Meet the team

Martin Wright, Editor in Chief

Background

As well as acting as editor and publisher of the magazine, I also help lead on the development of Forum and GF's international work, particularly in India, the US and China, and on wider Forum communications and development strategy.

I’m a regular Chair of Forum events, including those in partnership with The Guardian.

Studied Politics, specialised in international conflict and the Islamic world, and wrote about same. Deep visceral enthusiasm for the countryside and the natural world translated into an interest in the way environment, development and politics interact. Edited Tomorrow Magazine and Environment Digest; was Environment Director of Media Natura; wrote and co-produced Go Wild! (kids series for ITV); wrote Our Backyard (Channel 4/Observer Films). Won a number of awards, including Science and Environmental Journalist of the Year.

Edited Green Futures for four rollercoaster years, 1998-2001, then stepped back into 'Editor at Large' mode, to make time for other work, notably with Ashden Awards, Demos and Futerra. Was lured back on board as Editor in Chief in 2008, and am glad I was!

What unusual twists and turns has your career path taken?

From reporting on Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza to writing about business and sustainability in the West may seem like quite a leap, but for me it’s essentially the same issue: how do we create and sustain a resilient economy and society, which respects everyone’s chances of leading a richer, more fulfilled life. It’s as simple and challenging as that!

I’ve been lucky enough to travel widely, both as a journalist and producer, as editor of Green Futures, and as Visiting Judge for Forum Partner, the Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.

Bizarre twists include: being arrested suspicion of being a French mercenary working undercover for the Malian Army; eating rhino horn and dealing in tiger skins while being paid by WWF to investigate the trade in endangered species in Korea; being mistaken for Bill Clinton's press secretary in Rwanda; and pouring scorn on West's obsession with imagining Osama bin Laden hiding round every corner in Pakistan, while eating breakfast 300 yards from his lair in Abbottabad.

Failed to profit from any of these rare sparks of interest in an otherwise unremarkable life.

What would your dream Forum project be?

A vast, wondrous, sparkly TED-style Green Futures event with art, music and spectacular installations / architecture showcasing imagination, innovation and beauty. Let’s make it happen!

What floats your boat outside work?

Cycling, playing guitar, playing cricket, those rare evenings which see a perfect combination of friends, alcohol and conversation; and seeing my stepkids grow up into sane, compassionate, intelligent adults and wondering where the hell they got that from (apart from their mother).

Email: martin@greenfutues.org.uk

Twitter: @MartinFutures

Anna Simpson, Managing Editor

Background

I wrote for India’s science and environment magazine Down To Earth, edited WENnews for Women’s Environmental Network, and penned all the gory and glorious details for a series of gynae factsheets, before joining Green Futures in 2009. Now my time is split between commissioning, writing and editing stories from the frontline of green innovation, and the never-ending search for new ways to inspire and engage with our readers. We’re building strong partnerships with other media, including The Guardian, Grist and GOOD, and will soon be launching the GF Inspire iPhone app... watch this space!

I have a 1st class degree in English and French from Oxford University, and a Masters in Gender Studies from SOAS.

My dream project?

A series of taboo-teasing features. We’ve done sustainable sex… what next?

What floats by boat outside work?

I run marathons and play the violin with Fulham Symphony Orchestra and Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra. Lots of things make me happy: a quick dip in a river; a sunny afternoon in Yorkshire Sculpture Park; crumble and custard.

Email: anna@greenfutures.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7324 3651

Twitter: @_annasimpson

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/annasimpson

Katie Shaw, Communications Advisor

Background

I’m involved in a whole host of work to make the magazine a reality, from production to business development, crunching the numbers to sourcing the images, and looking after the website and associated social media.

I was working for an organisation charged with helping London homeowners reduce the CO2 emissions of their properties, when I got a phone call from this guy called Martin Wright. He seemed interesting and quite entertaining, and then I noticed from his email signature that he worked for a magazine called Green Futures. I clicked through and thought, hey, that looks interesting. I’d always been keen on working in media and publishing, so the combination of that world with my interest in sustainability seemed like the perfect match.

I studied European Studies and Spanish at Manchester University, which included a year working for a charity in Quito, Ecuador; who knew the EU stretched so far?! I did a post-graduate in European Business Management at The Manchester Business School, which seriously tested the brain of a mind that thinks much more creatively than Profit and Loss sheets will allow!

My dream project?

To open up a South American office, and to publish a Spanish language version of Green Futures. That way, I could indulge my love of dancing (tango on street corners in Buenos Aires anyone?), salsa music and South American film.

Email: katie@greenfutures.org.uk

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7324 3660

Twitter: @GreenFutures

LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/katie-shaw/12/225/23a

Current interns