Richard Johnson
Richard has advised companies on sustainability and impact for over a decade. Starting his career at London-based think-tank and consultancy Volans, Richard worked on launching the B Corp certification in the UK, created learning programmes for the UN’s sustainable business network and worked with the UK Government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK. He is the author of Mission Lit, a book which “open sources the secret sauce” of how some companies convert a mission to enrich (not exploit) our world into the ultimate competitive advantage. The book is based on insights from discussions with over 20 leading mission-driven companies, including Patagonia, Ella’s Kitchen and Tony’s Chocolonely, as well as Richard’s own experience helping sustainable period product startup DAME go from Kickstarter campaign to national brand as the Head of Impact in DAME’s formative years. In 2023 Mission Lit was turned into an online masterclass for the Virgin Startup community.
Today Richard works as an independent impact strategist, helping clients to push beyond incremental change. Richard specialises in strategy, impact measurement and reporting, and his recent clients include On Running, John Lewis Partnership and Bugaboo. Richard will be helping FIGR to develop our own impact approach, evaluate the impact potential for investment opportunities and support portfolio companies to measure and improve impact.
Richard has a BA in Business Administration and Management from the University of Chester, and has guest lectured on sustainability and entrepreneurship at the University of Exeter, Warwick Business School and HEC Paris.
