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Our People

Black Skies Blue team photo

Hello

We are a collective of sustainability focused business advisors.  We operate as a cooperative and hope to gain that formal status soon.  We are a company limited by guarantee, not shares and we have no hierarchy.

We’ve taken our own advice and changed our Articles of Association to make sure our governance includes consideration of people and planet and not just profit.

Our people support companies with their net zero plansB Corp ambitions and impact measurement. 

Meet the Team

We use our knowledge, experience and ideas to help your company thrive in a wellbeing economy and find joy in a sustainable future.  

Jayne Saywell Portrait headshot

Jayne Saywell

Business Advisor

Jayne is our resident  spreadsheet geek.

Recovering banker of well over 15 years (she started young). This career spanned business analsysis to climate change risk. Jayne is a Chartered Management Accountant with an Environmental Economics Masters.  

 B Leader, Impact Advisor, Scotland Can B Ambassador and Everyone’s Edinburgh Business Advisor.   Jayne is part of a growing movement of business advisors using their skills to leverage business as a force for good towards building a wellbeing economy for Scotland. 

Jayne balances work with a menagerie of children and animals. Jayne loves cooking using minimal energy and preserving fruit (mostly in alcohol). Believes passionately in community and gets far too involved in her local community centre.

T: +44 7973 142 399

E: Jayne@blackskiesblue.com

Kirsty Lewin Portrait photo headshot colour

Kirsty Lewin

Business Advisor

Kirsty is a passionate cyclist and believes that everyone who wants to cycle should have the opportunity to do so safely.

She spent fifteen years in the Scottish Government leading work on climate change, sustainable transport, and behaviour change. She has a Masters in Environmental Studies and a Diploma in Spanish.    

Kirsty previously led environmental and conservation policy development for the RSPB, and for the Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand. She has Board experience with Sustrans and Edinburgh Community Solar Cooperative. She has designed and run campaigns at local government level.  

Kirsty has had short fiction and poetry published and teaches creative writing for climate change to community groups. 

Claire Jordan Portrait photo headshot

Claire Jordan

Marketing Manager

Claire brings the style. Marketing professional with over 15 years’ experience working within the legal and accountancy sectors.

Claire wants to use her skills to support sustainable business models and brings a strong focus on commerciality to Black Skies Blue. 

Recently completed The Circle Academy gaining a HNC in Social Entrepreneurship.

Claire can cook vegan food even committed meat lovers enjoy.

E: admin@blackskiesblue.com

David Banks Advisory Board member

David Banks

Advisory Board Member

David brings financial and co-operative expertise to the advisory board. 

David was the chair of the board of Ripple’s first pilot co-operative and remains on the board of directors of their Kirk Hill windfarm.

In his day job David is a financial advisor for Mattioli Woods and brings solid financial services experience to the team built up from over a decade in corporate finance and risk management roles.

 

David likes to pose questions everyone else is too shy too ask.

Jo Turbitt headshot

Jo Turbitt

Advisory Board Member

Jo has 18 years’ experience in the Further and Higher Education sector and is currently leading on learning and teaching in the College Development Network while studying a Masters in Creativity in Education.

Jo has a huge passion for education ideation and brings a big dose of positive disruption to Black Skies Blue.  Jo advises on creative approaches to support companies to take the next big leap and is determined to make everyone play with lego.  

A lover of all things Broadway (but she won’t make you dance… promise?).

Sarah Gilbert headshot

Sarah Gilbert

Advisory Board Member

Sarah is all about the data.  In her day job Sarah works for SGN managing their data infrastructure and brings that wealth of experience to the advisory board of Black Skies Blue. 

Sarah is not afraid to challenge us, she wields a powerful and oft used poky stick and her most used phrase is “wait, but why?”. She doesn’t advertise it but Sarah has a PhD in bubbles (electrophysics) which we think is pretty cool.

Sarah is heavily involved in her local community from Christmas lights to the local scout group.

William Sibley portrait photo

William Sibley

Intern

William is a passionate environmentalist with a love for nature, physics and maths. Currently juggling an internship at Black Skies Blue, whilst studying for an Environmental science degree at the University of Exeter.

He wants to contribute to a more sustainable society and world, whether through research or work in the environmental industry.

William is a self confessed nerd, who loves learning new things and is a self-taught astrophotographer. 

Lucy the dog

Lucy

Cheerleader and Instagram model

Lucy is Jayne’s Golden Lab, who keeps us all fit and on our toes.  Lucy refuses to eat more sustainable dog food or leave the office if the infra red rug is on.

Lucy is of no practical use to anyone but she brings the joy to every day.

Follow Lucy on instagram.

Work Life balance

Black Skies Blue was founded by and for people who wanted:

  • to have the time and space to give back to their communities
  • to enjoy time with friends and family
  •  enougto earn enough to have a comfortable life, and
  • do meaningful work.

We have a four day working week with patterns that suit each individual.  

We have learnt a lot working with people who have caring and other personal responsibilities. 

We share what we have learnt and gather stories from others, like us, pioneering a different more flexible way to work in our insights.

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