Bronwen Foster-Butler (Finisterre) - a dramatic birth, cold-water surfing, saving our seas

Surf’s up! Often called the ‘British Patagonia’, Finisterre are one of the most respected names in sustainable fashion. Headquartered in St Agnes, Cornwall, Finisterre produce long-lasting, repairable products inspired by the sea. We’re joined by CMO Bronwen Foster Butler for this episode. She discusses:The dramatic circumstances of her birth in the Canadian wildernessThe effect of having a peculiar name and how she ‘likes to play in the edges’ of lifeHow she became a parent to a daughter during COVID and how that provided an impetus to become more radical Her experience in a previous role of being asked ‘whether she wanted a promotion, or to become a parent’Finisterre’s approach to flexibility and inclusionWorking for a boss who is a CEO and a RNLI helmsmanHer commitment to ‘how you get the job done’ not ‘when you get the job done’‘Sea Tuesdays’ - where the whole team get an hour to connect with the seaThe founding story of Finisterre and the mission to create products that serve cold-water surfers, whilst preserving the oceanThe very first product the founder, Tom, createdTheir partnership with the last Merino Wool shepherd in the U.K.How the wetsuit industry is partly responsible for ‘Cancer Alley’ in the USA, with the production of chloroprene - connected to NeopreneHow they are reinventing wetsuits, moving away from petrochemical neoprene, to YULEX rubberLaunching the world’s first YULEX wetsuit rental programmeFinisterre’s repair service - a challenge to fast fashionThe shocking reality of where most of our charity shop clothes goHer reaction to the U.K. government rolling back environmental policyDealing with Climate AnxietyHer approach to leading her team through their Pride campaign, in the face of online trollingBronwen on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwen-foster-butler-73a31923/Visit: finisterre.comRob on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-warren/Want to get in touch? Email [email protected]: ⁠standingongiants.com⁠