Ben MacDonald is Vice President, Sustainability, ESG and Indirect Procurement at the FTSE 100 Engineering company Smiths Group plc. His PhD is a colloboration with the organisation.

Ben is an experienced finance, engineering and sustainability leader with a strong international background in operational excellence, business transformation, and strategic execution across global, multi-industry environments. As Vice President of Sustainability, ESG and Indirect Procurement at Smiths Group plc, Ben is responsible for shaping and delivering the Group’s global sustainability strategy, overseeing ESG performance, regulatory compliance, and value chain decarbonisation. He also leads group-wide indirect procurement and is chair of the “Smiths Foundation” charity. Since joining Smiths Group, Ben has held several senior leadership roles in finance, operations, research, procurement, and supply chain, driving significant improvements in working capital, productivity, governance, and environmental performance globally. His achievements include significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and waste, as well as leading initiatives that have strengthened Smiths’ position as an ESG and operational excellence leader in manufacturing capabilities and development.

Ben's other passion is conservation. He is a founding trustee of the UK Charity (Charity Number 1193623) House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland.