Speaker profiles

 

Keynote speakers

 

David Bent - Head of Business Strategies, Forum for the Future

David Bent is Head of Business Strategies at Forum for the Future, the leading sustainability charity. He advises companies on how they can make more money by being more sustainable, and leads Forum's thinking on sustainable business models. He has supported O2 as they created and implemented their sustainability strategy as well as advising companies as diverse as eBay Europe, BP, TUI Travel, Carillion, Balfour Beatty, Shell Foundation and more. David's publications (all available on the Forum website) include: the Better Decisions, Real Value toolkit to find your business case; Acting now for a positive 2018 on the future of business and sustainability; and Leader Business Strategies on ways companies can profit from sustainability.    

 

Adrian Gault, Chief Economist, the Committee on Climate Change

Adrian joined the secretariat of the Committee on Climate Change in May 2009, where he is responsible for analytical work looking at UK greenhouse gas emission reduction potential and costs. Prior to joining the CCC secretariat, Adrian has substantial experience of energy and environmental issues – as an economist in Department for Transport, the Energy Group at DTI(now part of DECC) and in the Treasury tax team.

 

 

 Dan Monzani – Deputy Director, Green Deal Legislation and Finance, DECC 

Dan Monzani leads on advising Ministers and working with stakeholders to deliver the new financing mechanism at the heart of the flagship Green Deal policy which will enable consumers to fund energy efficiency at no upfront cost and repay through energy companies.  Dan has previously worked in Government policy roles such as pensions reform and welfare-to-work, corporate strategy for the Department for Work and Pensions, and led the team which delivered NEST Corporation, a new not-for-profit financial services organisation which will oversee one of the largest global pension schemes for moderate earners.  Dan has an MBA from London Business School and degrees from Magdalen College, Oxford and University College London.  

 

 

Cleantech Developers Conference

David Aitken – Carbon Trust, Commercialisation Manager

David is a technology commercialisation manager on the Entrepreneurs Fast Track and focuses on helping low carbon technology start-up companies get to market by providing commercial advice, research and development grants and networking support which is customised to the needs of each company. David previously worked for a low carbon start-up company and has consulted to fund management groups and NGOs on low carbon issues. David has an MSc in Environmental Change and Management from Oxford University.

The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company with the mission to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy, providing specialist support to business and the public sector to help cut carbon emissions, save energy and commercialise low carbon technologies.  By stimulating low carbon action we contribute to key UK goals of lower carbon emissions, the development of low carbon businesses, increased energy security and associated jobs.

We help to cut carbon emissions now by:

·         Providing specialist advice and finance to help organisations cut carbon

·         Setting standards for carbon reduction

·         We reduce potential future carbon emissions by

·         Opening markets for low carbon technologies

·         Leading industry collaborations to commercialise technologies

·         Investing in early stage low carbon companies

David Anthony - 21 Ventures

David Anthony is an experienced entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and educator. Since founding 21Ventures in 2004, the firm has provided seed, growth, and bridge capital to over 40 technology ventures across the globe focusing mainly in the cleantech arena. He sits on the board of a number of 21V portfolio companies including (partial list) Advanced Telemetry; BioPetroClean, ETV Motors, and Variable Wind Solutions. David also serves on the board of directors of publicly traded companies Axion Power International, Inc. (OTC: AXPW); Clean Power Technologies Inc. (OTC: CPWE) Solar EnerTech Corp. (OTC: ENSL), Energy Focus, Inc.(NASDAQ: EFOI) and ThermoEnergy Corporation (OTC: TMEN). 21Ventures invests in clean technologies and entrepreneurs focused on solving the challenges of the 21st Century. Global Warming, urbanization, growing populations, and dwindling natural resources, all demand a significant transformation of current industries and practices. 21Ventures provides seed to early-stage capital to companies developing disruptive technology across several sectors, including solar, wind, water, energy storage, efficiency and agriculture.   

 

Simon Arbuthnot – Ricardo, Principal Consultant 

Simon Arbuthnot has 10 years management experience with OEMs in the automotive industry, having worked in a variety of Sales and Marketing and Corporate Strategy roles with Ford Motor Co and Lexus.   He is a Principal with Ricardo Strategic Consulting, where he advises OEMs, Suppliers, Banks and Private Equity firms,  and Government institutions on the techno-economic challenges around the development of a sustainable mass market for low carbon and electric vehicles.  Over the past four years Simon has carried out a number of assignments in the low carbon transport field; these have included:  The assessment of EV market prospects for the UK Government; Technical and Operational Due Diligence of a global EV solutions company; Operations & market entry strategy and business plan development for an electric vehicle manufacturer; Advanced transport technology studies for key EU institution;  Transaction support for a UK Private Equity firm for transport investments; Development of bio-fuels strategy for European investor.   Simon completed a full time MBA at Cranfield School of Management.

 

Mark Boocock – Econotherm, Managing Director  

Mark has over 24 years experience delivering critical business systems and technical consultancy to blue chip clients across a range of sectors in the UK.  After graduating in Computer Sciences from the University of Glamorgan, he commenced his career with BT, developing a range of customer service and accounting systems used to run BT’s then £20Billion a year business.  He joined ICL in 1987 where he worked on a variety of middleware platforms and in 1990 he joined Syntegra where he became involved in the design and development of Import Export systems for the British government.  Prior to establishing Econotherm (UK), he held senior client & programme management positions with a global business service and consultancy provider for clients such as major UK energy providers.  During this period he co-founded a Facilities Management Company set up to deliver environmentally friendly cleaning and maintenance services to the UK commercial property sector and he built a European property portfolio.

 

Erwin Burth - Autodesk

Erwin Burth is an industry expert in the area of 2D and 3D design and engineering solutions for the manufacturing, automotive and building industry. Mr. Burth is leading Business Development at Autodesk in Europe, with a specific focus on CleanTech and the Autodesk Clean Tech Partner Program.  The programme is supporting start-ups and established companies which are significantly contributing to a more efficient utilization of scarce resources like energy and raw material.
Autodesk is a leading provider of 2D and 3D design, engineering, and entertainment software used by more than ten million people worldwide.

Mr. Burth is an engineer by education with a postgraduate MBA in international Marketing.

For more information visit www.autodesk.co.uk/cleantech

 

Kevin Farrar -  IBM Global Entrepreneur and IBM Academic Initiative Leader, IBM UK & Ireland

Kevin is responsible for collaborating with startup companies and universities in the UK & Ireland around IBM's "Smarter Planet" strategy. Through IBM Global Entrepreneur (ibm.com/isv/startup) he fosters collaborative partnerships with technology start-up companies who are developing solutions to address the societal challenges of a world that is becoming increasingly instrumented, interconnected, and intelligent. Kevin also leads the IBM Academic Initiative (ibm.com/academic initiative), working with universities to help them deliver innovative learning programmes that equip students with the skills they need to compete in the ever-changing technology workplace.

 

 

Cédric Latessa – Aster Capital, Investment Manager

Prior to joining Aster Capital in 2010, Cédric has been active in Venture Capital for the past 10 years. He worked in early stage VC funds like Mangrove (Luxembourg), Mileno Capital (Spain) and FCJE (France). He also worked for a year at the EIF, Europe’s leading VC fund of funds.  He started his career at BIP (Luxembourg) where he was responsible for investing in early stage technology funds and made 8 co-investments with them as well as 2 direct investments. He subsequently joined DFJ Esprit (UK) as an Investment Manager where he led the fundraising efforts and deal flow sourcing activities in Cleantech and tech related companies in Europe. He also co-founded or has been closely involved with three Cleantech companies.  He has 3 master degrees including 2 from Sciences Po Paris in Finance and European politics and is fluent in Spanish and English.  He is responsible for managing the investment in Oxford Sensor technologies and most recently led the investment in Avantium for Aster.

Jens Christian Mathiesen - NES  Partners

 

 

Julie Meyer – Ariadne Capital, Founder & CEO; Founder Entrepreneur Country

 Julie Meyer believes that Individual Capitalism aligns and releases people's ingenuity for the solving of the world's problems at the macro and micro levels as well as accelerating the future.  She is one of the leading champions for entrepreneurship in Europe and the UK as a force for growth and inclusiveness. Since she arrived in Paris, France in September 1988, she has advised technology firms and backed Europe's entrepreneurs in both Paris and London.   She founded Ariadne Capital in August 2000 to create a new model for the financing of entrepreneurship in Europe and the UK - "Entrepreneurs Backing Entrepreneurs". She created the founding Investor Partnership of 58 leading entrepreneurs and business builders who are Ariadne's core shareholders.   She has led the investments and/or advisory mandates with BeatThatQuote, Espotting, Monitise, SpinVox, and Zopa.

Julie was part of the early team at NewMedia Investors in 1998, which became early stage investment firm Spark Ventures in October 1999. At NewMedia Investors, she managed deals in key technology companies including ArcCores, lastminute.com and WGSN. Also, in 1998, she founded First Tuesday, the network of entrepreneurs, which many credit for igniting the Internet generation in Europe. It was sold in July 2000 for $50 million in cash and shares.

She has been named one of INSEAD's Top 50 Alumni, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, World Economic Forum Global Leader of Tomorrow, TIME Magazine Digital 50, one of WIRED's 100, one of London's 1000 Most Influential People 2010 & 2011 (Evening Standard) and one of the Top 30 Most Influential Women in Europe.   She is also one of the BBC's Online Dragons in the award-winning Dragon's Den Online, and is also currently setting up a "Dads and Daughters" foundation to support and extend her thesis that women's identities are shaped - for good or bad - by the messages they receive from their father's as children and young adults.

She is on the Board of Directors of Jellybook, Vestergaard Frandsen, a for profit humanitarian development firm, and INSEAD, her business school. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities and English Literature from Valparaiso University, near Chicago, US in 1988, having spent her junior year in Cambridge, UK in 1986.  In 2011, she was asked to be on the Secretary of State's Entrepreneurs Panel and the Secretary of Health's Innovation Panel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam Morton – Rolls-Royce, Chief Low Carbon Technologies 

 

Ali Naini - Turquoise International, MD

Ali collected a BSc in Economics and an MSc in Information Systems from London School of

economics before embarking on a financial career which took him from a role in project finance and privatisation at PWC during 1988-98, to project finance at Robert Fleming and corporate finance at Close Bros, where he left in 2002 to create Turquoise Associates. Turquoise International, the corporate finance arm of Turquoise Associates which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, provides fundraising, corporate transactions, investments & asset management, corporate structuring and business development services to the energy and environmental technology sectors.    

 

 

 

 

Rachael Nutter - CT Investment Partners LLP, Investment Manager

Rachael is an Investment Manager at CT Investment Partners LLP, the advisor to Carbon Trust Investments, focused on early stage clean energy investments.  Prior to joining the investments team Rachael managed the Carbon Trust Business Incubator, helping early-stage companies preparing to raise venture funding.  Rachael started her career as a petroleum engineer with Shell International after reading engineering then manufacturing at Cambridge University.   She then spent several years as a management consultant in the energy and other sectors before joining the Carbon Trust.   CT Investment Partners LLP ("CTIP")  is an FSA Authorised Venture Capital and Fund Management Company that advises the Carbon Trust on its venture capital activities. It is one of the main UK Clean Energy technology investors having made 18 venture and seed investments over the last 6 years. CTIP current advises on around £50M of funds under management.  

 

 

Jos Peeters – Capricorn Venture Partners, Managing Partner

Jos is Founder and Managing Partner of Capricorn Venture Partners, a Leuven based pan-European manager of venture capital funds seeking to invest in technology-based growth companies. Currently Capricorn Venture Partners is investing out of its Capricorn Cleantech Fund and its Capricorn Health-tech Fund. Jos is regarded as one of the pioneers of the European venture capital industry, being active in this area since 1985.  He co-founded and became Chairman of Quest for Growth NV, an Investment Company quoted on the Brussels Stock Exchange which is specialising in investing in quoted and later stage unquoted technology based growth companies.  Jos is a founder and director of EASDAQ, which is relaunching as Equiduct, a regulated market for secondary trading in Europe.  Jos has a PhD in Physics from the University of Leuven. He is a past chairman of the European Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EVCA), a member of the Global Advisory Board of the London Business School and Chairman of Science@Leuven, the alumni association of the sciences students of the University of Leuven.

 

 

Dave Raval - Carbon Trust, Head of Business Incubation

The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up in 2001 by Government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies.  We cut carbon emissions now by providing business and the public sector with expert advice, finance and certification to help them reduce their carbon footprint and to stimulate demand for low carbon products and services.  We cut future carbon emissions by developing new low carbon technologies. We do this through project funding and management, investment and collaboration and by identifying market barriers and practical ways to overcome them. Our work on commercialising new technologies will save over 20 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2050.    

 

 

 

 

Jake Ronay- Dixons Retail, Head of Facilities 

I began my career in design and branding, and spent over ten years working on major retail, technology and telecoms brands. After completing my MBA I spent some time as a management consultant before joining Tesco to help set up their environmental programme. I worked on a range of energy efficiency and store design projects, and for the three years led the renewable energy programme. I joined Dixons in September 2011 as Head of UK Stores Facilites, where among other duties I am responsible for our energy efficiency programme.

Olaf Swanzy - PNO Consultants, Senior Consultant

Olaf has substantial experience across all forms of external funding at a regional, national and EU level. His specific area of expertise surrounds R&D funding on behalf of Universities, SME and Blue chip companies with a strong focus in the environmental technology sectors. Olaf is also a member of PNO's EU Core team and the UK's Leading Consultant in EU Funds with programmes ranging from FP6 & 7, LIFE Environment Programme, Public Health, EU Internal Market Promotions Programme and Intelligent Energy for Europe (IEE). Olaf has also been involved in the provision of grant related training to private companies and in 2009 alone he has secured in excess of £15 million of grant support for clients.

The PNO Group is Europe's leading grants consultancy firm employing in excess of 250 staff across 12 offices in Europe and with over 25 years of experience in applying for grants at a regional, national and EU level, PNO are the proven partner to assist companies in optimising available funding programmes. A principal focus of our activity is within the cleantech sector, in areas such as renewable technologies, green transportation and novel lighting techniques delivered by our clients which include start ups, established SME's, Blue chips and Universities.       

 

Caroline Wadsworth – Isle Utilities

Caroline holds a degree in Environmental Science and Microbiology and has a broad knowledge of the environment sector. She has also spent several years working within the Economic Development/Regeneration sector. She has extensive experience of developing, delivering and managing a range of complex national and international projects, including those involving public and European funding. Prior to joining Isle, Caroline played a leading role in managing and developing the pilot EU Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) scheme which involved developing a verification model, finding novel technologies, carrying out the verification assessments (and additional testing/analysis if required), and managing a multinational project team. The results from this project have formed the basis of the European Commission’s wider ETV Pilot Programme. She started her career as an Environmental Scientist in the Steel Industry and has since worked in both public and private sectors.

 

Darren Westlake – Crowdcube, Director  

 

Dr Rob Wylie - WHEB Partners, Founding Partner

Dr Rob Wylie has focused on the clean technology investment area for over 20 years. WHEB began as an award winning clean technology incubator and corporate finance group in 1995 before evolving into WHEB Partners (formerly WHEB Ventures), raising the UK’s first cleantech private equity fund. WHEB Partners now manages two specialist cleantech private equity funds with total assets under management of £130m.  Rob is also a co-founder of two other companies within the WHEB Group both of which focus on environmental markets: WHEB Asset Management for investment in quoted sustainable stocks and WHEB Infrastructure Partners for investment in renewable energy projects.

 A chemist with an MA and PhD from Cambridge University, Rob spent ten years in Shell’s agrochemical business before working in the 1980s with Rothschild’s Bioscience unit looking at clean technology investment opportunities. He then joined KPMG, where he advised on the development of a variety of environmental funds in Central and Eastern Europe.  Rob has been an active participant on numerous Industry, UK Government and University cleantech advisory boards including the Cleantech Network European Advisory Board, the DTI’s Environmental Innovation Advisory Group and the commercial advisory board for a consortium of the main London Universities (Imperial, King’s and UCL).

 

 

 

 

 

Cleantech Growth Company Conference 

Nicholas Atkins – Georgieff Capital, Partner                                                          

Nicholas has over 20 years of corporate finance and private equity experience.  He has successfully led a number of private equity transactions both as an advisor and principal (with 3i).  He has also advised on a range of M&A and corporate finance transactions across various industry groups, including the technology sector whilst at SG Cowen, and now heads up Georgieff Capital’s clean technology advisory practice.  He has an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management.  He has dual British and US citizenship. He is External Partner of Intelligent Venture Capital, Board Observer at Tiger Optics LLC and a member of the European Advisory Board of the Cleantech Group LLC.

 

 

Adam Baddeley – Eunomia, Principal Consultant

Adam has 12 years consulting experience, most of which has been spent advising clients in the waste and thermal energy generation sectors. His expertise includes market analysis, bid management, financial modelling, project management and negotiation of commercial partnerships. Adam has also worked extensively with the financial community, undertaking market and technical due diligence exercises for a range of lenders and equity investors. Adam has spent the last five years at Eunomia, where he is a Principal Consultant. Prior to being at Eunomia, Adam held an Associate position at SLR Consulting and was a consultant at Juniper Consultancy. Before moving into the waste and energy sectors and undertaking an MSc in Environmental Management at the University of Nottingham, Adam spent five years as a consultant advising blue-chip clients on digital media strategies during the dot-com boom years.

 

Marion Bernard – Business Growth Fund, Regional Investment Director  

Marion has 18 years’ experience of funding small and medium sized businesses across the UK.   She joined the BGF in October 2011 as Regional Director for London and the South East.  Marion is responsible for leading investment across her region and will be supporting BGF-backed companies as a board member.  Before joining the BGF she was Chief Executive of Northstar, a venture capital company actively investing in the North East of England, where she had overall responsibility for over 50 equity investments across a range of sectors including cleantech, technology, media and healthcare.  Prior to Northstar, Marion gained banking and investment experience in London with Barclays, 3i and environmental finance house Impax Asset Management Group plc.

 

Alex Betts - Climate Change Capital, Partner Clean Tech Private Equity Fund

Prior to joining Climate Change Capital, Alex was Head of Royal Dutch Shell's corporate venture capital unit, a senior investment officer and a member of the investment committee of Antfactory and a partner of Montagu Private Equity.  He has over fifteen years of private equity investment experience in a range of buy-out, expansion and venture capital transactions and has also worked within the mezzanine and senior debt investment teams at HSBC Investment Bank. Alex has a BA in Classics from Oxford University. Climate Change Capital is an investment manager and advisor specialising in the opportunities generated by the global transition to the low carbon economy.  It advises and invests in companies that recognise combating global warming is both a necessity and an economic opportunity.  With over US $1.5 billion under management as of October 2009, Climate Change Capital aims to provide attractive returns to investors, demonstrating the financial opportunity associated with the low carbon economy.  

 

Steven Fawkes – Matrix Corporate Finance, Partner Steven is a Partner at Matrix Corporate Finance, having previously led the Matrix team which was Extel rated number 1 in new energy and clean technology.  Following a PhD concerned with the potential for energy efficiency in UK industry, Steven worked in energy efficiency for more than 20 years implementing large-scale energy management programmes in the public and private sectors.  He also worked in Romania, on energy efficiency programmes funded by the EU, UNDP, USAID and World Bank.  In 2000 he joined Enron and was part of the team that implemented innovative energy supply and energy efficiency contracts for Sainsburys and Diageo and in 2001 Steven led that team in their transition to RWE Solutions. Steven has published over 100 articles and papers and a book on energy efficiency; “Outsourcing of Energy Management”.  He is an adviser to the new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office in DECC, a non-executive director of Day One Energy Solutions and an Adviser to the SUSI energy efficiency fund.  In 2011 he advised the National Reform and Development Commission of China on ESCO financing mechanisms.

 

Alistair Green – ESP Consulting, Director

Alistair has over 20 years’ experience of strategy, regulation and performance improvement in de-regulated power markets – both in industry and as a consultant.   Alistair is typically analytical in approach – driving insight and objective decision making in a way that supports stakeholder alignment and improves performance. Alistair joined ESP Consulting from Capgemini Consulting where he led power sector consulting in the UK, as well as having global leadership for energy trading and network regulation;   this follows 10 years with PwC Consulting, advising on market reform, regulation, strategy and energy trading.   Alistair joined the UK power sector at privatisation, working for PowerGen and then the RECs to negotiate the shape of on-going developments to the wholesale electricity market.

 

 

Paul Mines – Biome Technologies plc, CEO  

Biome Technologies was admitted to AIM in mid 2010.  The business’s primary activity is the development of its fast growing position in bioplastics. It is a leading innovator and supplier of biodegradable natural polymers that replace and enhance products made conventionally from oil based materials.  Key targets are applications in food, horticulture and electronics markets.  Paul is CEO and is an engineer with an MBA from London Business School. He has considerable experience in the plastics and packaging industry, managing high growth markets, turnarounds and M&A.

 

Graham Mold – Catapult Ventures  

 

David Mott - Oxford Capital Partners, Investment Director

David  co-founded Oxford Capital in 1999 and is responsible for leading investments and portfolio management and is a member of the Investment Committee. He is focused on investments in software, security, materials and environmental technologies. He previously worked with Result Ventures where he specialised in supporting technology companies on international expansion. Prior to this he worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in corporate finance. His early career was as an equity analyst with Jardine Fleming in Asia and later with Deloitte and Touche in London where he trained as an accountant. Oxford Capital Partners is a specialist investment manager, managing growth capital, small buyout capital, special situations and venture capital funds on behalf of institutional and private investors.  We focus on the international potential of innovative science and our expertise lies in accelerating businesses with potential for unusual success in high growth in global markets.  

 

Richard Nourse – Novusmodus 

Richard co-leads Novusmodus’ overall investment strategy and is a member of the investment committee.  Richard previously enjoyed a long career in the City, first at Morgan Grenfell and then at Merrill Lynch where he led the EMEA Energy and Power Team.  On leaving Merrill Lynch in 2007, Richard joined the Shareholder Executive, part of the UK Government, with responsibility for British Energy, BNFL and Urenco. Richard is a non-executive director of Urenco.  Richard has a BA in Geology from Oxford University.

 

 

Felix Von Schubert – Zouk Ventures 

       

Patrick Sheehan – Environmental Technologies Fund

Patrick is a Partner and founder of Environmental Technologies Fund. He focuses on the growth and development of the investment portfolio and represents the firm on the Boards of Metalysis, Nujira, Industrial Origami, Novel Polymer Solutions and TAG Energy Solutions.  He has worked in venture capital since 1985, when he joined 3i. He was instrumental in founding 3i's venture capital practice, and later became the founding Managing Director of its Silicon Valley operation. Before this, he was a research engineer for GEC and Marconi Space Systems.  He chairs the European Venture Capital Association’s Environmental task force. He was also a member of the Executive Committee and Board of the EVCA from 2007 to 2010 during which time he also chaired the Venture Capital Committee.  Patrick has a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from UCL, London.

ETF is a London-based £110m venture capital fund focused exclusively on Cleantech. It invests on a Pan-European basis with emphasis on the UK, the Nordic Countries, Benelux and Switzerland. It is backed by leading European institutional investors such as Swiss Re and the European Investment Fund.  It was created to provide entrepreneurs with a top-quality venture capital group in Europe dedicated solely to Cleantech. We passionately believe there is a need, and an even greater opportunity, for the right technologies to deliver environmental benefits and create profitable businesses.  Our team is made up of passionate individuals with more than 80 years of international Venture Capital experience and unrivalled experience of working with environmental companies. Collectively we have worked with over 100 companies, working across Europe, Israel and Silicon Valley and in the process have built up an enviable network of contacts for our entrepreneurs.  

 

Craig Sillars – UK Trade & Investment, International Business Specialist Craig has worked for two years with UK Trade & Investment as an International Business Specialist within the Environment and Water team looking to promote UK business into international markets within this sector.   He is a contaminated land professional who has worked in consulting and more recently contracting where he introduced many new technologies into the UK market across physical, biological and chemical treatment solutions. In particular developed thermal expertise in the application of steam enhanced treatment of soil and groundwater. Expanded UK based company into South Africa and Europe.  Currently CEO of a company promoting biochar for the treatment of contamination to manage corporate liability issues within the mining and Oil & Gas sector looking at opportunities in Africa and Asia. He has a particular interest in pyrolysis technology.

 

 

Jonathan Straight – Straight plc, CEO

Jonathan Straight is founder and chief executive of Straight plc, the UK's leading supplier of waste and recycling containers.  Jonathan  has been involved in the recycling industry since the late 1980s when he was a consultant to Save Waste and Prosper, a company which later formed part of resource futures. Since then he has pioneered the promotion of container systems for source separated waste, initially as a consultant to CG Paxton Limited, then part of the McKechnie Group plc. In 1993, he formed Straight Recycling Systems which rapidly grew to be the UK’s leading supplier of kerbside recycling boxes.  From a one-man operation, the Company has grown year-on-year to the current situation with 150 employees at two sites. In 2003 the business successfully floated on the London Stock Exchange AIM Market as Straight plc heralding a period of rapid growth. In 2005 Straight plc acquired its main rival Blackwall Limited, the combined businesses leading the markets for kerbside boxes, home compost bins and water butts. In 2010 the Group began a process of vertical integration and now manufactures 75% of its requirement in house. Jonathan is responsible for the strategic direction of the Company but retains a close involvement with its day-to-day sales and marketing activity. He is also involved with identifying new products and market opportunities. In 2006 Jonathan was voted Ernst & Young Quoted Entrepreneur of the Year. He also is a non-executive director of Waterwise, the water saving NGO and is a trustee of two local charities.  As well as sporting what it probably the only waxed moustache in the industry, Jonathan is also known for his adventurous spectacles. His collection numbers nearly 250 frames. 

 

Bill Weil – Ludgate Environmental, Chief Investment Officer   

Bill is the Chief Investment Officer, having joined Ludgate in 2008, with overall responsibility for identifying, executing and managing the portfolio of investments of the Ludgate Environmental Fund. Bill graduated with honours from the University of Pennsylvania's intensive Management & Technology programme, with degrees from both Wharton and the School of Engineering. He then joined Environmental Resources Management as a consultant, gaining exposure to the environmental impacts across a wide variety of sectors. Following various operational experiences, including helping to turn around a start up in the metals sector, Bill completed an MBA at INSEAD.  Prior to joining Ludgate, he was responsible for analysing companies, new technologies and markets as the General Manager of Strategy and Portfolio for Royal Dutch Shell in their Renewables and CO2 division and then latterly, has gained experience in cleantech venture investing when working with Vantage Point Venture Partners. Bill has board seats or observer status on a number of companies in the portfolio of the Fund.

 

Sustainability Directors Conference

 

Peter Bragg - Eurostar

Peter Bragg joined Eurostar in April 2010 and heads up their Environment and Energy team, responsible for their innovative ‘Tread Lightly’ Programme. This has delivered significant improvements in sustainability across the business, including achieving a 25% reduction in carbon emissions for passenger journeys, recycling staff uniforms, sourcing organic and locally produced food on-board trains and making significant reductions in waste, energy and water use. The Tread Lightly Programme was successfully re-launched in 2011 with the formation of a new partnership with the Ashden Awards to reward and recognise other organisations leading the way in sustainable travel, and also committing to an ambitious new carbon reduction target to reduce Eurostar’s wider business emissions by 25% by 2015. Prior to Eurostar, Peter worked for Network Rail and for the environmental consultancy, Entec UK.  

 

Jane Burston – NPL, Climate Science Lead

Jane Burston leads the Climate Science and Low Carbon Technology work at NPL. She is working to establish a Centre for Carbon Measurement at NPL, as laid out in the UK's National Measurement Strategy.The Centre for Carbon Measurement will focus on three areas: Improving the accuracy and consistency of climate data through data auditing, setting standards, developing measurement technology, and instrumentation testing; developing the underpinning measurement science and technology to support the carbon markets; and providing access to the best measurement techniques for developers of low carbon technology. Jane is currently setting the strategy for the Centre, acting as a spokesperson for NPL's low carbon work externally and helping to expand NPL's pioneering work in support of the low carbon economy.

 

 

Mark Cavill – Royal Mail Group, National Carbon and Environment Manager

Mark Cavill is responsible for delivering the strategic direction of the Royal Mail’s approach to the management of its buildings-related carbon footprint.  Managing large budgets over £13million and accountable for the CRC energy efficiency scheme, all energy efficiency business cases, renewable projects and environmental management.  In his 5 years at RMG he has developed and implemented innovative techniques and solutions into one of the largest estates in the UK of over 2,400 properties.

 

 

Rowland Hill – Marks and Spencer, Sustainability & Reporting Manager

Rowland’s career at M&S has spanned nearly thirty years.   Starting as a store management trainee he spent the first ten years in a variety of store management roles across the UK until he was asked to review Marks & Spencer’s position on the then emerging issue of environmental affairs in 1992.  Gradually developing a better understanding of the challenges ahead for both himself and the company, Marks & Spencer started to engage and communicate more on sustainability issues throughout the 1990s resulting in its first sustainability strategy and Governance structure in 1997.

The company’s first CEO-lead sustainability programme was launched in 2002 and Marks & Spencer published its first assured sustainability report in 2004 before eventually launching its famous Plan A sustainability programme under Sir Stuart Rose in 2007.  As well as guiding Marks & Spencer on this journey over the last twenty years, Rowland has helped to shape the relationships, capacity and Governance that sit at the heart of the company’s present day activities.  Over this period Rowland has also chaired or been involved in a large number of external sustainability programmes and initiatives. He chaired the British Retail Consortium’s Environmental Group for five years during which time it launched its ‘A Better Retailing Climate’ sustainability programme and currently sits on WRAP’s Product Sustainability Forum Steering Committee and supports M&S finance colleagues participate in the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC) programme.  Rowland is an Associate of ‘Business in the Community’ and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

 

Ian Holmes – Environmental Sustainability KTN, Knowledge Transfer Manager Ian has been involved with innovation support and technology transfer for a over a decade. He also served in the Royal Navy as a Marine Engineer for 8 years prior to studying Engineering & Environmental Science. He has provided support, advice and evaluation of numerous UK and EC research funding applications. Projects have taken him around Europe and into Russia and the USA.   Current areas of interest include Resource Efficiency, Materials Recovery and the Circular Economy.  Recently Ian has developed a number of workshops for SMEs on Innovation, Open Innovation and Eco-Innovation.  His experiences in the military, training and team building and as technical manager in industry have given him a varied and individual approach to leadership, management styles and problem solving. He is a fanatical rock climber and practices Systema, an innovative Russian Martial Art.

 

Ann Lovering – Dairy Crest, Group Environmental Manager  

Ann joined Dairy Crest in 2000 and immediately commenced a program implementing ISO 14001 across all manufacturing sites and has overseen the application and granting of Environmental Permits at the 9 dairies that required them. She has overall responsibility for environmental compliance and reporting within Dairy Crest and has worked on a number of projects aimed at reducing the business carbon footprint e.g. opportunities for using renewable energy, reducing water use and alternative uses for wastes.  Prior to moving into the Environmental field, Ann held a number of technical roles within the food industry and played key roles in the implementation of HACCP and Quality management systems.

 

Maeve McLoughlin – Channel 4, Corporate Responsibility & Environmental AdvisorHaving graduated in 2003 from King’s College London with a MSc in Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Management, Maeve commenced her professional career with RPS Health, Safety and Environmental Consultants.  Over four and half years, Maeve gained experience in Phase 1 and 2 contaminated land assessments, environmental due-diligences, ecological surveys and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).  In 2008, Maeve left RPS and took a short sabbatical to South America.  Upon her return, Maeve was contracted to manage operational environmental management for Accenture in their London and Ireland offices.  Since then, Maeve has also worked for Network Rail as an Environmental Specialist within their Strategic Planning Department and currently works for Channel Four Television Corporation as their Corporate Responsibility Advisor.

 

Ruth O’Brien – West Sussex County Council, Sustainablity Officer  

Ruth has worked as a Sustainability Officer for West Sussex County Council for 6 years.  Working as a part of a small team to promote and integrate Sustainable Development principles and practices into the functions and processes of the County Council through raising awareness, policy development and implementation of initiatives, including the development of the County Council’s Sustainability Strategy. Particular achievements include expanding and, co-ordinating a network of ‘Champions’ of around 120 staff to improve sustainable behaviours across the organization, developing various training packages including induction training, team specific training and e-learning packages to help both Members and staff understand sustainability, and reviewing the governance for delivering sustainability and successfully embedded ownership and scrutiny sustainability targets into existing management groups.

 

 

Ross Paton – Marriott Hotels  

 

Angus Robertson – powerPerfector, CEO

Following a career in the city, Angus Robertson was introduced to Voltage Power Optimisation technology and recognised the value it had for reducing the energy waste in the UK and European markets.   The successful application of the technology by major companies as well as government and public sector organisations has seen his company, powerPerfector, become one of the most successful ‘green tech’ companies in the UK.  Further recognition came when the technology was voted Low Carbon Product of the Year at the Green Business Awards 2010 and was awarded the accolade ‘Pioneering Technology and Innovation’ of the year at the Environment Agency’s inaugural ‘Environmental Pioneer Awards’.

 

 

Toby Robins – Wiles Greenworld, Sustainable Development Director  

Toby Robins is the Sustainable Development Director with Wiles Greenworld.  By working with all stakeholders Toby has positioned the company as an environmental leader attracting both customers and staff and having a far greater influence on the supply chain footprint than the company’s scale would otherwise allow.

 

 

 

 

Ian Shaw – Norland, Energy Manager

Ian served for 22 Years in the Royal Engineers as a mechanical engineer where he gained a degree in Energy Engineering. After leaving the army he was appointed as Energy Manager for the London Fire Brigade. While at the fire brigade he reduced the energy consumption by over 23% despite significant growth, through conventional energy savings measures such as insulation and lighting controls but also through the installation of renewable and low carbon systems. In December 2011, Ian moved to Norland Managed Services as the Energy Manager in the Critical Environmental Services Directorate.

 

 

Gavin Starks - AMEE, Founder

Gavin is responsible for making AMEE known and relevant to the world. He is a successful serial entrepreneur with over twenty years’ industry experience. Prior to AMEE, Gavin was CEO of CI, a world-class digital content distribution company, which he grew 15x in 3 years. Previously, he founded Tornado Productions, which he sold to Servecast in2003, and was the fifth member of Richard Branson’s Virgin Net team in 1995. Gavin holds a BSc in Astronomy and a M.Mus. from Glasgow University.

 

Richard Tarboton – BT, Director of Energy & Carbon  

Richard has overall responsibility for BT’s energy and carbon strategy and for energy programmes operations across all BT businesses.  BT purchase 0.7% of the total energy supply in the UK and are the largest buyer of green electricity.  His team manages a number of projects across BT to achieve an 80% reduction in carbon by 2016 from 1996 levels. BT has been ranked top of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index eight years running, and was awarded top sustainability company in the UK at the 2007 Business in the Community awards.  Richard is also leading the BT wind project, which is the largest wind power project by a company outside the energy sector.  In 2006, Richard undertook a senior level secondment to the UK Government to lead the development of the Government’s climate change strategy for local authorities.  Previously, as head of the transport energy business unit of the Energy Saving Trust, Richard delivered the environment transport programme for Government.  In this role, he was responsible for leading government investments in low carbon vehicle technologies and for rolling out business services to fleets across the UK to reduce their carbon footprint.  He previously worked in strategy consulting for Arthur D Little and Navigant consulting, where he managed renewable energy projects for clients including Shell and BG group.  He also served as Managing Director for Project WorldTalk; a social enterprise to help people in rural communities obtain internet based information over telephone.  He holds an MBA from Cranfield Business School UK, and an Engineering Degree (first class) from WITS, South Africa.

 

Barry Townsend - InterfaceFLOR  

Barry is responsible for ensuring that InterfaceFLOR’s supply chain across Europe can meet the company’s requirements in terms of pricing, quantity, delivery, quality and environmental credentials. He works closely with all suppliers developing engagement on sustainability issues and encouraging them to improve their credentials, in line with Mission Zero, Interface’s pledge to eliminate its environmental impacts by 2020.  He joined InterfaceFLOR in 2005 as Quality Assurance Manager, where he was responsible for Quality Control labs and final product quality. Barry has worked on a number of key projects, which have enabled InterfaceFLOR to reduce the environmental impacts of its products.

Barry holds a first class degree in Chemistry, which he gained through part-time study whilst working as a Lab technician then Quality Manager at fertiliser and compost manufacturer, Joseph Metcalf Ltd. A module on Environmental Chemistry is what sparked Barry’s interest in sustainability and he used this to investigate alternatives to peat –based composts and inorganic fertilisers. Barry later joined Madison Filter Ltd, a technical textiles company specialising in filtration, where he held the position of Operations Manager, before moving to InterfaceFLOR having been impressed by the company’s commitment to sustainability.

 

Gordon Watt – Carbon Table, Director

Carbon Table has filled an important gap in the UK market by helping today’s sustainability leaders keep up to date with all viable options which are available to them. Carbon Table is a site which is specifically designed for sustainability professionals, where they are able to discuss strategies and remain informed about the leading UK companies which deliver solutions in renewables and energy efficiency. Gordon Watt, a founding director, previously worked at Logan Energy - world leaders in fuel cells and hydrogen technologies. His background is in the business development of the fuel cell hydrogen sector, with a focus on the emergence of new products and process improvements.

Alistair Watters - BSkyB  

Alistair is one of BSkyB's leadership group responsible for the development of their Property and Facilities portfolio across the UK.  With a background in large-scale programme management, Alistair has had the opportunity to work in several industry sectors including media, telecoms, financial services and public sector. This has given him a real insight into business, technical and operational change in large organisations.  Most recently he enjoyed the opportunity to build and lead the construction and fit out of Sky Studios - BSKyB's new production and broadcast facility.  His leadership drive comes from core beliefs around improvement, a desire to deliver those changes and initiatives that others “shy away from” and, a belief in the “art of the possible”.