Lancaster University has launched the Pentland Centre – a new research unit dedicated to solving sustainability challenges faced by businesses. The centre aims to bring together the best minds in science and business to find more sustainable ways of working that can be applied and scaled by business. 

The partnership connects Lancaster University, one of the leading environmental research centres in Europe, and the Pentland Group, a privately owned brand management company with wholesale and retail businesses in sports, outdoor and fashion.

“It’s vital that we have the brightest minds in business and science working closely in a field that’s so important for businesses to act on. I hope the Pentland Centre will inspire business leaders of today, as well as the next generation,” said Stephen Rubin, Chairman of Pentland Group.

Leadership

Professor Gail Whiteman will be leading the Pentland Centre as the Rubin Chair for Sustainability in Business.  Before joining the Centre, Professor Whiteman spent more than a decade at the Rotterdam School of Management and had a distinguished career in the private sector - originally working in advertising and marketing - and academia.

Professor Whiteman has also spent time living with the Cree – indigenous Canadians – as part of her PhD at Canada’s Queens School of Business. She will continue ongoing work studying Arctic sea-ice change, bringing a team of researchers with her.

“My over-riding mission is to link the best minds in science, the best minds in business and local people to help deliver positive change. It’s about boiling down the messages to make the science more understandable for leaders in business,” commented Gail Whiteman.

Pentland Group

Pentland Group is a leading brand management and retail group focused on investing in building brands in sports, outdoor and fashion.

Pentland’s portfolio of world class brands includes owned brands such as, Speedo, Canterbury, Berghaus, Mitre, Boxfresh and Ellesse.  It is also the global licensee for Lacoste Chaussures and Ted Baker footwear and Kickers in the UK. 

The Group owns a majority stake in retail group JD Sports Fashion plc, which operates over 800 stores in sportswear, outdoor and fashion. Headquartered in the UK, Pentland Group employs over 19,000 people and its brands are available in 195 countries worldwide.

www.pentland.com