leading Food Champion • Author of ‘Consumers at the Heart of Markets’ • Chair of the Smarter Consumer Commission on Food • Key campaigner for the successful reintroducFon of ‘food educaFon’ onto the naFonal curriculum
• Leading in Parliament on global food security; safe supply chains; nutriFon; resources and food affordability
Other • Chair of All Party Groups: Civic Voice; Epilepsy; Behavioural Change • Convenor of Turquoise Tories – Green ConservaFves • Convenor of European Mainstream
POLITICS: MP 2010 -‐ 2015
• 2003 – 2006 Government of Georgia – Baku-‐Tbilisi-‐Ceyhan pipeline
Head of London Office NegoFator with UK and US partners Strategic advisor to Chair of NaFonal Georgian Oil Company
• 1992 – 2000 LSA -‐ Founded , Built and Sold Pan European CommunicaFons Consultancy
Founded and created a successful business that set new standards of business pracCce Operated in London with small Istanbul satellite Worked across the EU, in Accession countries and on key issues in the Middle East Clients included BP plc, BT plc, Severn Trent, UKOOG & Natural Environmental Research Council and ParCcle Physics and Astronomy Research Council Focused on energy and regulated industries with Pan-‐European interests 20 staff, £2 million t/o in 1999 when sold to a leading global communicaCons company
• 1990– 1991 Which? -‐ Head of Parliamentary Unit
• 1988 – 1989 Sunday Trading Campaign– Head of CommunicaFons • 1983 – 1987 Founded and Ran PR and MarkeFng Consultancy
Focusing on Consumer Goods and services
BUSINESS: 1982 -‐ 2006
• 2002-‐ 2005 Kings College, Centre for Defence Studies Energy and Food Security Expert Iraq Specialist Member of Kings College Advisory Team to Military Intelligence during the Iraq Invasion
• 2002 – 2003 Masters Degree (Cantab) InternaFonal RelaFons specialising in Iraq
• 1999 – 2007 Chair of Open Democracy, Trustee of Open University & Deputy Chair of the Civic Trust
ACADEMIA / VOLUNTARY: 1999 -‐ 2007
Food: PublicaFons / ArFcles / Papers Founded The Food FoundaFon – March 2014 • “Consumerism and ConservaFves” – November 2012 • “The best food is neither cheap nor chips”, The Telegraph, 24th April 2012 -‐
hWp://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/9223511/The-‐best-‐food-‐is-‐neither-‐cheap... • “Cheap food of low quality hits the poor hardest”, The Times, 14th February 2013 -‐
hWp://www.theFmes.co.uk/Wo/opinion/thunderer/arFcle3687579.ece • “We need a recipe to solve food poverty”, The Spectator, 20th December 2012 -‐
hWp://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2012/12/we-‐need-‐a-‐recipe-‐to-‐solve-‐food-‐pov... • “Britain must put food back on the table”, Guardian, 21st November 2012 -‐
hWp://www.theguardian.com/commenFsfree/2012/nov/21/britain-‐food-‐on-‐table • “The Hunger Games”, The Spectator, 12th August 2012 -‐
hWp://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2012/08/the-‐hunger-‐games/
• “In these tough Fmes, young people need to learn to cook from ler-‐overs and change a plug”, The Telegraph, 6th March 2012 -‐ hWp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/laurasandys/100141691/in-‐these-‐tough-‐Fmes-‐young-‐people-‐need-‐to-‐learn-‐to-‐cook-‐from-‐ler-‐overs-‐and-‐change-‐a-‐plug/
• AcFon urged to combat food price rises – ePoliFx.com, 5th July 2011hWp://challenging-‐ideas.com/arFcles/www.epoliFx.com-‐latestnews-‐arFcle-‐detail-‐newsarFcle-‐acFon-‐urged-‐to-‐combat-‐food-‐price-‐rises.pdf
• “Why food security must be viewed as a strategic threat”, The Ecologist, 18th January 2011 -‐ hWp://challenging-‐ideas.com/arFcles/www.theecologist.org-‐blogs_and_comments-‐commentators-‐other_comments-‐734145-‐laura_sandys_mp_why_food_security_must_be_viewed_as_a_strategic_threat.html.pdf
The Food FoundaFon
• SweaFng Our Assets – ProducFvity and Efficiency Across the UK Economy – January 2014 hWp://challenging-‐ideas.com/arFcles/2020_Report-‐SweaFng_Our_Assets.pdf
• “Why the 2020 Group wants to see Britain sweat its assets”, ConservaFveHome, 4th February 2014 -‐ hWp://www.conservaFvehome.com/plauorm/2014/02/laura-‐sandys-‐mp-‐why-‐the-‐2020-‐group-‐wants-‐to-‐see-‐britain-‐sweat-‐its-‐assets.html
• “Resource AssociaFon Supports Principles Behind SweaFng Our Assets Report” Resource Efficient Business, 5th February 2014 -‐ hWp://www.rebnews.com/news/manufacturing/resource_associaFon_supports_principles_behind_sweaFng_assets_report.html
• “Tory group criFcises Defra stance on waste”, letsrecycle.com, 5th February 2014 -‐ hWp://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-‐news/waste-‐management/tory-‐group-‐criFcises-‐defra-‐stance-‐on-‐waste
• “Tory modernisers to declare war on waste”, BusinessGreen, 5th February 2014 -‐ hWp://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2326372/tory-‐modernisers-‐to-‐declare-‐war-‐on-‐waste
• “We need to ditch this 19th Century economic model”, BusinessGreen, 3rd February 2014 -‐ hWp://www.businessgreen.com/bg/feature/2326388/laura-‐sandys-‐we-‐need-‐to-‐ditch-‐this-‐19th-‐century-‐economic-‐model
• “Tory modernisers make hard-‐headed pitch for greenery”, The Spectator, 3rd February 2014 -‐ hWp://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/02/tory-‐modernisers-‐make-‐hard-‐headed-‐pitch-‐for-‐greenery/
• “‘Modern Tories’ launch proposal to rebuild the UK sustainably”, Blue & Green Tomorrow, 3rd February 2014 -‐ hWp://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2014/02/03/modern-‐tories-‐launch-‐proposal-‐to-‐rebuild-‐the-‐uk-‐sustainably/
‘SweaFng our Assets’
Resource Security: PublicaFons / ArFcles / Papers
Consumers: PublicaFons / ArFcles / Papers • “Consumers at the Heart of Markets”, 2020 and The Legatum InsFtute, Summer 2013 -‐
hWp://challenging-‐ideas.com/arFcles/2020-‐Laura-‐Sandys-‐-‐Consumer-‐Paper.pdf
• “ConservaFsm for the Consumer” in “Access all Areas – Building a Majority”, Renewal, Summer 2013 -‐ hWp://www.renewalgroup.org.uk/Access_All_Areas_v1.0.pdf
• “It’s Fme for Sixty Second Shutdowns for rip-‐off supermarkets”, ConservaFveHome, 19th November 2013 -‐ hWp://www.conservaFvehome.com/plauorm/2013/11/from-‐laurasandysmp-‐its-‐Fme-‐for-‐sixty-‐second-‐shutdowns-‐for-‐rip-‐off-‐supermarkets.html
• “Why we need a Minister for Consumers”, ConservaFveHome, 28th September 2013 -‐ hWp://www.conservaFvehome.com/plauorm/2013/09/why-‐we-‐need-‐a-‐minister-‐for-‐consumers.html
• “The free market isn’t a licence to con people”, The Times, 2nd May 2013 -‐ hWp://www.theFmes.co.uk/Wo/opinion/columnists/arFcle3753959.ece
• “We must be on customers’ side – and be seen to be on their side”, ConservaFveHome 28th May 2013 -‐ hWp://www.conservaFvehome.com/plauorm/2012/05/laura-‐sandys-‐mp.html
• Laura Sandys MP and a pro-‐consumer conservaFsm by Tim Montgomerie, LiWle Guy ConservaFsm, 27th Januray 2013hWp://challenging-‐ideas.com/arFcles/Laura_Sandys_and_a_pro-‐consumer_conservaFsm.pdf
“Consumers at the Heart of Markets”
Energy System: PublicaFons / ArFcles / Papers • “ConservaFves are 'fundamentally misunderstood' over the environment”, The Telegraph,
26th February 2014 -‐ hWp://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/10661953/ConservaFves-‐are-‐fundamentally-‐misunderstood-‐over-‐the-‐environment.html
• “CosFng the consumer the earth” in Green conservaFsm: protecFng the environment through open markets”, Green Alliance, September 2013 -‐ hWp://www.green-‐alliance.org.uk/resources/Green%20conservaFsm-‐protecFng%20the%20environment%20through%20open%20markets.pdf
• “Making the Green Economy the Mainstream Economy” in 2020 Vision: An Agenda for TransformaFon, Legatum InsFtute, January 2013 -‐ hWp://www.2020conservaFves.com/Downloads/20_20_Vision.pdf
• “Greening the economy is not a ‘nice to have’”, BusinessGreen -‐ hWp://www.businessgreen.com/bg/opinion/2203244/greening-‐the-‐economy-‐is-‐not-‐a-‐nice-‐to-‐have
• “The green economy – or maybe the kaleidoscope economy”, The Growth Factory -‐ hWp://www.thegrowthfactory.co.uk/sectors/green-‐technology/#.UtAdxdJdVIE
PublicaFons / ArFcles / Papers
Europe • Calls for a UK exit from the EU are at best perverse, and at worst
unpatrioFc, The Guardian, 22nd December 2014 hWp://www.theguardian.com/commenFsfree/2014/dec/22/uk-‐exit-‐eu-‐perverse-‐unpatrioFc-‐disaster-‐economically
• “European Mainstream”, Bright Blue, 8th March 2013 – hWp://brightblue.org.uk/index.php/mailinglist/item/176-‐european-‐mainstream
• “In Europe, who would want to be the Odd Man Out?”, ConservaFveHome, 22nd January 2013 -‐ hWp://www.conservaFvehome.com/plauorm/2013/01/from-‐laurasandysmp.html
House of Lords • “Why Tory MPs must support House of Lords reform”, New
Statesman, 10th July 2012 -‐ hWp://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/poliFcs/2012/07/why-‐tory-‐mps-‐must-‐support-‐house-‐lords-‐reform
• “One man, one vote beats one PM, 240 peers”, The Times, 28th July 2012 -‐ hWp://www.theFmes.co.uk/Wo/opinion/columnists/arFcle3458735.ece
Carers • “Care of the elderly, not NHS restructuring, is the biggest
health challenge the Government faces”, The Telegraph, 29th February 2012 -‐ hWp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/laurasandys/100140333/care-‐of-‐the-‐elderly-‐not-‐nhs-‐restructuring-‐is-‐the-‐biggest-‐health-‐challenge-‐the-‐government-‐faces/
Epilepsy • “We're MPs, we're epilepFc… and we're climbing Big Ben”,
The Telegraph, 26th March 2012 -‐ hWp://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/laurasandys/100146841/were-‐mps-‐were-‐epilepFc-‐and-‐were-‐climbing-‐big-‐ben/
European Mainstream: ‘In our Interest: Britain with Europe’
Personal • Married with two step-‐sons
• MSt (Cantab) InternaFonal RelaFons (specialising in Iraq)
• Patron of Epilepsy AcFon
Contact & Connect
laura@challenging-‐ideas.com
/in/laurasandys
@Laura_Sandys
Personal /Contact