Repowering Onshore Wind Seminar Speakers

Hiba Ayaz

Asset Lifecycle Engineering Lead, SSE Renewables

Hiba is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen where she studied Mechanical Engineering with Management. The first years of her career were spent working for a consultancy specialising in design work for the Water Industry. Since joining SSE Renewables in 2019, Hiba has worked in the Asset Management Engineering team looking after operational onshore windfarms and integration of new assets into the operational fleet. Her current focus is on developing windfarm End of Life strategies and sustainable decommissioning.

Finley Beck-Phelps

UK Development Director, Fred. Olsen Renewables

Finley Beck-Phelps brings almost a decade of experience to Fred. Olsen Renewables. As UK Development Director, Fin has led the company through a period of significant growth – building a team that is experienced, trustworthy and passionate about the role that renewables will play in a net zero future.
Fred. Olsen Renewables has been an integral part of Scotland’s renewable energy industry for over 20 years, generating over 500MW of onshore wind. Fin is taking the team on a journey which will place communities at its core, build on previous successes and bring forward a pipeline of projects, spanning different technologies, across the country.

Paul Cantwell

Head of Net-Zero Programmes, National Manufacturing Institute Scotland

Paul is a Senior Knowledge Exchange fellow within the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland supports the field of resource efficient manufacturing and remanufacturing within High Value sector (Wind, Rail, Aircraft Decommissioning, Energy sector), identify sector specific programs, building sector roadmaps and identifying program opportunities within the Circular Economy & Remanufacturing, enabling industry on their Net-Zero journey

Euan Hogg

Development Project Manager, RES

Euan works as Development Project Manager at RES. With over 16 years renewables industry experience, Euan provides support across the full lifecycle of projects from development through to operations. He supports clients with end-of-life strategies, life extension, and repowering of existing renewable projects. In addition, Euan sees new wind farm projects from concept and planning through to financial close. Euan holds a MSc in Energy, Renewable Energy Systems and a BSc in Environmental Management and Technology from Heriot-Watt University.

Neil Marshall

Advisory Lead – Onshore Wind, Natural Power

Neil joined the Advisory team of Natural Power in August 2015, and now is the technology lead for Onshore Wind in the European Advisory Team. Neil has led on the delivery of technical due diligence and other advisory services for M&A transactions and project financing across the UK and Europe. These have ranged from small community projects to multi country portfolios to some of the largest wind projects in Europe. Neil’s UK based team increasingly works on projects where life extension, hybridisation or repowering are a key focus.

Roger Salomone

Head of Public Affairs UK & Ireland, Vestas

Roger has been Head of Public Affairs UK & Ireland at Vestas since March 2022. He has two decade’s experience across the oil and gas, renewables and manufacturing sectors. Roger joined Vestas from ExxonMobil where he held a series of roles including leading communications for the company’s EU affairs office, advising the exploration business across Europe and Africa, and heading up public affairs for the UK business. Earlier in his career he worked in the trade association representing UK manufacturers, European energy market consultancy and the UK electricity market.

Carol Sheath

Engineering Programme Manager, Renewable Parts

Carol Sheath is an Engineering Manager at Renewable Parts, a supply chain management company in the wind industry. With a background in Mechanical Engineering, Carol spent 14 years working in the Aerospace industry in a variety of different product design, integration, and development roles. In 2021, Carol made the transition to the Renewables industry, joining Renewable Parts to lead their research and development activities. Her primary focus is developing refurbished and remanufactured products as an alternative to new, providing a more sustainable supply chain and a circular economy in the wind industry.

Dr Charlotte Stamper

Energy Infrastructure Lead, European Metal Recycling

Charlotte is the Energy Infrastructure Lead at European Metal Recycling (EMR), a global material materials supplier. EMR offers circular solutions for end-of-life renewable energy infrastructure through delivery of a complete end-to-end decommissioning service.

Prior to her current role, Charlotte was the Senior Policy Manager for offshore wind at Scottish Renewables. She also worked at Zero Waste Scotland where she was responsible for setting its strategic direction across the energy infrastructure sector with a particular focus on circular economy.

Helen Thrasher

Head of Technical, Fred. Olsen Renewables

Helen Thrasher joined Fred. Olsen Renewables in late 2022, bringing with her more than 12 years of experience spanning the development, construction, and operation of wind energy projects.
Helen previously held positions with Rame Energy and Natural Power, working in over ten countries across several regions, including South America, Asia, North America and Europe.
As the Head of Technical at Fred. Olsen Renewables, Helen works closely with the development and construction teams to ensure that a ‘wind first’ approach is taken to across all developments. Her insight helps the team to fully understand wind resource at sites and results in projects that are designed to be efficient and effective. By considering turbine technology at all stages of development, Helen is working to futureproof all Fred. Olsen Renewables projects in line with market evolution.

Craig Whelton

Consenting Lawyer, Burges Salmon

Craig Whelton is a partner at independent UK law firm Burges Salmon and leads the firm's Scottish Planning team from its Edinburgh office. Craig specialises in the consenting of major infrastructure, mixed use and energy projects. He also advises scheme promoters and landowners on compulsory purchase and compensation, and has advised on some of the largest development schemes across Scotland. Craig regularly appears as an advocate at planning appeal hearings and inquiries, as well as advising on judicial challenges.