Speaker Details
Sample of confirmed speakers for 2024. The full list of speakers will be announced in October alongside the final conference agenda. Register above for updates.
Phil Beach CBE
- Job Title:Chief Executive
- Organisation:Energy & Utility Skills
Phil joined Energy & Utility Skills in September 2020, bringing with him experience in regulation, skills and education to an organisation that works with industry to provide a safe, skilled, and sustainable workforce. In his previous role as Executive Director for Vocational and Technical Qualifications at regulator Ofqual, Phil led the reforms for all vocational and technical qualifications, assessments and apprenticeships including the development of T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications. Working closely with Government and Industry, Phil has a particular focus on quality, including the apprenticeship end-point assessments delivered by his Ofqual-regulated organisation.
Caroline Bragg
- Job Title:Chief Executive
- Organisation:The Association for Decentralised Energy
Caroline has worked in the energy sector for almost a decade, working across renewable electricity, innovation and now decentralised energy. She has worked at the ADE for over 6 years – focusing first on policy for our sectors and more latterly, also on research in energy through leading the ADE’s ACE-Research consultancy arm. She has sat on numerous energy sector Boards and groups. This includes most recently the Prospering from the Energy Revolution’s Advisory Group and as Treasurer for CogenEurope.
Prof Peter Childs
- Job Title: Co-Director
- Organisation:Energy Futures Lab - Imperial
Peter Childs FREng is the Professorial Lead in Engineering Design and founding Head of the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London. His expertise spans sustainable energy, including wind turbines and solar technologies, as well as robotics for industrial applications. He is a director at Q-Bot Ltd, specialising in robotic technologies for sustainable construction, and BladeBUG Ltd, focusing on maintenance robots for offshore wind turbines. Previously, he directed the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre for Aero-Thermal Systems. Peter is Editor of the Journal of Power and Energy and holds advisory roles in academia and industry.
Prof Martin Freer
- Job Title: Chief Executive
- Organisation:The Faraday Institution
Professor Martin Freer is a nuclear physicist and joined the Faraday Institution as CEO in September 2024. Since 2015 he has served as the Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute (BEI) at the University of Birmingham, a pan-discipline research centre with research activities from hydrogen, energy storage and battery technologies, through to nuclear energy, which is focused on creating technology and guiding policy that will shape future energy solutions. He has also served as Director of the Energy Research Accelerator (which comprises eight internationally renowned Midlands universities that are part of the Midlands Innovation partnership, together with the British Geological Survey) delivering a £200m programme to accelerate university research into regional, national and international impact linked to 1,400 researchers.
Prof Seamus D. Garvey
- Job Title: Professor of Dynamics
- Organisation:University of Nottingham
After graduation in 1984, I worked for GEC ALSTOM Large Electrical Machines Ltd. in Rugby for 6 years. I joined Aston University in 1990 as a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering and progressed to the status of “Reader” before I left in 2000 to join University of Nottingham as a Professor in Mechanical Engineering. My original specialisation was in machine dynamics but since 2005, my focus has been on thermo-mechanical methods of energy storage and how these can be integrated into an energy system largely powered by renewables.
Tom Greatrex
- Job Title: Chief Executive
- Organisation:Nuclear Industry Association
Rt Hon Chris Huhne
- Job Title: Chair
- Organisation:Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA)
Before taking up the role of chair of ADBA, Chris previously offered strategic advice to ADBA from 2014 to 2018. He is a former City economist and journalist. He also was the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change from 2010 to 2012 and previously shadow Environment Secretary.
Dr Rhys Morgan
- Job Title: Strategic Projects Director - Skills and Inclusion
- Organisation:Royal Academy of Engineering
Dr Rhys Morgan is the Royal Academy of Engineering’s strategic lead on engineering education, skills and inclusion, guiding the development of its research, policy and programme activity. His portfolio of work includes analysis of the UK engineering skills base and the capacity and capability of UK engineering education to deliver the workforce of the future. He sits on and advises various government skills taskforces including nuclear, quantum, future telecoms and transport. He has led major activities including Formula 1 champion Sir Lewis Hamilton’s commission into improving the representation of Black people in UK motorsport and the forthcoming Formula 1 Diversity and Inclusion charter. He has also undertaken seminal research into UK STEM education and pedagogies for teaching engineering in schools, colleges and universities. Rhys advises the Academy’s broader engagement with the engineering profession including the collective of 40 Professional Engineering Institutions, the Engineering Council and EngineeringUK on a wide range of matters including ethics, sustainability, EDI and skills.
Charlotte Morton OBE
- Job Title: Chief Executive
- Organisation:World Biogas Association
A practising lawyer for 10 years, Charlotte Morton studied for her MBA at London Business School before setting up a car club business. Asked to establish the business side of ADBA in 2009, she saw the potential of an industry that can deliver huge potential and value to the UK. Given the even bigger global potential, which must be achieved if the Paris Climate Change targets and UN Sustainable Development Goals are to be met, Charlotte played a pivotal role in establishing the World Biogas Association in 2016 to promote and increase the rate of uptake of biogas globally. Charlotte is also on the board of Green Gas Trading Ltd, which runs the Biomethane Certification Scheme.
Alex Nicholson
- Job Title: Head of Nuclear Skills and Nuclear Supply Chain
- Organisation:Dept. for Energy Security and Net Zero
Alex Nicholson is Head of Nuclear Skills and Nuclear Supply Chain at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, focused on ensuring we have the skills and supply chain to deliver our civil nuclear ambition. He is currently supporting the Nuclear Sector Skills Team, the cross-government initiative stood up to deliver the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills in close collaboration with the nuclear sector. Alex was previously Head of International Safety at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, focused on the relationship between the UK and key international organisations, including the UN-IAEA, OECD-NEA, and the G7.
Zoisa North-Bond
- Job Title: Chief Executive
- Organisation:Octopus Energy Generation
Zoisa is the dynamic CEO of three tentacles of Octopus Energy Group - Octopus Energy Generation, Octopus Energy for Business and Octopus Electroverse. Octopus Energy Generation already manages hundreds of renewables projects in 18 countries worth £7bn. Zoisa’s team also develop tech-enabled products transforming the net zero economy. This includes the ‘Fan Club’ with 32,000+ communities requesting local wind turbines with cheaper bills and Winder (Tinder for Wind). Zoisa is a Trustee of the Octopus Energy Equality Foundation, and prior to joining Octopus Zoisa was the UK CEO of Dutch Utility Eneco B.V. growing their UK renewable asset portfolio.
Dr Mike Pitts
- Job Title: Deputy Challenge Director - Net Zero Heat
- Organisation:Innovate UK
Mike leads Innovate UK’s Net Zero Heat programme and is the Deputy Challenge Director for Transforming Construction. He was previously Head of Urban Systems at Innovate UK, covering the priority areas of Urban Living and Smart Infrastructure. He joined Innovate UK in 2012 to lead on embedding sustainability across Innovate UK’s strategy and has run programmes on cleantech, resource efficiency and environmental data.
Ben Smith
- Job Title: Deputy Director - Power CCUS
- Organisation:Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Ben leads the team in incentivising the investment in power CCS technology, enabled through delivering robust policy. Ben started his career in 2007 at National Grid within the Electricity System Operator, where he held various commercial and delivery roles, all focused on delivering affordable, secure and increasingly decarbonised power.
Emma Thompson MSOE
- Job Title: Designate Executive Director
- Organisation:Society of Operations Engineers
With over 21 years of experience working in engineering, on both the Professional Engineering Institution and in a corporate engineering environment, Emma Thompson MSOE is well versed in the engineering world. As an accomplished Head of Business Operations/Designate Executive Director, Emma not only brings a wealth of experience in driving organisational efficiency, optimising processes, and fostering growth but also a passion for the engineering sector. Emma is driven by a passion for optimising operations, boosting productivity, and orchestrating flawless execution across departments, establishing herself as a formidable presence. Her key responsibilities include spearheading process reengineering initiatives, enhancing operational efficiency, developing strategic plans to align business operations with company objectives, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to drive revenue growth and market expansion, and cultivating high-performing teams while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Dr Emma Wilcox
- Job Title: Chief Executive
- Organisation:Society for the Environment
Emma became the Chief Executive of the Society for the Environment, the Chartered Organisation responsible for registering environmental professionals, in 2015. Emma is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of IOM3 as well as a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business Programme. As well as the Chair of the IOM3 Sustainability Development Group (SDG), Emma is a member of the UK Government’s Green Apprenticeships Advisory Panel (GAAP) and a Board Member of the Future Water Association.
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