3Keel strengthens leadership team with two appointments: new Managing Director and first Finance Director

4 June 2024

A new Managing Director, Jonah Grunsell, and 3Keel’s first Finance Director, Mary Short, have been appointed to lead the consultancy’s Senior Management Team and to join the Board.

3Keel is an independent, UK-based, sustainability consultancy, ranked Gold by the Financial Times for sustainability consulting services and certified as a B CorpTM. It has grown steadily since its inception in 2013.

12 months ago, the four Founder Directors identified the need to appoint experienced leaders who can take over management of the business. Jonah and Mary bring the specialist skills 3Keel needs to continue its progress. They both also have the background in impact and sustainability that the Founders were seeking, to ensure that 3Keel can continue in its mission of making a positive impact on climate and nature.

The four Founder Directors remain in core roles. Simon Miller steps down as MD after 10 years and will be working closely with Jonah during the initial transition period. Simon commented: “It is a pleasure to pass the reins for managing 3Keel to Jonah and Mary. Everyone in the business is excited to learn and benefit from their combined experience. And for Tom, Rich, Will and me, their arrival allows us to spend more time on the sustainability work which is our real forte.”

Jonah’s and Mary’s appointments complete a year of evolution, which saw the appointment of three business unit heads: Fran Edmunds, Head of Climate, Nature & Resources; Anna Kitulagoda, Head of Commodity Supply Chains; and Catherine McCosker, Head of Agriculture & Landscapes. Together, they are responsible for 3Keel’s delivery teams, which are now approaching 80 people.

Jonah Grunsell

Jonah spent his early career at ‘Big Four’ firms and already had a passion for purpose-driven projects, seeking out roles advising government departments. Moving on from larger firms, in 2010, he founded a specialist consulting firm advising government and large NGOs on strategy, organisational development and social impact. He then turned his focus to education, setting up a consultancy advising UK and overseas governments on education improvement.

Since 2017, he has worked exclusively in sustainability. He was Deputy CEO of Aleron and then moved on to become Managing Partner of Xynteo, a global sustainability consultancy. He has particular expertise in the social & governance aspects of ESG, as well as operating model design and transformation.

Jonah expressed his ambition for the organisation: “I am excited to lead 3Keel at this next stage of its growth, working with the Directors and our wonderful people. Together we will help 3Keel become the leading sustainability consultancy in the UK, driving innovative and systemic change, and realising a future where the environment, communities and businesses can grow and thrive in harmony.”

Mary Short

Mary is a qualified chartered management accountant with more than 30 years’ experience in professional services, not for profit and environmental organisations, with more than 14 years at Financial Director level. She previously worked for Milklink, one of the UK’s largest dairy cooperatives, and Sustain, an environmental consultancy focusing on energy sustainability in the built environment. More recently she has worked at The Impact Facility, a UK charity operating in Africa, which supports small scale and artisanal mining communities.
Mary commented: “I am looking forward to working with Jonah and the rest of the 3Keel team to support the next stage of growth and build the finance capacity on the successes to date.”