Tom Orrowchild’s story begins in 1970, when he was born into a hardworking immigrant family in the UK. His early years were divided between the life his parents built in Britain and the deep ties to Punjab, India, where they returned often. Those trips left a strong impression. In Britain, there was stability and modern comfort; in Punjab, he saw a simpler way of living, where people worked hard just to meet the basics. The contrast stayed with him, shaping how he understood the world.

As a teenager, he was given a chance that would change his future. A place at one of England’s top boarding schools brought him into an entirely new environment. His classmates came from wealth, influence, and long-established privilege—farmers with vast estates, respected professionals, expats, even royalty. Tom came from a humbler place, but he learned quickly. Those years taught him how to move between worlds without forgetting where he started.

After earning a law degree, he didn’t follow the traditional path into legal practice. Instead, he built his own road. Over the next three decades, he grew a business that operated in 25 countries, employed 500 people, and reached an annual turnover of more than £200 million. Along the way, he saw how modern growth came with a price—resources under strain, populations climbing, and a planet showing signs of stress.

Those experiences, from village visits to global boardrooms, shaped the way Tom thinks about the future. They gave him a clear view of what drives success and what it can cost. His perspective comes from living it, not just observing it.