The partner you need to successfully bridge business strategy with sustainability and ESG.
I’m not a sustainability ‘specialist’. My background is in the commercial reality of high-growth, strategic and operational fast-moving media and marketing enterprises.
I spent over 20 years driving top-line revenue and then leading several SME businesses as an MD through periods of intense operational change and strategic transition. I’ve sat in that seat; I know what it’s like to be responsible for the P&L while navigating a shifting market.
Like many, I was initially drawn to the "green route" of sustainability. But I realised there was a massive, unaddressed gap between traditional business strategy, responsible business practices and ESG. I saw that sustainability only works when it is treated as a core commercial function with a clear risk profile and a responsible growth mindset, not a separate technical silo or PR exercise.
I’m like an MD who knows how to run a business: managing P&L, cashflow, operations, and governance - but I’m not the accountant. I don’t just look at the numbers; I know how to use them to drive the business forward responsibly and sustainably.
So if you’re looking for a technical specialist to tick a box, that isn’t me.
But if you want a senior, pragmatic operator who brings systems thinking, governance and calm to complexity—someone who understands how to integrate commercial sustainability strategies into the hard reality of running and operating a business, then we should talk.
Fractional Commercial Director • Workshops • Training • Advisory
Credentials:
MBA (Durham) • FCIM • CISL (Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership) • Chartered Institute of Marketing Sustainability Tutor • CGI (Corporate Governance, Risk & ESG) • BSI Net Zero • CSRD • Carbon Literacy.
“Gavin really understands both sustainability and the commercial reality. We ended up with a strategy our teams could actually deliver – and that our customers genuinely valued.”
The Business & ESG Audit
A fixed-fee diagnostic that bridges business strategy with sustainability.
I audit your financial performance to identify profit leaks and new market opportunities, then layer in a full ESG and risk assessment. By combining competitor analysis with value chain mapping and a sustainability overlay, I show you exactly where your commercial risks lie and what to fix in the next 12 months. Your first step toward becoming Future-Fit.
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Fractional Leadership (1–3 days a week)
Your part-time Commercial & Sustainability Director bridging strategy and ESG.
I take the weight off the CEO by building a deeper commercial sustainability strategy, identifying risks and strengthening governance. Plus, I train your team so you won’t need me forever.
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Live-Action Workshops
One-day intensives to bridge business challenges and sustainability demands.
We solve together real commercial and sustainability problems, map risks operational and supply chain practices and create commercial sustainability strategies or future-fit roadmaps with clear owners, dates and budgets.
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How I Approach Business Strategy, Sustainability & Risk
Mission
What business are you in and markets you should focus on.
The Numbers
Where is the profit leaking? Where should you stop, start, or scale?
The Rhythm
Setting up the meetings and data that keep the strategy alive.
The Risk
Practical sustainability, ESG & supply chain plans without complexity.
What You Get
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Commercial & ESG Audits:
A commercial deep-dive into your current business gaps, identifying where ESG risks are threatening your key customer relationships and business.
Commercial ESG Strategies & Pathways:
Clear, 12–18 month commercially viable ESG roadmaps with defined owners, budgets and commercial milestones.
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Net Zero & Carbon Literacy:
Practical Scope 1-3 reduction strategies, plans and leadership training to ensure your team actually understands the "why", the "how."
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Get your business Future-Fit:
Commercial strategy and ESG following the Future-Fit Business Benchmark Goals and aligned with compliance and regulations
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Recent Mandates
European Tourist Board – Marketing & Sustainability Strategy
Drinks Business – ESG Pathway, Risk & Double Materiality
NHS Care Home – ESG Workshops, Carbon Literacy Training
Financial Services – Supply Chain Sustainability Strategy
Marketing Agency – ESG Strategy, Scope 1–3 Audits, ESOS/SECR
Organisation & Materiality Risk Assessment - Charity
£900k Margin Improvement - Content Agency
£400k Margin Recovery - Publishing Digital Pivot
£12m→£24m revenue growth | £500k+ licensing | 34% market growth
Gavin Miller
Commercial Strategy, Sustainability & ESG Leadership
25+ years senior leadership – MD roles across media/marketing/publishing/events, commercial leadership at BBC/Universal Pictures. I help SME boards integrate business strategy, sustainability, and risk through fractional leadership, workshops, and advisory.
What I deliver:
Future-Fit Strategy: Joining up ESG and commercial reality.
Risk Management: Navigating strategic and operational risks.
Internal Capability: Building your team's skills (not dependency).
Governance: Strengthening board-level oversight and accountability.
Credentials:
MBA (Durham) | FCIM | CISL | BSI Net Zero | CGI Risk/ESG (Distinction) | CSRD | Carbon Literacy
What Clients Say
“We had a brilliant workshop with Gavin – lots of fantastic insights and a whole new perspective on sustainability and marketing in a sustainable world.
German National Tourist Board
“ I wish I’d known then what I know now about how ESG and sustainability really affect marketing, operations and reputation. It has made a world of difference.”
MD, Retail Business
“Fremantle Media hired Gavin Miller for his expert skills and strategic mindset to help the company form, develop and deliver its Children’s brand strategy.
David Bealing, Commercial Director Freemantle UK
“His expertise in running businesses — and turning them around — is second to none.”
Zoe Francis-Cox, CEO, Dialogue Content Agency
“What really sets Gavin apart is how well he gets both the sustainability world and the commercial one. That meant we ended up with a strategy that wasn’t just ‘nice to have’ but something people could actually deliver.”
MD, Retail Sales & Marketing Agency
“Gavin is consistently helpful, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. He’s helped us to get started with clarity about sustainability and what this means in practice, well beyond carbon footprints. Thought-partnership in these early stages has been invaluable.”
Saskie Dorman, NHS Palliative Care Consultant
