Many congratulations from all the ACID team to Mat Hunter who has been appointed as the new CEO of the Design Council, starting in April.

Mat is no stranger to the Design Council having served as Chief Design Officer for five years and, since 2015, his career has included leadership roles in global design. Most recently, as Co-Founder and CEO of Olus X Innovation, supporting over five hundred entrepreneurs in raising £250 million. Mat will continue Minnie’s seismic legacy in promoting Design for Planet to address the issues such as the climate crisis and economic transformation.

On his appointment, Mat Hunter, said, “I am delighted to rejoin the Design Council to lead its next phase, building on the significant momentum established under Minnie’s leadership. As the UK’s national champion for design, our role is to address the most pressing challenges of our time, from the climate crisis to sustainable economic growth. I look forward to partnering deeply with industry and government to deploy the power of design and shape a resilient and regenerative future for all.”

CEO Laura Newbold Breen of Anti Copying in Design (ACID) said, “On behalf of ACID I wish you every success in your new role”, and added, “we look forward to continuing our support for cultivating sustainability and skills in design, manufacturing and the Skills for Planet ambitions for the longevity of creative industries. Having established a strong partnership with the Design Council we look forward to further engaging on Intellectual property (IP) in developing, maintaining, and safeguarding these skills.“

Dids Macdonald OBE., Chair and Co-Founder of ACID said, “Minnie Moll has been a visionary force, bringing fresh momentum to Design for Planet and championing an ambitious goal to upskill ten million designers in green skills by 2030. We wish Mat every success in building on these foundations, drawing on his previous Design Council work leading the national Design Out Crime and Design Bugs Outprogrammes. Minnie’s advocacy for design law reform, notably her steadfast support of the ACID submission to the Design and IP consultation, marks just one aspect of many examples of an exceptional career. Thank you and all good wishes for the next chapter.”

William Eccleshare, Chair of the Design Council said, “Minnie has achieved a huge amount in her time at the Design Council. She introduced the new vision and Design for Planet Mission in 2021, far ahead of the curve, and has created real focus and relevance for the organisation. Design for Planet has gone from strength to strength, now driving the bold ambition to upskill one million designers in green design skills by 2030. Leading the successful bid to host Congress for first time in over 50 years resulted in a truly landmark event that has received great acclaim!“