PLENARY SESSION - DAY TWO - BIOGRAPHIES
Managing Director - Pipistrelle Ltd - an energy tech/economic devt consultancy
Fellow of the Society for Underwater Technology
Trustee of the Glens of Foudland Windfarm Trust
Columnist Press and Journal "Energy" publication
Been in the energy industry for 33 years (but I look a lot younger !)
Rob Harrison is a Climate Change Consultant at the Met Office. He is a research scientist with more than 7 years experience developing numerical models and undertaking modelling based impact assessments and studies for a range of clients from both the commercial and government sectors. He began his career in marine science before moving to the Met Office to work in Climate Research developing the complex computer models that are used to simulate both past and future climate. More recently he has been working on applying projections of climate change to real world problems in many sectors including Energy and Transport.
Rt Hon Brian Wilson was UK Energy Minister from 2001-03 and MP for Cunninghame North from 1987-2005. In all, he held five Ministerial posts and latterly was the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Overseas Trade. As a longstanding supporter of renewable energy, Brian Wilson is now chairman of the UK Board of Airtricity and advises several other renewables companies; He is also a director of Celtic plc. Married with three children, Brian lives in Glasgow.
Dr. Michael Raymont, CEO, EnergyINet Inc.
Michael Raymont is the Chief Executive Officer of EnergyINet Inc. EnergyINet is a consortium of the Federal Government of Canada, several Provincial Governments, and a significant number of the major energy companies in Canada. EnergyINet’s mandate is to identify issues facing the energy industry and advance the development and commercialization of critical technologies which can help provide abundant secure supplies of environmentally responsible energy for economic and social benefit.
Previously, Michael Raymont served as Acting President and Vice-President, Technology and Industry Support, with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), which is the largest Federal agency in Canada carrying out R&D as well as technology transfer and commercialization programs.
Prior to his time with NRC, Michael spent five years in the US, and most recently, was Chairman and CEO of EquipNet Inc., a Boston-based provider of software and services for capital asset management to Global 1000 manufacturing companies.
From 1993 to 1999, Michael was President/CEO of Canadian-based technology companies in the engineered materials and medical products sectors. From 1988 to 1993, Michael was CEO of all the non-regulated subsidiaries of Telus Corp, where he ran their international operations and venture investments, primarily in software and telecommunications businesses. Michael Raymont's previous roles involved research management, licensing and technology transfer at universities and not-for-profit research institutes.
Dr. Raymont has B.Sc (Hons) and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry, and was a Killam Scholar. He holds two patents, and has authored over 100 publications and presentations, principally on technology commercialization and economic development. He has extensive international experience, having spent almost seven years outside Canada, in the US, East Asia and Europe. He has held board positions in a number of public and private technology companies, and is a member of several professional associations.
Lord Truscott was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Energy on 10 November 2006.
Lord (Peter) Truscott of St James's is a Labour peer. He is a former member of the House of Lords European Union Committee, Sub Committee C (Foreign Affairs, Defence and Development Policy), and a former departmental liaison peer to the Ministry of Defence.
In the European Parliament he represented Hertfordshire (1994 - 1999), and was Labour's Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesperson, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Vice-President of the Security Sub Committee. He was also a member of the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Russian Federation.
In addition to being rapporteur and shadow rapporteur for a number of European parliamentary reports (including future strategy towards Central Asia and the association agreement with Estonia), he formally contributed to the UK's Strategic Defence Review.
Following his doctorate from Oxford University, he has written extensively on foreign and security policy. An expert on the former Soviet Union and European security, he was visiting Research Fellow with the Institute for Public Policy Research from 1999 - 2000. He was recently an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. His major publications include Russia First (1997), European Defence (2000), Kursk, (2002) and Putin's Progress (2004). He has regularly appeared as a political analyst on the BBC, CNN and Sky TV.
John Westwood - Douglas-Westwood Limited
John has a background in underwater technology and spent 12 years in the offshore industry where he was involved with the first North Sea fields and pipeline systems before becoming responsible for worldwide marketing.
In 1990 he formed energy industry analysts Douglas-Westwood. Its major client group is investment banks and private equity companies and to date it has served clients in 38 countries. In the past year the Firm has advised on merger, acquisition and financing deals totalling over $5 billion.
In previous presentations to All-Energy John successfully forecast the oil & gas price rises and the growth of the renewable energy sector. Today he will be updating us on his company’s latest views on the prospects for green energy.
