Gaynor Coley 
Managing Director of Eden Project

Torch-Bearer Award for her invaluable contributions in steering the Eden Project to be such a success and making dreams become a reality. Also, leading the strategy to extend Eden’s influential environmental brand and programmes across the world. In her words, “Finding a better balance with nature is a big issue and it is urgent. Eden wants to be part of the solution, not just for the UK but across the globe”.

On receiving the Award Gaynor said, “Eden is about celebrating the harmony and optimism of the human spirit and what the World Harmony Run does so powerfully is bring people together with the simple act of running.”

When Gay Coley joined Eden in 1997 the Project was little more than a garden shed in a sprawling nursery shared by 15 passionate dreamers. Arriving here was, she says, a daunting experience, “like stepping from an oil tanker onto a small speedboat with little petrol.” In the years since, with Gay’s hand firmly at the tiller, Eden has attracted nearly 13 million visitors, generated more than £1 billion for the regional economy and sustained 500jobs at the former clay quarry near St Austell, and thousands more beyond.

Starting out as Finance Director, then becoming Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive, Gay is a relentless advocate of daring to dream and organising to deliver. She says: “Eden is the perfect example of this. It began as an ambitious vision and through the incredible commitment and teamwork of the crew has been transformative in so many ways.

“I’m a huge believer that audacious dreams backed by practical skills can make change happen. If there is one thing that Eden has proved it is that ordinary people working together can build a better future for us all.”

Gay has a passion for education as a tool of transformation and after growing up in South Wales she studied Economics at University College London and went on to qualify as a teacher at the Institute of Education.

She went into the City to understand how to unlock resources and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Touche Ross. After five years of SMEs to PLCs and Big Bang in banking she decided she was well armed and moved to the West Country in 1987. She was Director of Corporate Finance at the University of Plymouth from 1993 helping it transform from a Polytechnic to one of the most successful new Universities in the UK before joining Eden. Her first job at the Project was to make it financially and commercially secure and she led the development and delivery of the £86million public and private sector funding package that allowed the Project to be delivered on time and on budget when it fully opened in March 2001. This provided a template that has been used by many other projects throughout the UK. Her Finance Team was recognised as the Accountancy Age team of the year in 2001.

She championed the governance structure that has enabled Eden to become a model social enterprise. Eden aimed to combine the commercial rigour of the private sector with a framework that keeps the social purpose firmly at the top of decision making and does this with a limited company wholly owned by a charitable trust that provides the legal protection of the mission.

In May 2001 she became Managing Director and steered the team through the first full season and a record-breaking1.8 million visitors. This demand meant a second phase of capital development and the project team have raised over£50m for this investment since opening. Gay directs all the financial, operational and commercial aspects of the Project, which has won numerous awards over the years, many for exceptional customer service.

In 2005 the ICAEW (South West) awarded Gay the Best All Rounder Trophy and in 2009 she received the CBI Real Business First Women Award in Tourism and Leisure.

She is currently leading the strategy to extend Eden’s influential environmental brand and programmes across the world. “Finding a better balance with nature is a big issue and it is urgent. Eden wants to be part of the solution, not just for the UK but across the globe,” she says.

She loves watching films and her recommendation for a sound recipe for life is the Wizard of Oz: “Dorothy discovered that there is no Wizard, realised that there is no place like home and that we can change our destiny by recognising and working with the talents of the people who are around us every day”.

She lives in Wadebridge on the North Cornwall Coast and away from work she likes gardening, interior design, reading, cycling and walking her faithful Gordon Setter Pluto.