Clive Bates has had a diverse career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He started out at the IT company IBM, then switched careers to work in the environmental movement, mainly with Greenpeace. From 1997 to 2003, he was Director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), campaigning to reduce the harms caused by tobacco. In 2003, he joined Prime Minister Blair’s Strategy Unit as a civil servant and held senior roles in the public sector and at the United Nations in Sudan. He is now Director of Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focused on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health. He has spent over 11 years living and working in Africa (Sudan, Zimbabwe and Nigeria).
