Justin Adams - Business Unit Leader for Venturing - BP Alternative Energy

Justin Adams is currently Business Unit Leader for Venturing in BP Alternative Energy (the dedicated cleantech division of the BP Group). In this role he is responsible for investing in early and growth stage cleantech businesses of strategic relevance to the Group. He serves on the Board of a number of the companies within the venture portfolio. His team is also responsible for spinning out and incubating new businesses resulting from BP’s global university partnerships. Mr Adams joined BP plc. in 2003 as Director of Long Term Technology working for the Chief Scientist. He led the development of the Group’s Long Term Technology Strategy laying out a strategic roadmap to 2030 and supported the initial set up of the Hydrogen Energy, biofuels, distributed energy and clean coal businesses.Prior to joining BP Mr Adams was the founder and CEO of High Power Lithium a Swiss company developing next generation battery materials for hybrid electric vehicles in collaboration with Toyota. He was also an advisor to Konarka Technologies, a Massachusetts based start-up, developing next generation solar cells utilising conducting polymers and nanostructured materials. Before this he worked as a consultant with Arthur D. Little, ultimately leading the Advanced Energy Systems practice in Europe, delivering strategic and techno-economic consulting on emerging energy technologies to many of the world’s leading energy majors, and supporting technology start ups develop commercialisation pathways.

Kerry-Ann Adamson - Manager - Fuel Cell Today

Kerry-Ann has over ten years experience in the fuel cell industry and specialises in transport and distributed generation applications for fuel cells. She has worked with both the private and public sector on a variety of fuel cell projects, with a regional focus mainly on North America and the Rest of World region (excluding Europe and Asia). Prior to running Fuel Cell Today Kerry-Ann worked as its Deputy Editor. She has also worked at the Technical University of Berlin and gained a PhD from Imperial College of Science and Technology, London on the socio-economics of fuel cell technology in the transport sector.

Dr Daniel Aklil - Managing Director - Pure Energy^TM Centre

Dr. Aklil is Managing Director of Pure Energy^TM Centre, Chairman of the Institute of Engineering and Technology North Network, Director of the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association and Executive Member of the Nordic network for sustainable energy systems in isolated locations. Dr. Aklil has over 10 years experience as a Non-Executive Director to SMEs with principal area of expertise in strategic direction, business planning and strong deployment of financial controls.

Irene Allcroft - Director - Douglas-Westwood Ltd

Irene joined DWL as a Director in 2008 . She has over 20 years international business development and operations experience in the energy sectors, having worked in the US, the Far East, and more recently Qatar. She spent an initial 12 years in the oil and gas industry, primarily providing market analysis and business cases for investment in new technology , products and service lines for major companies. She has spent the last 5 years working with young renewable energy technology companies in the wave, solar, fuel cell and tidal sub-sectors on their business, investment and market entry strategies. During this time she has acted as a strategic adviser to The Carbon Trust on its Low Carbon Technology Business Incubation Programme and has undertaken numerous studies into the markets and barriers for new low carbon /renewable energy technologies for public sector, private sector investors.

Dr Frank Allison - Business Development Manager - Manchester Bobber

Frank started his career in the steel industry, successfully completing a four-year Structural Engineering apprenticeship. After working for a further year as a structural engineer for British Steel Plc, Frank went to university in Sheffield gaining an honours degree in Materials Engineering incorporating a year in the USA as project manager of a team responsible for the development and production of forged super alloy products. This was in both the space and aerospace industries, working closely with customers including NASA and major aircraft manufacturers.

Frank returned to the UK and completed a PhD and postdoctoral position in Materials Science/Physical Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, researching metallic and polymeric nano-biomaterials.

In 2004 Frank joined The University of Manchester Intellectual Property Limited (UMIP), with a remit to manage the commercialisation of a portfolio of technologies arising from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science.

Frank has been involved with The Manchester Bobber since conception and is currently seconded into the company to manage all aspects of the commercialisation of the technology.

Colin G Anderson - Consulting Engineer

Originally from Aberdeen, Colin’s involvement in renewables began in 1981 as a postgraduate researcher with the Edinburgh Wave Power project. He moved to the wind energy sector in 1985, working as a design engineer with Howden Wind Turbines in Glasgow, then later as a Research Fellow at Edinburgh University Physics Department. In 1995 Colin was involved in setting up Aerpac UK Ltd, a manufacturer of large wind turbine blades in Fife, where he served as Technical Director until 2001. Since then he has been a self-employed consulting engineer engaged on various wind, wave, and tidal projects. His recent wind energy work has included the Gigha community windfarm in Argyll, and wind turbine installations at Mackies Ice Cream Dairy and Balquhindachy, both in Aberdeenshire.

Virginia Anderson - Corporate Development Manager - Scottish Community Foundation

Virginia joined the Development Team in 2007 as Corporate Development Manager. Originally she was a Grants Officer at the Scottish Community Foundation, having worked previously as a fundraiser for Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland. She came to the not-for-profit sector after ten years of volunteering and is still involved with the boards of two community organisations.

The Scottish Community Foundation is an independent grantmaking charity, matching donors with causes. The Foundation’s vision is of strong successful communities – a Scotland where quality of life is enhanced for all. Since 1996 over £16 million has been awarded to community groups and grassroots charities in every corner of Scotland. The Foundation connects people, ideas and resources to make a lasting difference in Scotland.

The Foundation is currently working with a number of communities and companies across Scotland on their Community Benefit programmes. Details of these are available from www.scottishcf.org

Megan Arnold - Account Manager - GE Wind / Chair of the BWEA Offshore Wind Delivery Group

A business practitioner focussing on sustainability in industry studied Social Science in Adelaide, Human Relations and Safety & Occupational Health Management in Sydney Australia. Employment history includes; Business Development for UK renewable energy company, SLP Energy, project co-ordination for Brazilian multi-national, Odebrecht Oil and Gas, campaign development and planning for Greenpeace in Australia and China and retail business management for a cancer charity. She has held directorships for a sporting organisation in Australia and a renewables agency in the UK.

Megan is employed as an Account Manager for GE Energy’s Wind division with responsibilities for sales of GE wind technology in Northern Europe and assisting the global growth of GE Energy projects and developments.

Megan is currently the chair of the British Wind Energy Association’s Offshore Delivery Group.

Duncan Ayling - Head of Offshore - BWEA

Duncan Ayling joined the BWEA in December 2007 to take the position of Head of Offshore responsible for representing the BWEA members’ interests relating to offshore wind, wave and tidal energy. BWEA is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with over 350 corporate members, BWEA is the leading renewable energy trade association in the UK.

Prior to BWEA, Duncan worked for AEA Technology as the Monitoring Director for the UK Government’s wave and tidal R&D programme which funds a portfolio of marine renewable energy projects.

Duncan is an experienced project manager with many years of work in marine environmental research. He changed career direction to offshore renewables by returning as a mature student to study a Masters degree in Offshore and Ocean Technology at Cranfield University.

Ben Barton – Offshore Manager (Wind Farms) – The Crown Estate

Ben joined The Crown Estate in September 2006 to take the role of Offshore Wind Farm Manager, with responsibility for delivery of the wind farm sites allocated in UK waters under leasing rounds 1 & 2. Ben is the landowner’s point of contact with the wind industry and manages the process of granting site agreements followed by leases as the projects progress through the development cycle. Ben also represents The Crown Estate at a number of industry, government and stakeholder groups.

Before joining The Crown Estate, Ben worked for npower renewables as an offshore wind developer. In this role he had responsibility for the post-construction environmental monitoring of the North Hoyle offshore wind farm and pre-construction monitoring for the Rhyl Flats project, together with a contribution to the consent applications and EIA preparation for the Gwynt y Môr project. Ben is also an experienced data manager and GIS user, and was responsible for the maintenance of npower’s offshore renewables GIS. Prior to joining npower renewables, Ben was employed by the University of Southampton’s GeoData institute where he worked on a wide range of environmental, energy and educational projects.

Dr Elaine Booth - Non Food Crops and Oilseeds Specialist - SAC (Scottish Agricultural College)

Elaine is the Non Food Crops and Oilseeds Specialist at SAC (Scottish Agricultural College).  She has worked on a range of projects studying the agronomic and economic feasibility of non food crop and bio-energy over 19 years of research and consultancy work with SAC. 

Elaine led SAC’s recent studies on the economic evaluation of biodiesel production from oilseed rape grown in N and E Scotland and also a review of the potential for on-farm processing of various non-food crop products for National Non Food Crop Centre.  She co-ordinated SAC’s contribution on a SEERAD funded study recommending actions for Energy from Crops, Timber and Agricultural Residues in Scotland and has undertaken several studies, funded by private companies and also by UNIDO to determine the feasibility of biofuel and appropriate feedstock in Ireland, Azerbaijan and Albania.  Recent work has also considered an Environmental Impact Assessment for biodiesel in Ukraine and a current study is considering engagement of customers for sustainably produced Scottish biodiesel. 

Elaine manages SAC oilseed's trials for variety testing and agronomy and she also runs trials for plant breeders testing disease resistance, new varieties and crop types.  She co-ordinates the North UK Oilseeds Consultative Committee which provides recommendations on appropriate varieties for the North.  Part of Elaine's role is to give advice to farmers and rural businesses on oilseeds varieties, agronomy, bioenergy and non-food uses.  

Elaine is an agriculture graduate of Aberdeen University.   Aside from SAC, she is general partner of her family's farming business based near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire and is a Board member of the SEPA North Region Board.

Sarah Boyack MSP

Sarah Boyack has represented Edinburgh Central constituency in the Scottish Parliament since 1999 having been re-elected in 2003 and 2007. She is also Scottish Labour's spokesperson on the Environment, Rural Affairs and Climate Change.

Sarah was born in May 1961 in Glasgow, but brought up in Edinburgh where she was amongst the first female entrants at Royal High School.

She went on to study at Glasgow University gaining an MA Hons. in Modern History and Politics and then a Diploma in Town and Country Planning at Heriot Watt University.

Then followed the post of Planning Assistant with London Borough of Brent (1986-88), returning to Scotland for the post Senior Planning Officer with Central Regional Council (1988-92). From 1992 to 1999 Sarah was a Lecturer in Planning at Edinburgh College of Art/ Heriot Watt University.

Sarah was appointed by Donald Dewar to the first Scottish Cabinet as Minister for Transport, Environment and Planning serving from May 1999 to November 2001 during which time she introduced free bus travel for elderly and disabled people in Scotland and improved energy efficiency standards for social housing. In the first session of the Scottish Parliament she also sat on the European and Audit Committees.

Between May 2003 and January 2007 she served as Convener of the Environment & Rural Development Committee where among other things she chaired its Inquires into the Food Chain, Biomass and Climate Change before being appointed Deputy Minister for the Environment & Rural Development serving until May 2007. She also sits on the Labour Party's Scottish Policy Forum.

In November 2004 she received the RSPB Goldcrest Award for the greatest contribution to the development of environmental policy since devolution and in December 2005 was named the Scottish Renewables Best Politician

Chris Brett - Hydro Manager – Inter Hydro Technology

Chris Brett has been a Hydro Engineer since 1994, including six years as Hydro Sales Manager with Gilbert Gilkes & Gordon Ltd. He is responsible for providing mechanical and electrical engineering input to projects being studied and managed by Inter Hydro Technology / R G Parkins & Partners Ltd. Chris has a wealth of experience in small hydro gained from travelling world wide specifying appropriate solutions to project developers and providing input to economic analysis of small hydro projects.

James Brown - Skills Director Scotland -Energy & Utility Skills

James Brown was born in Dundee Scotland and now lives in Perth with his wife and two children. James started his career as a Vehicle Technician with Scottish Gas in 1981 and later moved into the Further Education field, working at, Perth College, Stevenson College and Elmwood College. His role here also involved working with various stakeholder including the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) and City and Guilds, the role also included employer engagement with involvement in various skills competitions

In 2000 he moved to MITC, the automotive National Training Organisation, which later became a Sector Skills Council working as the National Manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In April 2007 James joined Energy & Utility Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the electricity, gas, water and waste management industries - also the lead Sector Skills Council for Renewables. Using his past experience of employer and stakeholder engagement he now works with major utility organisations and the contractor base to understand and assist with their skills needs.

Adam Bruce - Head of Sustainable Development - Scottish and Southern Energy

Adam Bruce is Head of Sustainable Development at Scottish and Southern Energy. Until Airtricity's acquisition by SSE in early 2008, he was that company's UK Chief Executive. He was elected to the board of the BWEA in May 2007, and was appointed Chairman the following month. Adam qualified as a solicitor in 1993, and practised in London, Brussels, Edinburgh and St. Andrews. From 1998 to 2006 he was Director of McGrigors Public Policy, the UK law firm's regulatory and public affairs practice. He lives in Edinburgh with his wife and son. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, a member of the Executive Committee of the SCDI, a Trustee of the Policy Institute, and a Writer to the Signet.

David Cameron - Chief Technical Officer - Scottish Renewables

David Cameron is Chief Technical Officer at Scottish Renewables, a post he took up part way through studying and MSc in Renewable Energy at the University of Dundee. David’s previous life was spent mainly in vehicle development at Nissan – working on - dare we say - sports cars and 4x4s. His interest in renewables was fired up on reading about the Fyne Homes development Chrannag on the island of Bute. David sees renewables not just as away to positively contribute to climate change but in supporting security of energy supply and industry expansion.

Jeremy Carnell - Senior Health & Safety Consultant - PMSS

Alison Cavey - Partner - Orion Innovations LLP

Alison is a founder member of Orion Innovations, a specialist consultancy that provides strategic and operational support to new ventures and growth-phase businesses with a particular emphasis on the clean energy and environmental sectors. Orion Innovations offers a broad range of services that help businesses to define their critical paths during the early stages of development and provide practical support as they grow.

Alison is an environmental engineer by training and has 15 years of technology, strategic and business experience gained in both consulting and industry. She has consultancy experience with four of the largest management and engineering consulting groups in the UK where she worked globally for national governments, IFIs and Fortune 500 companies.

In 2000, Alison was part of the founding team of a new energy technology company and spent three years developing and expanding its strategic, commercial and operational capabilities. Since forming Orion in 2004, Alison has gained significant practical experience of other new venture start-ups in the low carbon and environmental sector and has been actively involved in a number of new businesses, including acting as Interim Managing Director for an environmental technology spin-out for a leading UK University. She has worked with a number of organisations in the low carbon sector providing strategic and commercialisation support to new ventures. These include the Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept Programme and the Scottish Enterprise Energy Technology Centre. She has also worked widely with public sector organisations in the development of regional initiatives relating to the commercialisation of new energy technologies.

Alison has a BSc (Hons) Natural Environmental Science (1st Class) from Sheffield University and an MSc in Water Pollution Control Technology from Cranfield University.

Dr David Clarke - Chief Executive - Energy Technologies Institute

Dr David Clarke joined the Energy Technologies Institute as Chief Executive in January 2008 from his previous role as Head of Technology Strategy at Rolls-Royce plc.

David has been involved in collaborative research and development of advanced technologies for over 20 years, leading a range of research groups including Rolls-Royce’s Advanced Materials development activities and its corporate Strategic Research Centre. With the latter group he led Rolls-Royce’s evaluation and development of new technology opportunities in fields as diverse as fuel cells, electrical propulsion technologies and advanced computational diagnostics. At Rolls-Royce, he was responsible for development and management of the Company’s global research strategy. This included the company’s multi-million pound University-based research programme at the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centres in the UK, North America, mainland Europe and Asia.

He has been a member of the EPSRC Council and is a member of the North West Science Council. David graduated from the University of Surrey in 1984 with a BSc in Materials Technology, and subsequently completed his PhD in Composite Materials at the University of Surrey in 1988. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials and a Chartered Engineer. www.energytechnologies.co.uk

Kipp Coddington - Partner - Alston & Bird LLP

A partner at Alston & Bird LLP LLP and based in both Washington DC and London, Kipp Coddington represents clients in carbon-based projects (CDM, JI and voluntary), financial transactions (carbon loan, swaps & other derivative products) and credit purchase deals (emission reduction purchase agreements, or ERPAs) worldwide. He is General Counsel of London-based EEA Fund Management Ltd, which has more than $1B under management in carbon reduction, renewable energy and related energy infrastructure projects worldwide through Trading Emissions plc and Leaf Clean Energy Company, both of which are publicly traded on the AIM market in London.

With a background in conventional energy, Kipp has played a leading role in CCS development in the United States for many years. He led the founding of and is currently counsel to the North American Carbon Capture & Storage Association. He served on the legal drafting team for the Interstate Oil & Gas Commission’s recently released model rules on CCS. He was a founding member of WRI’s stakeholder process for the development of protocols for CCS. He has co-taught short courses on CO₂-EOR at meetings of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and has been a frequent speaker on CCS and CO₂-EOR topics throughout the United States for many years.

Mr. Coddington represents investors, lenders and/or project developers in numerous energy infrastructure projects around the world. Recent transactions include:

• $7 billion CTL facility with CCS (USA);
• $500M 225 megawatt run-of-the-river hydropower CDM project (Peru);
• US hedge fund investments in the World Bank’s Umbrella Carbon Fund and natural gas valve replacement projects in Eastern Europe;
• Various private equity investments in projects or companies engaged in cellulosic ethanol (US); swine manure methane capture (Brazil); renewable energy credit brokerage (US); and CDM project development (Israel);
• ERPAs with projects in China and Jordan; and
• EU Allowance/Certified Emission Reduction swap contracts with counterparties in Poland and Czechoslovakia.

Roger Coppock - Policy Advisor, Business Development - Forestry Commission Scotland

Roger is a forester with 28 years experience in the industry. He heads up Forestry Commission Scotland’s business development policy team. He was the Secretary of the Wood Fuel Task Force, which reported to the Minister for the Environment in January this year. Formerly, he was Forestry Advisor to The Scottish Forest Industries Cluster. The Cluster has worked with companies and individuals of all sizes across Scotland to stimulate development within the industry, and in downstream utilisation including bioenergy. Prior to working with the cluster team, he was in charge of production forecasting with Forest Enterprise (FE) the then operational arm of the GB Forestry Commission, and was part of the team which designed and built the multi-award winning Forester GIS. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Foresters, and is a member of the Institute’s Council.

Jeremy Cresswell - Editor 'Energy' and Chairman of AREG

Originally studied law (Law Society England & Wales - College of Law, Braboeuf Manor, Guildford) but dropped that ambition in favour of 12+ years in fishery development and commercial fisheries/light marine contracting. In particular, was a member of the White Fish Authority, later Gwynedd Oysters/Seed Oysters UK team that in the late 1960s/early 1970s developed the hatchery-based system for the commercial farming of oysters that became the standard for Europe.

Established, in parallel in 1975, fishing/light marine contracting business Venture Cresswell. Skipper/owner of various fishing vessels to 53ft.

Researched the fishing vessel construction capability of Scotland in 1984, work that was at the time adopted by the then Scottish Development Agency. Retains long-standing interest in maritime history, especially fisheries and has written on the subject since 1973, plus has extensive phot-archive.

Since 1985 has worked primarily as an award-winning energy/maritime affairs journalist/editor/analyst, mainly for the Scottish newspaper The Press & Journal, but contributing to many other business and energy-oriented titles. Is a past editor of World Fishing and first editor of Scottish Fishing Weekly.

Is founder and current editor of The Press & Journal Energy Monthly supplement.

Author/co-author of a variety of reports and publications, including Scottish Enterprise energy annuals 1997 through 2001 and extensive collaboration with economists Mackay Consultants.

Author of Black Gold and the Silver City – a history of the Balmoral Group/diary of North Sea oil

Author of Tide and Time, history of the George Craig Group

Author of Conversations with North Sea Moguls … published Sep 2005

Co-author of various Mackay Consultants economic reports such as: World Offshore Oil & Gas Report – 2004-2008; Mediterranean & Black Sea Oil & Gas Report 2004-2008; and Study on the Impact of Climate Change Policies on National Oil Companies – 2007.

Became an Associate of Mackay Consultants 2007

Co-author of three 3i Thought Leadership papers on energy

Joint author of paper: Managerial Perceptions of the Business Environment within the Energy Service Industry: Cross-National Comparisons of China, Singapore and Malaysia. Publication imminent

Chaired many conferences and seminars; including Baird maritime conferences in Australia, Singapore and Italy (also presented market analyses of Offshore Support Vessel markets at said events); Subsea UK events; member of steering committee for the 2004 LOGIC North Sea supply chain conference

A customer of Aberdeen Business School - The Robert Gordon University … early/mid 1980s for a Post-graduate Diploma in Management (DMS), then mid 1990s to read for an MBA

Carried out ground breaking MBA research at Aberdeen Business School during the mid 1990s into the potential impact of offshore oil and gas on the Faroese business community.

Responsible for drawing together an influential group of public and private sector Aberdeen business community leaders late 1999 leadning to creation of the successful Scotland Energy Opportunities Conference series, no known as All-Energy.

Chairman of the Aberdeen City Council-initiated private-public partnership … Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, which has an ambitious long-term agenda mapped out, including the imaginative Energy Futures Centre for Aberdeen, construction of a windfarm offshore Aberdeen and founding of a joint-Chair in Renewables between The Robert Gordon and Aberdeen Universities

Director of Aberdeen Bay Windfarm Development Company

In 2001 Co-opted onto the Scottish Enterprise Grampian working party that drew up the successful North-east bid for Scotland’s new Energy Intermediate Technology Institute based in Aberdeen

In 2006 co-opted onto the Scotland bid for the UK-Energy Technology Institute bid, a process that is ongoing

In 2006 appointed as a non-executive director of The Robert Gordon University spin-out company UVPS

On management committee of the Institute of Energy (ex IP) Aberdeen branch

Made a Burgess of the City of Aberdeen – December 2005

Neil Daly – Director – Hamilton Consultants

Neil Daly is a Director of Hamilton Consultants, one of the UK’s leading recruitment consultancies specialising in the renewable energy industry.

Neil has more than 10 years recruitment experience in the utilities industry having worked for clients in the energy, nuclear and water industries worldwide. Neil focuses on assignments across the renewable energy sector handling Board level and other senior appointments.

Neil’s early career began in the BBC where he worked as a news journalist for both TV and radio. He has a Masters degree in Philosophy and Theology from Glasgow University.

Glen B. Darou B.Com CA - President and CEO - Clean Current Power Systems Incorporated, Vancouver, BC

Since 2003 Glen Darou has been the President and CEO of a Vancouver based Canadian controlled private company whose team of engineers has invented, developed and tested a turbine generator that efficiently produces electricity from tidal currents. His business and financial experience includes 16 years senior executive experience with two major international resource sector corporations. As Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Shell Canada Limited and later as Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Cominco Ltd., he directed the overall financial affairs of these companies. He is experienced in leading, training and developing multifunctional teams.

Glen holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Carlton University and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.

Glen has a continuing interest in business education. He has served as a Director of Junior Achievement of Canada and Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta. He also served on the Management Advisory Council of the business faculty of the University of Calgary (now the Haskayne School of Business) and on Faculty Advisory Board of the University of British Columbia (now the Sauder School of Business). Glen’s association with the University of British Columba led to his appointment as Executive in Residence at the Sauder School of Business.

Born in Perth, Ontario his career has taken him to Ottawa, Toronto, London England, Calgary and finally to Vancouver. Glen is married to Louise, and has three adult children and two grandchildren.

Eric Dodd - Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company

Eric has been working in the Community Sector for 6 years across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland through the HIE Community Energy Unit and Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company. He has seen a massive growth in communities interested in developing their own community energy projects and has taken great pleasure in assisting to develop this important sector of renewables. Eric has come from a background of electricity having worked in the commercial side for both SHE and ScottishPower along with a two year period working in the Electricity industry in New Zealand.

Ian Draisey - Director - Dulas

Dulas is one of the UK’s leading independent renewable energy companies, working both in the UK and overseas to the highest quality and ethical standards. In 1982 Dulas began designing and producing solar powered vaccine and blood storage fridges for use in Africa (this remains a significant part of business today). Today, Dulas’ services range from environmental impact assessment and planning consultancy for large developments to electronic and electrical engineering, project management and system specification for custom installations. Dulas also provide a range of renewable energy products, services and training.

As part of this renowned Wales based renewable energy company, Ian Draisey takes overall responsibility for marketing activities and sits on the board of directors for this forward thinking worker-owned cooperative. He is passionate about renewable energy and carbon reduction and has years of hands-on experience dealing with renewable energy installation projects. Following a career lecturing in International Marketing and Industrial Studies, Ian is now responsible for business strategy, company vision and departmental marketing initiatives at Dulas. Ian trained in Birmingham, working in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter supporting SME’s in the take up of new information technology, following his degree in Industrial Information Technology.

Ian also heads up The Low Carbon Partnership, a consortium which is a framework supplier for the DTI’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme phase two. The Low Carbon Partnership (TLCP) is a consortium of the UK’s leading providers of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and small-scale wind systems. The Consortium is led by Dulas Ltd, in partnership with Sundog Energy Ltd. The partnership brings a wealth of experience in renewable energy to the Low Carbon Buildings Phase 2 program. TLCP has a huge depth of knowledge; the partners have approaching 50 years combined experience, over 1400 PV and wind installations and over 6000 solar thermal installations. The expertise within the consortium is second to none; each company, in its own right, has an excellent reputation for quality, safety and competitiveness.

Clive Dyson – Chief Executive, St. Andrews Fuel Cells Ltd and Managing Director, Clarizon Ltd

Clive Dyson is currently managing two start-up companies that are commercialising innovative solid oxide fuel cell and electrochemical ozone generation technologies.

He has over 20 years’ experience of technology commercialisation and business development in the semiconductor, electrochemistry and other high-technology industries. He has successfully taken more than 10 hardware, software and consultancy products to market.

Previously he was Technical Director at GEC Plessey Semiconductors’ CMOS fab in Plymouth and subsequently managed its ASIC business unit. In 1997 he established the National Microelectronics Institute for the UK semiconductor industry and developed it into a valued industry body. Since 2003 he has led early stage technology companies and carried out consultancy on product introduction, marketing and commercialisation for corporate clients. This has included the spin out of a bioinformatics company which recently listed on AIM.

Clive has advised the EPSRC on manufacturing strategy, a range of government agencies on education and training for technology industries and negotiated a Climate Change Agreement for the UK semiconductor and electronics industry.

He has a Natural Science degree from Cambridge University (UK), a PhD from Southampton University and an Executive MBA from Bath University. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the IET.

Arnaud Été - Renewable Energy Associate - SgurrEnergy Ltd

• Engineering studies in France (Ecole des Mines de Nancy) until 2005
• MSc at the University of Strathclyde “Energy Systems and the Environment”
• I have then been offered a KTP (Knowledge Transfer Partnership) Associate position: partnership between the University of Strathclyde and SgurrEnergy. This project started in October 2006 and finishes in 4 months. My presentation at the H208 describes the work achieved during this project.

Tim Evans - Managing Director - Renewable Zukunft Ltd & Bio-G Biogastechnik GmbH

Following agricultural college, Tim Evans trained as an accountant before joining Bidwells in Cambridge as an agribusiness consultant. He later joined the Lloyds Bank Group, based in South West England as an agricultural finance specialist before moving with his family to former East Germany in 1989 following the fall of the Berlin Wall.

During almost 15 years in Germany he developed a 3,000ha arable farming and contracting business along with two 250 cow dairy units and a grain storage business and began to take an interest in the principals of Renewable Energy production and sustainable farming techniques.

Tim was particularly impressed by the general level of public awareness and interest for environmental issues in Germany and with the growing demand for alternative energy sources, he became involved in the management team of the first Biodiesel plant to be built in East Germany. The plant was commissioned in 1998 and Tim moved on to work on one of the first East European Biogas plants to be run on cattle manure and energy crops.

Since returning to the UK, Tim has become a leading protagonist of Renewable Energy in the UK and is a regular contributor at conferences and in the press. He has become a strong advocate of decentralised Renewable Energy production and represents the Austrian based, European Centre for Renewable Energy at events in the UK.

In 2006, working with 6 fellow farmers and entrepreneurs, Tim formed the UK based specialist Renewable Energy Company “Renewable Zukunft”.

Renewable Zukunft specialises in sourcing, supplying, facilitating and operating Renewable Energy systems primarily from Germany & Austria. The company offers a range of solutions for heat and electricity generation using state of the art plant oil and biogas technology, solar heating, cooling and photovoltaics.

In 2007, Renewable Zukunft joined forces with Őkoenergie Utzenaich GmbH forming “Bio-G Biogastechnik GmbH” to develop and market the award winning “Energy Ring” biogas system which Tim and his colleagues now operate in the UK.

John Ferguson - Waste and Resources Strategy Manager, SEPA

John Ferguson works for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency managing the Waste and Resources Strategy Unit. John’s ideas were a major influence in the development of the National Waste Strategy in Scotland.

A graduate in biochemistry of the University of St. Andrews he first became involved in waste management in 1990 working as a Recycling Officer in Perth. At that time he was an advisor on recycling to the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. Through his work with Perthshire he developed a growing interest in the management of wastes as a resource. He passionately believes that the emphasis requires a fundamental change from waste management to resource management believing that in the future, progressive economies will be those that are resource as well as fiscally efficient

John was a founder member of the Recycling Advisory Group Scotland, as well as playing a pivotal role in the establishment of the first REMADE group in UK. He is an accredited programme manager and holds the Cambridge University Programme for Industry Diploma in Cross Sectoral Partnership Development for Sustainable Development. He is a member of the Scottish Centre Council for the Institute of Wastes Management and is a Chartered Environmentalist. He also sits on the Network of European Environment Protection Agencies Special Interest Group on the emerging Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Sustainable Consumption and Production agendas.

He believes that it is only by partnership working and bringing together all interested parties and expertise that Scotland’s waste industry can be made fit for the 21^st Century and wants to see Scotland being a European leader rather than follower in resource management.

Nick Forrest - Nick Forrest Associates Ltd

Nick Forrest is a former financial journalist and environmental consultant, whose MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from Edinburgh University led to his current role as a renewable energy advisor.

His company delivers hydro and wind feasibility studies for rural businesses and households. Nick’s unique surveying model identifies all financially viable sites within a catchment where hydro schemes could be installed. He is currently undertaking a survey of the whole of Scotland using his unique programme – “HELP” (Hydro Electric Location and Planning) for the Scottish Government. Nick is a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

Ian Gallett - Chief Executive - Society for Underwater Technology

Ian Gallett is the Chief Executive of the Society for Underwater Technology, an international learned society dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge and ideas in all aspects of subsea technology. After gaining a degree in Physics and conducting research into electromagnetic propagation, he joined the Royal Navy in 1973 where he became a metocean specialist. His main concerns were in operational oceanography and acoustics, particularly the effects of the ocean environment on long range passive sonar detection. Before leaving the Navy in 1996 with the rank of Commander, he was responsible for setting Royal Navy policy in the collection and use of oceanographic data, and their application in acoustic modelling. He has been with the Society for 12 years.

Dr Rupert Gammon – Director - Bryte Energy

Dr Rupert Gammon is a director of Bryte Energy, which is a consultancy that designs, implements and operates integrated hydrogen and renewable energy systems as well as carrying out strategic studies for low-carbon energy technologies. Rupert is Chair of the British Midlands Hydrogen Forum, a director of the UK Hydrogen Association and participates in expert panels for Tasks 18 & 24 of the International Energy Agency’s Hydrogen implementation Agreement. He serves on the London Hydrogen Partnership’s Infrastructure & Renewables working group and is also a Visiting Researcher at the Centre for Renewables Energy Systems Technology at Loughborough University.

Rupert co-founded Bryte Energy in 2005 with two colleagues with whom he had worked during their PhD studies at the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) at Loughborough University, where he had formerly gained an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology. The team had worked on the Hydrogen and Renewables Integration (HARI) project, which was conceived by Rupert and was the first of its kind in the UK. He had previously worked as a freelance consultant, partly in the field of sustainable energy, but more predominantly in the oil, gas and mineral exploration industries. Before that, Rupert worked for an architectural consultancy, having gained his first degree in 3D Industrial Design (Eng) at Leeds Polytechnic.

Ross Gazey - Engineering Director - Pure Energy Centre

Ross is the Engineering Director of the Pure Energy Centre and is responsible for the technical delivery for all the projects at the Pure Energy Centre. He is also a Member of the Executive committee for the Shetland Renewable Energy Forum and has over seven years experience in renewable and hydrogen technologies.

Dr Mary Gillie - EA Technology Limited

Dr Mary Gillie has been involved in energy systems since she modelled and designed a control system for a wind farm and a controllable generator for her PhD. Since then she has worked at EA echnology in the New Energy Technologies Team developing active network management for electricity systems, microgeneration, hydrogen and fuel cells. She is the UK representative for the IEA Hydrogen implementing Agreement Task 18.

Elaine Greig - Senior Project Manager - AMEC Wind Energy

Elaine Greig is currently leading AMEC Wind Energy's (AWE) Edinbane project on the Isle of Skye, following The Highland Council's successful defence of the project under Judicial Review. Elaine has previously managed projects in Scotland at various stages of development, from initial discussions to application, to post-consent and during sale. Elaine Greig was AWE’s Grid Connections Manager and Electrical Engineer from 2001 until recently. Elaine joined AWE from consultancy. She has degrees in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from Durham Business School.

John Griffiths - Technical Director - EMEC

John is a chemical engineer, with forty-one years experience as a General Manager; Consultant, Project Manager & Engineering Manager as well as in a range of Operational and Technical roles in: Marine Renewable energy, Oil & Gas Facilities – Design, Operational & Project Management, Contracting (Engineering and Construction on and offshore) and Consultancy & Studies. John is a non-Executive Director of EMEC and executes contract roles relating to development of Management Systems, leadership of the Standards Project and some site development activity.

Key positions: Principal of JWG Consulting Ltd (1999-present); Director Business Development AMEC – London (1995-97); Director of Engineering and Computing at AMEC -London (1992-95); Chief Production Engineer, British Gas E&P Companies (1983-86)

Dermot Grimson - Head of UK Government Relations - Shell International

Dermot was appointed Head of UK Government Relations in January 2007. He is responsible for managing relations with the UK Government and external stakeholders such as NGOs and think tanks. He represents Shell on a number of external organisations.

Born in Glasgow, Dermot joined Shell in 1999, initially working at the Fife NGL Plant at Mossmorran. From 2001 to 2004, he was responsible for stakeholder relations at Shell’s exploration and production business in Europe. In 2004 he was appointed Head of UK External Affairs. Dermot is an urban planner and has worked in the private, public and NGO sectors in this capacity prior to joining Shell in 1999.

Gareth Harrison - Senior Lecturer - School of Engineering & Electronics, University of Edinburgh

Dr Gareth Harrison is a Senior Lecturer in Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh.

His research activity spans a wide range of disciplines which include climate change impacts on electricity systems; renewable energy generation and electricity network planning; security assessments of gas and electricity network interdependence, power system economics and carbon footprints of renewable technologies. He is deputy Director for an MSc programme in Sustainable Energy Systems, teaches on a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and is the academic lead on the Royal Academy of Engineering interdisciplinary course on hydropower design.

Dr Harrison is a Chartered Engineer, a member of both the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is an Affiliate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Mike Hay - Technology Acceleration Manager - The Carbon Trust

Mike joined the Carbon Trust to head up their new offshore wind technology acceleration programme in November 2007. In this role he is responsible for delivering large scale projects in areas where accelerated innovation could have a material impact on reducing the cost of energy. Previous to this he spent four years at BWEA, latterly as Head of Offshore Renewables with overall responsibility for the Associations work on offshore wind, wave and tidal stream energy. During this time he oversaw lobbying activity on future rounds for offshore wind, financial support for wave and tidal stream and many other aspects of offshore renewable energy project development. Before joining BWEA Mike worked on the DTI/Carbon Trust Renewables Innovation Review. Mike has an MSc in Environmental Technology with Energy Policy from Imperial College London and an MA in Geography from the University of Aberdeen.

Dr Pernille Holtedahl - Consultant, Energy & Environment - Innovation Norway

Pernille Holtedahl has a Ph.D in economics and has over 10 years of experience working in the energy sector. Her background includes consulting, academia and government, and she now works for Innovation Norway in London, supporting Norwegian renewable energy companies in entering the UK market.

Bob Hunt - Head of Engineering - C-MAC MicroTechnology

Holds the position of Head of Engineering for C-MAC MicroTechnology and is based in Great Yarmouth, UK

Directs the activities of the R&D team developing new and advanced technologies and products for the business. Also manages the Product Engineering team providing engineering and test for custom products and technical support to manufacturing

Graduated with BSc (Hons) and MSc in electronic engineering and has a career spanning over 25 years in mcroelectronic and optoelectronic circuit and package development.

Principle expertise is with Hi-Rel, military and aerospace products and application.

Christopher Hunt - Managing Director - Riverstone Holdings LLC

Christopher Hunt is a Managing Director of Riverstone. He is based in London.

Mr. Hunt has nearly 20 years experience in renewable/alternative energy, gas and power. Through the course of his career, he has developed, constructed, financed and/or operated renewable and conventional energy businesses in over 25 countries involving more than 30 GWs of power capacity. Prior to joining Riverstone, Mr. Hunt was one of the principals leading the creation and growth of BP Alternative Energy, one of the world’s largest and most diversified renewable energy companies involving wind, solar, co-generation, gas/LNG power generation, biofuels, energy conversion and carbon sequestration businesses. While at BP, he was a principal architect in several strategic acquisitions and developments that positioned the renewable portfolio for significant profitability and future growth. He was also responsible for the development and operations of existing assets and served as Chief Executive, President or board member of several subsidiary companies.

Before BP, he has an extensive background in the energy sector. He was at Enron where he was responsible for the acquisition, development, operations and/or financing of a multi-billion dollar portfolio of 16 coal, gas, wind and distribution businesses spread across Asia, as well as some businesses in Latin America. Prior to Enron, he was a founding member of a privately held international private power company that developed multiple wind and gas-fired power assets across Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Mr. Hunt has served on multiple boards through the course of his career. He received his BA, with high departmental honors from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and his MBA, beta gamma sigma, from Columbia University. He has also completed various post-graduate training at Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Oxford Universities.

Paul Jordan - Business Development Director - Ocean Power Technologies Ltd

Paul joined Ocean Power Technologies Limited in October 2005 to head up their Business Development activities to progress existing, and secure new, OPT wave energy projects in the significant European markets.

Previously, Paul worked in the Innovation Programme at the Carbon Trust, developing new low carbon technologies. His primary focus was to set-up and run the Marine Energy Challenge programme, to assess marine energy technologies and establish the future growth potential for wave energy. Prior to the Carbon Trust, Paul was at Rolls Royce where he initially worked in Transmission and Distribution in the UK and then for Rolls-Royce International in Thailand carrying out business development activities. Paul then joined Rolls-Royce Power Ventures as Development Manager focusing on project development of 5MW to 150MW gas turbine and diesel engine power projects in the UK and Americas.

Paul graduated from Newcastle University in 1996 with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering (Europe), with Spanish as chosen language. In 2002 he completed an MBA at INSEAD, Paris.

Reijo Kemppinen - Head of the European Commission's Representation in the UK

As Head of the European Commission Representation in the UK, Reijo Kemppinen speaks to the public and the media for the institution and liaises with the UK authorities on all aspects of EU policy. But his task and that of the Representation he runs is not just to speak, it is also to listen and pass back to Brussels the views and opinions of those he meets and interacts with in his work.

A native Finn fluent in English and French, with Swedish and some German and Italian to his credit, Reijo began as a journalist in Finland, working for television and newspapers. He then moved to Brussels as a correspondent — working also for the BBC World Service — before returning to Finland where he coordinated the Government's communication activities during accession talks with the European Union and in an ensuing referendum campaign. After Finland joined in 1995, Reijo acted as spokesman for the Finnish Representation in Brussels and the Finnish Presidency of the EU. With the in-depth knowledge of EU affairs and experience he had built up in the interface between the media and the institutions, he went on to become spokesman at the Commission, first working for the UK Commissioner Chris Patten and later on for the Commission's President. In 2003 he became the chief spokesman of the Commission. He was appointed Head of the Commission's Representation in London in autumn 2005.

Mr Kemppinen has written several books about the EU, Belgium and Finnish politics and has scripted and directed several promotional films. He is a Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

Robert Kennedy - Operations Director - Manorlane Energy

Robert Kennedy is Operations Director for Manorlane Energy and is responsible for the development of renewable energy projects within the UK.

A civil engineer, Robert worked on major projects for 8 years before joining residential developer Bett Homes in 1998. He joined Manorlane in 2006 as Engineering Manager and took on the role of Operations Director January 2008.

Although a recent entrant into the renewable energy sector, Robert has already used his knowledge of project management & business experience to deliver commercially viable projects.

Committed to renewable energy (in particular Anaerobic Digestion & Fuel Cells), Robert believes that only by applying technology to current market conditions and making them financially viable will you secure mass market entry.

Danielle Lane - Round 3 Project Manager - The Crown Estate

Danielle Lane works for The Crown Estate as Round 3 Project Manager. She is responsible for planning and implementation for the next round of leases for offshore renewables and with agreements associated with offshore transmission activities. Prior to The Crown Estate, Danielle spent 7 years working for Centrica, initially as a Commercial Manager specialising in transmission issues, and latterly as a Project Manager with responsibility for managing the development and consent of Centrica’s Round 2 portfolio.

Dr Johannes Le Roux (Jannie) Retief - Chief Operations Officer - Renewable Energy Holdings plc

After receiving a B.Sc (Mechanical Engineering) degree from the University of Pretoria (cum laude, 1974), Jannie won a Shell Scholarship which enabled him to study at Cranfield Institute of Technology in the UK where he received a M.Sc in Engineering (cum laude, 1978). He returned to South Africa and completed a doctorate in 1984.

Jannie currently lives in the Isle of Man (UK) where he is Chief Operating Officer for Renewable Energy Holdings PLC. (REH PLC)

REH PLC is, as an owner and operator of renewable energy power plants, currently engaged in wave energy transformation, wind farms, land fill gas, solar and gasification projects.

Jannie is ideally suited for the challenges that the relatively new field of renewable energy brings along. He spent the earlier years of his career designing, constructing and commissioning distilleries, after which he gained experience in the fields of accounting, IT and marketing. Subsequently he was mainly involved in “fixing” companies or with “start-ups”. He has travelled widely and has worked and lived in South Africa, the UK, the USA, Canada and currently the Isle of Man.

He holds various directorships, is a member of professional organisations and is currently on the Executive Board of the British Energy Association. He has been actively involved in education and published a number of technical articles over the years.

Jannie is very proud having received the South African State President’s award for export achievement and was the first South African to be honoured as a Jurade of the Order of St. Emillion in Bordeaux, France.

Anne Strommen Lycke - Head of Wind Energy - StatoilHydro

Anne Strommen Lycke is Head of Wind Energy for StatoilHydro responsible for all the company’s wind energy projects - both onshore and offshore. She is also Chairman of Scira Offshore Energy, the joint venture company developing the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Wind Farm. Anne was previously the Asset Manager Hydro Langeled Project where she oversaw the construction of the Langeled gas pipeline from Aukra in Norway to Easington in Yorkshire, which supplies the UK with up to 20% of its gas.

Dr Ruairi MacIver - Project Manager (Renewable Energy) - Comhairle nan Eilean Sia

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (The Western Isles Council) is a local authority responsible for the chain of islands located roughly forty miles off the north-western coast of Scotland. The Western Isles are an Energy Innovation Zone, a designation that promotes the Comhairle’s commitment to the development of novel, low carbon, energy generation and usage.

Dr Ruairi MacIver is the Principal Officer responsible for developing and managing the Comhairle’s portfolio of renewable energy projects. These aim to harness the sustainable maritime, wind and bio-mass energy resources available to the islands to stimulate local renewable energy economic activity and to reduce the region’s dependence on imported energy.

The Hebridean Hydrogen Park is the Comhairle’s vision for demonstrating the potential of a hydrogen economy within the Western Isles. The presentation will highlight the achievements to date and proposals for future developments.

Dr MacIver has 14 years research experience in the physics of coastal flows at University College London, Imperial College London in the UK and University College Cork in Ireland. This knowledge has been used latterly to tackle issues relating to maritime renewable energy (wave and tidal stream). He took up post with the Western Isles Council in October 2007 and, amongst other things, is rapidly learning about the capabilities and possibilities of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells.

Maria McCaffery MBE - CEO - The British Wind Energy Association

Maria McCaffery was appointed Chief Executive of The British Wind Energy Association in June 2006. She is a graduate Chemist with a long track record in business support, international trade and national membership organisations. She is passionate about renewable energy systems and now champions the exploitation of the UK’s natural energy resources for electrical power generation, primarily from wind, wave and tidal technologies. With a strong focus in policy development and communications, she is engaging with industry, government and the finance sector to accelerate the deployment of all forms of renewable electricity.

Sue McDougall - Acting Chief Executive Officer - Renewable Fuels Agency

Sue McDougall is the interim Chief Executive of the Renewable Fuels Agency and has held this post since December 2007. Prior to that she was a consultant on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Team in the Department for Transport working specifically on communications and stakeholder management as well as the setting-up of the Renewable Fuels Agency. Before becoming a consultant, Sue held a number of policy and management roles in the Home Office. Her early career was in business journalism, working for both the Evening Standard City Page and the Financial Times.

Lisa C. Mallon - Health and Safety Manager - ScottishPower Renewables

Lisa is a Health and Safety professional with a Masters Degree in Safety and Environmental Management in addition to a Degree in Engineering. Lisa’s career has included roles within Manufacturing, Health & Safety Consultancy, Energy and Electricity Industries.

Lisa is currently the Health and Safety Manager for ScottishPower Renewables and a member of the BWEA health and safety steering group with particular responsibilities for training standards and public safety.

Lisa is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (MIOSH) and a Member of the Association of Project Safety (MaPS).

Ian Marchant - Chief Executive - SSE

Ian Marchant was appointed Chief Executive of SSE in October 2002 having been Finance Director since 1998. He joined Southern Electric in 1992 and joined the Board on becoming Finance Director in 1996. Ian has been Chairman of the United Kingdom Business Council for Sustainable Energy, is a member of Ofgem’s Environmental Advisory Group, the Coal Forum and of the Energy Research Partnership. Ian is a non-Executive Director of Maggie’s Cancer Centres and of John Wood Group PLC. He is also Chairman of the Climate Change Business Delivery Group.

Javier Marqués - Head of The EVE Renewable Energies Department

Javier Marqués is a graduate Industrial Engineer, specialising in Energy Technologies from the School of Industrial Engineering in Bilbao and Master in Business Administration from from the University of Deusto also in Bilbao.  He has over 20 years experience in the energy field, particularly renewable energies and has lead in EVE (the Basque Energy Board) on the implementation of different programmes for the development of renewable energies (solar, wind, biomass, marine…) in the Basque Country in northern Spain.  At present, he is the Head of The EVE Renewable Energies Department and a member of the Boards of companies, public/private involved in renewable energy projects and developments in which EVE has a share.  He is also a member of the Renewable Energies Working Group, constituted by the central Spanish Authorities and the Spanish Autonomous Communities for the development of renewable energies in Spain.  On the marine energy front, he leads on an energy from waves project that EVE with EU backing through the Framework VI programme is developing on the Basque coastline at Mutriku employing OWC technology from Wavegen (Scotland) the project for energy from waves.  He is also involved in an EVE project for the promotion and development of a research infrastructure for the development of marine energies on/off the Basque coastline in the future.

Jim Mather MSP - Minister for Enterprise, Energy, and Tourism

Born in March 1947, Jim Mather MSP was educated at Paisley Grammar, Greenock High School and Glasgow University, where he studied accountancy, law and economics.

In 1964, he became an apprentice chartered accountant, going on on to work in the computer industry, latterly running his own business, before entering politics.

From 2000 until 2004, he was the party's National Treasurer. At the 2003 Scottish Parliament election, Jim was elected as a Highlands and Islands MSP. As Shadow Enterprise and Economy Minister, he was a member of the SNP's Shadow Cabinet.

Mr Mather became the MSP for Argyll and Bute at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election and was appointed Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism.

He has been involved in the development and promotion of the Economic Case for Independence and is a Director of Business for Scotland.

He is married with two children.

Jan Matthiesen - Head of Onshore - British Wind Energy Association

Jan Matthiesen is the Head of Onshore at BWEA, the British Wind Energy Association. BWEA is the representative body for companies active in the UK wind, wave and tidal energy market. Its membership stands at over 380 companies. Jan has a University degree in electrical / mechanical engineering and has worked for Industry Associations since 2000.

Dr Keith Melton - Director of Technology & Innovation - NaREC

Broad International experience in R&D management and new product development across a range of sectors and technologies.

Responsible for the technical delivery team at NaREC supporting the wind, marine and electrical businesses, developing a business in micro renewables, selling and delivering consultancy across NaREC’s range of capabilities, R&D programme.

With Corus, led a project to do a feasibility study on a permanent magnet direct drive wind turbine.

Andrew Mill - Chief Executive - NaREC

Andrew is the Chief Executive of NaREC (New and Renewable Energy Centre). Born in Scotland but attended school in Canada before returning to complete his education in Glasgow. He attended The University of Strathclyde where he was awarded a degree in electrical engineering and electronic science. After a period with YARD consultants Andrew joined Rolls Royce Peebles where he was Director and General Manger of the projects division. The company completed a number of mechanical and electrical packages for small hydro, mining, wind turbine and thermal power plants world wide. He has been involved in the energy industry for most of his career including a period as Business Development Director Southern Europe with British Energy. He spent a short period in the communications industry where as Operations Director he was responsible for the implementation of a system which recovered data from remote equipment using mobile phone technology. Prior to joining NaREC he was Managing Director of EMEC the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney during its initial build and operational phase. Andrew is a member of the UK DTI’s Renewables Advisory Board and sits on the board of a number of companies involved in renewable energy.

Professor C Paul Mitchell - Institute of Energy Technologies, University of Aberdeen

Prof Paul Mitchell has almost 30 years experience in conducting research, development and demonstration in renewable energies. He has worked closely with government departments and agencies, research institutes, international organisations and industry as programme and project manager developing biomass and bioenergy as an economically viable and sustainable source of energy. The development of wood either as co-products from the conventional forest industries or as short rotation coppice energy crops and more recently the development of biofuels has been a particular focus.

He teaches into the Energy Futures MSc programme and has supervised numerous PhD students on energy-related topics, in particular techno-economic and systems analysis of renewable energy technologies..

He is the author of over 200 scientific papers, editor of a book and 16 conference proceedings.

Professor Mitchell is the Chief Editor of the academic journal Biomass and Bioenergy published by Elsevier.

Professor Mitchell is based in the University of Aberdeen, College of Physical Sciences where he is Director of the Institute of Energy Technologies. The Institute brings together all the research in the University directed at energy related issues. Prime strengths are in renewables (biomass, biofuels, wave, fuel cells), Petroleum engineering, petroleum geology, storage of nuclear waste, economics & policy, supply system modelling, carbon sequestration, design of energy efficient buildings. He is a co-director of the Energy Technologies Partnership – a pan-Scotland partnership of university based researcher into all aspects of energy. He is also a founder Director of the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) – a public/private body to develop and promote the deployment of clean energy technologies.

Colin Morgan - Director - Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd

Colin Morgan is a Director of Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd, based in the UK.  He has a mechanical engineering background and has worked in the wind energy industry for 20 years.  In this time his work has included: wind turbine aerodynamic and structural analysis and design; software development and support; research into wake effects; wind and energy resource assessment;  banks due diligence; construction management; and wind turbine inspection.   For the past seven years he has been in charge of GH work on offshore wind projects.

Alan Mortimer - Head of Renewables Policy - ScottishPower Renewable Energy Ltd

Alan Mortimer graduated from Glasgow University in 1987 with an Honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He then joined James Howden & Co. Ltd. in Glasgow, working on a variety of products from tunnelling machines to industrial fans to wind turbines. In 1991 Alan joined ScottishPower, working initially as an engineer, then moving into renewables development. During this period the company has expanded to become the leading player in the UK wind market with 18 windfarms totalling over 380MW, including the UK’s largest windfarm at Black Law (124MW). In his current role as Head of Renewables Policy he has responsibility for policy and strategic issues related to the company’s growth ambitions. This includes developments in the marine sector such as the Orkney project with PWP and the tidal project with Hammerfest Strøm.

Philippe Nellissen - Business Development Manager - 3B-the fibre glass company

Birth date: 02/12/1972 Citizenship: Belgium, married, 1 child

Education:

Hold an Civil Engineering degree in Electromechanics from the University of Liège, Belgium.

Hold a Master in Management from the HEC in Liège

Business experience

• Started at Owens Corning in 2000 and hold various position Manufacturing Plant in Battice ( Belgium).Was in charge of Maintenance and production of short fibres products
• In 2005, Joined the Business Development Team at the European Team of Owens Corning.

Mainly dedicated to Energy and Infrastructure market. In energy field, a lot of interest in Renewable Energies (Wind, Wave and Tidal, …).

• In November 2007, joined 3B , the fibreglass company as Business Development Manager. 3B is a new name in fibreglass reinforcements manufacturing for the composite and reinforced plastics industries. Formed as an independent entity following the acquisition of Saint Gobain's reinforcements business Vetrotex by Owens Corning, 3B is the #1 European-based glass fibre manufacturer

Guy Nicholson - Chief Executive - Econnect Group

Guy Nicholson is a chartered engineer with 27 years’ experience of renewables and is the founder of Econnect. He is a highly respected authority on grid integration issues both in the UK and in Europe, and has delivered presentations at major renewable events around the world.

Guy represents generators on the GB Grid Code Review Panel and on the UK Ofgem DTI Distribution Working Group. He is an advocate for renewable energy, sustainability and a low carbon global economy.

Dr Trudy Nicholson - Head, Energy Efficiency Unit - Scottish Government

Trudy started life out as a research scientist working in the field of neurophysiology at University College London. In 2000, she moved back to Scotland to join the Scottish Executive to work on innovation and research & development policy, including support schemes such as Proof of Concept, SMART and SPUR. After three years, she was seconded to University of Glasgow to work on a European funded knowledge transfer project aimed at bridging the gap between SMEs and the University.

On return to the Executive in 2004, she worked in skills policy, primarily responsible for the development of Sector Skills Councils and Sector Skills Agreements in Scotland.

Since May 2006, she has headed up the Energy Efficiency Team in the Scottish Government providing a strategic view on energy efficiency policies and activities. She is responsible for taking forward the Scottish Government's overall strategy and policy developments on energy efficiency. Much of this work involves co-ordinating, contributing and mainstreaming activity across the Scottish Government. She oversees the work of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust in Scotland, along with the Central Energy Efficiency Fund and Loan Action Scotland. In addition, she is responsible for developing future policy for supporting microgeneration in Scotland.

Gavin Peart - Head of the Building Standards Strategy Division - the Directorate for the Built Environment

Gavin is currently Head of the Building Standards Strategy Division of the Directorate for the Built Environment. He oversees the work of the Research/Sustainability/LZCT, Structure/Energy and Safety/Noise Branches. On joining the Scottish Government seven years ago, Gavin was given responsibility for the technical content of the Noise and Energy standards and guidance, including implementation of the EU Directive on the energy performance of buildings. From 1978 until 2001 he was employed by 2 local authorities, performing the full range of building control responsibilities. He also has full corporate membership of the RICS.

Jon Priddy - Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company

Jon has been employed as a CES development officer in the north highlands, Caithness, Sutherland and Ross-shire since 2002. The work includes developing community based renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in partnership with community groups including hall committees, community forestry groups and groups with an interest in providing a sustainable income from renewable energy to address local needs. Jon came to the job from a career in environmental management centred on Forestry and was latterly involved in developing a biomass cluster in north Sutherland. He has a Msc in Environmental Resource Management (Forestry Strategies) and is now studying electrical engineering part time as well as building up his own portfolio of micro wind and hydro turbine installation work. He has built built his own log home in Sutherland complete with a wood fired heating system.

Win Rampen - Artemis Intelligent Power

Win grew up on an Ontario farm near Toronto surrounded by sheds full of lovely old, broken, machines, which encouraged a hand's-on interest in engineering and energy.  After a first degree in Mechanical Engineering in Toronto he hopped continents and found a job with Stephen Salter working on the power conversion side of the "Duck" wave-energy converter, under the tutelage of Robert Clerk.  After a spell as a lecturer in Toronto, he returned to Edinburgh in 1987 to take up an EPSRC project which effectively continued the earlier work on ultra-efficient hydraulic transmissions.  He completed a part-time PhD in 1993, his thesis "the Digital Displacement Hydraulic Pump" providing the initial framework for the development that followed.

After building and demonstrating the first Digital Displacement® machines he, with Stephen Salter, spun out Artemis Intelligent Power in 1994 to develop and commercialise this technology.  Artemis is now an R&D and licensing company, with a focus on two major clean technology applications for its transmissions. Hydraulic hybrid vehicle applications have been licensed to Bosch, and discussions are in progress with two major wind turbine manufacturers. The company is still entirely owned by its founders and employees.

Dave Raval - Manager, Carbon Trust - TTP Incubator

Dave is the Incubator Manager. He has a strong understanding of how to combine technology and business to deliver commercially-successful new ventures, and 10 years' experience of helping new technology companies to grow. He has worked with start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, spin-outs from large companies, academia and university technology transfer offices, finance providers, charitable bodies, the DTI/DIUS and all of the UK’s Regional Development Agencies and Local Assembly Governments.

Dave has degrees in Engineering and Business from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and has lived and worked in the UK, USA and Germany.

Dr Geoff Riddington

Dr Geoff Riddington is an independent consultant and Visiting Reader in Quantitative Economics in the Division of Public Policy at the Caledonian Business School. He specialises in economic forecasting and in economic impact and cost-benefit appraisals of leisure, tourism and transport related projects and activities. His publications include papers on combining the economic value and impact frameworks, on the econometric forecasts underlying airport development plans, on the economic benefits associated with angling and water sports, on methods for estimating local input-output tables, on forecasting skiing numbers and on the evaluation of train protection systems. He has also published work on the economics of Scottish Railways, on Scottish Ferry Services and on Scottish Tourism Statistics.

Rainer Romirer-Maierhofer - Technical support & Training Europe, UK Export Manager - Windhager Zentralheizung GmbH, Austria

Rainer Romirer-Maierhofer started his electrical training early – at 15, finishing this full time part of his education at 19. After this he studied at evening classes for his master's diplomas – in electrical engineering as well as mechanical & automation engineering. He worked as a technician in different companies, and has been working with Windhager Zentralheizung for the past 5 ½ years. He started there as a service technician. For the past 3 1/2 years he has worked with the export department. First he was responsible for technical matters in export (training, support, service, etc.), but for the past eighteen months he has also been responsible for sales in UK and Ireland. He is also the head labour union speaker for the company.

Marco Rossetti - Project Engineer - Air Products plc

Project Engineer with over 14 years experience in the implementation of a wide range of projects having special expertise in the Gases & Chemical industry. Currently responsible for project managing several high profile hydrogen energy projects in Europe.

Patrick Schmidt - Researcher - Ludwig-Bolkow-Systemtechnik (LBST)

Patrick Schmidt received his diploma in electrical engineering 2001 in Karlsruhe/Germany. Since then, Patrick Schmidt is working with Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST) as researcher and project manager in strategy and technology projects in the context of sustainable energy and transport systems. He has been part of the European HFP Secretariat and has been working in a number of industry and research projects, among others “GermanHy” – The German Hydrogen Energy Roadmap. His main interests are sustainablity issues, renewable energies and green business.

Neil Schofield - Head of Sustainable Development Head of Sustainable Development - Bosch Thermotechnology Ltd

Neil has been involved in the heating industry throughout his career, starting at British Gas before moving on to Worcester in 1987.

For the last five years, Neil has been leading the company on industry legislation, ensuring that Worcester is at the forefront of providing support for any new changes. He took on this new role to initially to focus on the amends to the building regulations (Part L regarding boilers) and is now the company's main ambassador for promoting awareness of renewable technology and carbon reduction legislation.

As part of Neil’s role, he is involved many industry bodies. He is currently Chair of ACE (Association for the Conservation of Energy) and Chair of the Construction Products Association’s Low and Zero Carbon Technologies Group.

Neil is also involved with a number of other bodies including:

• Heating & Hotwater Industry Council (Chair - Low carbon technologies group)
• Solar Trade Association (Vice Chairman)
• GSHP Association (Council member)

Carin Schwartz - Chair - Transition Town Forres Group

Carin Schwartz is  Chair of Transition Town Forres Group, a newly established community group established to encourage local action for higher resilience in the face of climate change and peak oil. The group is one of many in the UK wide Transition Town network, currently at over 750 communities, towns, cities and neighbourhoods. The Transition Town Forres Group aims to create an Energy Descent Action Plan to suggest ways for Forres to become carbon neutral in the not too distant future. She is also active in a number of local organisations where she works to give community members a voice to speak their concerns. (Chair of Forres Neighbour hood Forum, President of Forres and Findhorn Toastmaster Club,  Director of Findhorn Foundation College and Director of Ekopia)

Previous to this Carin worked in international banking for 27 years in Stockholm, New York, Berlin and London, primarily with Trade Finance. She moved to Scotland 3 years ago.

Tavish Scott MSP - Convener, Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee

In 1999, 2003 and 2007, Tavish Scott was elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Shetland which, at some 300 miles from Edinburgh, is the furthest constituency from Holyrood, and is a constituency made up of a group of islands closer to Norway than they are to Edinburgh.

Representing Shetland's interests in Edinburgh mean that, as well as the usual health, education, and housing issues all MSPs have to deal with, he has to keep in touch with fishing, aquaculture, crofting & farming, and energy (oil and renewables) issues. And, of course, transport is always a major issue, which affects all aspects of island life, and indeed of the life of the islands MSP as he travels back and forwards between Shetland and Edinburgh.

Prior to his election to the Scottish Parliament, he was a Director of Shetland Islands Tourism, a Shetland Islands Councillor and Chairman and Trustee of the Lerwick Harbour Trust. Prior to May 2007, Tavish held ministerial office in the Scottish Executive as Deputy Minister for Parliament, Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Services and Parliamentary Business and latterly Minister for Transport.

Dale Seymour - Deputy Secretary for Energy, Resources and Major Projects - Department of Primary Industries, Melbourne

He is responsible for major capital projects and departmental work on the Energy, Minerals and Extractive Industries covering policy, regulation, investment facilitation, technology and innovation. He oversees energy policy advice and projects and the implementation and further development of the Energy Technology Innovation Strategy. He is also tasked with managing the Government's negotiations with Alcoa on proposed expansion within Victoria. Dale advises the Minister for Energy and Resources, The Hon. Peter Batchelor, MP.

Recent high profile capital projects he has overseen include the relocation of the Melbourne Wholesale Market, the establishment of a Biosciences Research Centre, and the Melbourne Showgrounds Redevelopment project. As well as being at the centre of Victoria’s response to climate change, he has a wealth of experience in government structural reform and major capital works as well as a keen understanding of the political process.

Malcolm Shepherd - Managing Director - Biofuel Matters Ltd

Malcolm Shepherd is Managing Director of Biofuel Matters Ltd, a company that provides specialist consultancy services for commercial companies, government agencies, trade associations and NGOs on biofuel issues - with particular emphasis on commodity risk management, feedstock selection, co-product utilisation, supply networks and competition for crops.

Current projects for biodiesel and bioethanol interests include feedstock procurement & risk management strategies, evaluating alternative markets for biofuel co-products and investigating the issues & facts surrounding the “food versus fuel” debate.

Before establishing Biofuel Matters, Malcolm was Managing Director of Green Spirit Fuels, Director of eBIO (European Bioethanol Producers Association) and Managing Director of Wessex Grain Ltd. His working experience involves commodity trading, animal feed & feed ingredient processing and management of a large bioethanol project that included the investigation of feed markets for fermentation residues.

Charles Shields - Chief Executive - Industrial and Power Association

Charles Shields is the Chief Executive of the Industrial and Power Association. He has been a Director of the Association since 1994. His career spans about 40 years in the power industry. Early career experience included five years in the nuclear industry, followed by three years in the power boiler industry. The larger part of his career was in the gas turbine industry, spending 28 years with John Brown Engineering at Clydebank in Scotland.

The Industrial and Power Association supports and promotes companies involved in the power and energy business. The IPA has a membership of 48 companies, ranging from large utility to small consultants. Members’ interests include engineering, manufacturing, construction, project development, and the financial and legal activity in power projects.

Stein Erik Skilhagen -Vice President Osmotic Power - Statkraft

Master in Environmental Engineering from Norway. All his professional life been spent working with industrial development projects - everything from breweries through pharmaceuticals and also production of fertilizers. The last few years he has spent his time on the development of osmotic power, including handling the transition of transferring this concept from purely R&D into a representation of a great future possibility within renewable energy.

Richard Slark - Director of Renewables - Pöyry Energy Consulting

Richard Slark is director of renewables at Pöyry Energy Consulting with fourteen years experience in the operation of power markets in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. Richard specialises the commercial and strategic response to energy policy and in the design and implementation of renewable policy instruments. He advises on price, policy and regulatory risk in Europe’s conventional and renewable electricity markets. Richard currently divides his time between advising on the financing and valuation of renewable projects and on the issues arising from the EU’s 20% renewable energy target for 2020. His clients include conventional and renewable power station developers, financiers and operators, government departments and regulators.

Pöyry Energy Consulting is Europe's leading energy consultancy – providing strategic, commercial, regulatory and policy advice to Europe's energy markets. Part of Pöyry Plc, the global engineering and consulting firm, Pöyry Energy Consulting merges the expertise of ILEX Energy Consulting, ECON and Convergence Utility Consultants with the management consulting arms of Electrowatt-Ekono and Verbundplan. Our team of over 250 energy specialists, located across 15 European offices in 12 countries, offers unparalleled expertise in the rapidly changing energy sector.

Jon Slowe - Director - Delta Energy & Environment

Jon is a director at Delta Energy & Environment, and a specialist in the fields of micro-CHP, emerging decentralised energy (DE) technologies, DE markets, business models and applications. Jon has published numerous reports on these topics and carried out a variety of consulting engagements He leads work advising utilities, investor, technology developers and policy makers in Europe, North America and Japan. He has nine years experience in the energy sector. Jon previously worked for Platts as manager of its E Source Distributed Energy and Micro-CHP research services, subscribed to by utilities and other organisations around the world.. Before that, Jon worked for the UK's Energy Saving Trust, managing their programmes to support the take up of cogeneration and the development of energy services offerings.

Dr Jo Smith - Reader in Soil Organic Matter and Nutrient Modelling, School of Biological Sciences -University of Aberdeen

Dr Jo Smith obtained a PhD in Modelling Clay Mineral Dissolution from the University of Reading in 1991. She worked briefly for British Petroleum, modelling zeolite materials, before moving to Rothamsted Research. At Rothamsted Research, she focussed on simulation of soil organic matter and nitrogen turnover, with particular emphasis on nitrate leaching from Nitrate Sensitive Areas and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. In 2001, she moved to the University of Aberdeen, where research interests shifted onto greenhouse gas emissions from the soil associated with land use and climate change. In 2005, the team published the most comprehensive dynamic simulation to date of carbon dioxide emissions from mineral soils in Europe. Since then, the team has focussed on organic soils, with the development of a new model of soil organic matter and nitrogen turnover in highly organic soils (ECOSSE). Recently, she coordinated a project to provide revised guidelines for calculating carbon savings from windfarms sited on Scottish peatlands. It is this work that she will discuss at All-Energy ’08.

Louise Smith - Pentland Firth Tidal Energy Project Manager - Highlands & Islands Enterprise

Louise is a chartered civil engineer who is well known in the North of Scotland for promoting renewable energy projects. Since returning to live in Thurso, Caithness four years ago she has been involved in several energy initiatives including three years as a director of the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company (HICEC). She has also served as chair of the Caithness Renewable Energy Forum, and established the Caithness Energy Alliance (a body formed by businesses with a Caithness base, to target the renewable and offshore markets) together with a free energy advice service for householders in Caithness and Sutherland whilst working for a local community group

In February 2008 she joined the Pentland Firth Tidal Energy Project - a partnership of the area’s principal agencies – which is the key contact for marine energy device developers, investors, utility companies and the supply chain. The project vision is to support the development of a globally important marine energy industry in the Pentland Firth to the significant benefit of the local and national economies in a sustainable and environmentally aware way.

Dr Michael R Smith - Chief Executive - Energyfiles

Michael has spent over 25 years working in the oil and gas industry.

After receiving his geology doctorate from Oxford University he worked for 7 years as a consultant in Asia followed by 10 years employed in both managerial and technical capacities with oil companies all over the world.

His interest in energy supply forecasting was stimulated whilst Exploration Manager for Sun Oil in Yemen in 1991, observing the rapid rise and fall of Sun’s upstream business and realising the scarcity of material global drilling prospects even then.

He is now Chief Executive of Energyfiles where he has developed a detailed forecasting service. Visit www.energyfiles.com for more information.

Dave Sowden

Dave Sowden is an experienced chief executive in regulatory and public affairs with over 15 years’ experience in the energy industry and an outstanding track record in obtaining changes in UK and EU legislation and regulation. He is an official adviser on Energy Policy to the UK Ministers, and has had a pivotal role across a number of years in shaping key aspects of UK energy policy, especially in the microgeneration sector.

While employed by one of the world’s leading energy companies he was instrumental in setting up the Micropower Council, an industry body that brings together companies and trade associations with the aim of promoting microgeneration. It was the prime mover behind the UK government’s Microgeneration Strategy and the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006, one of the largest ever Private Member's Bills to become law.

In his early career, he spent ten years in the UK electricity and gas industry, with substantial parts of this spent in Brussels influencing the passage of EU energy liberalisation legislation. He holds a first degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Wales, and an MBA from the University of Warwick. He is a member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, the Institute Of Directors, and a Fellow of the RSA.

Rick Squires - Chairman - Eclipse Energy UK Ltd

Rick is Chairman of Eclipse Energy UK Ltd a privately owned company which is developing a 150 MW offshore wind farm in the UK. Rick is also Chairman of FibreGen the AIM quoted company which is the second largest wood pellet supplier in the North America. He is a board member of Good Energy, the UK based 100% renewable electricity supplier and also Prins Alternatech a supplier of LPG conversion equipment for the automotive industry. Rick also runs iEnergy Ltd, which provides consulting, executive search and management education services to the energy industry.

Rick has extensive experience in the international energy business across a wide range of activities and fuels. Until 2003 he was based in Boston, USA with InterGen, an international power company. Prior to this, Rick headed the Power Business within Shell Gas and Power, London. His career in Shell spanned over 25 years and included senior management positions in Shell Coal International, Shell Gas Power and Shell International Trading. While he was principally based in London, he also had assignments with Shell in South Africa and Japan. Before joining Shell, he worked in the UK as a graduate engineer for the South Western Electricity Board. Rick holds a First Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters Degree in Business Studies.

Peter Stephen - Lord Provost - Aberdeen City Council

Place of Birth: Aberdeen
Educated: Sunnybank Primary; Robert Gordon's College
Qualifications: M.C.I.B.S. Member of Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland
Occupation: 1953-1991 Union Bank of Scotland which became Bank of Scotland, retired as Senior Branch Manager, (broken only by 2 years of National Service). 1992-1996 Self employed Business Consultant
Professional Membership: M.C.I.B.S.
Special Interests: Pensions, Community/Ward, The City
Leisure Interests: Family, caravaning, walking, gardening, horses, dogs and bowls

The Lord Provost is Aberdeen’s civic head, an ancient office dating back to the 13th century.  Peter Stephen was nominated and elected as the new Lord Provost for Aberdeen.

The 43 members of Aberdeen City Council following the local government elections elect the ‘first citizen’ every four years. The Provost is also the Convener of the Council and continues to carry out the normal duties of an elected member.

The role involves the active promotion of Aberdeen at home and abroad. This involves a wide range of activities from hosting civic receptions and acting as the city’s ambassador, to taking part in a wide range of activities involving Aberdeen’s many groups and organisations.

Importantly, the Lord Provost is also the Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen City and in this capacity, greets the Royal Family and visiting Heads of State. Other titles held by the Lord Lieutenant are the Lord High Admiral of the Northern Seas and the Vice Admiral of the Coast of Great Britain and Ireland.

Rita Stephen - Development Manager - ACSEF

A graduate in Management from The Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Rita Stephen has almost completed two years of a three year secondment to the Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Forum (ACSEF) as Development Manager. ACSEF is a public-private sector partnership created to deliver economic development priorities throughout the North East of Scotland to retain Aberdeen City and Shire’s position as the top performing economy in Scotland. She is currently preparing an Economic Development plan for 2008-201, in partnership with the private sector and over the past two years has engaged with some1200 local businesses to ensure their needs and expectations are reflected in the plan.

Prior to taking up this post, Rita was Head of Economic Development of Aberdeen City Council for four years.

As Head of Economic Development, she had responsibility for marketing the city of Aberdeen, locally, nationally and internationally, the delivery of a £1.5 million scheme of financial assistance to businesses, Inward Investment and International Trade Development.

Her career in local government, which began in 1992, was preceded by a 7year period of owning a sales and marketing company whose client list included the Ford Motor Company, and a large international hotel chain. She speaks fluent French and Spanish

She is married with two children, aged 23 and 20. Time constraints allowing, her hobbies include running, hill climbing and Roman history.

Jeff Steynor - University of Edinburgh

Jeff Steynor is in the 4th year of a Master course in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.

Having mostly been trained in the dockyard as a “Jack of All Trades”, he decided at the age of 21 to return to education in pursuit of Renewable Energy. The combination of electrical and mechanical was chosen in anticipation of the scope of work in the renewables industry. During his degree course, Jeff has spent summer vacations working for the Bermuda Electric Light Company. He is presently in the middle of a Shell UK internship as part of the degree course after which he hopes to emerge with a First degree in June 2009.

David Still


 

Christoph Stiller - Postdoctoral Researcher - NTNU

Christoph Stiller holds a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Munich University of Technology and a PhD from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Since 2001 he is with Munich-based Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik (Strategy and technology consultants for sustainable energy and transport systems). His main fields of work are hydrogen infrastructure and energy system modelling, and he has contributed to various hydrogen roadmap projects. Since 2006 he is on part-time leave for a Postdoctoral fellowship at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology within the project “NorWays – Providing decision support for the introduction of hydrogen into the Norwegian energy system”.

Liv Monica Bargem Stubholt - State Secretary - Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum & Energy

Work experience: