Anna Harvey, Head of UK Consulting at Impactt, has spent more than 19 years working at the intersection of business, sustainability, and human rights.
Her expertise is grounded in real-world experience, from factory floors to boardroom decision-making. She has visited more than 500 workplaces across global supply chains, engaging with thousands of factory managers and even more workers and rights-holders.
Anna has recently rejoined Impactt after a ten-year hiatus. During her first tenure, she played an important role in shaping some of its most influential early work.
In this Q&A, Anna shares her journey into ethical trade and human rights, delves into what she has learned from two decades at the forefront of human rights consultancy, and explains what clients can expect from her now that she’s back at Impactt.
How did you get into ethical trade and human rights?
My journey started in textile engineering. My academic research focused on sustainable and environmentally friendly production methods in the textile industry – well before sustainability became a mainstream business priority.
After my PhD, I began my career at Nike as a material developer. I later moved into roles with major brands, including Marks & Spencer. It was during my time as Ethical Trading Manager at Marks & Spencer that I realised how much I cared about improving the lives of workers in global supply chains.
I was lucky enough to work with Impactt as a client. I was struck by their leadership and their ability to identify and remediate risks and impacts that others simply couldn’t. Inspired by that approach, I later joined Impactt as Business and Innovations Manager, working closely with founder Rosey Hurst.
Together, we developed several initiatives, including Benefits for Business and Workers (BBW), which later evolved into Impactt’s RESTART workplace transformation programme. At the time, our work on living wages and purchasing practices was pioneering within the ethical trade space, and still is today!
What did you do after Impactt, and what shaped your approach?
I founded my own consultancy, advising companies including Walmart and Sedex on strengthening their approaches to responsible business and ethical trade. I later joined twentyfifty, where I worked with global companies such as Airbus, BAT, Mars, and many more.
The single most important thing that has shaped my approach has been time spent on the ground – visiting workplaces across the globe and engaging directly with workers and managers. This is what allows me to bring realism, credibility, and practicality to human rights due diligence (HRDD). Real credibility when speaking to the most senior global business leaders.
Why did you return to Impactt?
I believe Impactt is still unique in the human rights consulting space – especially because of its deep experience working directly with workplaces and workers.
Impactt has 28+ years of on-the-ground experience. In that time, it has developed tried-and-tested methodologies and programmes that remain highly relevant today.
Just as important is the depth of worker and workplace data the organisation has gathered over three decades. That foundation creates huge potential to build on what already works and create even greater impact.
I also bring a personal connection as the daughter of a factory worker. That background shapes how I approach my work and why it matters to me, which aligns with Impactt’s core mission.
What can clients expect now you’re back at Impactt?
Businesses I talk to often feel overwhelmed by complex international frameworks and legislation and heavy technical jargon from my peers. My role is to help companies understand what they mean in practice, so they can clearly see what needs to change within their business to protect human rights and take practical steps forward.
For example, we are getting a lot of questions from businesses about the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the United States. We help companies interpret these legal requirements and translate them into clear, practical actions for the business.
In addition, more companies are realising that policies and tick-box audits alone can’t uncover the most serious human rights risks.
Impactt’s approach recognises that effective human rights due diligence (HRDD) starts with diagnosing the risks a business faces: understanding the most significant impacts, prioritising them, and then focusing on meaningful solutions, rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Because I’ve also been a client, I put a lot of emphasis on quality and practicality. It’s about turning insights into logical, practical next steps that strengthen business resilience and improve conditions for workers across supply chains.
All of which can deliver value to a business’s bottom line – through employee satisfaction that improves productivity and enhanced brand reputation that can positively affect a company’s share price.
What are the key shifts you’re seeing in the human rights and ethical trade landscape?
Expectations on business have changed significantly. In the past, companies could claim they simply didn’t know what was happening across their value chain. Today, that’s no longer considered an acceptable defence.
While recent European regulatory developments (Omnibus) are moving in the wrong direction, legislation is always evolving. As global legislation is grounded in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights the direction of travel will, in the long term, seek to protect human rights.
There is therefore a real opportunity to get ahead of HRDD legislation, rather than rushing when regulation tightens. A deliberate, strategic approach is often much more cost-effective than a knee-jerk reaction once new legislation lands.
Companies that are proactive and get on the front foot with HRDD, rather than waiting for legislation before they act, are seeing the benefits of future-proofing their business.
Additionally, a robust HRDD and ethical trading policy is something that consumers are increasingly looking for. We work with many clients that use it as a differentiator to win market share. Consumers care about a product’s provenance – be it food, fashion, or even energy.
Get in touch with Anna, at anna@impacttlimited.com.
