Onshore Wind Conference 2024 Speakers

Sinclair Browne

Chief Executive, Inverness Harbour Trust

Sinclair is a qualified Chartered Surveyor and was appointed Chief Executive of Inverness Harbour Trust in July 2011. The Port of Inverness is operated as a Trust Port and over the last 10-years, Sinclair has been at the forefront of the Port’s transformation into a leading logistical hub for the renewable energy sector. Over that period, the Port has facilitated the movement of over 350 turbines to various wind farms throughout the Highlands. He also led the Port’s contribution as one of the main consortium members of the recently announced Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, one of two Green Freeports in Scotland.

Prior to his appointment at Inverness, Sinclair spent 30-years advising clients on all aspects of commercial property, latterly as a Partner in Knight Frank, one of the world’s leading independent real estate consultancies. He has been involved in several high-profile projects with a particular specialisation in site assembly, development and brownfield regeneration. He is currently Vice-Chair of the British Ports Associations Scottish Ports Group as well as BPA Council member.

Heather Donald

Onshore Renewables Development and Construction Director, SSE Renewables

A member of SSE Renewables leadership team, Heather has responsibility for SSE Renewables onshore development and construction portfolio for UK and Ireland. Heather is a Chartered Town Planner who has been working in development and consenting roles for over 20 years in both the public and private sectors and in the renewables industry since 2009 driving forward some of Scotland’s most significant renewables projects. Since joining SSER in 2018 Heather has led the consents teams on both Seagreen and Berwick Bank offshore wind farm projects and been Head of Project Consents for the Renewables business before taking on her current role which includes overseeing an active construction programme as well as leading the development and project delivery teams. Heather sits on the Renewable UK Strategic Committee sponsoring the Onshore Wind Planning Group and is currently Co-Chair of the G12 Developer Group as part of the Onshore Sector Deal and has recently been asked to join the UK Government’s Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce which is aiming to address the barriers to deployment and maximising the wider benefits of doubling onshore wind energy by 2030.

Louise Downing

Founder, BizGive

Louise Downing is the founder of BizGive, a software platform that supports renewable energy companies in maximising the positive impact of their assets in host communities. With over 10 years experience in the industry, Louise was previously a renewable energy reporter and analyst at Bloomberg and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BloombergNEF), where she wrote news, features and analysis covering the wind, wave, tidal and solar energy sectors. She continues to write for the industry, for organisations including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Frank Elsworth

Head of UK Market and Site Development, Vattenfall Wind Power Ltd

Frank started in renewables 18 years ago, working for Nuon and then Vattenfall. Frank has performed in various parts of the business, primarily as a Project Manager. He began his renewables career in Onshore Development, before moving into Offshore Development on the East Anglia zone and then subsequently moving into the Offshore Construction team of the project. From Offshore Construction he moved into Onshore Construction and became the Construction Manager for Pen-y-Cymoedd Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in England and Wales. Following the completion of the project Frank moved into management as Head of Construction Management and in 2019 he completed the circle back into development to head up the Market Development team for Onshore Wind. Frank currently leads a team of project managers working on a broad portfolio of Onshore Wind projects across Scotland, and the rest of the UK, in various stages of development.

Fiona Lindsay

Managing Director, ReBlade

Fiona is a renewables specialist with extensive industry experience gained over nearly twenty years working in the sector. A former wind farm developer, Fiona has worked on innovation throughout her career and is a passionate advocate for circularity in wind. Fiona is now focussed on responsibly decommissioning many of the wind turbines she helped to put up early in her career to make way for repowering projects and is focussed on helping create a sustainable, low carbon and clean energy economy.

Dr Sabrina Malpede

CEO, ACT Blade

Dr Sabrina Malpede is the co-founder and Managing Director of ACT Blade Ltd. She has nearly two decades of experience in the design, development, and commercialisation of innovative solutions first in the yachting and now in the wind energy industry. She has an Honours degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Federico II (Naples-Italy) and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Glasgow (UK). She won the Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship in 2003. In 2020, she was awarded by the UK gov DIT with the European Tech Woman Award (International Clean Energy) and in 2022, she won the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Public Award and the second prize of the Woman Leadership award.

Peter McCrory

Policy Manager, RenewableUK

Peter leads RenewableUK's our Networks and Charging workstream, focusing on both on- and offshore grid delivery. Peter has previous experience working in the Irish Single Electricity Market as a policy analyst with SONI, the Northern Irish TSO.

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.

Dr Katie Medcalf

Environment Director, Environment Systems

Katie works with industry clients in Wales, supporting renewables schemes and has assisted Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Government in scoping their approach to Net Benefit for Biodiversity. She’s an expert on WG’s Biodiversity Deep Dive Committee (delivery of 30 x 30 Goals) and has provided evidence to the Welsh Environment and Infrastructure Committee on Climate Change and the Nature Emergency. Katie is an international expert in modelling and evaluating land in terms of biodiversity (and BNG), and other ecosystems services, including environmental net gain for master planning projects and to support the new markets of carbon and biodiversity credits.

Mark Mulqueeney

Onshore Ecology Manager MA MCIEEM, SSE Renewables

Mark has over 13 years’ experience in managing and monitoring species in the natural environment during which time he has gained significant experience in ornithology, botany, ecology, and aquatic science. Working as the Onshore Ecology Manager, Mark is responsible for assisting project teams with environmental impact assessments and developing habitat management plans associated with onshore renewable energy developments. Mark also leads the SSE Renewables natural environment working group, who have developed a biodiversity net gain (BNG) metric for use in Scotland and developed a more Scottish centric approach to BNG assessment.

Rafael Narezzi

Managing Director, Cyber Energia

Leading Innovator in Cybersecurity and Renewable Energy SaaS

Rafael Narezzi is a pioneering entrepreneur specialising in developing SaaS solutions for the Cybersecurity and Renewable Energy sectors. As the Managing Director of Cyber Energia, Rafael Narezzi has spearheaded the creation of cutting-edge technologies that enhance sustainability and digital security.

Dr Graham Pannell

Head of Grid and Electricity Regulation, BayWa r.e. UK

Twice Chair of RenewableUK's Networks and Charging Group, eight years' Vice Chair and lead customer voice in the ENA's DER Connections Steering Group, twenty years of grid connections, electricity regulation, renewable energy system integration and grid charging policy, primarily in GB; encompassing Ofgem's TNUoS task force, Access and Forward-Looking Charges, Balancing Services (first), distribution charging and the last fundamental transmission charging revision (TransmiT). Currently part of the Connections Delivery Board and Connections Policy Advisory Group. Degrees in Power Electronics and Astrophysics.

James Robottom

Head of Policy, RenewableUK

James is Head of Policy at RenewableUK. James leads RenewableUK's work on onshore wind as well as a wider programme of work advocacy and policy including planning, environment and community. James has spent over a decade working in the energy industry, looking at energy, renewables and climate across communications, public affairs and policy for trade associations and membership bodies.

Aedán Smith

Head of Policy and Advocacy, RSPB

Aedán is Head of Policy and Advocacy for RSPB Scotland, which is part of the RSPB, the largest wildlife conservation charity in Europe. He is a Chartered Town Planner with over 20 years’ experience of working to try and ensure that development results in positive outcomes for nature and climate, and that the regulatory frameworks that govern the use of land and sea are transformed to reflect the nature and climate emergency.

Dr Charlotte Stamper

Strategic Partnerships Manager, European Metal Recycling

Charlotte is Strategic Partnerships Manager at European Metal Recycling, a global material materials supplier. She is part of a new business unit in EMR that offers circular solutions for renewable energy infrastructure, including wind turbines and solar panels. Prior to her current role, Charlotte was a Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables. She also worked at Zero Waste Scotland where she set its strategic direction across energy infrastructure. She is a Chartered Waste Manager and holds a PhD in geochemistry.

Esbjorn Wilmar

Country Director UK, Boralex

Esbjorn is the Country Director for Boralex UK, a division of Boralex Inc, a publicly listed Canadian company, with its headquarters in Montreal, Quebec. Previously CEO of Infinergy which he joined in 2006, he was instrumental in the delivery of over 25 onshore wind projects around the UK, including approximately 400 MW in Scotland, and was responsible for taking forward the opportunity to grow the business as part of Boralex.

He has considerable experience in both line management, project management and business development, gained in the Netherlands, the UK and overseas. He has worked for and with various high-profile companies in the renewable energy, oil and gas and waste sector.

Next to his day-to-day role in Boralex, Esbjorn has always played an active role in the wider renewable energy industry, particularly with Renewable UK and Scottish Renewables. Outside the renewable energy industry, he has an interest in education through his role as Chair of Trustees of the Ringwood Waldorf School.

Robin Winstanley

Sustainability and Community Director, OnPath Energy

Robin has worked in renewables for 4 years and is responsible for the sustainability, marketing and community functions at OnPath Energy. At OnPath, formerly Banks Renewables, the team is involved with large-scale onshore wind, battery, solar and flexible generation technologies across the UK. Robin’s passion and expertise is in helping businesses work together with the communities they live and work in so that they can deliver social, environmental, and economic value and help tackle the generational challenges they face together with commercial growth. Prior to this role, Robin spent 15 years in retail in a range of senior commercial and sustainability roles. Robin studied Law at Edinburgh University and currently lives in Glasgow with his wife and 2 children.

Dr Simon Zisman

Director, Net Zero Ecology

Simon specialises in resolving ornithology issues for renewable energy projects, having worked in this area for over 20 years in Scotland and around the UK. After seven years at RSPB, he ran the Scotland and Northern England Ecology teams for one of the UK’s main planning and environment consultancies. Then in 2023, Simon set up his own company, Net Zero Ecology and continues to support a variety of wind farm projects on and off shore. His work encompasses all stages of development input, from due diligence and site sensitivity appraisals to expert witness provision, discharge of planning consents, Habitat Management Plan implementation and post-construction bird monitoring.

Jolanta Beinarovica

Strategy Consultant, Optimat

Jolanta Beinarovica, PhD, is a strategy consultant at Optimat, a Glasgow-based innovation and strategy consultancy that has over 35 years of experience supporting public, private, and research sectors across the whole innovation lifecycle. Her technical expertise includes net-zero technologies, industrial biotechnology, engineering biology, and health tech. Jolanta has helped public agencies understand the techno-economic opportunities and skills needs and provision across various sectors, including onshore wind, solar, aviation, maritime, industrial cluster decarbonisation, and hydrogen. Her project portfolio includes market intelligence, economic development projects, skills and policy studies, techno-economic assessments, supply chain analyses, and due diligence. Jolanta holds a PhD in Industrial Biotechnology and a BSc in Biochemistry.

Suzanne Clifton

Onshore Wind Principal Investments Manager, EDF Renewables UK

Suzanne joined EDF Renewables UK and Ireland in January 2022 as Principal Business Development Manager in our onshore wind team, having previously worked in offshore wind and across a number of different industries as an economic consultant.

At EDF Renewables, Suzanne’s focus is on building investment cases to take our onshore wind sites from consent to construction phase across multiple of our onshore wind projects. She has experience in both bidding and managing CfDs through to operation as well as involvement in alternative routes to market.

Suzanne’s role has an emphasis on the development of policy and regulation within the renewables industry and its impact on investment cases.

Suzanne graduated in Chemistry and Management from Imperial College London and is a ICAEW Chartered Accountant.

Kate Dooley

Policy and Regulatory Affairs Manager, RES

Kate Dooley is a Senior Policy and Regulatory Manger at RES, the world’s largest independent renewable energy company that has delivered more than 26GW of renewable energy projects across the globe.

Kate has more than a decade of experience in the energy industry and has a Masters in Global Energy and Climate Policy. Starting her career at Energy UK, she has held positions on various industry groups, including the Grid Code Review Panel, the CUSC Panel and more recently, Renewable UK's Market Design Working Group. Kate is passionate about ensuring the value of renewables is passed on to every consumer.

Heidi Douglas-Osborn

Senior Policy Analyst, RenewableUK

Heidi leads RenewableUK’s onshore policy on aviation as well as supporting the Aviation Investment Fund Company Ltd as its secretariat. Prior to this Heidi has worked in sustainable finance and environmental health policy.

Kareen French

O&M Package Manager, Vattenfall

Kareen French I work as an Operations and Maintenance Package Manager for Vattenfall, involved in a project from development through to operations making sure that the project is ready on day one. I have been with Vattenfall for nearly 9 years working in both Offshore and Onshore Wind. I started on Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm before construction getting the site set up and then working on activities in getting the project ready for operations. I moved into Onshore Wind after and have worked on several projects in Netherlands and Sweden. Recently I have handed over South Kyle Wind Farm in Ayrshire, and now am working on Clashindarroch II and other sites we have in development in Scotland.

Simon Gill

Energy Systems Consultant, The Energy Landscape

Simon is a freelance energy system specialist with 14 years’ experience in the energy sector. He spent five years with The Scottish Government providing detailed analysis and advice on a range of challenges including the development of electricity and gas networks, decarbonisation of heat and transport, and the role of carbon capture and storage in reaching net zero. He worked closely with Ministers to support delivery of Scotland’s stretching greenhouse gas emissions targets and he helped develop strong collaborations with regulators and the private sector. He was part of the team who wrote the 2017 Scottish Energy Strategy and the 2020 update to the Scottish Climate Change Plan.

Keith Grant

Partner, ERM

Keith is a Partner at ERM, the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, and directs a team of environmental and planning specialists to support clients successfully achieve development consent. For the last 18 years Keith has supported large scale UK infrastructure projects in the renewables, grid and transport sectors.

Paul Moran

Mergers and Acquisitions Manager, ESB

Paul’s background is a Chartered Surveyor and began his career in the mining industry in the late 1990s before transitioning into the energy sector. In 2002, he joined ESB where he has held several positions, including roles in engineering, project development and project delivery including six years developing onshore wind in Scotland.

Currently, Paul manages a Mergers & Acquisitions team in ESB Asset Development primarily focussing on onshore technologies. In his previous role, he managed a development partnership developing a portfolio of over 2GW of onshore wind projects across the UK contributing to ESB’s commitment to deliver Net Zero.

Jo Wotton

Associate Director, Environmental Planning, LUC

Jo Wotton BSc (Hons) MSc MIEMA CEnv is an Associate Director of Environmental Planning at LUC with over 15 years of professional experience across the private and public sectors, including project management of numerous complex EIA projects involving large multi-disciplinary teams, from feasibility through to discharge of planning conditions. Jo has managed several EIAs for onshore wind farms and energy transmission projects across Scotland and is currently leading the Onshore Wind Sector Deal (OWSD) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 'Task and Finish Group' in collaboration with Ramboll.