WRAP appoints Sebastian Munden as new Chair

Sebastian Munden, former Executive Vice President and General Manager for Unilever UK & Ireland has joined WRAP as its new Chair to help drive forward action against critical climate milestones.

Munden, who stepped down from Unilever earlier this year, officially joins the climate action NGO later this month to replace Julie Hill, who was Chair for two consecutive terms.

Sebastian Munden, WRAP Chair, said “I am delighted to join WRAP at this key stage in its twenty-year history. The next few years will be critical for people and the planet. Climate change will only get worse, and resources will only become more strained and less secure unless we act now. From food to plastics, we must change how we treat our world, the way we use its resources, and reduce waste. I see WRAP as a major force in the fight against climate change, and a key organisation building systemic change through an increasingly global network of collaboration with both governments and business.”

Richard Swannell, Interim CEO WRAP said “We are delighted to have Sebastian join WRAP. He brings a huge wealth of experience and drive for putting sustainability at the heart of how businesses operate that has truly changed business culture. He has been a huge supporter of WRAP’s work in transforming our food and plastic packaging systems - helping us launch the UK Plastics Pact in 2018 and supporting the Courtauld Commitment 2030 throughout his time at Unilever. I look forward to collaborating with him more closely.”

Sebastian Munden joined Unilever in 1990 as a graduate trainee in marketing, working in many product categories across Europe, Australia and North America. The company became a founding member of the UK Plastics Pact during his time as Executive Vice President and General Manager UK & Ireland, and a co-founder of the Flexible Plastic Fund. He is well known for his work on brands that are both commercially successful and champion more sustainable behaviour, tackling the issues of plastic, food and packaging waste while at Unilever, and for spearheading efforts to reduce them. He is also Chair of Ad Net Zero which is working with the advertising industry to deliver sustainable behaviour change and net zero goals by 2030.

Julie Hill steps down having served eight years as WRAP Chair. Julie has had a 35-year career in environmental policy and politics. She is presently an inaugural non-executive board member of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), Chair of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES) and Chair of the Advisory Committee for Social Science (ACSS) for the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Julie is also the author of ‘The Secret Life of Stuff’ which helped drive home the connection between carbon footprints and our daily lives.

Julie Hill said “I am delighted to be handing over to Sebastian. He has a long track record of environmental expertise and action, in the context of one of the world’s leading companies, and has the experience and dynamism to take WRAP to the next level.”