Hi, I’m Peter Willis

I grew up in the English countryside, studied history at Oxford, and began my career in the UK Department of Industry working with the French government to build the Concorde and get it into commercial service. I soon realised bureaucratic life wasn’t for me — so I trained as a primary school teacher and spent four years teaching in inner-London classrooms.

My love of teaching never faded, but my love of schools did. In the 1980s I built and ran several small publishing and marketing ventures before, in 1993, moving to Cape Town with my wife and young son just ahead of South Africa’s first democratic elections.

From 1995 to 2014 I worked alongside pioneers in sustainability leadership, helping business and city leaders understand and navigate critical socio-environmental challenges. For much of that time I served as South African Director of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, where I designed and led senior executive programmes — including the annual 3-day Prince of Wales Business & Sustainability Programme.

Since 2014 I’ve been a freelance facilitator and advisor, increasingly focused on helping organisations and leaders respond well to existential crises. I also mentor young adults and seasoned professionals, and design community dialogue processes in my hometown of Simon’s Town — particularly where polarisation needs careful, respectful engagement.

What energises me is how a facilitated conversation opens space for creative difference, builds shared understanding and helps people think more deeply and purposefully together.