Dr Tayo Adebowale

We're sad to inform those visiting this page that Dr Tayo Adebowale passed away in November 2025. 

Across her work at Design Council Tayo has given much of her time to guide multiple design infrastructure projects across the UK by sitting on our Design Reviews panels, was hugely influential in the development of our Systemic Design Framework, and was an early collaborator in our Design for Planet mission and inspirational speaker at our first Design for Planet festival in Dundee in 2021.

We are leaving her profile on our website for the time being to allow those who knew her and those who didn't to read about the considerable professional contributions to the fields of water management, environmental protection and forest stewardship. Our thoughts are with all those who knew Tayo. 

Tayo was a Sustainability Strategist, with over 35 years of experience.

She was the Director of Cirkadia. Cirkadia’s strapline is: ‘Working towards a sustainable future’. She was a Chartered Environmentalist C.Env), a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager (MCIWEM), a Member of the Institute of Leadership and Management (MInstLM), and had a Doctorate in Water management.

Throught her career, Tayo served as a GB Forestry Commissioner; Chair of the GB Forestry Commission Research Strategy and Management Board, a Non-Executive Director of the Countryside Agency (now Natural England); and as the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC), Environment Agency Lead for Sustainable Economics; Design Council Ambassador; Design Expert; High Street Task Force Expert; NW Forestry and Woodlands Advisory Committee Member; Chair of a Federation of Primary Schools (with almost 1,000 students); and Chair of United Utilities Customer Engagement Sub Group.