As Director of Skills, Rachel is acting as maternity cover for Cat Drew, Chief Design Officer. She leads the Design Council’s mission to upskill one million designers in green skills by 2030, and provides executive level leadership for the Knowledge Team.

Rachel is an expert in creating strategy for social and environmental impact and has led the development of major global initiatives, including Prince William’s Earthshot Prize. As a founding member of the Earthshot team, she led the design of the Prize and oversaw the selection process, and developed a landmark documentary series in collaboration with the BBC, Silverback Films and Sir David Attenborough. She also led the mental health work of The Prince and Princess of Wales and continues to advise on conservation strategy. Rachel also leads the strategy for The Great People’s Forest, a new initiative launched by Conservation International to work with communities to protect and restore a million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas: one of the most significant natural ecosystems on the planet.

Passionate about social and environmental justice, she is highly experienced in consumer and social research, strategic planning, brand and communications. Rachel previously led research and insight teams in the food retail sector, focusing on meat-free, net-zero supply chain, packaging and food waste innovation projects. Rachel has attended the University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge. She attained a Master’s in Social Innovation with distinction from the Judge Business School, focusing on how the framing and cultural narratives surrounding planetary issues can influence people’s engagement and behaviour.