ELUK2026 Confirmed Speakers

---

  Bill Esterson has been MP for Sefton Central since 2010 and was elected Chair of the Commons Select Committee for Energy Security and Net Zero in September 2024. 

He has previously held the position of Shadow Minister for Transport, Shadow Minister for Business and Industry, Shadow Minister for International Trade and Shadow Minister for Small Business. 

Mr Esterson started and grew two businesses between 1995 and 2010 and was a local councillor before entering parliament. He graduated from Leeds University in 1990 with BSc Hons in Maths and Philosophy and trained as a chartered accountant after graduating. 

 Richard Tice is a British businessman and politician. With over 35 years in property investment, he served as CEO of CLS Holdings (2010-2014), tripling its share price. A key Brexit advocate, Tice co-founded Leave.EU and Leave Means Leave. He joined the Brexit Party in 2019, which became Reform UK in 2021, becoming chairman, then leader (2021-2024). He was elected MP for Boston and Skegness in 2024, and is currently Reform UK’s Deputy Leader, pushing for higher growth, immigration control, and sensible energy policies. 

 Harriet Cross MP was elected as the Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan at the 2024 General Election.

Since entering Parliament, Harriet has prioritised support for the constituency’s key industries, particularly the energy sector. She has consistently advocated for the removal of the Energy Profits Levy, the lifting of the ban on new licences, and the approval of the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields.

Before her election, Harriet worked as a Chartered Rural Surveyor across Aberdeenshire and the Highlands. She studied Zoology at Imperial College London before completing a Master’s degree in Rural Land and Business Management at the University of Reading.

  Laura Sandys has been working in energy transformation for 20 years and chairs the Government’s Network Innovation Taskforce, The Green Alliance, The Food Foundation and Electrify Industry. She is an advisor to the International Energy Agency on smart grids and is on the board of SSE Transmission, Ohme Global, Sero Homes and Highview Power. 

She was the Chair of the UK Government’s Energy Digitalisation Taskforce and is now working globally to spread best practise of the digitalisation of the energy system.  She was also a member of the UK Government’s Energy Efficiency Taskforce chairing the domestic efficiency working group.

She co-founder of POWERful Women and was former Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency.  She chaired the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy Group and is member of the UK Ministerial Council for Carbon Capture and Storage. 

Laura was awarded a CBE in recognition for her work on energy policy, was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by Green Economy by Business Green and Utility Week Industry Champion. She has recently been appointed Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College. 

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’.  

Chris Stark leads the UK Government’s mission to achieve Clean Power by 2030, heading ’Mission Control’ - the nerve centre of its delivery. Under Chris’s leadership, Mission Control brings together leading industry experts and officials to remove barriers to energy projects, accelerate delivery, and speed Britain’s transition away from fossil fuels toward a secure, clean energy system.

Chris is a renowned climate and energy policy expert, speaking regularly about the urgency of confronting climate change and the opportunities of developing clean energy. As CEO of the UK’s Climate Change Committee he was the UK’s chief climate adviser, leading independent advice to put the world’s first Net Zero target into law and developing detailed cross-economy pathways to its achievement under the UK Climate Change Act. Chris has also been CEO of the Carbon Trust, a global climate consultancy, and has held a number of senior roles in the UK and Scottish Governments over the last 20 years.

Chris was lead expert for the UK Parliament’s ‘Net Zero UK’ citizens’ assembly. He has also featured in national and international news and media, alongside David Attenborough and other prominent commentators. Chris is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, an Honorary Professor at the University of Glasgow and serves on the Boards of V&A Dundee and the arts climate charity Murmur.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chris-stark-to-lead-mission-control-to-deliver-clean-power-by-2030.

Prior to joining the National Wealth Fund, Oliver was CEO of RBS International Holdings, 

a subsidiary of the NatWest Group, where he was on the Group Executive Committee for 

over four years. With over 25 years of experience across investment banking, 

government investments, and strategic leadership, Oliver has deep expertise in 

managing capital to deliver public value.

Previously he served as Chief Executive Officer of UK Financial Investments (UKFI), 

where he was responsible for managing the government’s shareholdings in RBS, Lloyds 

and UK Asset Resolution, overseeing complex, high-value shareholdings on behalf of 

the UK taxpayer.

Earlier in his career, Oliver spent over a decade at Bank of America, latterly as Managing 

Director of Equity Capital Markets for the UK, Ireland, and South Africa. His career has 

been defined by a strong track record in financial leadership, capital markets, and 

public sector engagement

 As the Business Development Manager (Decarbonisation Strategy) at Xoserve, Orlando Minervino leads the company's decarbonisation initiatives and engages with energy professionals to explore the latest innovations in the future of gas. 

With over a decade of expertise in energy consulting, Orlando's goal is to help connect stakeholders in the gas sector to accelerate decarbonisation through innovative solutions – such as low-carbon hydrogen, biomethane and CCUS.

As an energy consultant, he has worked with global corporations, SMEs, and startups, developing and executing operational strategies that drive growth and optimise processes. His background includes corporate and business unit strategy, business model development, procurement strategies and operations, and growth strategies.

Beside working as a consultant, Orlando was also a part-time researcher at Cranfield University (engineering economics & emerging technologies), focusing on the net zero transition in energy and aerospace. His research, published in academic journals, covers decarbonisation strategies, public policy, infrastructure investments, and big data in decision-making.

  Adrian is the global energy advisory lead at AECOM. He advises a portfolio of clients ranging from technology companies, utilities and oil and gas operators to low carbon developers, start-ups, investors and government.

The topics he covers includes data centres, fusion energy, low carbon investments (such as offshore wind, EV charging, hydrogen and carbon capture), energy security and navigating the energy transition. He regularly speaks at conferences, round tables and to the media and presents to clients, discussing macro trends in energy.

Adrian has undertaken senior roles in the management consulting industry, including PwC Strategy&, Booz Allen Hamilton and EY. He was also the managing director of a boutique energy consulting firm where he worked with the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond and Lord Moynihan.

Adrian has a degree in French and Spanish from Southampton University and a Masters in International History from the London School of Economics. He is an advisor on multiple boards, lecturer and is a fellow of the Energy Institute.

 Richard has been employed in the electricity distribution and transmission sector for the past 35 years and is a true subject matter expert. He gained operational management experience working for a DNO and various overhead line contractors throughout the UK and into Europe. Projects ranged from low voltage network refurbishment to 132kV Trident wood pole and tower construction, included a significant amount of 11kV BLX rebuild and also a 70km underground fibre optic cable installation. Now working with Osmose, he collaborates strategically with UK DNOs and contractors providing expertise on grid asset life extension solutions such as trussing and supporting DNOs in their goal of restoring their wood pole networks across the UK.

 Elina is a physicist with over 20 years of experience in fusion plasma physics research and who has worked at several national laboratories across Europe. In 2012 Elina joined UKAEA, where she is successfully leading a group consisting of 10 scientists. In addition, she is now Events Lead at Destination Nuclear, a UK-wide recruitment campaign to provide the Nuclear Sector with the workforce required to deliver the sector’s ambitions and growth. Before that, Elina was leading a highly complex modelling project to improve the understanding of how to optimise the fusion energy production of ITER, a critical next-step multi-billion international fusion experiment that is being built in France. 

Elina is a mum of two and as WiN UK Network Executive (job share), she is taking positive actions across the nuclear sector to create workplaces where everyone can thrive and reach their true potential.

 Derreck van Gelderen is PA Consulting's Head of AI Strategy and AI Lead for Energy and Utilities. He leads the AI and Investment Strategy practice across private and public sector organisations. With over 15 years' experience in designing, developing, and deploying complex models, Derreck bridges the gap between strategic advisory, data and emerging AI technologies. He specialises in guiding organisations through their AI journeys – from understanding AI's disruptive potential and identifying strategic opportunities, to deploying industry-first AI solutions and scaling enterprise-wide AI adoption. Before consulting, Derreck lectured at the University of Bristol while completing his PhD in Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics.     

  Trevor Hutchings, Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association (REA) brings a wealth of policy, industry and commercial experience across the clean energy transition and circular economy. Trevor's previous roles include the UK civil service, European Commission and international consultancy firms. He was also chair of the Green Purposes Company set up by the UK government to safeguard the green mission of the world’s first Green Investment Bank. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals, a Fellow at the Energy Institute, and holds the IoD’s certificate in corporate governance. Under Trevor’s leadership, the Renewable Energy Association is a leading voice for clean energy and the circular economy, helping grow this vital sector of the UK economy.

 Juliette is Chief Communications Officer at Energy UK, the UK’s energy trade association, representing the breadth of the sector including large-scale electricity generators, retailers who sell energy to business and households, and companies delivering electrification across heat and transport. She has worked in the energy sector since 2011 in a variety of roles including leading communications for multi-billion pound electricity infrastructure projects and country regions at Equinor, Orsted and EDF Energy. 

Juliette has a Masters in Engineering, a diploma in financial management and is an honorary lecturer at the University of East Anglia. She is also a UK Ambassador for the Clean Energy Ministerial Equalities in Energy Transitions.  

 Fiona Reilly is an accomplished senior leader with over 30 years of experience in the energy sector, specializing in low-carbon solutions, nuclear, and renewable energy. Currently, she serves as the CEO of FiRe Energy Ltd, a consultancy that provides strategic advice on sustainable energy projects, and holds various non-executive and advisory roles, including UK Strategy Lead at Xlinks Ltd, Non-Executive Director of Ansaldo Nuclear, and Senior UK Representative and Co-Chair of the Economic Modelling Working Group for the Generation IV International Forum (GIF).

Her career spans leadership roles in both the private and public sectors, including senior positions at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, PWC, and Atlantic SuperConnection. Known for her expertise in nuclear services, ESG strategies, and governance frameworks, she has been instrumental in shaping energy infrastructure projects and promoting innovation in the industry.

An advocate for gender diversity, she also leads the Global Women in Nuclear Legal Initiative and mentors emerging talent within the nuclear sector. Her leadership style blends strategic vision, financial acumen, and a collaborative approach, making her a trusted advisor to governments, regulators, and industry leaders.

Fiona holds honorary fellowships with the Nuclear Institute and Energy Institute, and is deeply involved in charitable organizations such as the Matt Hampson Foundation and the NSPCC.

 As Executive Director and Head of Energy Transition at Westwood Global Energy Group, David leads the company’s transition market intelligence and EMEA consulting work. His career has spanned commercial, regulatory and strategic roles with Corus, BP, Mott MacDonald and Wood Mackenzie, giving him a broad perspective on how energy systems and investment priorities are evolving. He is also the host of the Energy Transition Now podcast.   

  A commercially minded engineer, Company Director and Board member. Over 25 years’ delivering successful results in different business model contexts and driving change to achieve better outcomes. Expert knowledge of energy markets, trading, ancillary services, risk management and programme leadership. Excellent track-record of delivering strong financial results by creating strategies and achieving goals through the continual development of people, systems, ways-of-working, AI and machine-learning. Senior relationships with Government, Regulator, Investment partners and industry. Rob plays a leading role in the UK/EU energy transformation, enabling low carbon and flexible electricity to meet net zero ambitions.

Rob is Director of Commercial, Customer & Regulation for National Grid’s Interconnectors business. He is also Director for National Grid Interconnectors Ltd, National Grid IFA2 Ltd, National Grid NSL Ltd and National Grid Viking Ltd.

Accountable for the commercial strategy of National Grid’s Interconnectors, including developing and optimising products, ancillary services and hedging strategies. Leading all aspects of commercial and regulatory interfaces with a focus on improving policy and market design. He is accountable for the customer portfolio and strategy, the communications and marketing around this, and the senior relationships with customers.

Rob spent 7 years with the UK’s Electricity System Operator and led the ESO’s National Control Centre through the difficult winter of 2020/21. He also led the ESO’s Balancing Programme - a £200m project to transform the ESO’s Control Centre IT capabilities before joining National Grid Ventures in May 2023.

He holds an Electrical & Electronic Engineering Degree from Strathclyde University and an Executive MBA from Manchester Business School.

 Abbie Badcock‑Broe is an industry strategist known for cutting through complexity to shape the future of the UK energy system. With 20 years’ experience advising Executives and Boards, she specialises in system‑wide problem‑solving — from decarbonisation and system operation to long‑range planning and organisational transformation. Her work consistently centres on one question: how customers, communities and industry actors will shape — and be shaped by — the energy system of the future.

Formerly Head of Corporate, UK & Decarbonisation Strategy at National Grid, Abbie has led major strategic shifts, built enterprise‑wide foresight capabilities and steered the long‑term narrative for the transition to the National Energy System Operator. Her earlier career spans energy retail, renewables, UK & European trade associations and consultancy, giving her a uniquely customer‑anchored perspective on system change.

A Royal Academy of Engineering Policy Fellow, Abbie is a regular voice on the main stage at leading industry forums.

  Sarah is the Energy Transition Director at DNV. She is a chemist by training with a PhD from University College London and a particular interest in molecules in the energy transition – these include carbon dioxide, hydrogen and the transitioning role of natural gas. Sarah started her career at British Gas Research in the 1980s and has worked in the energy industry ever since. She is currently based at DNV’s office on Loughborough University's campus.

 Eva Robson is a Chartered Civil Engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers and a business development leader, committed to shaping the UK’s future energy landscape. Eva combines technical expertise with strategic insight to support the UK’s transition towards secure, affordable, and sustainable energy for all. 

In her current role at J Coffey, Eva drives business development across the energy, data centre, and net zero sectors. She is focused on identifying opportunities, accelerating the delivery of sustainable projects, and forging long-lasting partnerships that strengthen the UK’s energy infrastructure and resilience.

Eva previously spent eight years at Taylor Woodrow, beginning her career in engineering roles on major national infrastructure projects—including HS2—where she contributed as both a Site Engineer and Design Engineer.

Deeply motivated by sustainably responsible construction, Eva is passionate about advancing engineering practices through innovation to protect both current and future communities and environments.

 Jamie East is an experienced engineer and training professional with 15 years of combined practice in the manufacturing, automotive, and nuclear industries.

He started my career as a technician in a ceramics factory and have since worked in the engineering departments of control & automation SMEs, consultancies, and big nuclear companies like Sellafield Limited and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory. Jamie worked on engineering projects programming industrial robots, production lines, and innovative technologies for nuclear decommissioning.

His lecturing career spans the National College for Nuclear Southern & Northern Hubs and the University of Cumbria, teaching Electrical, Mechanical, Nuclear, and Computer Engineering; as well as working to deliver innovative behavioural courses for graduates.

Jamie's personal passion for lifelong learning, formal education, and fitness is channelled into his work where he consult to develop excellent training and learning solutions. 

 Alex Davis is a Business Transformation Consultant at Moore Insight, helping organisations navigate complex change with greater clarity and confidence.

Drawing on a background in leadership, strategy, organisational change and digital transformation, Alex works with organisations to turn ambitious goals into practical action.

His focus is on helping leaders strengthen delivery, improve decision-making, and create the conditions for sustainable change.

Alex brings a transformation and investment-readiness perspective to the clean energy conversation.

His view is that attracting investment requires more than ambition. It depends on strong governance, credible delivery plans, and the ability to translate strategy into outcomes that investors, partners, and communities can trust.

Alex is particularly interested in how stronger collaboration between industry, government, finance, and local delivery partners can help unlock long-term value from the UK's energy transition.

  Richard Britton is the Global Head of Offshore at Nadara responsible for delivery of their floating offshore wind portfolio in the UK and Italy. With nearly 20 years’ experience in project development, offshore technical solutions and strategic delivery, he has played a central role in advancing large‑scale offshore wind projects around the world.

More recently responsible for development phase projects at Iberdrola as Global Development Director he has overseen approx. 5GW of consents and is an industry leader in the permitting and environmental sustainability field. His work spans the full lifecycle of offshore wind development — from early‑stage feasibility and consenting through to engineering, compliance and construction.

In his past career Richard was a Master Mariner spending 12 years at sea with experience in the installation and maintenance of subsea cables and holds an MBA.

Known for his technical depth and collaborative leadership style, Richard is a frequent contributor to industry forums and a recognised voice in the global offshore wind sector.

  Lynne Matthews FNucI is a senior strategic adviser with over 25 years' experience in the UK civil nuclear and wider energy sectors, specialising in workforce strategy, skills development, stakeholder engagement and organisational transformation within highly regulated environments.

As Founder and Director of LM Consultants, she works with organisations across the energy sector on strategic positioning, workforce and skills programmes, market development, stakeholder engagement and the successful delivery of complex change.

Lynne previously led the trailblazing delivery of Destination Nuclear, the UK's first national nuclear workforce attraction programme, bringing together civil nuclear, defence, government and industry to help address the sector's projected requirement for 40,000 additional workers by 2030.

During her career with EDF, she developed workforce strategies for major infrastructure programmes including Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C, and was seconded to lead delivery of workforce commitments within the UK's Nuclear Sector Deal, supporting collaboration across government and industry.

She advises international organisations including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and EngineeringUK on workforce and skills policy. Recently elected a Fellow of the Nuclear Institute (FNucI) in recognition of her contribution to the profession, Lynne has also been recognised in the Nuclear Institute's Top 100 Most Influential Nuclear Professionals.

An experienced chair, facilitator and keynote speaker, Lynne is recognised for bringing together government, industry and academia to develop practical, collaborative solutions that support the future of clean energy.