Corrine Barry - RWE's East Coast Director, Net Zero

Corrine is responsible for delivering RWE’s global growing green ambitions across the Humber, Teesside and surrounding regions, seeking opportunities for further renewables deployment and decarbonising the energy and industrial sectors.

She is focusing on driving the growth of RWE’s local portfolio of renewable and low carbon projects, which play a key role in a secure, domestic energy supply while delivering RWE’s and the UK’s net zero ambitions.

Corrine has more than 13 years’ experience in the renewables sector and is a passionate advocate of STEM to give students from all socioeconomic backgrounds access to opportunities and experiences.

She has received recognition as a leading figure for her contributions to the sector as Renewables Women of the Year and a finalist for Social Impact at the Humber Renewables Awards.

Project Director, Sofia Offshore Windfarm - RWE

Matthew Swanwick is Project Director, Sofia Windfarm - RWE.

Awaiting further bio information.

Marc Adams – Lead Supply Chain Development Manager - Orsted

Marc is the Lead Supply Chain Development Manager at Ørsted with a focus on building UK supply chain capacity to support Ørsted asset projects globally and is currently part of the Hornsea 3 & 4 project teams. Prior to that Marc has over 15 years experience in building supply chains, supporting exports and attracting inward investment for the UK Government with a specific focus on offshore wind. Marc is a currently member of the Renewable UK Manufacturing working group, the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership reference group and has contributed to the development of the UK’s Industrial Growth Plan.

Andy Reay - Andy Reay Head of Offshore Wind at ABP

Prior to joining ABP in October 2020, Andy held roles at A2SEA and the DEME Group and has worked in Offshore Wind for over 10 years.  He is also a board member of RenewableUK.

ANDY SYKES - PLANT BLADE DIRECTOR - SIEMENS GAMESA

To follow.

Katharine York - Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence Manager for the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult

Katharine is the Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence Manager for the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, supporting development of new technology and services to improve performance, increase reliability, enhance safety and reduce environmental impacts associated with offshore wind.

For more than a decade, Katharine has been coordinating maintenance and logistics on offshore wind farms, including establishing and running control rooms for 24/7 monitoring of turbines and vessels.

Emma Toulson – Humber Offshore Wind Cluster Champion/ Ørsted

Emma Toulson is the Humber Offshore Wind Cluster (HOWC) Champion/ Ørsted in the UK. Working predominantly in the regions where Ørsted are developing, constructing or operating projects, she leads on engagement with regional and local government, skills, the supply chain and local communities.

Emma was a key contributor to the Offshore Wind Sector Deal leading on the ‘Place: Clusters’ element which aims to grow existing clusters and create more opportunities for investment and growth in regional economies across the UK.

Prior to joining Ørsted Emma worked for the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership as Sector Development Manager on secondment from WSP engineering consultancy. She was awarded the 2019 “Humber Renewables Champion Award” for her work over the years on the development of the Humber Energy Estuary.

Jane Cooper - Director of Offshore Wind, RenewableUK

Jane started with RenewableUK as Director of Offshore Wind in September 2022. In this role, Jane leads the team delivering the Offshore Wind Sector Deal. Having worked at Orsted for ten years, Jane has a proven track record in the industry with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the sector to meet its targets for 2030 and beyond. Currently serving on the Government’s Green Skills Delivery Group, Jane holds an MSc from City University and is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer. Jane previously worked at Rolls Royce and Orange and is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion.

Dan McGrail - Chief Executive - RenewableUK

Dan McGrail took up his post of Chief Executive at RenewableUK in May 2021. Previously he was the CEO of Siemens Engines. He joined Siemens UK in 2004 and has worked in a variety of roles across the energy industry.

Between 2010 and 2014 he led Siemens plans to develop and invest in offshore wind turbine manufacturing in the UK, securing the world-class offshore wind turbine blade factory and port facility in Hull, negotiating with the UK government and overseeing one of the company’s most significant factory investments in its recent history. The Final Investment Decision of £160m was announced in 2014, alongside a £150m investment by Associated British Ports to revitalise Hull’s Alexandra Dock.

As Managing Director of Siemens Power Generation from 2014-2017, he expanded Siemens UK’s activities in the thermal power market. He became CEO of Siemens Engines in November 2017, leading the rebranding of the company and helping to secure significant growth.

He served as Chair of the Association of Decentralised Energy from 2016 to 2019 and was Vice Chair until February 2021. He set up the Heat Network Industry Council to engage politicians and drive policy reform to build zero carbon heat networks.

He graduated from Liverpool John Moores University in 2003 with a degree in International Business Studies and Spanish. During his studies he spent a year at the University of Alicante and is fluent in Spanish. After graduating, he qualified with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. More recently he completed the CBI Leadership programme, in London, Brussels and Washington DC.

Sarah Rodgers, HR Business Partner - Siemens Gamesa

Sarah Rodgers, HR Business Partner, started with Siemens Gamesa in August 2022 – an experienced human resources specialist, Sarah has spent over 20 years in a variety of HR and Organisational Development roles within workplaces such as Smith & Nephew and the University of Hull.

At Siemens Gamesa, Sarah works within the Senior Leadership Team as the HR Partner for the Hull Blade Factory, covering the entire HR spectrum from providing operational support to implementing strategic projects.

Sarah is also a school governor at a local secondary school, specialising in future careers.

Iain Butterworth - Chair - Humber Marine and Renewables

Iain is a former merchant navy marine engineer.  Following his successful seagoing career, he studied law and qualified as a solicitor, working in Hull for many years as a maritime lawyer.  Iain lives in Scarborough and also runs his own marine consultancy business.

He is extensively involved in the maritime and renewables industries and has a long term association with HM&R and its former incarnation Team Humber Marine Alliance.

Simon Green - CEO - Humber Freeports

Simon was appointed as Humber Freeport's Interim CEO in April 2023, and has overseen a successful launch of the Freeport securing pivotal inward investments. At the helm, he propels the organisation's mission to attract substantial investments, focusing on innovation, decarbonisation and skills development to unlock the region's economic potential for robust growth and job creation.

Marcus Walker - Director - Humber - ABLEUK

Marcus joined Able Group as the Development Director – Humber in September 2022. Marcus is leading the development of Able Humber Port, Able Energy Park and other strategic assets in Yorkshire and Humber.

Sheena McGuinness - Partner - RSM UK Tax

Sheena is a partner in RSM’s corporate tax team and has over 25 years’ experience in advising companies on their tax affairs. She heads the Renewables and Cleantech sector group and regularly speaks at industry conferences on the tax aspects applicable to this sector. She has also been awarded the Women Powering Smart Energy Award for the last two years, an award voted for by renewable industry peers.

Morten Holm -Head of Site Operations, Hornsea 2

Morten is an experienced leader in the Offshore Wind Industry with a proven track record in both offshore wind farm construction and operations and maintenance. He joined Ørsted in January 2018 as Head of Site Operations for the first offshore wind farm in the UK to exceed 1GW - Hornsea One. Morten now holds the same position for Hornsea Two, the largest offshore wind farm in the world. In this role, Morten has the overall responsibility for planning, directing and managing the performance of Hornsea Two, covering HSE, quality, budget, costs, resources and logistics and ensuring business growth as member of the East Coast Leadership Team..

David Laister - Compere for OWC2024

Stepping out from behind his notepad and on to the stage this year is David Laister.

The experienced journalist has covered Offshore Wind Connections from launch, having enjoyed a front row seat to witness the emergence of the industry in his Humber homeland in an 18 year stint covering the region's business activity.

A strong supporter of the Energy Estuary, you may have seen him on stage previously, hosting the Hull Live Business Awards and Humber Renewables Awards.

Lucy Jackson - Renewables Lead in Marine Planning Team - MMO

Lucy is Renewables Lead in the Marine Planning team of the Marine Management Organisation, which sits under Defra. Her role is focused on developing plan policies, which are shaped by emerging evidence related to offshore renewables, and liasing with stakeholders in the offshore renewables industry. Prior to this role she worked at London rivers charity Thames21, focusing on supporting communities in tackling plastic waste and developing resilience of coastal communities to climate change.

Chris Jenner - Development Manager Round 4 Outer Dowsing Project

Chris has been the Development Manager on the Round 4 Outer Dowsing Project since it’s inception in 2019 with Macquarie and now Corio Generation. Chris has been involved in development of projects since the very start of Round 1 while based in the first offshore wind office in Grimsby through the Lynn & Inner Dowsing and Lincs projects. Chris was the Development Manager on the Hornsea Projects from inception with Mainstream Renewables, consenting both Hornsea One and Two prior to Orsted taking over construction.

Bailey Bradley - Managing Director - XceCo Limited

Bailey Bradley's career epitomises a robust commitment to renewable energy and strategic business management. As XceCo Limited's managing director and co-founder, Bailey played a pivotal role in establishing the company as a leading asset manager in the UK's renewable energy sector, notably overseeing the transition of Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms from Centrica. With prior experience as Centrica's Head of Commercial and Operational Excellence, Bailey gained a multifaceted understanding of technical, commercial, and strategic aspects of the energy sector, essential for his leadership at XceCo. His dedication to renewable energy, especially in the Humber region, underscores his commitment to sustainability.

Bailey's leadership has been vital in shaping XceCo into a top-tier renewable energy asset management firm, while his broader contributions drive positive change within the industry.

Coleen Forde - National Skills Coordinator - Orsted

Coleen Forde is Orsted’s National Skills Coordinator responsible for STEM engagement and scarce and critical skills growth in UK/IRE. Coleen has worked in the onshore and offshore wind sector for over ten years in a variety of HR/operational and recruitment roles and has always been enthusiastic and proactive in developing innovative ways to grow talent and skills.

Leo Hambro - Co-founder of Tidal Transit

Leo co-founded Tidal Transit in 2011. Tidal Transit provides CTVs and is leading the push towards electrifying the fleet. The company has been a continual innovator. This has ranged from the Mercurio 20m (2m Hs transfers), UMOE’s Wavecraft (50kn transit speeds) and Artemis Technologies’ eFoiler CTVs (100% electric full foiling). The company is a development partner on the MJR Offshore Charger, allowing electric vessels to charge from the wind turbines at sea. Tidal Transit has 6 CTVs. LD Tide have a further 5 through the LDA JV. Leo is also Commercial Manager (UK) for LDA. Leo’s career has been focused on commodities with renewables angles including bio-ethanol from sugar and biomass from timber.

Fiona Headridge - Careers Hub Lead, Hull and East Yorkshire

As Careers Hub Lead, I oversee the implementation and successful development of the Hull and East Yorkshire Careers Hub which includes 50 schools and colleges located across the region. Working with, employers and career professionals we support each school and college to develop sustainable and embedded careers programmes to improve outcomes for all young people. We are currently delivering a pilot programme with employers to increase the awareness of young people around Net Zero opportunities.

Hannah Woodgate – Supply Chain and Skills Strategy Manager, RWE

Hannah Woodgate joined RWE Renewables in January 2023 as Supply Chain Development Manager for Rampion 2 & Skills Strategy Manager UK&I. Prior to RWE, Hannah worked at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy as a Direct Supply Manager in the Hull wind turbine blade factory, where she initially started as an intern

Jim Gilbert – Professor of Engineering, University of Hull

Jim Gilbert is Professor of Engineering at the University of Hull and has spent a career tackling industry challenges through the application of engineering modelling and instrumentation. In recent years, Jim has focussed on accelerating the UK’s adoption of offshore wind energy, working with some of the industry’s key players such as Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted.

With involvement in a portfolio of approximately £40M in research projects, Jim is also the Research, Development and Innovation lead for Aura, a codirector of the EPSRC Supergen ORE Hubs and Deputy Director of the Aura Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Wind Energy. He has taught offshore wind energy to around 600 students at undergraduate, MSc and PhD level and has been active in promoting Equity Diversity and Inclusion in the sector.

Chris Sarel – Managing Director, GEV

With 9 years' experience in Renewable Energy, Chris’s team is responsible for the delivery of wind power projects within the UK, Europe and APAC regions.
A Hull lad, who started his career as an Apprentice in the Military Aerospace sector, latterly qualifying as a Mechanical Engineer. Based at GEV HQ in Hessle,
Chris, in his spare time, is a Volunteer Police Officer for the British Transport Police at York.

Emma Mason, UK Business Development Manager - OPS Wind

Emma is an experienced professional with 10 years’ experience in the renewable energy industry.
She started her career in an administrative role and gradually worked her way up the ranks , gaining valuable insights and knowledge along the way. Over the years, Emma has built a strong network of industry connections, allowing her to stay up to date with the latest trends and developments in the renewable energy sector.

Ajai Ahluwalia - Head of Supply Chain | RenewableUK

With over 13 years in the Offshore Wind industry Ajai has a broad commercial and deep technical and experience, having worked across the Development, Engineering, Construction and Operations phases on various projects for several organisations which include Equinor, ScottishPower Renewables and Centrica.

Now as the Head of Supply Chain, at RenewableUK, Ajai is now focussing on making sure industry can deliver upon the UK’s ambitious offshore wind deployment targets, and indeed seeing how opportunities in UK supply chain can be realised.

Sarah Bee - Aura CDT

Sarah is a PhD researcher with the Aura Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Sheffield, her research relates to the use of machine learning to improve structural health monitoring. She is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham and is also a Chartered Chemical Engineer. Sarah is passionate about equipping the next generation with the right tools for their future career.

Jonathan Oxley - Humber Energy Board, CBI

Jonathan, a chemist by training, is passionate about more sustainable business and the circular economy – including how business can both do good and do well.

Having led the UKRI-funded Humber Industrial Cluster Plan project to optimise decarbonising Humber industry, Jonathan joined the CBI as Director, Humber Cluster in October 2022, to build on the work of many businesses and stakeholders across the Humber, on industrial decarbonisation internationally, exemplified by the Humber 2030 Vision. More recently, his role at the CBI has taken on a wider portfolio of net zero and decarbonisation-related activity across the UK in the Net Zero team, whilst continuing to support activity in Industrial Clusters across the UK, including the Humber. Jonathan also advised the New South Wales Government on their plans for industrial decarbonisation.

Jonathan had experience of the nuclear industry before joining BP, where he held a variety of roles in the energy and chemicals areas over 24 years in the UK and France, including secondment to the public-private Energy Technologies Institute. He has also had senior roles with the N8 AgriFood academic consortium (sustainable food, farming and nutrition) and the World Energy Council (sustainable energy for all).

Jonathan is a Freemen of the Tallow Chandlers, a Chartered Fellow of both the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and is a Trustee of the RSC. He is active on social media: @oxleyjc and www.linkedin.com/in/oxleyjc.

George Moore - SMC - Business Development Director

George has worked with SMC since 2017, and now leads the company’s commercial and sales activities in the role of Business Development Director. During his time at SMC, George has supported the business in establishing itself as a gold standard brand within the renewables sector, where SMC have achieved continued growth throughout the UK, Europe, APAC, and Americas, and leading to the company’s acquisition by OEG Group in 2022.