With a background that spans military service, global finance, sustainable business innovation, and public service, Julian Knight seems to have lived ten lives in the time the rest of us spend navigating one.

A former Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and pilot, Julian served in the General Duties Pilot Branch from 1988 to 1994, attaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He also served in the RAF Reserve until 2011.

Career Highlights & Expertise

Knight's career in finance is extensive and international, with roles at prestigious institutions, including senior positions at NM Rothschild and Sons, Fimat International Banque SA, Man Group Plc, and Standard Chartered Bank. His experience also includes roles as Director of Hedge Fund Sales and Global Head of Transaction Banking Foreign Exchange at Standard Chartered Bank.

His expertise in sustainable finance and environmental business has been a recurring theme throughout his career. Knight was instrumental in setting up Man Eco and a voluntary and wholesale carbon trading desk within MF Global in 2006. He was the CEO and Chairman of Global Cool Productions, a subsidiary of Man Group PLC, which advised the UK Government on carbon markets and standards in 2006-2007. Global Cool was launched with support from HRH Prince Charles our King, two UK Prime Ministers, Rt. Hon Tony Blair and David Cameron, and had celebrity ambassadors including Leonardo DiCaprio.

He was also a director of Cool Neutral Ltd, a carbon consultancy that provided services for high-profile events like the Concert for Diana in 2007. His contributions have earned him recognition, including being named one of the Evening Standard Newspaper's Top 1000 Londoners for Environmental Finance for three consecutive years.

Recent Ventures & Public Roles

Julian is a co-founder of Fairman Knight and Sons UK Limited, the country's first commercial-scale food waste upcycling and black soldier fly farming business based in Lincolnshire. This innovative venture produces high-quality insect proteins and sustainable fertilisers with 90% fewer emissions than current alternatives. The company is a recent winner of the Innovate UK, UK Research Council Launchpad competition, Green Business of the Year 2025, and Finalist at the Blue Earth Summit Growth Awards 2025.

In addition to his professional work, Knight holds several public and voluntary roles. He is a member of the Economic Advisory Panel to the Greater Lincolnshire Combined Mayoral Authority and serves as the Lincolnshire Climate Commissioner. He is also an Authorised Lay Minister and Churchwarden for the Church of England, where he serves in various capacities, including as a Parochial Church Council Secretary and Parish Safeguarding Officer. Knight has been a guest speaker on sustainable finance at institutions such as the London Business School and has appeared on BBC TV, News, and Radio, being interviewed by Emily Maitlis. He holds qualifications from the University of Durham and the University of Nottingham and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts and Sciences for Environmental Science.