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CFG Board appoints Thomas Lingard as CEO

The Board of CFG is excited to welcome Thomas Lingard as its new CEO, effective March 2025.

With his sharp intellect, kind and enthusiastic personality, and exceptional leadership skills, Thomas has convinced us that he is the right person to build on CFGs early successes and lead the organisation to even greater impact”, said Steven Schuurman, Co-founder and Chairman of CFG’s board of directors.

Thomas brings over 25 years of leadership experience in sustainability, innovation, and policy, most recently as the Global Head of Sustainability at Unilever. He has played a pivotal role in shaping global sustainability strategies, influencing international public policy for sustainable development and climate change, and building coalitions to tackle systemic challenges.

With a strong track record of fostering talent and driving impact, including at the leading UK environmental policy think tank Green Alliance, Thomas also brings expertise from a wide range of  advisory roles with groups such as Climate Catalyst, the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, and the World Economic Forum. His academic background includes Philosophy, Development Management, and AI Ethics, reflecting his deep commitment to addressing contemporary societal challenges.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Centre for Future Generations at this critical time. The exponential rise of advanced technologies is both exciting and terrifying in equal measure. Protecting the best interests of humanity will require us to recognise that technological innovation must be matched with innovation in governance, and that at the heart of any issues of governance are issues of power,” said CFG’s incoming CEO. 

“The EU has led the world in this regard, balancing the need for innovation and growth with the protection of citizens’ rights, but we are only at the start of this journey. The next decade will prove decisive in determining whose interests are served by the deployment of these advanced technologies, in Europe and beyond.”

The coming years will be crucial for shaping the impact of emerging technologies. We look forward to working with Thomas to increase our influence and maximise the impact of our work.