Full Circle (Or should we say square?) moment: Jonny Brownlee Joins OGT as Head of Global Partnership

Jonny Brownlee has spent the best part of two decades qualifying as one of the fittest humans on the planet: three Olympic medals, six world triathlon championship titles, and a well-practised habit of crossing finish lines looking remarkably fresh. Today, he trades the start platform for a desk (well, some of the time!) as he joins One Good Thing as our new Head of Global Partnerships.

This isn't a retirement story. It's a next-chapter one, and as of this week, it's ours too.

Retiring From Racing, Not From the Mission

After hanging up his racing trainers, Jonny didn't go shopping for a next move. As you’ve all probably seen, we’ve been working with Jonny on and off for a while, and this felt like the natural next step rather than a sudden signing - the more time we spent together, the more obvious it became that he and OGT were already pulling in the same direction.

After retiring from professional sport, the timing feels right to take on a bigger role in a business I genuinely believe in,” Jonny says. “When I first met Mike, his passion and enthusiasm for OGT really stood out to me. The way he spoke about the business, what it stood for and what he wanted to achieve made me want to be part of it.”

It helps that the principles lined up perfectly. “Having spent my life in sport, I'm really pleased to be joining a company that has active living, getting outdoors, healthy nutrition and sustainability at its core,” he adds. “These are all things I'm passionate about and values that really align with my own.”

The Mission That Made Up His Mind

The reason Jonny has chosen to work with OGT is to help solve this problem: the snack aisle is still drowning in single-use plastic. With our world-first, 100% edible beeswax coating, developed in-house, that replaces the plastic wrapper, it helps to keep the bars fresh, survives the bottom of a rucksack, and leaves precisely nothing behind once you're done eating. No wrapper to bin. No wrapper to lose on a trail. No wrapper at all.

“I'm thrilled that Jonny shares OGT's vision for our all natural plastic wrapper-free nutrition bars,” says Mike Bedford, OGT Co-Founder. “From our very first meeting, it was clear he shared our passion for sustainability, and we quickly agreed how he could accelerate our marketing efforts and amplify brand awareness. Together, we are excited to drive meaningful change in the industry.”

What's Next

In his new role, Jonny will be out building the partnerships that will help OGT scale: collaborations, ambassador networks, and ties with major sports organisations, alongside working hands-on with co-founders Mike and Daniel Bedford on product innovation. He'll also keep showing up as the face of the brand on the roads and trails, which, let's be honest, he was always going to do anyway!

“Jonny Brownlee joining as our Head of Global Partnerships is a defining moment for OGT,” says Dan Bedford, Co-Founder and CEO. “He brings an Olympic athlete's elite drive to our mission, and his platform will help us scale our brand and technology to reach more consumers with our innovative nutrition bars. Together, we will work towards eliminating plastic waste on a global level while providing healthy fuel to people everywhere.”

And the ambition doesn't stop at oat bars. OGT is already exploring how its wrapper-free technology could tackle single-use plastic across other food categories entirely, which means Jonny's job description might get considerably longer before it gets any shorter.

So, welcome aboard the team, Jonny! We can't promise podiums, but we can promise a purpose worth lacing up for!