Speakers

Myles Allen

Myles Allen

Position - Professor of Geosystem Science at the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

Myles Allen is Professor of Geosystem Science in the School of Geography and the Environment and Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, and he is Director of the Oxford Net Zero initiative. He is credited by the BBC with first demonstrating, 15 years ago, the need for ‘Net Zero’ carbon dioxide emissions to stop global warming. His research focuses on how human and natural influences on climate contribute to observed climate change and risks of extreme weather and in quantifying their implications for long-range climate forecasts.

Speaking at: CO2 Removal

Matthew Betney

Matthew Betney

Position - Target Design Lead Scientis, First Light Fusion

Matthew Betney runs the target design team at First Light Fusion Ltd, having worked on the project since its inception in 2011. First Light Fusion is taking a unique approach to fusion, where the extreme temperatures and pressures required are achieved by compressing a target using a hypervelocity projectile. The key to this approach is the target design, which captures the energy from the projectile and focuses it to implode the fuel. This approach was used by the company to successfully demonstrate fusion in the lab in a result verified by UKAEA in April this year.

Speaking at: Fusion

Chas Bountra

Chas Bountra

Position - Pro Vice-Chancellor for Innovation, University of Oxford

Chas Bountra is Pro Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford. He is Professor of Translational Medicine in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine and Associate Member of the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. 

Speaking at: Innovation

Eric Brown

Eric Brown

Position - Energy Systems, Independent Consultant

Eric Brown is an independent consultant in energy systems. In his work he focusses on projects and initiatives that address the challenges and opportunities of energy system transformation in pursuit of Net Zero. He is the former Chief Technology Officer at the Energy Systems Catapult, having been part of the team that established the organisation. He remains engaged with the Catapult as Executive Adviser.

Speaking at: Systems

Peter Bruce

Peter Bruce

Position - Founder and Chief Scientist, Faraday Institution

Peter Bruce is a founder and Chief Scientist of the Faraday Institution. He is also leading the first fast start project on solid state batteries. Peter’s research interests embrace materials chemistry and electrochemistry, especially lithium and sodium batteries. Recent efforts have focused on the synthesis and understanding of new materials for lithium-ion batteries, on understanding anomalous oxygen redox processes in high capacity Li-ion cathodes, the challenges of the lithium-air battery and the influence of order on the ionic conductivity of polymer electrolytes.

Speaking at: Storage

Melanie Bryce

Melanie Bryce

Position - Oxfordshire Programme Director, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks

Melanie Bryce is the Oxfordshire Programme Director at Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN), and has worked across SSE since joining the company as a Graduate Engineer in 1996. She has wide ranging energy sector experience gained from roles that have spanned Wholesale Risk Management, Networks Regulation and Asset Management.

Speaking at: Systems

Michael Cappello

Michael Cappello

Position - Senior Vice President, Technology Delivery, General Fusion, Inc

Michael is currently SR Vice President for design and construction of the Fusion Demonstration Plant at UKAEA’s Culham site. Michael ...

Speaking at: Fusion

Tom Cleaver

Tom Cleaver

Position - CEO, Cognition Energy

Tom Cleaver has been in the battery industry since 2012. He has been CEO, working full time for Cognition since its founding and combines senior management activities with product development work.

Speaking at: Storage

Kathryn Evans

Kathryn Evans

Position - Applied Technologies Aerospace Sector Lead, Reaction Engines

Kathryn leads the Aerospace Sector within the Applied Technologies Division at Reaction Engines and is responsible for the commercialisation of technology within the sector.

Speaking at: Innovation

Andy Gilchrist

Andy Gilchrist

Position - Innovation and Business Partnerships - Energy

Andy is responsible for developing links in the energy sector; anything from finding fossil fuels, to how we use and generate electricity. He has a particular interest in bringing together Oxford’s Professors to maximise Oxford’s contribution to a carbon-free world. He helps companies find relevant research, facilitates in finding co-funded opportunities and liaises with the careers office on student engagement.

Speaking at: Storage

Barbara Hammond

Barbara Hammond

Position - CEO, Low Carbon Hub

Barbara was Low Carbon Economy Director at the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). Her current roles are Director of the Low Carbon Oxford Programme, a city-wide initiative to reduce emissions; Director of the Low Carbon Hub; and Chair of West Oxford Community Renewables (or WOCoRe).

Speaking at: Systems

Carolyn Hicks

Carolyn Hicks

Position - Co-founder, Brill Power

Carolyn Hicks is the co-founder of Brill Power, a battery intelligence start-up that uses electronics to improve performance and reduce battery waste. Her role as the Head of Finance and Operations and member of the Board of Directors involves her in all aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. She holds degrees in engineering and business, and before becoming an entrepreneur, worked in infrastructure engineering, economics, and finance in both Canada and the UK.

Speaking at: Storage

Valerie Jamieson

Valerie Jamieson

Position - Development manager, The Fusion Cluster, UK Atomic Energy Authority

Valerie’s role is to encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation between companies and organisations interested in fusion energy and all the exciting technologies that make it happen. She recently joined UKAEA after many years at New Scientist and has a PhD in particle physics.

Speaking at: Fusion

Jane Jin

Jane Jin

Position - Cleantech Lead, Oxford University Innovation

Started at Sagentia Innovation, Jane helped global consumer and industrial companies such as P&G to identify and evaluate market opportunities of new technologies and products. Jane joined Oxford University Innovation in 2016, focusing on commercialising Oxford University's research outcomes through IP licensing and creating spin-out ventures. Jane has led the spinning out of five companies including OxSed, OxCCU Tech and Fluorok.

Speaking at: CO2 Removal

Sebastian Johnson

Sebastian Johnson

Position - Head of Innovation and Inward Investment, Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP)

Sebastian has over 35 years of experience in economic development, business management, strategy and policy development. He has run his own businesses, worked in the private, public and voluntary sectors and advised businesses and local and national government. He is a co-founder of Smart Oxford and led Oxford’s shortlisted bid to be European Capital of Innovation in 2016.

Speaking at: Innovation

Mike Kendall

Mike Kendall

Position - Head of Earth Sciences, Oxford University

Mike is a seismologist whose work has taken him to the hottest and coldest places on Earth to study the Earth from its core to its surface. He is especially interested in the role of Geophysics as it relates to the world’s energy demands. 

Speaking at: CO2 Removal

David Kingham

David Kingham

Position - Founder and Executive Vice Chairman, Tokamak Energy

David Kingham is Executive Vice Chairman of Tokamak Energy, a company that aims to accelerate the development of fusion. 

Speaking at: Fusion

Stafford Lloyd

Stafford Lloyd

Position - Net Zero Innovation Lead, Innovate UK

Stafford is Innovation Lead – Clean Growth Strategy at Innovate UK. This included leading on Innovate UK's recent net zero strategy work. Stafford has been at Innovate UK since 2018. Initially he lead on EU Horizon programmes, covering the digital and future technologies portfolios. His working background includes sustainability and engineering roles across start-ups and corporates. Stafford holds an Engineering Doctorate in Environmental Technology from the University of Surrey and has worked internationally as an expert on circular economy and critical materials.

Speaking at: Storage

Chris Manson-Whitton

Chris Manson-Whitton

Position - CEO, Progressive Energy

A respected industry leader and low carbon energy expert, focussed on taking innovative technologies from concept to deployment, achieved through whole system thinking and building consortia for delivery. Instrumental in the inception and development of HyNet, the UK’s leading Industrial Decarbonisation Cluster which will deliver 10 million tpa of CO2 storage this decade.

Speaking at: Systems

Leah Morgan

Leah Morgan

Position - Diagnostic Project Engineer, UKAEA

Leah Morgan is a project engineer working in fusion energy research at the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) – the UK Government’s fusion research facility. Leah specialises in defining, designing, and installing fusion diagnostics on current and future fusion devices.

Speaking at: Fusion

Llewelyn Morgan

Llewelyn Morgan

Position - iHub

Llewelyn leads a service area within Oxfordshire County Council that leads on Innovation for the Council. The Service has been built up by Llewelyn and colleagues, starting as a small outward focused Research and Innovation team, leading on developing innovative strategies and projects in Transport and Environment it is now broadened its scope to encompass challenges in areas such as Social Care, Education, Public Health and Climate Action supporting these directorates to work collaboratively on innovative solutions to long held or increasing problems.

Speaking at: Systems

Simon Mundy

Simon Mundy

Position - Moral Money Editor, Financial Times

Simon is the Moral Money Editor at the Financial Times, covering the vital but troubled drive for a cleaner, fairer, more sustainable global economy. His writing on sustainable business and finance appears on the award-winning Moral Money platform and across the wider FT. He is also the author of Race for Tomorrow, an acclaimed book on the global climate struggle.

Speaking at: Opening Keynote

Mel Murphy

Mel Murphy

Position - Research Lead, UNDO

Mel is the Research Lead at UNDO, a UK-based negative emissions technology project developer, specialising in enhanced weathering to generate carbon credits which are sold on the voluntary carbon market. Mel is co-leading the development of an independently verified enhanced weathering methodology and overseeing field trial research to monitor and verify CO2 sequestration, as well as additional co-benefits to soil health and crop yield.

Speaking at: CO2 Removal

Jacqui Murray

Jacqui Murray

Position - Deputy Director, Faraday Battery Challenge Innovate UK

As Deputy Director of the £330m million Faraday Battery Challenge Jacqui helps lead government investment into the research, innovation and commercialisation ecosystem that is establishing the UK as centre of battery science and manufacturing. In 2020, she was named as one of Autocar’s Top 100 Women in Automotive and a Visiting Professor (University of Leicester) and in 2021, she has been appointed to the Ministry of Defence’s Land Industrial Advisory Group.

Speaking at: Transport

Ben Neville

Ben Neville

Position - Marketing Director, YASA Motors

Ben brings 25 years of Marketing experience ranging from developing strategies for automotive brands & tech start-ups to leading digital transformation and global communications. Ben has worked with brands including BP, Castrol, GM, Vauxhall, Saab & Prodrive – giving him unique strategic insight into the transition from combustion to sustainable mobility.

Speaking at: Transport

Emily Penn

Emily Penn

Position - Ocean Advocate & Skipper l Director at eXXpedition

Emily is a skipper, ocean advocate and artist dedicated to studying environmental challenges in the most remote parts of our planet.

Speaking at: Keynote

Professor Dame Louise Richardson DBE

Professor Dame Louise Richardson DBE

Position - Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford

Professor Dame Louise Richardson is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. She was previously Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews. A native of Ireland, she studied history in Trinity College, Dublin before gaining her PhD at Harvard University where she spent twenty years on the faculty of the Harvard Government Department and latterly as Executive Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She currently sits on the boards of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Booker Prize Foundation and numerous other charities.

Speaking at: Welcome

Tim Rose

Tim Rose

Position - Pivot Power

Tim is the Programme Lead for the Energy Superhub Oxford project.  This is a multiparter demonstrator project showcasing large scale battery storage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and ground source heat pumps, to support Oxford City Council’s road to Net Zero.  Tim is very interested in how the integration of low carbon transport, heat and power in projects such as this can offer a model for decarbonising local energy systems across the UK.

Speaking at: Systems

Avinash Rugoobur

Avinash Rugoobur

Position - President, Arrival

Avinash is President of Arrival, joining the company following a successful career at General Motors, Cruise Automation, and his own award winning ventures Curve Tomorrow and Bliss Chocolates.

Speaking at: Transport

Steve Smith

Steve Smith

Position - Executive Director, Oxford Net Zero and CO2RE

Steve's research interests lie at the intersection of climate science and policy. He joined the Smith School from the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) where he co-led the Climate Science Team and played a role in the legislation of the UK's net zero target.

Speaking at: CO2 Removal

Emma Southwell-Sander

Emma Southwell-Sander

Position - Energy Tech Cluster, Harwell

Emma oversees the development and management of the Energy Tech Cluster at Harwell. She has been instrumental in building on the strong foundations of the Cluster with innovative energy technology companies, UK public bodies, academia and industry to share knowledge, focus on funding streams and concentrate on areas of growth.

Speaking at: Innovation

Andrew Symes

Andrew Symes

Position - CEO, OXCCU

Andrew is a Climate Tech investor and entrepreneur focussed on the technologies key to net zero. Andrew helped spin OXCCU out of the University of Oxford and led the first investment round from IP Group in 2021 before joining as CEO in 2022. His experience includes Investment Director at IP Group (now Kiko Ventures), Associate BP Ventures and commercial roles in BP’s commodity trading business.

Speaking at: CO2 Removal Panel

Robert Trezona

Robert Trezona

Position - Head of Cleantech, IP Group plc

Robert is the Head of Cleantech at IP Group plc, a $2bn venture capital firm that backs scientific breakthroughs with permanent capital from the public markets.

Speaking at: Innovation

Maurits van Tol

Maurits van Tol

Position - Chief Technology Officer, Johnson Matthey

Maurits van Tol is Chief Technology Officer at Johnson Matthey Plc, a global leader in science, technology and engineering that enables a cleaner and healthier world.

Speaking at: Storage

Melanie Windridge

Melanie Windridge

Position - Founder, Fusion Energy Insights

Dr Melanie Windridge is a specialist in fusion energy who helps people see the value and opportunities of fusion to society and their businesses. Melanie is Founder and CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, which keeps members up to date with developments in the growing fusion industry.

Speaking at: Fusion

Oxfordshire’s leading climate innovators coming together

Where: Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford
When: Thursday 1 Sept 2022, 09:00 to 17:00

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