Speaker Tim Smit (KBE) was born in Holland on September 25th, 1954. At Durham University he read Archaeology and Anthropology. He worked in the music industry as a composer/producer for ten years in both rock music and opera. In 1987 Tim moved to Cornwall where he and John Nelson together ‘discovered’ and then restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan
Tim is executive vice chairman and co-founder of the Award-winning Eden Project near St Austell in Cornwall. In 1995, Eden began as a dream and it opened its doors to the public in 2000. Approximately 22 million people have since come to see what was once a sterile pit turned into a cradle of life containing world-class horticulture and startling architecture symbolic of human endeavour. Eden has contributed over £2 billion to the Cornish economy. Eden is proud of its success in changing people’s perception of the potential for and the application of science, by communicating and interpreting scientific concepts through the use of art, drama and storytelling as well as living up to its mission to take a pivotal role in local regeneration. It demonstrates once and for all that sustainability is not about sandals and nut cutlets, it is about good business practice and the citizenship values of the future.
Tim is a Trustee, Patron, and Board Member of several statutory and voluntary bodies both locally and nationally. He has been honoured with a variety of national awards including The Royal Society of Arts Albert Medal. In 2002 he was awarded an Honorary CBE in the New Years Honours List and in 2007 he was voted ‘Great Briton of 2007’ in the Environment category of the Morgan Stanley Great Britons Awards. In January 2011 he was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. In 2011 Tim was given a special award at the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, which recognises the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. He has been awarded Honorary Doctorates and Fellowships from a number of Universities.
Tim has taken part in several television and radio programmes and has been the subject of ‘This is Your Life’ and a guest on ‘Desert Island Discs’. He regularly speaks at conferences, Awards Ceremonies, dinners, and other events. Tim has written books about both Eden and Heligan and has contributed to publications on a wide assortment of subjects. In his free time, he enjoys reading, music, film, and art.
