connections

Chris Burton

Marketing Director – Green2 Delivery

A career marketer, Chris has grown businesses and brands for international corporates, start-up’s, family-run and small-mid sized businesses. His focus at Green2 is to help drive the adoption of sustainable distribution by working in partnership with customers that want to be the first to implement.

Ben Owen

TV hunter, cyber spy, intelligence officer

Ben is an internationally recognised expert in covert operations, surveillance and online investigations with over 15 years’ experience working at the very height of national security, military operations and the private sector.

Ben’s experience is leading large covert operations across the U.K. and abroad to combat counterterrorism, counter proliferation and counterespionage operations and attacks against the U.K. and its allies.

Ben’s main role was to lead, direct and manage covert operational teams to gather intelligence against individuals and groups of national security in very high paced and pressured environments. Ben foiled the East London terror plot in 2006, Operation OVERT – also known as the ‘Liquid Bomb Plot’ by identifying the bomb factory in which they were operating.

Prior to joining the British Intelligence services, Ben was a Sniper in the British Forces. Ben served in Cyprus, Kuwait and also deployed on the first missions over the border into Iraq in GWII.

Ben has also been part of a British hit TV show called ‘Hunted’. The show has been airing for over 5-years and now even has a celebrity version. Ben features as the Commander of intelligence and operations on the show where he assimilates vast amounts of intelligence and turns it into actionable tactical plans to ensure the success of the ‘hunters’. The show has been aired across the world and is growing in strength and popularity.

Ben works as a Cybersecurity and intelligence expert and consults across the globe on how to utilise and leverage intelligence sources in investigations. He also reports on threat landscapes in the digital and physical space.

Energy Saving Trust

Energy Saving Trust is an independent organisation dedicated to promoting energy efficiency, low carbon transport and sustainable energy use. We aim to address the climate emergency and deliver the wider benefits of clean energy as we transition to net zero.
We empower householders to make better choices, deliver transformative programmes for governments and support businesses with strategy, research and assurance – enabling everyone to play their part in building a sustainable future.

Shamala Evans-Gadgil

Senior Programme/Project Manager

Shamala is a 3^rd year part time PGR within the Research Institute for Clean Growth and Future Mobility at Coventry University and is also an experienced Senior Civil Engineer and Programme/Project Manager, in the design and implementation of challenging, complex and wide-ranging infrastructure projects. Her experience includes (1) Innovation projects within the decarbonising transport platform, renewables, battery storage and management; (2) Local Transport Plans, including Network Efficiency projects and Waste Management projects; (3) Traffic Management, including traffic calming measures; (4) General roadworks, including road geometry; and (5) Regeneration, public realm and urban environment projects.

John Marshall

Learning & Development Manager, Green 2 Delivery

John is the Learning & Development Manager for Green 2 Delivery.

From school John is a time served design engineer and a Freeman Of The Guild Of Engineers in his home city of Coventry. John’s first foray into logistics was in 2001, starting out driving a 7.5t for a wine import business, later progressing into Class 2 driving.  John entered into the training world in 2012 delivering driver CPC nationwide. John has delivered training in every county throughout England, Wales and Scotland. He’s coached drivers back from fatal incidents and in total trained around 8,000 drivers. Along the way to Green 2 John was also the Operational Training Manager for Arrow XL.

John continues to be an advocate for change: “As a species we change and develop. In respect of the technologies presented to us now to take us towards net zero, this isn’t the end point. As we develop and grow so will the industry. When the Diesel engine or the Jet Engine was invented, we didn’t stop. We didn’t fold our arms and say “Fixed it”. It grew and got better and better. That is exactly what will happen now.”

Jonathan Murray

Policy and Operations Director at Zemo Partnership

Jonathan is the Policy and Operations Director at Zemo Partnership and has responsibility for formulating the policy objectives of the Partnership, in conjunction with government departments and members, ensuring the work programme reflects those policy objectives and disseminating the outputs of the Partnership’s work programme to policy makers. Jonathan has direct responsibility for co-ordinating the Electric Vehicle Energy Taskforce and delivery of the work programme and liaison with Taskforce stakeholders. He also has responsibility for operational aspects of the Partnership’s activities.

Jonathan is an environmental economist with over 20 years of experience working in the automotive and fuel industries for companies including the Energy Saving Trust, the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) and Total Oil among others. His experience involves developing policy, designing and implementing programmes to promote markets for environmental vehicles, technologies and fuels working closely with the UK Government and EC during the last two decades.

Katie Black

Joint Head of the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV)

Katie Black is Joint Head of the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, working at the intersection of the transport, energy and auto sectors. Katie leads on the Government’s mission to decarbonise UK road transport, reducing our impact on the climate, improving air quality, and supporting a thriving UK auto sector. Katie’s team set the strategy, policy and delivery frameworks to achieve this mission, including managing over £2bn of Government investment in the transition to a net zero economy.

Katie joined the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles from a role as Director of Policy at the National Infrastructure Commission, the body responsible for providing independent analysis and advice to the Government to ensure the UK meets its long-term infrastructure needs. Katie joined the Commission upon its creation in 2015 and led the policy work on transport, energy and digital for the National Infrastructure Assessment. Prior to this she worked in various roles across the Department of Energy and Climate Change and undertook a secondment to an electricity retailer. A chemist by background, her research concentrated on some of the technical aspects of carbon capture and storage.

Paul van Heyningen

Deputy Director for Net Zero Electricity Networks at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Paul van Heyningen is Deputy Director for Net Zero Electricity Networks at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. His team works to ensure electricity networks are ready for the transformation needed to accommodate new low-carbon generation and demand, including from electric vehicles. Paul is a career civil servant who, since 2001, has held a wide range of posts in the UK Government, with a focus on energy, climate change and environmental policy, and most recently relating to the UK’s exit from the European Union. He has a scientific background, with a PhD in molecular neurobiology.

Cenex

Cenex lowers emission through innovation in transport & associated energy infrastructure and operates as an independent, not-for-profit research technology organisation (RTO) and consultancy. It specialises in project delivery, innovation support and market development.

Zemo Partnership

Zemo Partnership was established in 2003 as a public-private partnership working to accelerate a sustainable shift to lower carbon vehicles and fuels and create opportunities for UK businesses.

Tom Hurst

UK Country Manager, Fastned

Tom Hurst is Fastned’s Country Manager in the UK, and has been with Fastned since late 2017. Prior to getting involved in the e-mobility adventure, he spent six years as a consultant with Arup, advising cities, governments, NGOs, and corporations on their energy and climate change strategy. He has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, an MSc in Sustainable Energy, and is a Chartered Environmentalist.

Matt Pumfrey

CEO, Innovation Gateway

Matt has had a lifelong passion for sustainability and has worked in the sector his whole career. A career that has seen him set up and run his own businesses, as well as create and run a sustainability and energy services business for a FTSE100 outsourced services organisation.

He is now CEO of Innovation Gateway, an award-winning innovation company that is enabling the world’s most ambitious organisations to accelerate their progress to net zero, through actionable programmes and innovative technologies.

Matt specialises in identifying and translating sustainability goals for business and developing strategies, processes, and operating models to enable these goals to be delivered. He has a clear understanding of the social, economic and environmental business drivers, the risks they may pose and how to mitigate them along with a pragmatic approach to delivering successful business outcomes. Skills that are becoming more and more important in a world in climate crisis.

Lily Cairns Haylor

Co-Founder & Head of Product, Advanced Infrastructure

Lily is the Head of Product at Advanced Infrastructure. She has led OZEV and BEIS funded innovation projects – identifying and mapping challenges to the energy transition across transport, heat and generation. She led the design and early pilots of LAEP+ a web based GIS visualisation and planning application which is being used by energy network operators, consultants and local authorities to identify and plan energy interventions across transport, generation and heat. Currently she is heavily involved in project LEO and project RESOP where LAEP+ is being used to support collaborative and digitalised local area energy planning.

Rhys Williams

Innovation Project Manager, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN)

Rhys works as an Innovation Project Manager within the Future Networks Team at SSEN. He has worked within the Energy Industry for over 10 years, 7 of which have been at SSEN. He has been involved in a large number of innovation projects including the following data related projects:

• Regional Energy Systems Optimisation Planning (RESOP), which is developing tools to assist whole system collaboration work between utilities and local councils.

• Modelling the Economic Reactions Linking Individual Networks (MERLIN), which developed network tools to enable flexible services

• Risk Assessment Modelling of Smart nEtwork Solution (RAMSES), which investigates the risks associate with flexible services in a future Distribution System Operator (DSO) world

• Informed Lightning Projection, which utilises machine learning to understand where to optimally install lightning protection for highest return on investment.

Paula Claytonsmith

Director, Government and Strategy at Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG) and policy support advisor to DfT’s Transport Technology Forum (TTF)

Paula is Director of Government and Strategy at TTF/LCRIG and formerly Executive Board Director at Gaist, the multi-award-winning international highways and mobile mapping company working with the Government, local authorities, private sector, and international organisations.

Paula has worked in local government leading frontline services, a national public sector improvement agency tasked with performance improvement, KPMG Government Advisory, international consulting assignments, political lobbying sector, and independent national government advisory roles. Paula has also worked in executive leadership roles in the charitable sector including a major stem cell cancer charity leading their operations department and a strategic policy and lobbying role in a leading environmental charity focused on behaviour change to improve local environmental quality. Latterly she has been involved with PIARC, World Roads Association technical committee on accessibility and mobility in rural areas.

Paula’s passion for technology, data, and public services means that she has spoken on more than one occasion on BBC Radio4’s programme “In Business” about technology and infrastructure. Paula has authored articles about infrastructure, data, and its social impact for the Institute of Highway Engineers. In 2019, Paula gave evidence directly to the Transport Select Committee on Local Roads Funding and Governance in 2019. Paula is also a member of the Royal Meteorology Society, with a strong personal interest in extreme weather, climate change, and other weather phenomena.

Green 2 Delivery 

The EV Network

The EV Network (EVN) is a leading independent EV charging infrastructure development company, delivering a range of EV charging infrastructure services across the UK, Europe, the US and worldwide. Our primary model is based on ‘infrastructure as a service’ – delivering a turn-key charging site delivery solution – and consolidating multiple interfaces on behalf of the client to decrease the cost. We use our assets to fully fund the entire capital costs of site development and maintenance, allowing CPOs, operators and landlords the ability to introduce charging infrastructure at their desired specification to consumers whilst managing their capital

EVN wants all regions of the UK to benefit from and be part of the EV transition. By working with local authorities, private organisations and commercial businesses, delivering high-value and high-quality EV charging solutions on critical sites, we can significantly increase the sustainability of local communities and drive investment into our towns and cities across the UK.

Transport Technology Forum (TTF)

The Transport Technology Forum exists to give leadership, direction and support and to stimulate investment in innovation and technology solutions.

The Forum provides a dynamic space where road operators and their suppliers can exchange information and agree to work more collaboratively in order to achieve a more cohesive approach.

The Forum encourages the adoption of new ways of thinking and innovative technical solutions for the improvement of traffic flow through better network operation and management. This in turn will deliver significant economic, social and business benefit to the UK.

The Forum also aims to ensure that its stakeholders gain and maintain a fair share of voice with policy-makers.

The Forum’s remit includes, but is not limited to:

•  Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), including Connected ITS (C-ITS);
•  Automotive;
•  Smart Mobility and Mobility as a Service (MaaS);
•  Smart Cities and communities;
•  Logistics;
•  and ICT and related developments including Cloud computing and Big Data.

The Forum has no statutory remit and its impact and influence are entirely dependent on the momentum it generates, the soundness of its judgments and the quality of work it produces.

The Transport Technology Forum receives funding from the Department for Transport and Innovate UK to help achieve change and technological innovation with collaborating organisations.

HGVZero

HGVZero is a cross-industry action group focused on the decarbonisation of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and features some of Europe’s largest shippers and hauliers including Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Tesco, XPO Logistics, Eddie Stobart and DPDgroup.

The new HGVzero taskforce will bring together these companies to help accelerate the decarbonisation of their collective fleets across the continent.

Within the first six months of the programme, HGVzero members will co-develop solutions in support from key industry collaborators to tackle the complex pinch points that have so far hindered successful low-carbon HGV rollouts.

Energy Networks Association

The Energy Networks Association represents the companies which operate the electricity wires, gas pipes and energy system in the UK and Ireland.

The ENA helps its members meet the challenge of delivering electricity and gas to communities across the UK and Ireland safely, sustainably and reliably.

Members include every major electricity and gas network operator in the UK and Ireland, independent operators, National Grid ESO which operates the electricity system in Great Britain and National Grid which operates the gas system in Great Britain. The organisation’s affiliate membership also includes companies with an interest in energy, including Heathrow Airport and Network Rail.

EVA England

Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England is the voice of electric vehicle drivers. It strives to accelerate the mass adoption of electric cars through provision of accessible information to consumers, and strategic campaigning to UK Government on key policy matters.

EVA England is run for EV drivers, by EV drivers. The group promote the environmental and health benefits of electric vehicles to the public in England.

EVA England is a collective voice, working with all stakeholders to pro-actively identify and highlight the specific issues of ownership and driving of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure in England.

Black Country Transport

Black Country Transport (BCT) is a strategic transport partnership between Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton Councils.

BCT brings together officers from the four Black Country local authorities; with a team of central officers to provide project management of cross-boundary transport schemes. By working collaboratively, the group aims to assist the local authorities with developing projects that span more than one borough and encourage consistency of provision across the Black Country region.

Black Country Transport is innovative in its approach to roads by ensuring they cater for all by providing for walking, cycling, cars, lorries, and public transport. The projects developed also work with new technologies, such as optimised traffic signals that can support cycle and bus priority and alter their timings depending on traffic demand, and electric vehicle charge points.

National Highways

National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all four UK administrations, through the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. Within England, it operates information services through the provision of on-road signage and its Traffic England website, provides traffic officers to deal with incidents on its network, and manages the delivery of improvement schemes to the network.

Reza Shaybani

Co-Founder & CEO, The EV Network

Reza has over 25 years of experience in managing public & private technology-focused companies in the semiconductor and solar photovoltaic industry, possessing vast management, Directorship and CEO experience. Since 2006 Reza has played an active role in the solar PV industry globally building some of the best companies in the sector. He has an extensive political, industrial & financial global network.

In 2017 Reza co-founded The EV Network. In 2021 EVN raised £300M to build a network of ultra-fast charging hubs across the UK. In 2022 the company raised a further £100M to its property arm to buy the freehold of sites. EVN has long-term contracts with major oil& gas companies, energy companies and utilities.

Graeme Cooper

Head of Future Markets, National Grid

Graeme leads National Grid’s work on transport decarbonisation enabling the journey to Net-Zero transport (Road, Rail, Aviation & Maritime).

Graeme also leads the drive towards the Net-Zero 2050 target, by delivering a pathway for critical connections in the East of England by 2030 to enable delivery of the target of 40GW of Offshore wind.

With over a decade in communications infrastructure and over a decade in zero carbon electricity, Graeme is a well-known and highly respected energy industry expert.

Graeme is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University (BSc ‘97) and Bi Norwegian Business School (MBA Energy ‘16). Graeme also sits on the Governments ‘EV Energy Taskforce’, the Committee on Climate Change ‘Advisory Group’ and Chairs his local councils Climate Emergency Advisory Board.

Graeme takes his decarbonisation work home with him as he drives an electric car and heats his home using ground source heat pumps.

Dr Nicholas Head

Environmental and Sustainability Lead – UK and Ireland, XPO Logistics

Dr Nicholas Head is the Environmental and Sustainability Lead – UK and Ireland, at XPO Logistics. He has specialised in the environmental sector over the last 12 years, including achieving an MSc and PhD from the University of Northampton, focusing on circular economy and assessing the viability of business models structured around sustainability. During his PhD studies, Dr Head lectured on his specialisms of circular economy and systems thinking approaches to environmental issues at the University of Northampton and the Open University, before moving back into the private sector as a consultant and then for various FMCG companies in Head of Sustainability positions over the last four years.

A member of the CIWM, Dr Head has sat on and contributed to various steering groups over the last five years and has also been an active member of the Schumacher Institute (looking at societal issues from systems thinking perspective); IEMA and the Sustainability Committee for the British Coffee Association.

In his spare time, Dr Head is a keen walker, particularly on rugged coasts and areas of rolling hills.

Dan Clarke

Head of Innovation, ENA

Dan is the Head of Innovation at ENA where he provides a collaborative environment for Gas and Electricity Networks to identify strategic and technical challenges, develop solutions through innovation projects, and collectively progress towards Net Zero. Dan leads several key projects including Digitalisation of Connections, as well as providing expertise across Network Innovation, Low Carbon Technologies, Connections and Data & Digitalisation. He works closely with Ofgem, Government and key stakeholder groups and contributes to several industry Taskforces.

Dan joined ENA in December 2020 having previously delivered projects in several related sectors including sustainable transport and aviation.

James Court

CEO, Electric Vehicle Association England

James is CEO of EVA England, before this he led the work of the Cabinet Office on the COP26 transport policy and helped build the Climate Group’s UK Electric Fleets Coalition (UKEFC), representing the UK’s biggest fleet owners. Before that he was Director of Policy and Communications at the renewables trade body the REA – the Renewable Energy Association.

Dr Joanna White

Acting Roads Development Divisional Director, National Highways

Dr White leads a division focused on environmental policy and standards, intelligent transport systems, energy and road design. Her teams have successfully delivered electric vehicle charge points near to the strategic road network to enhance existing infrastructure and support take up of EVs.

Jo started her career in 1999 at TRL working as a Researcher. Six years later she joined the Highways Agency as a Senior ITS Engineer in the Traffic and Travel Systems Group.

In April 2012 she took up a new role, leading the National Operational Systems team in Traffic Technology Division, looking after all the systems that the Traffic Officers use to manage traffic and incidents.

In 2014 she returned on promotion to the standards and research part of the organisation leading the Intelligent Transport Systems group.

In February 2020, she became a Chartered Engineer with the Institute of Engineering and Technology.

Kester Sleeman

Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle Programme Manager, Black Country Transport

Kester is the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle Programme Manager for Black Country Transport. He works across four councils in the West Midlands, serving over a million people, to help deliver the objectives of their shared ULEV Strategy in a collaborative way. He has a background in Mechanical Engineering and the Automotive Industry and is passionate about equitable and zero-carbon transport.

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