Dr Henrietta Lake

Founder and Principal

Henrietta Lake is a practitioner with 25 years’ experience integrating sustainability into global supply chains. She has worked in over 15 countries, building her expertise through pioneering factory and farm programmes across China, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and West Africa. Specialising in optimising worker performance through strategic HR management - including engagement, incentives, and skills development - Henri helps employers' harness human capital to drive business performance and meet customer expectations. She has led initiatives linking human rights and human capital improvements to profitability and is a frequent speaker at events such as the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, the Sedex Conference, and the Innovation Forum. Henri has led responsible sourcing teams and steered transformation at many large retailers, including developing worker-centred supplier engagement models for major brands. Her work spans strategic consulting, organisational change, and innovation in the “beyond compliance” space - such as implementing incentive schemes and introducing disruptive workplace technologies. She advises sectoral initiatives including the Consumer Goods Forum, Ethical Trading Initiative, Sedex, Industry Summit, and the Workforce Disclosure Initiative, which helps institutional investors (with AUM of $14 trillion) benchmark companies on workforce risks and opportunities. Henri holds a BA from Oxford University and a Master’s and PhD in labour economics from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, USA. Her master’s thesis focused on child labour in West African cocoa production, and her doctoral research explored how advanced HRM systems impact factory productivity. She began her career as a financial journalist at The Mail on Sunday and The Times.