Subsea Engineering Applications in the Renewable Energy Sector - Biographies

Alistair Birnie - Chief Executive, Subsea UK

Alistair Birnie is an Engineering graduate of the University of Aberdeen, and a business school Graduate of Robert Gordon University. He is also a chartered engineer and a member of the IET.

He has 28+ years experience in the offshore and subsea industry, working for a number of well known service and engineering companies in technology development and project management roles, and has in his time delivered a number of the world's first, deepest, and biggest in new technology. Alistair has served as Chairman of the Aberdeen section of the Society for Underwater Technology and spent two years with the industry technology Facilitator, ITF, in a role that supported field trials and commercialisation of new technology.

More recently he had Global responsibility for Technology in Aker Solutions' Subsea Controls division, running their Research and Development unit, before taking up his current post as Chief Executive of Subsea UK.

Andrew Donaldson - Offshore Engineering Manager, Scottish and Southern Energy

Andrew is responsible for SSE’s offshore engineering activities and the establishment of the firm’s Offshore Engineering office which is located at the University of Strathclyde. He first became involved in offshore wind in 2001 when he led the Atkins team that supported Talisman’s Beatrice development from project initiation through to appointment of SSE as a JV partner. He subsequently joined SSE, in 2008 as engineering manager on the Greater Gabbard project before moving into his current role.

He has some 20 years diverse experience of oil and gas engineering, initially with DNV and Atkins before working as an OIM with Shell and latterly as Group Engineering Director for the Expro Group and UK Engineering Director at Subsea 7.

Andrew graduated from the University of Glasgow with a degree in Civil Engineering and subsequently gained and MBA. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers.

Edward Oakden CMG - Managing Director, Sectors Group, UK Trade and Investment

April 2010 Managing Director, Sectors Group, UK Trade and Investment
2006-2010 - British Ambassador to the UAE
2004-2006 - Director for Defence and Strategic Threats, and Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, FCO
2002-2004 - Director for International Security
2002 - Head of Security Policy Department, FCO
1998-2002 - Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy, Madrid
1997-1998 - Deputy Head, EU Department (Internal), FCO
1995-1997 - Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
1992-1995 - Deputy Head, EU Department (External) and Eastern Adriatic Department, FCO
1988-1992 - Private Secretary to the British Ambassador, British Embassy, Washington
1985-1988 - British Embassy, Khartoum
1984-1985 - British Embassy, Baghdad
Born: - 3 November 1959
FCO: - Since 1981