How Will EY’s Matthew Bell Shape Strategy at Anthesis?

Anthesis has appointed Dr Matthew Bell, an accomplished sustainability leader, as Group Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 December 2025.

Matthew joins from EY and succeeds Anthesis co-founder Stuart McLachlan, who will transition from CEO to the Board of Directors.

Established in 2013, Anthesis is a leading global provider of sustainability solutions, widely recognised for its deep expertise in driving sustainable performance across industries.

With more than 1,400 dedicated sustainability professionals worldwide, the firm partners with multinational corporations, governments and organisations to address challenges in decarbonisation, transformation and sustainability reporting.

The new CEO appointment signals an acceleration of Anthesis’ leadership and growth strategy as clients seek scalable, high-impact sustainability outcomes.

Preserving leadership stability 

The leadership transition is part of a carefully planned succession designed to preserve momentum and continuity.

Stuart will step down from his role as CEO but will remain active as a member of the Board of Directors, ensuring continuity of vision as well as providing invaluable advice and support during this transition.

Derek Kemp, Chair of Anthesis, says: “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.

“We are delighted to welcome Matthew as our new CEO. He brings a rare combination of policy depth, extensive market experience and credibility, and high-performance leadership on a global scale. It is a credit to Anthesis to attract talent of his calibre.

“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.”

EY sustainability leader to scale Anthesis’ next growth phase

As a  published scientist and career sustainability professional, Matthew led the Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services division at EY, a 4,300-member global team guiding multinationals and governments on decarbonisation, reporting and value creation.

His public-sector credentials include directing the UK Government’s climate and energy project office from 2003 to 2007, where he helped shape foundational policy across the public sector.

Matthew also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the World Green Building Council, the largest organisation devoted to advancing decarbonised, resilient and regenerative buildings worldwide.

“I would like to thank Derek, Stuart and the Board for their trust. I am honoured and excited to work alongside Anthesis’ deep bench of talent to build on the positive momentum Stuart and his team have created,” Matthew says.

“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. I believe in the strong growth potential of Anthesis to create lasting impact, and look forward to working with our team, partners and clients to drive sustainability at scale.”

The sustainability leader's appointment aligns with Anthesis’ strategy to deepen its advisory and implementation capabilities across decarbonisation, transformation and sustainability reporting, while also harnessing technology, data and AI to create new value for clients.

His experience building high-performing global teams and navigating regulatory complexity positions Anthesis to meet surging demand for credible, enterprise-scale sustainability performance.

Building on a decade of growth

Stuart's leadership since co-founding Anthesis in 2013 has been marked by rapid growth, strategic acquisitions and a relentless pursuit of impact.

Under his tenure, Anthesis expanded to more than 1,400 sustainability experts and acquired 24 businesses, cementing its status as an international powerhouse in the field.

Discussing the hope for continued success, the former CEO says: "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.”