The director of Anglia Ruskin University’s Global Sustainability Institute (GSI) is in the running to be named the greenest academic in the UK.

Dr Aled Jones has been shortlisted for the Sustainability Professional prize at the annual Green Gown Awards, which takes place on November 26.

The event, run by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), is being held this year in Bristol, the European Green Capital for 2015.

Dr Jones is the inaugural director of the Global Sustainability Institute which was launched by Anglia Ruskin in 2011 to provide a centre of excellence for research and the teaching of sustainability across all campuses.

It now has more than 40 members including staff, PhD students and visiting fellows, and runs the successful MSc Sustainability course, in partnership with the Eden Project.

Dr Jones is a leading expert in public-private finance related to the Green Economy, and his work focuses on how the finance sector and government will respond to the impacts of global resource trends and climate change.

He is a member of the UK-US Taskforce on the Impact of Extreme Weather on Food Security, which is managed by the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and a non-executive board member of Sustainability East.

He is also a managing director for the P80 Group Foundation, which in 2012 signed the Little Rock Accord with Club de Madrid, chaired by former US president Bill Clinton, to help facilitate global investments into climate change solutions. Dr Jones led discussions with former presidents and prime ministers from Latin America, Europe, Asia and North America.

Until the 2015 General Election he chaired a working group within the Capital Markets Climate Initiative (CMCI) on behalf of Greg Barker, the former Minister for Climate Change.

Dr Jones has been involved in recent research projects with the World Bank, UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Lloyd’s of London, UK Institute of Actuaries, Cambridgeshire County Council and Skanska.

He was also a co-investigator on the successful bid to the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the new Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity – a £6million investment over five years which will start in 2016.

Dr Jones led the team which saw Anglia Ruskin win the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) award for integrating sustainability and was also instrumental in Anglia Ruskin becoming the first UK university to sign the Higher Education Declaration at the Rio+20 Earth Summit.

? Regional accountancy firm Lovewell Blake has appointed a new senior partner and managing partner to lead its new-look senior management team.

Paul Briddon, currently a partner at the firm’s Lowestoft office, will take over as senior partner on October 1 following the retirement of current senior partner Russell Leggett.

Their colleague, Colin Fish, replaces Douglas Young as managing partner, with Mr Young stepping down after six years in the role and 17 years on the firm’s management board. He will continue to specialise on his agricultural client base whilst supporting Colin Fish.

The changes coincide with a full review of the firm’s brand expression, including the introduction of a new logo and accompanying strapline “Different because you are”.

Mr Briddon, Lovewell Blake’s lead partner for services to the legal profession, says the move better reflects the firm’s commitment to providing clients with a wide range of professional services across all sectors.

He says: “Many people see us as accountants, but the truth is that we offer a huge range of professional services including business advice and financial planning. We wanted a strapline that not only reflected this breadth of service but also that better captured the way we do business – by putting our clients first and meeting their differing needs.”

Mr Briddon has a particular interest in the energy sector and sits on the Norfolk and Suffolk Energy Alliance. He is a board member of Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and a former president of Lowestoft & Waveney Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Fish joined Lovewell Blake in 2008 and has more than 30 years’ experience in the profession. He specialises in the full range of tax advice to business clients and their owners.

Great Yarmouth–based Mr Leggett is retiring after 43 years at Lovewell Blake, the last six of which have been as senior partner.

“Russell’s contribution to the success of Lovewell Blake is immeasurable,” Mr Briddon said. “He has been a fantastic servant to the firm over the years and he will be missed by his colleagues and clients alike. We wish him all the best for a long and happy retirement.”

? Director of an IT security and data protection firm Andrew Gomarsall is working as part of ITV’s worldwide commentary team for the Rugby World Cup.

Andrew, who runs Bury St Edmunds-based business Network 2 Supplies (N2S) with his father Jack, is teaming up with other rugby legends during the tournament.

During an illustrious professional rugby career Andrew was capped 35 times for England. He played in three World Cups, including the victorious 2003 campaign and appeared in the final of the 2007 tournament. A scrum half, Andrew made 200 appearances in the English Premiership representing Bath, Wasps, Worcester, Bedford, Gloucester, Harlequins and Leeds.

Andrew is co-commentator on a number of games which will be screened to ITV’s worldwide audience. He will be joined by stars such as Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Jason Robinson.

“It is a great honour to be asked to join the commentary team at ITV and I am really excited about it. Of course there is extra excitement as the tournament is on home soil and I am delighted to be part of the team taking the game to a global audience. I am also looking forward to catching up with some of my former teammates and I am sure this will be an amazing World Cup.”

Andrew also took part in the recent England versus the Rest of the World celebrity match for Rugby Aid for Heroes. He was joined by former rugby stars such as Mike Tindall and Jason Robinson. Celebrities included Harry Judd, Robbie Savage and Louie Spence.

? Chartered accountancy firm Larking Gowen, which has nine offices across Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk, has appointed a new partner.

Manager Becky Ames, a chartered accountant, has nearly 20-years’ experience at the firm, joining as a graduate and working in many of the Larking Gowen offices throughout her career.

The promotion recognises her commitment to the firm, her willingness to take on new challenges and her input into firm’s support of small owner-managed businesses and private clients.

Her primary focus is working closely with the staff based in Ipswich to increase the client base in Suffolk and Essex. With her team, Becky invests in supporting SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) by providing business services to start-ups at the challenging “grass roots” beginning. A particular focus is the food and drink sector, with emphasis on local produce, management and administration.

“I am excited to be working closely with the food and drink industry, a fast-growing and constantly changing marketplace,” she said. “I am very proud to be appointed a partner of the firm which has provided the opportunities for me to develop my skills and career to this point. There are undoubtedly exciting challenges ahead and I am looking forward to working with my fellow partners to develop the firm.”