Offshore wind: Round 3 opportunities - Biographies

Richard Brooks - Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)

Richard Brooks works in the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED) in DECC, focusing on securing economic benefit for the UK from the wind market.

Previously, Richard was head of Knowledge Transfer policy at the Office of Science and Technology, prior to which he spent 5 years working for a supplier development consultancy in the automotive and aerospace sectors. Richard began his career at the National Engineering Laboratory (now owned by TUV) carrying out research within the materials technology area.

Richard is an engineering graduate with a MBA from Imperial College London.

Adrian Fox - Supply Chain Manager, The Crown Estate

Adrian Fox is the supply chain manager for the marine estate group within The Crown Estate. He has the responsibility for engaging with, facilitating and enabling the supply chains required to deliver technology and projects within the marine estate. In the energy sector this encompasses wave, tidal, CCST and wind with a particular emphasis on Round 3.

A civil/structural engineer Adrian has over 15 years international experience in the energy sector involving offshore oil and gas, conventional thermal generation as well as marine renewables. He has been involved in all parts of the value chain of capital projects, from inception, feasibility and delivery.

Richard Hall - Project Manager, Regional Manufacturing Capabilities, Department of Energy and Climate Change

Richard Hall works in the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED) in DECC, focusing on business development for the UK from the wind market.

Previously, Richard led the UKs Carbon Capture and Storage Demonstration Project , he has worked across a range of UK government Departments in the field of Government procurement.

David Hodkinson - Director, Head of Development for Vattenfall Wind Power in the UK

David Hodkinson heads Vattenfall Wind Power's offshore and onshore development and construction activities in the UK, having previously led the wind energy business that Vattenfall acquired from AMEC plc in 2008.

He is currently responsible for delivery of the Thanet and Ormonde projects, as well as leading Vattenfall's relationship with Scottish Power Renewables in respect of its recently awarded Round 3 Development opportunity off the coast of East Anglia.

David led the AMEC team that worked with Centrica to secure the Docking Shoal and Race Bank Round 2 development opportunities in 2004, having previously sold the consented Lynn project to Centrica in 2003, and was a director of the operating company for the Blyth offshore demonstration project. He has previous experience in the railway and nuclear industries and significant M&A experience.

David has a MBA from the University of Manchester and a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Leeds.

Allan MacAskill - Business Development Director, SeaEnergy Renewables Limited

Allan MacAskill graduated with an Honours degree in Mathematics from Herriot Watt University. On completing his studies he joined the oil industry and worked in the BP group for nearly 20 years, undertaking a variety of roles in petroleum and reservoir engineering in the UK and North America. In 1998 he joined Talisman Energy where he performed a number of subsurface and project management roles, including the $100 million project to redevelop the Beatrice field.

In 2003 he was appointed Beatrice Windfarm Director and Coordinator of the DOWNVInD programme, Europe’s largest renewable energy research and development programme. It pioneered the development of large scale windfarms in the deeper waters on the UK Renewable Energy Zone and culminated in the installation of two turbines at Beatrice, in 45 m of water 25km from shore.

In 2008 Allan and the Beatrice Windfarm Team formed SeaEnergy Renewables in conjunction with Ramco Energy, now SeaEnergy plc. He was appointed as Business Development Director of the new company.

Allan is a Director of Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group and a Director of Scottish Renewables and chairman of the Offshore group. He is on the Steering Committee of the European Wind Technology Platform, chairman of the Offshore sub-committee and a member of the Scottish Government’s Forum for Renewable Energy Development In Scotland.

John G Robertson - Managing Director, Burntisland Fabrications Ltd

I have now worked in this industry for 35 years and during that time have been involved in numerous large engineering projects associated with the development of major North Sea oil fields, during this period I have worked for most of the major oil companies.