Black Sun has made two more strategic hires to meet the growing needs of clients and the wider expectations of society with the appointments of James Whittingham as Sustainability Director and Kirstie David as Sustainability Communications Consultant. Both will focus on supporting clients on their sustainability and ESG journeys, bringing over 40 years combined from a mixture of in-house and consultancy experience in FTSE100, public sector & charitable organisations driving sustainability communications as well as deep specialist knowledge and expertise.

James has spent more than 15 years within corporate sustainability departments in a FTSE250 and FTSE100 environment, as well as five years in consulting roles. James most recently held the role of Carbon Manager at easyJet plc and he has extensive experience of devising, developing and delivering corporate sustainability strategies at Executive level across a broad range of sectors including aviation, travel & tourism, higher education, financial services, retail, healthcare and construction. James is a Practitioner member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (PIEMA), the UK’s leading professional membership organisation for sustainability practitioners.

Kirstie brings a wealth of experience in strategic communications on sustainability subject matters, with a career spanning corporate, agency and not-for-profit sectors. Most recently as the interim CEO at the Jane Goodall Institute, where she worked with globally renowned ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, and before that at Shell International as Global Lead of Brand and Strategy, Shell Eco-marathon. Kirstie has extensive experience in developing narrative strategies that deliver authentic and compelling sustainability stories, from strategic insight to campaign delivery. She is a member of the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA) and the International Association for Media and Communications Research (IAMCR)

Working closely with Sallie Pilot, who leads Black Sun’s Advisory Services, and our other Investor, ESG and Knowledge Consultants, Kirstie and James will strengthen Black Sun’s strategic sustainability offer, research and thought leadership. Supporting clients with best-in-class corporate communications strategies, they will help to create and deliver campaigns that successfully navigate the evolving sustainability landscape, communicate strategies and actions authentically and evidence the wider beneficial impact on stakeholders.

Sallie Pilot, Chief Insight and Engagement Officer said: “Now more than ever businesses need the trust of their stakeholders to prosper over the long-term, with economic, social and environmental sustainability a must in today’s business. It is becoming critical for companies to address the gap between knowing and doing by embracing sustainable business practices. We are excited about the knowledge and expertise that we are building Black Sun as James and Kirstie join the team on this journey, helping to advise clients how to embed ESG and sustainability into their strategy, operations and communications and leading the way for Black Sun and our clients in this area.

For more information, please contact our Senior Business Developer, Naomi Hawkins

About Black Sun

Black Sun is a global stakeholder communications company with offices in London and Singapore. We are united by a common purpose of making businesses more valued by their stakeholders. We are powered by a unique mix of strategic insight, creative inspiration and technology advantage, and help businesses communicate authentically how they deliver value to their stakeholders. We believe that inspiring strategic communications can spark positive change and drive long-term, sustainable performance.