About John Vincent

John Vincent’s life has been an exploration driven by a fascination with experiencing and understanding ‘the whole’—across time, geography, sectors, and areas of life. This lifelong quest for integration and connectedness has informed every part of his journey—from academics to business, from public service to creative expression. 

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LEON

Leon is the project John is perhaps best known for in bringing to life his belief that wholeness, love, and health are fundamentally the same. He co-founded Leon and led it through every stage of its development, culminating in its sale in 2021 for £100 million. Leon was about more than just food—it was about helping people live well, naturally. At Leon, John created the Wellbeing Multiplier that gives people access to holistic wellbeing.

 

FEED NHS

During the COVID-19 pandemic, John helped launch Feed NHS, which delivered over a million LEON meals to frontline healthcare workers. He recognized that food was essential not only to individual health but also to the functioning of the entire healthcare system. During this time, John also co-founded Feed Britain, which responded to the sudden breakdown of the UK food system. With half the nation's food production dedicated to food service shut down, John saw the structural challenge: this segment couldn’t simply be absorbed by supermarkets. Feed Britain aimed to reconnect this disrupted supply chain, providing access to food for those in need and helping sustain the food service sector.

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STUDIES AT CAMBRIDGE

John’s commitment to cultivating wholeness with his projects started well before Leon, and has continued since.

At Cambridge University, John studied History, immersing himself in the connections between Keynesian economics, the history of philosophy, the history of science, political thought, and the world of intelligence and espionage. Outside the classroom, he organised dance events, including raves, to help people come together in one in shared experience.

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PROCTER & GAMBLE, BAIN AND WHITE & MACKAY

John’s first job was at Procter & Gamble, where he became frustrated by the fragmented nature of brand communication. Customers saw very different messages depending on the medium—advertising, PR, in-store, or packaging, so to solve this, he created an integrated marketing role that aligned all touchpoints and ensured the brand felt coherent and unified wherever the customer encountered it.

John then joined Bain & Company because of its close work with CEOs and boards. Here, he had the opportunity to understand a company’s whole context - both strategically and operationally - and how decisions at the top link to action on the ground. He worked across multiple industries and later joined Bain Lab, the digital incubator, to gain early insights into the emerging world of tech.

Later at White & Mackay, John led a turnaround project that spanned manufacturing, supply chain, the whisky bulk market, and an aligned brand strategy.

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THE SCHOOL FOOD PLAN FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT

During his time at LEON, John was asked by the UK Government to lead The School Food Plan alongside LEON Co-Founder Henry Dimbleby. John applied principles of love and wholeness to ensure healthy accessible school meals for children across the UK. John and Henry argued that food plays a vital role in academic performance, social inclusion, and school culture. The plan recommended making food part of all areas of school life: cooking classes, biology lessons, and growing projects- beyond just the cafeteria. It emphasized that children who eat together build stronger social bonds, reducing bullying and inequality. One of its most impactful recommendations, later adopted, was providing free school meals for infants so all children could eat together.

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THE COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

As part of the UK government's 25-Year Environment Plan, John was asked to create the Green Business Council. He agreed because he saw the opportunity to bridge government and business to protect and improve the environment through integrated efforts. He renamed it the Council for Sustainable Business (CSB) and assembled a diverse group of business leaders to participate. Under John's leadership, CSB became a critical interface between business and government, making significant contributions in areas such as plastics, carbon, and nature. The CSB's 'Nature Handbook' initiative acts as a matchmaking service, connecting businesses with relevant nature restoration projects aligned with their values and employee interests. Many of these projects have since received funding through corporate support.
John also worked with HM Treasury, industry partners, and other government bodies to improve plastic recycling rates and played a key role in encouraging Veolia to invest in a major London-based recycling plant. He addressed systemic problems with holistic, integrated solutions.

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WHAT NOW?

Today, John continues to hold both establishment recognition - such as an MBE - and anti-establishment convictions. His critiques are always rooted in a desire to protect the wholeness in the health of society and in his approaches to policy and wellbeing. John is a trustee of a charity focused on helping individuals with high stress and high intensity jobs find wellbeing through time spent on a remote island. This work supports people from all walks of life—from military to civilian—and includes disaster relief and community rebuilding in the Caribbean.

His current projects reflect his commitment to building wholeness for all through various lenses:

• The John Vincent Podcast explores the holistic interplay between ancient healing traditions and modern medicine.

• Kwoon is about remembering, preserving, and sharing ancient and modern wisdom.

• Winning Not Fighting is a personal transformation framework and tool based on the principles of Wing Chun and the Shaolin Temple.

• Invyted is a platform that supports and celebrates human creativity through linking brands with influencers

• AVA fosters a respectful, community-based relationship with nature.

John continues to learn from a wide range of people - from leading doctors, scientists, and biotech experts to shamans and traditional healers. His approach is grounded in listening deeply and seeking truth from all traditions.

John’s creative skills are rooted in what he describes as ‘foolish thinking’—an ability to imagine what could be, to see the big picture and possible futures, and to connect people and ideas across traditionally separate sectors and geographies. He has built relationships and shared ideas with individuals across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

John works closely with the Alliance for Natural Health, a global organization committed to helping people understand the full picture of natural health and how different practices and systems work together. He has helped fund this work, as well as many other initiatives - from covering non-academic expenses for medical students in the UK to supporting indigenous communities in Africa.

John is especially inspired by tribes such as the Maasai, who demonstrate a deep, systemic understanding of nature - recognizing how insects relate to monkeys, monkeys to trees, trees to soil, and soil back to insects - embodying a profound sense of ecological wholeness.

At the heart of John's work is a deep belief that wholeness is synonymous with love—and that both are inseparable from true health. He sees health as a harmonious integration of the spiritual, mental, and physical dimensions of human experience. This understanding shapes not only his philosophy of life but also the way he builds businesses and supports philanthropic efforts.

His ongoing exploration of the whole lives in all of John's ventures. Whether profit-making or not, they are rooted in a desire to promote wholeness, love, and health in people and in society.