OUR TEAM
With a strong network built up over three decades, we have the capability to draw on numerous experts across many different fields in order to deliver against briefs. The team is led by:
Benet has worked on sustainability for businesses and governments since 2000, partnering with some of the largest and most complex organisations on strategy and communications. He has experience with multiple international businesses, governments and NGOs.
He started his career at the BBC before moving to various corporate communications roles where his clients included FTSE 100 firms, top consumer brands, NGOs, and Governments. He was Chief Policy Advisor to Greenpeace UK, where he led engagement with politicians and businesses on campaigns ranging from coal to food and transport. After that, he spent five years as Deputy Private Secretary to HM The King, when he was Prince of Wales, leading on responsible business, the natural environment, food, and farming.
Until 2020, he was Director of Sustainability for the John Lewis Partnership. For seven years, he delivered major change to embed best-practice sustainability programmes across Waitrose and John Lewis, coinciding with a period of growth across both brands.
Benet is the Deputy Chair of the Conservative Environment Network and a trustee of both Green Alliance and the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Benet Northcote
Partner
Sam has 25+ years' experience as a strategic communications advisor, building expertise across both corporate and consumer communications. He has advised company leaders on communications strategies during M&A deals, crisis and reputational issues, on brand narratives and building greater engagement and impact with customers and stakeholders.
Prior to FOUR32, Sam was Director of Strategy & Insight and Head of Sustainability Communications at Top150 PR agency, Red Consultancy. His previous clients include Nestle Purina, Johnson & Johnson (Kenvue), Emirates, Accenture, Thales, Zen Internet and McDonald’s Global.
In 2009, Sam co-led the crisis & reputation communications
for University of East Anglia’s globally respected Climatic
Research Unit (CRU) following one of the UK’s first and most disruptive cyber-attacks, in what became known
internationally as ‘Climategate’. What followed the hack was a year-long media fight to uphold the reputation of the CRU,
and the credibility of climate science.
Sam has studied Business Sustainability Management at Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership and is a Climate Reality Leader in Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. He advises several climate & sustainability NGOs, including The Climate Majority Project.
Sam Bowen
Partner