Job title: Chair of Electricity North West, Former Chief Executive, Ofgem
What does your job role involve?
My career is quite unusual in that I have had four very different jobs. I qualified and trained as an Accountant, and then I spent most of my career as an Investment Banker in New York and London. I then became a public servant for 10 years where I was the Chief executive of Ofgem, regulating the UK energy industry. I am currently Chair of Electricity North West – a power network company that is the primary facilitator of net zero being achieved. We serve Manchester and the North West and they have set us 2038 as our target for net zero and not 2050. I was previously Chair at Storegga UK – a cutting edge business that is exploring carbon capture – both in the sea and through direct air capture.
Where does your interest in sustainability come from?
I have been involved in energy and utilities for over 40 years so to a certain extent, my interest has been triggered by the nature of the roles I have held. Sustainability really has to be in my DNA as a leader in the energy industry; the network power companies, one of which I chair, are at the forefront of delivering the Government’s net zero ambitions. These companies have to strive to ensure that not only do the networks themselves emit less unacceptable gases and lose less power through inefficient running, but they have to be the catalysts to encourage and enable customers to link their local or domestic power sources back into the grid.
Why do you think Malvern College’s Green giving Day is so important?
As a parent [Rory Buchanan, 1.12-17 and two daughters] my children want to feel like that if they are taking sustainability seriously (and they really are!), that everyone else is as well – parents, OMs, their schools. It is so important to have a whole school approach to sustainability. Malvern College can really set an example to its pupils and it sends a strong message to the Malvernian community.