Solar Energy UK
29 February 2024
Solar Energy UK has welcomed eight people to its board, following a recent election from among its almost 400 member businesses and organisations.
- Matt Black, Managing Director at Innovo Renewables and Chair of Solar Energy UK (re-elected)
- Liz MacFarlane, Vice President of Sales and Global Advisor at Segen (re-elected)
- Alex DeSouza, General Counsel – EMEA at Lightsource bp
- Adam Swarbrick, Head of Solar and Storage UK at RWE
- Hildagarde McCarville, Chief Executive of Anesco
- Charlotte Healey, Head of Solar at Statkraft
- Gareth Phillips, Solicitor and Partner at Pinsent Masons
- Richard Cave-Bigley, Director, Solar & Battery at SSE Renewables
They join five existing members of the board:
- Jonathan Bates, Managing Director of rooftop PV and battery energy storage installer Photon Energy
- Christelle Barnes, UK Country Manager at SolarEdge Technologies
- Guilia Guidi, Head of ESG at NextEnergy Group
- Hannah Staab, Development Projects Director at Copenhagen Infrastructure Service Company, lately Head of Strategy at Natural Power
- Thomas MacMillan, Director, Energy Renewables and Infrastructure at Savills.
Two further members will be co-opted in May. Thomas MacMillan is due to be replaced as representative of Solar Energy Scotland, following its own election.
Turnout for the election was 42%, around four times the typical figure for trade associations, according to Civica.
Solar Energy UK Chief Executive Chris Hewett said: “It is superb to see that our members have elected a board with such a depth and breadth of talent and experience, from distribution through major utilities to planning law. The board is also the first to have a 50/50 balance of men and women, showing how the industry is moving away from a position that has been somewhat male-dominated at the senior level.”
Director of Business Development Stephen Wilding added: “The new board’s diversity is certainly an encouraging signal to the solar and energy storage sector as a whole. I really hope that it demonstrates to the great many women in the industry how their career paths will lead to leadership roles.”
Matt Black said: “The unprecedented engagement in this board election process, and the seniority and experience of those elected to the board is testament to importance the solar industry places on the work that Solar Energy UK is doing to represent its membership. The refreshed membership of the board also comes at a crucial time for the sector, as we look to finalise the work of the Solar Taskforce.”
– ENDS –
Editor’s notes:
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Gareth Simkins, Senior Communications Adviser
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Gareth Simkins
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