“I strongly believe that to reduce carbon emissions, carbon dioxide needs to have a value, and everyone must be accountable for their impact“

Dr Russ Wakeham

Dr Russ Wakeham

Chief Scientific Officer

Key Skills

Observation | Endurance | Power to Influence my Environment

Qualifications, Professional Bodies, and Associations

  • PhD in Organic Chemistry

  • Master of Research in Chemistry

  • BSc (Hons) Chemistry

  • Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry

  • Chartered Chemist

  • Member of the American Chemical Society

  • Member of the Society of Chemical Industry

     

Experience

  • At the core of Two Drifters is the constant desire to improve. To strive for perfection in their rums, to constantly search out and implement new or improved sustainable technologies and to inspire others to be more sustainable.

  • Publications in carbon capture, storage, and utilisation in world-leading peer-reviewed journals.

  • Measuring impact takes time and you can’t reduce what you haven't measured. RWC is all about measuring your impact.

Career Summary

Russ attained his PhD in organic chemistry in 2014 from the University of Bath and held a postdoctoral research position at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

In 2016 he took up a research fellowship as a Marie Curie Fellow at Swansea University.

Since 2018 Russ has been the CEO and co-founder of Two Drifters Distillery, a rum distillery producing rum in the UK with a carbon-negative footprint.

In 2019 he founded RWC Carbon Consulting focused on life cycle assessments and greenhouse gas inventory for food and drink manufacturers.

Hobbies and Interests

“I love being on the water (kitesurfing, paddle boarding, sailing). It is the perfect place to clear my head but also gives me constant encouragement to protect what I love.”