COP26 and the boardroom: what’s next?

Mark Tucker, Chair of HSBC

Mark Tucker was appointed non-executive Group Chairman of HSBC Holding plc in October 2017. He is also non-executive Chairman of the Discovery Group of South Africa. 

Mark’s public appointments include chairing the TheCity UK; membership of the Prime Minister’s Building Back Better Council and the UK Investment Council and chairing the UK Multinational Chairmen’s Group. Mark also belongs to the Trade Finance Advisory Group of the International Chamber of Commerce, and to the UK Department of Trade’s Financial Services Trade Advisory Group. He has over 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry in Asia, the US and the UK, including 25 years based in Hong Kong.  

Mark was most recently Group Chief Executive and President of AIA Group Limited, having joined in July 2010. Before AIA he was Group Chief Executive of Prudential plc. Mark has served on the Court of The Bank of England, and on the Board of Goldman Sachs Group. He is an Associate Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and sits on the Advisory Board of the British Museum. 

Nicola Brewer, Non-Executive Director of Iberdrola SA

Nicola Brewer is a Non-Executive Director of Iberdrola SA and a member of its Sustainable Development Committee; she was previously a NED of one of its subsidiary companies, Scottish Power Ltd (2017-2020). She is on the board of London First and is a trustee of Sentebale, a charity founded by the Duke of Sussex and by Prince Seeiso of Lesotho which supports the mental health and wellbeing of young people affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. She was a NED of Aggreko plc (2016 – 2021) and was Chair of its Ethics & Corporate Responsibility committee. She is a member, and co-chair of the UK group, of the Trilateral Commission, the international think tank founded in 1973. 

Her 30-year diplomatic career included postings to Mexico, France and India; she was Director General for Europe during the UK’s last Presidency of the EU. Her final overseas appointment was as British High Commissioner to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. 

Her executive roles outside the Diplomatic Service included: Director General for Regional Programmes at the Department for International Development; Chief Executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission; and Vice Provost International at University College London (2014-2020). 

Nicola was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George for services to diplomacy in 2011.

Emily Farnworth, Co-Director at the Centre for Climate Engagement
Hughes Hall University of Cambridge

Emily is the Co-Director of the Centre for Climate Change Engagement at the University of Cambridge. She was previously Global Director, Low Carbon Economy Transition at Environmental Resources Management. 

Prior to this Emily was the Head of Climate Initiatives at the World Economic Forum where she was involved in setting up the Climate Governance Initiative, the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders the Mission Possible Platform and the Natural Climate Solutions Alliance. She also Chairs the Advisory Committee of RE100 – an initiative that drives demand for renewable power. 

Emily has over 25 years of experience working with businesses, government, and non-profit organisations to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. She has worked across multi-stakeholder groups and within specific industry sectors to collaborate on solutions to tackle climate change. She has led research, campaigns and communications strategies aimed at creating systemic change in the way businesses mange climate risk and decarbonize operations.