"It is not enough for business heads to call for sustainability within their organisations. They need to lead by example and encourage a company culture where sustainability is everyone's responsibility and governs every business decision made."

Lindsey Parnell is CEO and President of InterfaceFLOR in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India, a division of US based Interface Inc., and a global leader in the manufacture of environmentally responsible modular floor coverings and other textiles.

As such, Lindsey is deeply immersed in the corporate mission to make Interface a sustainable corporation through worldwide effort to design sustainable manufacturing and development processes.

Lindsey has overall responsibility for the company's modular flooring operations in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India. Within the region, his role involves steering the business to long term growth with the intention of achieving the best performance results in InterfaceFLOR Europe’s history – an objective the company met under Lindsey’s lead in 2007.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from Hull University, Lindsey began his career with British Steel. After spending seven years within the industry he moved between operations management roles in the printing and automotive sectors before spending three years as a consultant with Coopers & Lybrand, prior to the company’s merger to become PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Lindsey joined the carpet industry with Firth Carpets in 1996. He held the position of Production Director at the time Firth was acquired by Interface in 1997. In 1998, Lindsey was promoted to Vice President of Operations for Interface's modular floor covering operations in the UK and in 1999 he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations for the entire European modular flooring operations.

In September 2002, he was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer of the European modular division of Interface Inc.

Under Lindsey’s lead, InterfaceFLOR’s mission has found widespread recognition across the region, which was articulated in numerous awards and accolades won by the company, including the prestigious Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development in 2008.

In June 2008, Lindsey was also appointed Chairman of the Confederation of British Industry’s (CBI’s) Yorkshire and Humber Council.