Matthew Bell appointed as group CEO of Anthesis
Matthew Bell has been named group CEO of sustainability consultancy Anthesis. He takes on the role having most recently headed up sustainability at Big Four firm EY.
Derek Kemp, chair of Anthesis said, “Matthew’s track record of advising the world’s leading organisations on climate and sustainability strategy and reporting is a perfect fit for Anthesis as we enter our next phase of growth.”
Bell brings more than 23 years of experience helping businesses build their climate change and sustainability credentials to the role. Prior to his 17 years with EY, he also spent more than five years with Defra, where he served as Head of Project Office in its Climate Change Group. He has a background in science, with a PhD in biotechnology.
Bell said of his new role, “I am honoured and excited to work alongside Anthesis’ deep bench of talent. The sustainability field is at an inflection point: organisations are navigating a rapidly changing environment with evolving regulation and standards, Artificial Intelligence development, radical transparency on performance, and a need to manage risk and create new forms of value. They will need scalable solutions to deliver sustainable performance. Anthesis has a unique combination of talent, breadth of services, and global reach to deliver this at scale for our clients.”
Anthesis is a global sustainability solutions provider, and one of the world’s largest groups of dedicated sustainability experts. Bell takes on his CEO duties effective December 1st 2025 – succeeding co-founder Stuart McLachlan, who will remain on the board of directors, ensuring a smooth transition and to provide ongoing advice and support.
Kemp added, “On behalf of the board and the Anthesis team, I want to thank Stuart for his outstanding leadership in building Anthesis into the business it is today.”
Since co-founding the Company in 2013, McLachlan has overseen more than a decade of rapid growth and transformation. This includes the acquisition of 24 businesses and expansion to over 1,400 sustainability experts worldwide.
McLachlan concluded, “Anthesis was founded on the belief that sustainability drives better performance. The company has a critical role in delivering sustainable performance for many of the largest global organisations across sectors. Working with our team to shape Anthesis into a sustainability leader and champion has been deeply rewarding. Matthew is the right leader to build on our strong momentum and guide Anthesis through its next stage of growth - bringing his deep industry expertise and a proven ability to build high‑performing global teams.”
