Scottish Energy and Environment Conference

Chair

Louise Batchelor, freelance journalist and broadcaster, has long specialised in energy and environment issues, from her early days on the Milton Keynes Gazette and Oxford Mail newspapers to her career with the BBC.

Louise was a founder member of BBC Radio Scotland's reporting team when the station was launched in 1978.  She has worked as a presenter/reporter on many tv programmes, including Reporting Scotland, Newsnight in London and Newsroom South East.

She was BBC Scotland's Environment and Transport Correspondent from 1994 to 2008.  Louise has twice won the British Environment and Media Awards for her news and current affairs work and was also shortlisted for a series of radio documentaries about the future of car travel.  Other programmes have included a three part radio series on the future of energy: 'The Heat is On' and a tv documentary on the future of coal.

Louise is a Director of the Fair Isle Bird Observatory and member of the executive group of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in Scotland.

Chief Advisor's Office, Edinburgh

Met Office

Alex is a native Glaswegian who, after Strathclyde University and Glasgow Tech, joined the Met Office in the early 1970s.

He has held a variety of posts working amongst others as a forecaster at RAF Leuchars, Glasgow Weather Centre, Senior Forecaster London Weather Centre, and Senior Forecaster for the ITV National Weather.

After a spell as Head of London Weather Centre Alex moved back north and is currently the Met Office Chief Advisor to Government for Scotland & Northern Ireland.

Head of Safety & Facilities Management

BAE Systems

Graham began his career with the then British Aerospace in 1977 as a craft apprentice in machining, becoming the site's apprentice of the year in 1978.  He completed his apprenticeship and spent a further two years in machining, before transferring to the engineering department as an N.C. programmer, where he undertook various engineering roles over a ten year period.  In 1992 he returned to manufacturing as a supervisor, before being promoted into management of the sub assembly and machining businesses.  In 1997 he became the manager for the site's development engineering function along with the responsibility for the site's manufacturing investment portfolio.

In 2000 Graham had a change of emphasis into Facilities Management, with various management roles being undertaken within the department.  In 2006 he was appointed to the site's Safety, Health and Environment Manager with responsibility for the site's management system and deployment across the site.  In 2007 he was promoted to Site Facilities Manager to undertake the management of all Facilities Management requirements for the site.  Due to a business re-organisation in 2008 Graham was promoted into his current role as Head of Safety and Facilities Management, which encompassed his site facilities business and added Safety, Health & Environment, along with security to engage and integrate these departments in a new business model.

Community & Events Advisor

BAE Systems

Rebecca Brothers was born in 1978 and began her career with the then British Aerospace in 1996 as a business apprentice.  The apprenticeship took her through many aspects of the business including commercial, production, quality, technical and personnel before she settled into a travel co-ordinator role on the Gripen project on completion of her apprenticeship in 1997.

Following this she moved to the Hawk Production area as a personal assistant where she also provided administrative support to the 200-strong team, along with co-ordinating the training for the team.

In 2002 Rebecca took up the role of Communications Associate, where she was responsible for internal and external communications activities for the Brough site, along with Public Affairs.

Rebecca took up her current role as Community and Events Advisor in January 2009.  In this role she is responsible for managing all Public Affairs activity, events, site-wide employee activities and the Charity Challenge programme for the Brough site.

Director

BT Scotland

Brendan Dick is Director for BT Scotland.  His prime responsibilities are to develop BT's Group wide activities in Scotland, reflecting the country's unique situation within the UK.

A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, much of Brendan's early career was spent in information technology.

His external interests are many and varied.  Currently Brendan is Chair of the Edinburgh Business Assembly, a board member of both the Scottish Council for Development and Industry and Scottish Business in the Community, a member of the CBI Scotland Council, the Scottish Government's Climate Change Business Delivery Group and a business representative on the Lowland Reserve Forces Regional Employer Support Group.  He has also just completed a role as HRH Prince Charles' Ambassador for Corporate Responsibility in Scotland, theming on environmental matters.  Previous appointments include board membership of SCVO and the Edinburgh International Science Festival plus being on the advisory panel of Common Purpose.

Managing Director

The John Pooley Consultancy

John Pooley has been an independent energy consultant since 1989.  He is both a Chartered Engineer and a Certified Management Consultant.  He is a Fellow of the Energy Institute and a Fellow of the Institute of Business Consulting.  Prior to forming his own consultancy practice he worked for a number of major organisations including a leading accountancy firm.  As well as being a Carbon Trust Accredited Consultant, he is also a Registered Assessor for the Carbon Trust Standard.  John works with a wide range of industrial, commercial and public sector organisations providing consultancy and training support.  In addition to extensive work in the UK, John undertakes international work, in particular in Canada where he has been involved in the development of an energy excellence certification program.

Technical & Design Director

Philips Lighting

Mike has worked in the Lighting Profession for the past 30 years with several European manufacturers. He has been involved in preparing both National and International design standards and guides, and preparing legislation on energy saving.

He is a past President of both the Institution of Lighting Engineers and the Society of Light and Lighting and is currently President of CIBSE. He lectures on the MSc in Light and Architecture at University College, London and at Rose Bruford on their BA in Lighting Design.

Managing Director

Renew Services Ltd

Jon is Managing Director of Renew Services Ltd, a co-operative energy services company.  Renew develops, funds and manages sustainable energy projects in particular low energy (DH/CHP) and wind.  It also acts as agent in the provision of low carbon new homes.  As Managing Director of Renew, Jon currently serves on the Board of Scottish Renewables, where he leads on local energy, and on the Renewable Heat Implementation Group of FREDS (Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland).

His career has spanned the fields of housing, economic development and utilities.  He has worked at senior management team level for over 20 years.  He has managed the new housing capital programme for two local authorities, set up two and led three local economic development units and, as Head of Strategy for East of Scotland Water, led corporate strategic development for a major utility, making the business case for the merger which formed Scottish Water.

Whilst at Scottish Water, Jon developed new business opportunities in the fields of renewable energy and telecoms.  Since leaving Scottish Water in 2004, he has worked on energy and other utilities projects and established Renew in 2007.  Renew commenced operation in 2008 and has a team of five, based in Scotland.

Jon has executed many successful projects and has experience in project and programme management, new business development, team leadership and change management.  He has served on the senior management teams of two local authorities, a Scottish Enterprise local enterprise company and a publicly owned utility.

In the 1980's, Jon served as Chair of two housing associations and, with others, set up a housing co-operative in London which has continued to develop and is still active.  He has launched and led a Going Carbon Neutral Community initiative in Stirling where he also co-ordinates the local fair trade group.

Jon has a Masters Degree in Entrepreneurial Studies and a Diploma in Marketing.  His first degree was in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Minister for the Environment

Manager, Energy Efficiency Design Awards

Energy Saving Trust

Gill Davies works for the Energy Saving Trust as Manager of the Energy Efficiency Design Awards and as Chair of its Sustainability Group.  She has a long standing commitment to combating climate change and after obtaining a degree in law, continued her studies with a master's degree in public international law specialising in sustainable development, followed by PhD studies investigating the effectiveness of the Global Environment Facility as a delivery mechanism for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.  Prior to her current post she worked within the renewables team at the Energy Saving Trust ensuring that communities and householders throughout Scotland could access relevant advice and grants.