Richard Fuller

Roles: Special Guest

President, Pure Earth
Born in Australia, Mr. Fuller graduated with a degree in engineering from Melbourne University and was employed by IBM. He left Australia in 1988 to work directly on global environmental issues. For two years in the rainforests of Brazil with the United Nations Environmental Programme, he created forest reserves promoting the preservation of both the rainforest and its inhabitants. He then headed to New York City, establishing Great Forest Inc., now one of the most successful sustainability consulting companies in the U.S. Great Forest was one of the first to bring sustainability practices to the business world, helping to pave the way for the rise of corporate social responsibility. Mr. Fuller founded the not-for-profit Blacksmith Institute in 1999, now called Pure Earth.

On a global scale, Mr. Fuller believes that pollution is still one of the most serious problems the earth faces–and developing countries bear the brunt of it. Up until now, very little support has been given to local institutions to solve these problems in their communities, a crucial gap Pure Earth is filling. Behind Mr. Fuller’s driving determination is the know-how to solve these problems and save lives at risk. Working with scientists, public health experts, environmental engineers, academics and other experts from local and governmental agencies, Mr. Fuller has assembled a comprehensive database of knowledge and information that is being used by Pure Earth’s network of project managers around the world to clean up the worst polluted sites efficiently and effectively.