Hannah Pathak

Hannah Pathak is the Chief Executive Officer of Forum for the Future, where she leads the organisation’s international team across the US, UK, India, and Southeast Asia. She oversees a broad portfolio of transformational change initiatives that tackle pressing global challenges across the areas of food, energy, and the purpose of business. With over two decades of experience spanning climate research, humanitarian response, and strategic climate advisory, Hannah has remained consistently focused on climate change and its complex intersections with nature and society. She is a powerful advocate for cross-sector collaboration and believes that hope is a more galvanising force than despair in co-creating positive futures.

Previously, Hannah served as Director of UK and Europe at Forum for the Future, where she was instrumental in leading high-impact partnerships and convening dialogues to challenge existing paradigms. Before this, she held several leadership roles at Rescue Global, including Director of Engagement and later Deputy CEO, where she played a central role in coordinating international humanitarian operations, most notably in response to the Caribbean hurricanes in 2017. Her work at Rescue Global focused on disaster risk reduction, community empowerment, and crisis response in complex and often remote environments.

Hannah’s earlier career was shaped by her time at Earthwatch Institute, where she rose from Expedition Recruitment Manager to Global Programme Director. In these roles, she delivered and led some of the world’s largest corporate–NGO initiatives, including the HSBC Climate Partnership and the HSBC Water Programme, and established satellite offices in India, Hong Kong, and Brazil. She also managed international crisis response efforts and was responsible for strategic programme delivery across Europe, MENA, and India. During this period, she also served as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Oxford, further extending her thought leadership and influence.

A graduate of the University of Edinburgh with an MA in French and Sociology, Hannah began her professional journey in roles such as Customer Service Representative and Account Manager, gaining valuable frontline experience before transitioning into the environmental and non-profit sectors. She has since delivered sustainability projects in over 15 countries, bringing an exceptional depth of understanding to her speaking engagements and leadership. Today, she continues to be a sought-after speaker and advisor on climate change, systems transformation, and humanitarian response—guided by her belief in the power of collective action to shape a better world.