Coffee social enterprise Well Grounded appoints new Chair

Stanford Swinton | Photo credit: ​Andi Werner Photography/Well Grounded

London-based specialty coffee social enterprise has appointed Stanford Swinton as its new Chair. 
 

In a press release, Well Grounded said Swinton would support the delivery of its ‘10,000 lives in 10 years’ programme, which aims to provide coffee industry employment opportunities to 10,000 people over the next decade.  

“We are really excited to welcome Stan as Chair of Well Grounded. He has already been pivotal in the design of our new mission to ensure 10,000 life-changing opportunities over the next 10 years. Not only does he bring extensive new skills and experience to the Well Grounded team, but it also helps that he’s a massive coffee fan,” said Eve Wagg, Founder and CEO, Well Grounded. 
 

Swinton brings a wealth of leadership experience in professional services, global operations and social impact programmes to the position. He currently serves as CEO of Florida-based leadership training firm CEO Coaching International and has a decade of experience working for global consultancy firms Bain & Company and PwC.  

Between 2019-2022, Swinton served as Global Vice President for Restaurant Operations and Customer Experience for Deliveroo and in 2022 he founded and led Bain & Company’s pro bono consulting subsidiary, NPSx. 

“I am honoured to be joining this incredible team at Well Grounded as Board Chair. The lasting impact that Well Grounded is having on the lives of individuals who are looking for purpose and employment through training and the coffee industry is truly inspiring,” Swinton added. 

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Founded in 2016, Well Grounded works with more than 135 hospitality operators to support and progress people who are unemployed and under-represented in the coffee industry. The London-based social enterprise delivers Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) training and accreditation, alongside a mentoring, networking and employability programme. 

To date, Well Grounded has supported over 780 individuals with employability skills and coffee training, with 76% of graduates moving into work after completing their programmes. The social enterprise currently operates two Specialty Coffee Training Academies in London alongside a single site in Bristol and is seeking to open five new training centres across the UK within the next five years. 

Well Grounded’s Board of Directors also includes Gail’s Chief Operating Officer Marta Pogroszewska, CoCo di Mama Commercial Brand Director Sara McKennedy and Rebecca Newton, Director of Public Policy at the Institute of Employment Studies.