Our board
Abi Rushton
Director – ethicalexpert limited
Abi is Founder and Director of ethicalexpert limited, an ethical trade and sustainable supply chain consultancy who believe in practical and commercially based approaches to improving products and conditions across international supply chains.
ethicalexpert limited is about securing profitable supply chains for brands and workers. Ethical supply chains are not just nice to do but the route to sustained profitable business. Through a combination of technical, sourcing and development experience ethicalexpert can help you articulate the market and margin advantage in sustainable sourcing as well as having the practical experience to implement change on the ground.
Abi has 20 years’ experience across manufacturing, retail and international development leadership roles, latterly working for the UK’s top two retailers in Sourcing and Sustainability positions. Through these global roles she has first-hand knowledge of the impact on workers and brands of different sourcing strategies and how these can work to profit business, environment and employees.
Abi is also Associate Director of the Aid by Trade Foundation who manage the ‘Cotton made in Africa’ initiative, chair of the Ethical Fashion Forum and a founder member of Cottons Revolutions, the cotton community’s online forum for strategic thinking.
Courtney Blackman
Courtney Blackman is a London-based entrepreneur working in the fashion industry. In 2006, she co-founded and currently serves as co-chairman of London’s Fashion Business Club: a group of fashion insiders helping to shape the business side of the industry.
She founded London’s Forward PR in 2004, and serves as the managing director. Forward PR is a press relations agency focused on fashion, jewellery, accessories, media, and special events, located in London’s Mayfair. Forward PR works with renowned labels from around the world and has successfully secured media coverage in hundreds of outlets on a global scale.
Courtney is also a regular blogger on Drapers. She is a British-American living primarily in London, with residences in Canada and Panama.
Pamela Daniels
Pamela specialises in branding, publishing and strategic marketing. She has over 9 years of experience in Canada and Europe through a diversity of roles in the creative sector, including art director, graphic designer, project manager, team building and development in advertising, marketing and publishing.
As a founder and creative director for the Ethical Fashion Forum, Pamela has played a pivotal role in developing the branding and marketing strategy for EFF work and projects.
Pamela has launched and managed a series of creative projects and events for the EFF, including INNOVATION at the Hospital Club, a high profile party during London Fashion Week and celebration of some of the most cutting edge emerging sustainable design leaders. Pamela also devised and developed “Conscious Style Leaders” a publication profiling leading designers in the ethical fashion arena.
As well as her work with EFF, Pamela unites a pool of creative fashion designers to collaborate on her own REMADE fashion label, and contributes to a range of other initiatives such as MADE BY as a freelance consultant.
Sarah Ratty
Sarah Ratty was one of the first fashion designers to actively address sustainability. In the early 1990’s Sarah launched the pioneering “Conscious Earthwear” label, and has been working to address the environmental impact of the industry ever since. Her work has been exhibited at the V&A, Barbican, Crafts Council and toured with the British Council.
She set up the fashion label Ciel is 2006, an environmentally conscious fashion label with a festive party style, and a celebrity client list to match — including Cate Blanchett, Sienna Miller, and Zoe Ball.
Sarah is an eco design consultant and a member of the Soil Association Textile Advisory Committee since 2002; she has worked with PAN UK Organic Cotton Working Group 2002-2005,Traidcraft and AHF in 2006. Sarah is a Fellow of the RSA.
Sarah has been on the board of EFF since 2006, and plays a key role on fundraising.
Kirstin McIntosh
Kirstin has background in strategy and change management, and now works in the sustainability arena. She believes that business has huge potential to both improve people’s lives and minimise our environmental impact, if done thoughtfully.
The Australian concept of “A fair go” probably summarises her quite well. Kirstin has more than fifteen years’ business experience in Europe, Asia and Australia, and her formal qualifications are an MBA from IMD and a Bachelor of Commerce. She also has trustee experience at a charity which helps women advance their careers in the manual trades.
