Energy beyond the crises: how can markets deliver a secure and affordable transition? - Speakers

Michael Bradshaw is Professor of Global Energy in the Strategy and International Business Group at Warwick Business School. He is also a Co-Director of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) where he leads on UK Energy in a Global Context, he also leads the University of Warwick’s Global Research Priority on Energy. He is a geographer by training and works at the interface between economic geography, international relations and strategy and international business. He is currently working on the geopolitics of energy system transformation and is continuing his work on UK gas security, both for UKERC.  He is also involved in a research programme on ‘Unconventional Hydrocarbons in the UK Energy System. He is author of Global Energy Dilemmas (2014) that explored the relationship between energy security, globalization, and climate change. The co-editor of Global Energy: Issues, Potentials and Policy Implications (2015), and co-author of Natural Gas (2020) that explores the geopolitical economy of the global gas industry.

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Rachel is joint head of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) team at BEIS, which sits in the Electricity Security Networks and Markets Directorate. She oversees long-term policy on wholesale electricity market reform, low carbon investment, capacity adequacy, flexibility and system operability. Rachel previously led work at BEIS to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol to maintain the Single Electricity Market across the Island of Ireland after EU Exit. She joined BEIS from the Greater London Authority where she managed the zero carbon policy team there, developing a 1.5C compatible decarbonisation plan for London and introducing ambitious new net zero planning policies. Prior to that she led on policy and external engagement for offshore wind developers Danish Oil and Natural Gas (now Orsted) and was Head of Energy at Green Alliance where she led its work on Electricity Market Reform. She has a background in energy and climate consultancy, a Masters in Environmental Technology (Energy Option) from Imperial College London and a BSc in Physics from Manchester University.

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Gillian Cooper has been Head of Energy Policy at Citizens Advice since November 2018. She leads the organisation’s advocacy work as the statutory energy consumer advocate and is also responsible for its energy advice strategy. Gillian has been a consumer advocate in the energy sector for over 16 years, working in a number of watchdog organisations.

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Mark Copley is an independent consultant specialising in energy policy and regulation.  Among other clients, he acts as the CEO of the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET).  Mark has two decades of experience of working at senior level across British and European energy markets.

Mark was previously with BEIS where he coordinated EU exit related energy and climate projects and played a central role in negotiating the energy elements of the recently concluded EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Prior to this he represented Ofgem on the Boards of the European regulatory bodies, CEER and ACER, and led teams responsible for wholesale gas and electricity markets and security of supply. His current role sees him represent circa 130 trading firms from across Europe in arguing for the development and enhancement of competitive and well-functioning energy markets.

Earlier in his career he spent four years in Brussels working with the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and spent four years with CEPA, an economic consultancy, undertaking work across regulatory industries. Mark holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Exeter and a master’s degree in Economic Regulation and Competition Policy from City University, London.

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Michael is a Senior Hydrogen Consultant at Gemserv, where he is an accomplished developer and implementer of hydrogen and CCUS business opportunities from inception to financial close, underpinned by a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. He is well-versed in HMG decarbonisation policy, funding opportunities for hydrogen and CCUS, bid authorship and consortium management. Michael also manages the CCUS-Enabled Hydrogen Production, Networks and Industry working groups of Hydrogen UK.

Sue is Senior Deputy General Secretary at Prospect, the union for professionals.

Her responsibilities in Prospect include leading the union’s work across the energy sector, climate change and gender equality.

Sue is TUC President for 2021/22. She is the General Council’s lead on energy, environment and sustainability, chair of the Trade Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee (TUSDAC), and was a member of the government’s green jobs taskforce.

She is Chair of Unions 21 and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

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Tim Gould was appointed the Agency’s Chief Energy Economist in 2021. As Chief Energy Economist, he provides strategic advice on energy economics across a wide range of IEA activities and analysis. Mr Gould is also Head of the Division for Energy Supply and Investment Outlooks, in which capacity he co-leads the World Energy Outlook, the IEA’s flagship publication, and oversees the Agency’s work on investment and finance, including the World Energy Investment report.

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Ruth joined the CCSA in October 2021, following a public sector career spanning almost two decades. In her previous role as Director of Strategy & Development at the Low Carbon Contracts Company, Ruth oversaw implementation of two key features of today’s electricity market – the CfD and Capacity Market – and the company’s development into a trusted advisor to government on decarbonisation.  At the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ruth headed the Electricity Market Reform Programme Office, overseeing delivery of the White Paper and Energy Act 2013. In 2008-9, following her negotiation of the EU Directive on CO₂ storage, Ruth led on international CCS policy and the London Ministerial Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum. She was a Financial Services Strategy adviser at HM Treasury and an economic adviser for the City of London Corporation.

Merlin leads Regen’s mission to transform how we generate, supply and use energy.

Merlin is a passionate advocate of a smart, decentralised, low carbon energy system based on renewable energy. He is an influential figure in energy policy sitting on leading forums such as the BEIS and Ofgem Smart Systems Forum. Merlin was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to sustainable energy.

Merlin was previously director of the Environmental Industries Commission, where he worked in Whitehall and Westminster to ensure government support for British companies to succeed in the rapidly growing worldwide market for low-carbon products and services.

Richard has worked within the UK energy sector for over 30 years. He has extensive experience of all the industry’s key processes, from metering and data collection to retailing and regulatory issues. He has worked for major energy suppliers, energy consultancies, data collectors and meter operators. Recently, Richard took on the Role of Energy Adviser at the MEUC where he updates, advises and lobbies on behalf of, Major Energy Users in the UK.

As bp’s Head of Power Pricing, Ian is responsible for providing and assuring long-term power market outlooks and pricing views for bp’s varied power value chain investments.

Ian joined bp in 2005 and has held power market analytics, strategy and technical advisor roles and is now part of the team responsible for bp’s Energy Outlook. He was previously bp’s lead author on power in bp’s Technology Outlook.

Before joining bp, Ian worked as a consultant, for an energy consultancy in New Zealand and a transport consultancy in UK.

He holds a Master’s degree in Operational Research from Lancaster University, UK, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Warwick, UK.

Ulf Nahrath was appointed as General Manager Shell UK Energy Transition & Infrastructure in 2022.

In this role, he is responsible for Shell UK’s ambitious energy transition programme. This includes the integration of low carbon assets like wind and solar power, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage as well as sustainable aviation fuels and EV charging infrastructure into the energy system as part of the announced >30 bln$ investments into the UK energy system over the next decade.

Ulf joined Shell in 2003 as a commercial analyst and held several leadership positions across the UK, Germany and Australia.

He was appointed plant director in Germany at Shell’s largest lubricants manufacturing plant in 2010. In 2013 he became General Manager for the lubricants business in Australia and led the divestment of Shell’s Aviation business there. Ulf was then promoted into an assurance and governance leadership role as Head of Internal Audit for Shell’s global Downstream business from 2018-2021.

Ulf holds a master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Passau (Germany) and attended executive education programmes at INSEAD. Ulf was born in Germany and he and his young family live in London. He is interested in the energy transition, current affairs, history, enjoys golf and is working on his tennis game.

Maureen Paul is the Deputy Director of Current Retail Market Policy. She is responsible for developing and implementing policy to stabilise the retail market and improve how it is functioning in the interest of consumers, including making sure consumers in situations that make them vulnerable are protected and treated fairly. Maureen chairs Ofgem’s ethnic diversity staff network and plays a core role in helping Ofgem incorporate inclusion and diversity in its workforce and policy decision-making. Before joining Ofgem, Maureen worked in the private sector and with other economic regulators. She has a PhD in economics from the University of Warwick.

Frances is a Partner in Economic Advisory at EY, where she leads the Energy & Resources team.  She has 25 years’ experience in the power and utilities sector, and a deep understanding of the transformation needed to deliver the decarbonisation of the energy system.  Frances has a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics, and a BSc in Engineering Physics from Queen’s University, Canada.  Prior to EY, Frances was the Director for Energy System Management & Security, where she led Ofgem’s work on the decarbonisation of the energy system, including wholesale markets, system operation and network charging arrangements, and the decarbonisation of transport and heat.

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Laura is chair of the Government’s Energy Digitalisation Taskforce driving change in energy and is chair of the British Standards Institute Advisory board on Net Zero.  She is also an Independent Director at SGN Network chairing the ESG Committee and on the board of the Energy Systems Catapult and Highview Power.  She was Chair of the Northern Ireland Expert Panel on Energy Transition and was a member of the Advisory Panel for the Government’s Cost of Energy Review, and is on the Ministerial Council for Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage.

Laura is founder of the Food Foundation, co-founder of POWERful Women and former Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency.  She was previously a Member of Parliament for South Thanet, and described by The Times as ‘one of the sanest of all MPs’ and as ‘lateral-minded, original and free-thinking’.

Mike Thompson is Chief Economist and Director of Analysis at the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s independent statutory advisor on climate change. He has been part of the CCC’s senior team since its creation in 2007. The CCC provides evidence-based advice on the UK’s climate targets, plans and progress. Mike led the CCC’s recent Sixth Carbon Budget work and its ground-breaking 2019 report that recommended a 2050 Net Zero target for the UK – requiring a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as a necessary, feasible and cost-effective contribution to stopping global warming.

Alec is joint head of Energy Security Analysis  in the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy. He is a member of the Government Operational Research Service and a Fellow and Companion of the Operational Research Society of Great Britain.

He is currently responsible for analysis supporting policy developments in electricity networks, electric vehicles, biomass and the team’s modelling capability. Before taking up this role he led BEIS Central Modelling Team for some years supporting and developing strategically important models for Net Zero.

Alec started his working life as an engineer. After getting fed up with getting wet and dirty he moved into Operational Research. Since then he has worked in a wide variety of organisations ranging from the retail to public sector

David Wildash has been in the Energy Industry for 18 years having developed a broad industry perspective through multiple roles within the National Grid Group. He is currently the Acting Head of Markets within the ESO having accountability for designing and developing the necessary markets to procure balancing services to operate the system – now and into the future. Previously in his career, he has undertaken a number of differing management roles covering Regulation, Corporate Strategy as well as Operational roles.