Finance networking event - Biographies

Nigel Burton-White – Technology Manager, Renewables East

As Technology Director at Renewables East, Nigel is currently responsible for the early stage support of approximately 20 innovators within the East of England, through the Renewables East Technology Commercialisation Scheme. He is also developing a number of major solar PV projects across the region and leads 3 project managers working in such diverse areas as Fuel Poverty, Low Carbon Development and Biofuels.

He has experience working within large multi-nationals, mid-sized global engineering consultancies (Lotus Engineering) and a number of smaller organisations including his own small engineering company in 2005. Key areas of responsibility have included management of research activity, business development and product development across a diverse and global client base. With extensive experience of product and business development within the Asian region, he is interested in understanding and supporting the UK engineering sector as it competes in a global market place.

Specifically, the renewable energy sector represents a timely opportunity to refocus our considerable country wide skills base to the new challenges of the next 20 years. This is especially true of the eastern region which he regards as home.

Stuart Deed - Head of Business Partnering, Scottish and Southern Energy plc

Stuart is a graduate of Strathclyde University in Glasgow. During a ten year spell in the exploration and production side of the oil industry with what is now Exxon Mobil he worked in the Finance and Contracting areas of the business. In 1995 Stuart moved to what was then Scottish Hydro Electric and in 1998 was involved in the merger between the Scottish Hydro-Electric and Southern Electric which resulted in the creation of Scottish and Southern Energy.

Within the SSE Venture Capital business (established in 2007) we identify, develop and execute investments in the clean-tech sector. As Head of Business Partnering Stuart has overseen investments in a broad range of Cleantech companies, and has managed the investments in the Sigma Capital Group and Vantage Point Venture Partners sustainable energy funds. Stuart is currently on the board of a number of investee businesses and technical associations and is looking forward to completing a number of other clean-tech investment opportunities in the near future.

Anne McIvor - Cleantech Investor

Anne McIvor is the founder of Cleantech Investor and editor of Cleantech magazine. Cleantech Investor publishes business intelligence for the cleantech economy. In addition to Cleantech magazine, Cleantech Investor publications include the Quoted Cleantech newsletter and the Cleantech Infocus series.

Anne is a qualified investment analyst with over 15 years of experience in investment research at companies including ABN Amro. She has specialised in various industries including the technology sector, the retail sector and the Benelux countries. She has also managed an investment consultancy firm in Portugal. She holds a BSc from Queens University Belfast and and MSc (Econ) from the London School of Economics.

Douglas Rankin - Associate, Marks & Clerk UK

Douglas specialises in identifying and protecting IP in engineering technologies such as electrical systems, electronic devices, communications, computer software/hardware and mechanical systems. He is also experienced in the energy sector, in both oil & gas and cleantech.

Before entering the patent profession, Douglas spent several years working in the field of high-powered microwave devices developed specifically for defence applications. He also worked with a multinational semiconductor company, developing new devices for the automotive market.

Douglas advises blue chip companies and local SMEs, as well as universities and start-up/spin-out companies and has worked in both Europe and North America.

Ken Rumph - Cleantech Research, Nomura Code Securities

Ken Rumph joined Nomura Code in September 2009 as Director of Cleantech Research, having built Clear Capital/Noble's climate change coverage between 2007-2009. Ken adds energy efficiency, carbon markets, vehicles/transport and water, waste and resource efficiency to Nomura Code’s existing coverage.

A Natural Sciences graduate from Trinity, Cambridge, Ken’s experience spans buy-side (Scottish Amicable) and sell-side (UBS and Merrill Lynch). Ken was a small cap fund manager and then a building materials/cement analyst before he decided to repent his emissions-intensive ways and move into the sustainability and cleantech area as principal of Sustainable Building Strategies.

Ken undertook a masters in Environmental Management at Cranfield in 2006/7 and is a member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.

Mark Williamson - Assistant Director Energy and Environmental Team, Ernst & Young

• Mark works full time within the renewable energy and clean technology sectors. He first worked in the sector over 15 years ago when he helped arrange senior debt financing for some of the first wind farms in the UK.
• Mark has advised on numerous international M&A, due diligence and project finance transactions as well as providing wider industry consultancy services across many renewable technologies.
• Experience of solar, wind, CHP, geothermal, complex fuel supply led projects and a variety of clean tech sectors.
• Currently working on projects with investment requirements in the range of £20m to £500m.
• Mark has participated in two tech start ups and several early stage business ventures.