Mike Townsend

Mike Townsend is the founder and CEO of Eathshine, a training and consultancy organisation focused on accelerating the circular economy and sustainability transformation. With over forty years of experience, Mike has built his career with a strong focus on building, construction and engineering, utilising a fusion of skills from science, sustainability, procurement and supply chain. 

Beginning his career at Severn Trent Water, Mike exited the company in the mid-90s as a Principal Engineer. After pursuing an MBA in strategic procurement management from the University of Birmingham and serving as a research fellow, Mike worked as a Senior Procurement Manager for the Environment Agency before joining Mace Group as a Development Manager. After four years, he established Opps Consulting, where he served as Managing Director to deliver process re-engineering and supply chain solutions whilst significantly growing the turnover. In 2004, Mike became the CEO of Newpoint Consulting, where he directed the company’s rapid growth and created a fee turnover of over £1.5 million in a year. Following this, Mike founded Earthshine Solutions, a company pioneering sustainable business and circular economy solutions. During this time, Mike also served as faculty for DIS Study Abroad and was an advisory board member at the University of Oslo. In late 2019, Earthshine Solutions restructured and rebranded to Earthshine Group, helping businesses rethink their sustainability strategies, supply chains, and the impacts of ESG and beyond. Mike continues to serve as the company’s CEO, drawing on his four decades of experience to deliver the best sustainability services. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

Alongside his incredible career, Mike had authored, edited, and contributed to numerous publications. His authorial work includes co-authoring ‘Strategic Procurement in Construction’, lead authoring ‘A Journey in Search of Capitalism’ and ‘Don’t Waste Your Time on Net-Zero’, as well as writing the forthcoming ‘The Quiet Revolution’. Mike is a regular contributor to Edie.net, Sustainable Brands, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, Medium, and many more. 

A seasoned and knowledgeable speaker, Mike has delivered talks at a wide range of high-profile events, including the Aviva Sustainability Summit, IKEA Circular Economy Keynote, EY Risk Conference, National Sustainability Summit, Circular Economy UK 2026 and more. He has worked with some of the world's most prominent brands, such as British Airways, Barclays Bank, eBay, Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, and Thames Water. His inspirational, thought-provoking keynotes and real-world experience excite audiences and encourage business leaders to assess their own sustainability practices and implement the actionable advice that Mike shares through his speeches.