I think I'm actually just most proud of the services and solutions we provide for our customers, giving them tangible results and seeing how that affects the communities that they serve. My name's Connor Holgate and I'm the innovation and change manager at KaarbonTech. So before joining KaarbonTech, I had various creative roles in the fashion and film industry. It's a world away from our sector, but it gave me the opportunity to find solutions to different complex situations. I think I bring a creative mindset, you know, having fresh eyes as somebody that isn't bogged down by always doing things because I've always been done that way. I think the thing I enjoy most about working at KaarbonTech is the variety of the role, whether that be, you know, meeting our customers and understanding their demands or looking forward to the future of the sector. My highlight of my time here so far has probably been GreenSpace, all of the sectors together and even people that normally sit outside the sector to really bring forward the future of greenspace and tackling climate change head on. Something I'd love to achieve is probably to see the Tree Management Research group bring forward a position in the industry, standardizing the methods we use across the sector, get that knowledge sharing. So outside of work, uh, I'm a family man, dad of 4, so, you know, that keeps me very busy. You know, most weekends are spent failing at paddle boarding or, or, or walking through the new forest. If I hadn't followed this career path, I think I'd definitely still be doing something creative, although as a child, I, I just wanted to be a firefighter. If I found a winning lottery ticket, I think I'd definitely be jetting off somewhere warm. Everything we as KaarbonTech and the sector do is really about moving forward, so I think innovation plays a real forefront role in that
Introducing Conor Holgate, Innovation and Change Manager
Creativity, curiosity and continuous improvement are at the core of Conor’s approach — making him a valuable part of how we shape change at KaarbonTech.
A Creative Lens on Complex Problems
Before joining KaarbonTech in 2022, Conor built a career in creative roles across the film, TV and fashion industries; from designing campaigns to managing social media for one of the world’s biggest fashion brands. While it’s a world away from highways and data, it equipped him with a fresh perspective and a problem-solving mindset that now fuels our business improvement initiatives.
Challenging the Status Quo
As Innovation and Change Manager, Conor supports the business across a wide range of operational and strategic areas — from being on the road meeting our partners, to marketing and customer experience. At the heart of it all is a drive to do things better and smarter. He’s never one to accept “it’s just how we’ve always done it.”
Pushing the Sector Forward
Conor is particularly proud of the wider impact of KaarbonTech’s work — from helping customers improve services, to seeing those improvements benefit the communities they serve. A standout moment? The Greenspace event, where cross-sector collaboration took centre stage in tackling climate change and imagining the future of environmental change.
Looking Ahead
A long-term ambition of Conor’s is to help the Tree Management Research Group grow into a recognised voice in the industry — standardising the way we work, improving knowledge sharing and helping build a more resilient future for green infrastructure.
Life Outside the Office
Away from work, Conor’s a family man and busy dad of four. Weekends are often spent out in nature — either walking in the New Forest or (attempting) paddleboarding.
In Conor’s Words:
“Everything we, and the sector, do is really about moving forward - so I think innovation plays a real forefront role in that.”