Rick Benfield joins Re_Set as Director in sustainability practice

Consulting firm Re_Set has appointed Rick Benfield as Director. Benfield’s new role will see him focus on expanding the fast-growing sustainability practice at the firm.

Ecological credentials are also fast becoming a must-have, rather than a nice-to-have – as consumers expect companies they purchase from to have a social purpose. Illusatrating this, UK B Corps (businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance) were 63% more likely to survive the last financial crisis. As a result, while Covid-19 and Brexit might have dominated recent headlines, businesses must not lose sight of sustainability drives in the coming period.

Re_Set – which is itself a B Corp – is looking to help clients reposition themselves in this more conscientious business environment, and as a result, the consultancy has appointed Rick Benfield in a new role with the firm. As Director within the firm’s fast-growing sustainability practice, Benfield will now concentrate on helping clients navigate uncertainty and disruption, identifying opportunities to future-proof their businesses by committing to positive courses of action regarding both people and the planet.

Re_Set's Managing Partner, Kevin Barrett commented, "Rick is a highly respected industry expert and thought leader and was the outstanding candidate for this role. We remain convinced that strategy for innovation and sustainability is mission critical for success and we look forward to working with Rick as we build the business and continue to create world-class strategies to ensure clients thrive in these disrupted times."

Benfield spent the last year as a freelance business purpose and impact consultant, but prior to this spent six years as the Founder and CEO of thirdbridge. The social enterprise helps companies engage their employees in responsible business initiatives and demonstrate the social, environmental and business value through impact reporting frameworks and dashboards. Benfield also spent time as a Senior Consultant with Blackbaud and Accenture.

Commenting on his new challenge, Benfield said, “Re_Set is bringing a new approach to unlock the huge business opportunity that comes from doing the right thing by people and the planet. The evidence is there, the imperative is there, and the will from consumers and employees is also crucially there. To join Re_Set and support companies to grasp the opportunity, whilst making the future a better place, is extremely exciting.”

Further establishing its sustainability credentials, Re_Set was a finalist for Consultancy of the Year 2021 at the Edie Sustainability Leaders Awards earlier in the year. Meanwhile, the firm’s Co-Founder James Bidwell mentioned sustainability as one of the five major forces of disruption facing businesses in 2021.

Bidwell stated, “Sustainability and protecting our biodiversity is now mission-critical, with the issues around climate change, carbon, and human impact on the natural world, both land and sea, now at the top of the agenda. At Re_Set every project has a sustainability thread and indeed it is more often than not the project.”