Linus Naik

Sustainability leader with a decade of executive experience building and running sustainability and ESG functions, now leading a sustainability consultancy. PhD chemical engineer (waste-to-energy in emerging economies) completing an MBA in Leadership & Sustainability. Track record across net-zero and carbon strategy, the circular economy, zero-waste solutions, advanced ESG reporting, and the commercial growth that funds them.

Combines deep technical credibility with board-level strategy, thought leadership, and a genuine passion for the climate transition.

Managing Director at Green Gap Consulting (Don't Waste Group) (2024-01 – Present)

• Lead the sustainability consultancy — spun out from the group's advisory practice — advising corporate clients on net-zero and zero-waste strategy, ESG and carbon, advanced reporting, and Net Zero / Net Positive Waste certification.
• Hold full accountability for the company — business development, client delivery, team leadership, profitability, and day-to-day operations.
• Shape the firm's thought-leadership positioning and its client reporting and software solutions.

Executive Head of Sustainability & Business Development at Don't Waste Group (2014-01 – Present)

• 12-year group tenure, progressing from Zero Waste Manager to the current executive role; group sustainability and business-development leadership held throughout.
• Held group-level oversight of the sustainability portfolio across the business — ESG, carbon strategy, carbon finance, and net-zero target-setting.
• Built and led a five-person sustainability team that became the company's cross-departmental knowledge hub — piloting initiatives and scaling the successful ones across the business.
• Lifted recycling and landfill-diversion performance across a 700+ site retail portfolio spanning South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Mauritius and the UK, introducing waste audits and advisory targeting 90%+ diversion from landfill (up from ~60%).
• Led the commercial engine — business development, sales, marketing, and thought leadership — and directed client software, data management, and advanced ESG reporting.
• Conceived and built the waste-and-carbon advisory practice later spun out as a standalone consultancy (now Green Gap).
• Influenced industry standards — recommendations adopted into the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) rating tools.

Co-Founder & Director at Think Ecological Design (Thinked) (2015-01 – Present)

• Co-founded and direct a venture focused on sustainability, strategic design, and innovation, supporting improved recycling and circular-economy outcomes.

Engineering Consultant: Waste & Energy at SLR Consulting (2012-01 – 2013-12)

• Delivered process-engineering consulting in the waste-and-energy sector, including Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and carbon project development and management.

Lecturer / Course Convenor, Process-engineering Sub-consultant, Carbon-finance / CDM Consultant, Life-cycle Assessment Consultant at University of Cape Town, Mott MacDonald PDNA, SouthSouthNorth, LogoPrint (2007-01 – 2012-12)

• Lecturer / Course Convenor at UCT (Environmental Process Engineering & Industrial Symbiosis)
• Process-engineering sub-consultant (Mott MacDonald PDNA)
• Carbon-finance / CDM consultant (SouthSouthNorth)
• Life-cycle assessment for Woolworths packaging (LogoPrint)

MBA in Leadership & Sustainability – University of Cumbria (2026-01)

PhD in Environmental & Process Systems Engineering (Chemical Engineering) – University of Cape Town (2019-01)

MSc in Bioprocess Engineering (Chemical Engineering) – University of Cape Town (2010-01)

BSc (Hons) in Chemical Engineering – University of Cape Town (2006-01)