Business Briefing Insights into New Markets - Biographies

Sarah Hillyear, International Trade Executive, AREG

Sarah is responsible for developing and delivering the international trade services for the local business community on behalf of Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group. This includes producing the Aberdeen City and Shire Renewables survey, contributing to the development of the International Renewables Strategy, co-ordinating a range of international trade events and activities. and the provision of export related advice, assistance and information to businesses.

Before joining Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, Sarah worked as a project manager with Scottish Enterprise Energy Team.

Sarah has a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Michael Rosenfeld, Vice Consul - USA Clean Technology Sector Lead

Mike Rosenfeld is Vice-Consul with UK Trade & Investment, the UK Government’s international business development agency, in the British Consulate-General, Los Angeles. He serves as lead officer in the USA for the Clean Technology sector and has significant expertise in renewable energy and environmental technologies. Mr. Rosenfeld also serves as a member of the UK’s Climate Change team addressing global warming solutions in the US.

As a team leader of commercial officers in the USA, he represents UK Plc. across a range of industry sectors by identifying inward investment opportunities among American companies seeking to expand into the UK and supporting British companies, exporting technologies, products, and services into the US, as well as identifying joint venture and other partnership opportunities. In addition to serving as US lead officer for the Clean Technology sector, Mr. Rosenfeld’s responsibilities include the promotion of UK commercial interests across southern California; Arizona; Utah; southern Nevada; the Pacific Northwest; and Hawaii.

Mr. Rosenfeld has been a corporate investment, marketing and business development executive in Los Angeles for the past 25 years. He established AM Venture Partners, a venture capital and investment firm, in Los Angeles in 1999. Mr. Rosenfeld has raised capital for, served as a director on corporate boards, and represented national and international companies in the environmental, energy, engineering, maritime, telecommunications and healthcare sectors. He also has served in senior-level executive management positions with two global environmental engineering, construction and technology firms.

Mr. Rosenfeld began his career as a journalist in Los Angeles in 1978. He continues to write occasionally, contributing to a number of environmental, energy, maritime and engineering publications. He earned a joint MBA/Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California and Bachelor’s Degrees in political science and history from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Rosenfeld resides in Marina del Rey, California.