Welcome to Ruston McQueen

 

The Story

Ruston McQueen is the pre-eminent Climate Change and Sustainability Executive Search Firm operating globally.  Victoria McQueen founded the business in 2020 with the late, Ian Jenkins.

Since 2008, we have supported entrepreneurial VC and PE-backed companies, family offices, and high-growth corporates in building their non-executive boards and executive leadership teams. We began our partnership at Ruston WHEB - the pioneers in Climate Impact headhunting, hiring leaders at the forefront of driving Energy Transition through cleantech innovation.

Over the last 16 years we have built deep expertise in the policies, technologies and financial instruments that are driving this sector globally.

Current times require a fundamental shift to the way in which we go about our daily lives and protect future generations. We are facing the biggest environmental challenge that we have ever seen in both climate mitigation and adaptation. In this Decisive Decade of climate action, we are helping organisations to pursue purposeful profitability.

We have been described as disruptors in our sector who have debunked the conventional head-hunters. We operate a breakthrough business model that shares the risk with our clients whilst delivering outstanding results with unsurpassed agility.

Sectors & Track Record


Clean-energy-3.png

Energy Transition

  • Chair / Independent Director, Audit Committee / Non-Executive Director - Pre-IPO Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Manufacturer

  • HR Director - Market-Leading Manufacturer of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations

  • Vice President, Europe – Demand Response Aggregator

  • Hydrogen Lead - South Africa Government and Anglo American JV

  • Chief Executive Officer – Global Wind Turbine Manufacturer

  • Chief Executive Officer / Country General Manager - Bioethanol Refinery, Sierra Leone

  • Chief Executive Officer – Fuel Cells Business

  • General Manager, North America – Demand Response Software Company

  • Non-Executive Director – Independently Owned Energy Developer

  • VP Sales, EMEA - Australian Hydrogen Storage Solutions Company

  • Chief Financial Officer - Wave Energy Technology Company

Climate-change-2.png

Climate Change/ Net Zero

  • Executive Director, Climate & Net Zero, North America/ Principal Consultant, Finland/ Sustainability Consultant, Germany / Principal, GHG Accounting & Net Zero Lead / North America Business Line Lead, GHG Accounting - Certified B Corp Sustainability Activator

  • Chief Executive Officer - Certified B Corp Environmental Impact Consultancy

  • Climate Change Director – Development Finance Institution

  • Asset Management Director – Sustainable Infrastructure EPC

  • Chief Operating Officer - Water Purification Company

Technology-3.png

Digital

  • Head of Go-to-Market, Digital North America - Global Sustainability Consultancy

  • Global Sales Director - Cloud-Based Technology Business Offering Tracking & Governance Solutions in the Food Chain

  • Chief Revenue Officer/ President North America & Asia - Smart Sensors

  • Chief Technology Officer/ Chief Revenue Officer - WiFi Mesh & Geofencing Technology

  • Chief Executive Officer - BMS Business

  • Chief Commercial Officer – Industrial Instrumentation & Automation Products

  • Chief Systems Architect – Technology Innovation Centre

  • Chair/ Non-Executive Director - SaaS Analytics Business

  • Confidential - Clinical Artificial Intelligence Company

  • Chief Technology Officer - Big Utility Data Company

Sustainable-consumption-3.png

Responsible Consumption

  • Chief Technology Officer/ R&D Director/ Global Business Manager - Sustainable Advanced Engineered Materials Manufacturer

  • Chair - Sustainable Fashion Company

  • Chair - PE-backed LED technology Company in USA

  • Business Development Director - Leading Waste Management Company

  • Group Finance Director - Global Environmental Growing Medium Company, Natural Recycled Materials

E-Mobility.png

E-Mobility

  • Chief Executive Officer/ Chief Commercial Officer - V2G EV Charging Company

  • Chief Commercial Officer – Intelligent Powertrain Electrification Company

  • Chair – Automotive Emissions and Battery Management Software Business

  • Chief Executive Officer - Rapid Charging Company

  • Chair - eTruck Technology Business

  • Non-Executive Director - Biomethane Refuelling Facilities

  • Chair - Smart Fuel Vehicle Developer

Agriculture-3.png

Nature-Based Solutions/ AgTech

  • Global Business Line Lead, Nature Solutions - Global Sustainability Activator

  • Chief Executive Officer - Regenerative Farming/ Nature Based Solutions Company

  • Business Development & Marketing Director - Soil Carbon Measurement Company

  • Business Development Director – Anaerobic Digestion Developer

  • Non-Executive Director/ Managing Director – Integrated Waste Management Provider

  • Chair - Biostimulants Company

  • Chair - Sustainable Crop Production

  • Country Manager - Sugar Cane Producer

  • Chief Financial Officer – Organic Waste Recycler

Financial-services-2.png

Impact Investment

  • Partner – Energy Infrastructure Fund Manager

  • Advisor – Impact Investment Fund

  • Partner – Global Cleantech Fund

  • Chief Finance Officer/ Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Revenue Officer/ Non-Executive Director/ Managing Director, Europe - First-to-Market Ethical Fintech Company

  • Non-Executive Director/ Chief Technology Officer – Mobile-Only Challenger Bank

 
 

The Team

 

Victoria McQueen

Victoria has spent the past 16 years exclusively focused on hiring the C-suite executive and non-executive boards (NED/ Chair) for high-growth businesses in the global climate impact, sustainability and evolving “climetech” arena. She works with investors, operating companies and Certified B corps in this space.

Victoria’s long-standing reputation as a “leading sustainability head-hunter” began in 2008 at Ruston WHEB, the story of which is told above. After they successfully sold the business, she joined a Silicon Valley headquartered search firm to lead its Cleantech Practice in EMEA.  There she placed the senior management teams and main Boards on behalf of high-growth, venture capital and private equity-backed technology companies. 

Her next move was to the UK’s largest executive search firm, where she led the Energy Practice, recruiting some of the most prominent Board and senior management positions in the Private and Not-for-Profit sectors. 

Victoria holds a First-Class B.A. in Spanish and International Business. 

Outside of her professional life, she is the proud Mum to her young daughter with whom she lives in Cheshire, along with her husband and treasured pets!  She is also a strong supporter and mentor to several local charities. In her spare time, she keeps fit by walking and loves being outside in the fresh air.

Jo-Anne.png

Jo-Anne Cowley

Jo has over 19 years' experience in executive search and began her career in London where for six years she was responsible for the delivery of executive search mandates for start-up and multinational organisations across all corporate functions in EMEA.

It was during this period that Jo worked directly with Ian and Victoria at Ruston WHEB, focused predominantly on the Cleantech and broader technology markets. In addition, she placed senior investment professionals in principal investment firms in the environmental sector as well as built best in class executive management teams for their portfolio activities.

Jo left the UK to get married in South Africa and after a few months backpacking around the world with her husband, she was offered a role with one of the leading global executive search firms in Sydney in their Industrial practice.  Over a period of four years with the firm, Jo executed C-level searches for industrial, media, entertainment, consumer and private equity clients. 

Jo now lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia on three acres with her husband, two young boys, six chickens and two dogs. It was her eldest son's health issues that prompted the move and his subsequent recovery through extensive research and holistic health practices that led her to embrace her passion and a new career in holistic living. She soon joined an online Wholefoods start-up as a Partner to help launch the new business, which has gone on to become a successful disruptor in the industry. 

She now consults in the wellness space and has returned to executive search to a sector she loves and where she hopes to make the most impact.

Jo holds a B.A. in Marketing and Industrial Psychology.

News & Insights



What Our Clients Say About Us

 
 
  • Ian Co-Founded Ruston McQueen with Victoria in 2020. Whilst no longer here with us in person, Ian’s wisdom, energy, spark and commitment remain at the heart of our culture and ambition.

    Throughout his extensive career, Ian contributed greatly to so many of the careers, technologies and investors within our industry. He was also deeply passionate about helping entrepreneurs and start-up companies, in the quest for Net Zero, to grow and be successful.

    Greatly missed but never forgotten.