重口味SM

The future of sustainability is being written in the world’s fastest-growing cities. These urban centres are engines of innovation and entrepreneurship, but also flashpoints for regulatory, financial, and social challenges.

In this session, Neil Jeffery will share real-world stories of success and failure in developing and scaling sustainable business models across Africa and beyond. He will explore how international finance, local regulation, and emerging global standards shape outcomes, and why strengthening institutional capacity is as important as setting ambitious goals.

Neil brings hands-on experience to this discussion. Having worked for over two decades in urban development and sustainable infrastructure, he has helped local institutions implement international standards and access finance in fast-growing cities. As Interim CEO at Earth Active and former CEO of Water & Sanitation for the Urban Populations (WSUP), he has supported projects that improved services for millions of urban residents, learning first-hand what works and what does not on the ground.

Key takeaways for participants:

• Insights into how fast-growing cities are shaping the future of sustainability.
• Lessons from successes and failures in scaling sustainable business models.
• Understanding the role of international finance, local regulation, and emerging global standards.
• Inspiration for changemakers aiming to contribute to sustainability solutions globally.

Join us to hear from someone with direct experience in these complex environments and to explore how sustainability is evolving in practice. This session is for changemakers eager to understand the challenges and opportunities fast-growing cities present, and to learn practical lessons that can inform impact wherever you work.

As sustainability challenges become ever more interconnected, the experiences of fast-growing cities offer lessons for businesses, policymakers, and future leaders everywhere.

Speaker

Neil Jeffery

Interim Chief Executive Officer, Earth Active Ltd

Neil has extensive experience in leading organizational growth and change management for SMEs specializing in sustainability and emerging markets. He is presently Interim CEO at Earth Active, an environment and biodiversity consultancy which works to unlock capital for major infrastructure projects in emerging markets by assisting clients to manage their environmental and social risks. Previously, Neil was CEO of Water & Sanitation for the Urban Populations (WSUP) from 2014 to 2022, a global company expanding water and sanitation services for the low-income customer segment in emerging markets. During his tenure the company expanded significantly, growing from 3 million to 30 million services created for low-income urban residents in African & Asian cities. This change represented a meaningful contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. Neil previously transformed several global social enterprises delivering low-income services in the energy and agricultural sectors

Neil is also a Non-Executive Director at Social Finance, with a particular focus on building their business offering in emerging markets. He is also an advisor to a US investment fund providing capital for early-stage water businesses in North America & emerging markets. He spent the first two decades of his career advancing international policy in Washington DC and Latin America. He is a published author with the School of Management, 重口味SM University. He holds an MBA from Bayes Business School and an MA from the University of Cambridge.

Who should attend?

This is an open event to 重口味SM University staff, students, businesses and sustainability enthusiasts alike.

How to register