Corrine Barry - RWE's East Coast Director, Net Zero

As Director of RWE's East coast Net Zero. Corrine is responsible for delivering RWE’s global growing green ambitions across the Humber, Teesside, East Anglia and surrounding regions, seeking opportunities for further renewables deployment and decarbonising the energy and industrial sectors. With a concentrated focus on driving the growth of RWE’s local portfolio of renewable and low carbon projects, which play a key role in ensuring a secure, domestic energy supply while delivering RWE’s and the UK’s net zero ambitions.

Corrine has over 15 years of experience in the Renewables sector. As a passionate advocate for the sector with a strong focus on STEM, ensuring students from all socioeconomic backgrounds have the ability to access opportunities and experiences. Having received recognition as a leading figure for her contributions to the sector as Renewables Women of the year & Finalist for Social Impact.

Andrew Oliver - Chairman of Humber Marine and Renewables and solicitor

Andrew is a trusted specialist in the field of marine law and commercial fisheries, both nationally and internationally. He advises on the sale, purchase and financing of vessels, licenses, fishing quota and fishing effort. Andrew also advises on marine environmental matters including pollution, environmental protection and marine spatial planning.

Andrew’s regulatory expertise and experience means he regularly advises in connection with investigations carried out by local inshore fisheries and conservation authorities, MMO, MCA and various other government departments.

He has been involved in offshore energy in all forms, especially in respect of vessel sales, purchase and charters, health and safety issues, and the interaction of the renewables industry with other users of the sea.

Andy Sykes - Plant Blade Director - Siemens Gamesa

Andy Sykes is the Plant Director of Siemens Gamesa, Hull. Starting his tenure with the business in the early stages of the initial factory build in 2016.

Andy has a varied and fruitful career across several different industries and sectors. Born in Doncaster, Andy spent his early years in nearby Thorne. He studied for a Humanities degree at the University of Sheffield and later a postgraduate in Marketing Management at Sheffield Hallam University. During his career, Andy has worked in retail, higher education, the public sector, and the metals industry before pursuing a future in the renewable energy space for one of the market leaders in clean energy.

Andy joined Siemens Gamesa as the Head of Operational Excellence, part of the team that set up robust and bold processes, establishing the site as a lead factory in the global fleet and moving into heading the Operations team and transforming the quality function before his appointment to Plant Director in 2020. Andy is motivated by the drive of young talent in the region and advocates working with partners in the education sector to develop a strong pipeline of diverse career opportunities.

Emma Toulson – Humber Offshore Wind Cluster Champion/ Ørsted - Head of Stakeholder Relations Orsted UK

Emma is Head of Stakeholder Relations at Ørsted UK. She leads on engagement with regional and local government, skills, supply chain and communities as the offshore wind projects continue to be developed, constructed and operated in the UK. In her previous role she has worked both in public and private sectors developing strategy and delivering projects on the benefits and opportunity which the offshore wind sector can bring to regions. Her experience has been around supporting inward investors, education & training, improvements in environment and infrastructure as well as supporting supply chains in their efforts to obtain further work in the sector. Emma now Chairs the UK Cluster Development Group and is The Humber Offshore Wind Cluster Champion.

Jane Cooper - Director of Offshore Wind, RenewableUK - Pre-recorded Video not in-person

Jane started with RenewableUK as Director of Offshore Wind in September 2022. In this role, Jane leads the team delivering the Offshore Wind Sector Deal. Having worked at Orsted for ten years, Jane has a proven track record in the industry with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the sector to meet its targets for 2030 and beyond. Currently serving on the Government’s Green Skills Delivery Group, Jane holds an MSc from City University and is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer. Jane previously worked at Rolls Royce and Orange and is passionate about equality, diversity and inclusion.

Zoe Keeton - Head of Stakeholders and local markets UK and Ireland, RWE

Zoë has almost 30 years’ energy industry experience in both private and government sectors. She was actively involved in the industry’s negotiation of the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and is chair of the OFTO Expert Group. Previously, she established the government’s first Aviation Management Board, addressing the impacts of wind farms on radar, has chaired working groups on planning and noise, and redesigned npower’s fuel poverty programmes.

In her current role she now focuses on how to maximize the socio economic benefits from offshore wind, via policy measures to create broad, sustainable supply chains and to build the skilled labour force that will be required to deliver net zero targets. She is also a diversity champion for RWE Renewables, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across the business.

Marcus Walker - Director - Humber - ABLEUK

Marcus joined Able Group as the Development Director – Humber in September 2022. Marcus is leading the development of Able Humber Port, Able Energy Park and other strategic assets in Yorkshire and Humber.

Sheena McGuinness - Partner - RSM UK Tax

Sheena is a partner in RSM’s corporate tax team and has over 25 years’ experience in advising companies on their tax affairs. She heads the Renewables and Cleantech sector group and regularly speaks at industry conferences on the tax aspects applicable to this sector. She has also been awarded the Women Powering Smart Energy Award for the last two years, an award voted for by renewable industry peers.

David Laister - Compere for OWC2025

Stepping out from his work at Fred Marketing and once again on the stage of OWC025 is David Laister.

The experienced journalist has covered Offshore Wind Connections from launch, having enjoyed a front row seat to witness the emergence of the industry in his Humber homeland in an 18 year stint covering the region's business activity.

A strong supporter of the Energy Estuary, you may have seen him on stage previously, hosting the Hull Live Business Awards and Humber Renewables Awards.

Jim Gilbert – Director Aura & Energy Institute - University of Hull

Jim Gilbert is Professor of Engineering at the University of Hull and has spent a career tackling industry challenges through the application of engineering modelling and instrumentation. In recent years, Jim has focussed on accelerating the UK’s adoption of offshore wind energy, working with some of the industry’s key players such as Siemens Gamesa and Ørsted.

With involvement in a portfolio of approximately £40M in research projects, Jim is also the Research, Development and Innovation lead for Aura, a codirector of the EPSRC Supergen ORE Hubs and Deputy Director of the Aura Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Wind Energy. He has taught offshore wind energy to around 600 students at undergraduate, MSc and PhD level and has been active in promoting Equity Diversity and Inclusion in the sector.

Jacqueline Gray - Director of Regional Engagement - University of Lincoln

Jacqueline has nearly four decades of experience working across multiple sectors and organisations, from large corporations to business start-ups. Since joining the University of Lincoln in 2014, she has played a key role in fostering industry collaboration and skills development. As Director of Regional Engagement, she works to strengthen connections between academia and business, ensuring the University remains responsive to industry needs.

Passionate about skills development and business growth, Jacqueline works closely with employers to support workforce needs in an agile and flexible way. This includes developing degree apprenticeships, as well as accredited and non-accredited short courses that help businesses upskill and adapt to industry challenges. She is committed to ensuring that the University plays a proactive role in addressing skills gaps, driving innovation, and supporting regional economic growth.

A strong advocate for the civic agenda, Jacqueline champions the importance of place, recognising the unique strengths, opportunities, and challenges of the region. She is dedicated to ensuring that the University leverages its expertise and partnerships to create meaningful impact, enhancing skills, increasing aspirations, and contributing to the prosperity of the communities it serves.
Jacqueline also serves on the advisory board of Humber Marine & Renewables, reinforcing her commitment to strengthening partnerships within the offshore wind and maritime sectors.

Chris Jones, Director at Spirit AEG

With 15 years of hands-on experience working across the offshore energy and subsea industries, Chris brings an exceptional mix of strategic thinking, business development expertise, and technical knowledge to the table at Spirit Advisory.

A board-level executive and experienced business development professional, Chris has a proven track record of driving business growth by bringing new products to market and expanding into new territories and regions. His entrepreneurial spirit and ability to develop and execute impactful strategies has enabled him to navigate complex routes to market, while breaking down barriers to entry. With a strong engineering and manufacturing background across multiple industries, Chris is passionate about solving problems, innovating, and enhancing capabilities to support business growth and having worked with leading offshore equipment providers in the industry, Chris brings a deep expertise in offshore wind, cable lay, burial, and repair operations to Spirit Advisory. His extensive industry connections with developers, subsea contractors, and EPCI teams further enhance his impact and vision for the future of the subsea markets and offshore energy transition.

At Spirit Advisory, Chris is dedicated to driving and growing the capabilities within the energy transition supply chain, supporting the development of new technologies, and helping to enable the future of offshore infrastructure.

Mark Manley - Contracts and Procurement Manager at Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind

Mark is the Contracts and Procurement Manager at Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind, a 1.5GW offshore wind farm that is planned to be built 33 miles (54km) from the Lincolnshire coast. Following DCO examination which closed in April, Outer Dowsing is now awaiting a consent decision, expected in late 2025, after which construction is planned to start from 2027 with first power planned in 2030. Mark’s team is working to maximize investment in the UK supply chain and create skilled jobs. Outer Dowsing invites suppliers and contractors that are interested in working with the project to register their interest on the supplier portal on their website.

Prior to Outer Dowsing, Mark was Head of Contract Management for Offshore Wind at RWE working on Triton Knoll, Kaskasi and Sofia. Mark was also Commercial Manager at Centrica where he managed electricity connection and construction agreements with National Grid for Centrica's new build CCGT projects. In addition to his extensive experience in offshore wind, Mark has also worked on a number of thermal power projects.

Duncan Ayling - Senior Supply Chain & Regions Manager - The Crown Estate

With 20 years’ wind energy experience, Duncan now works at The Crown Estate with a remit to enable and catalyse UK offshore wind supply chain capability and growth. He interfaces the national and regional agendas to enhance offshore wind’s positive impact in local communities. He is always interested in engaging with companies in, or interested in, the offshore wind supply chain.

Simon Eardley - Head of Policy and Innovation - Mersey Maritime

Simon joined Mersey Maritime in June 2019 following a varied career working in on the ground political campaigning, both as a constituency and regional campaign manager and latterly head of UK office for a Member of the European Parliament. He studied History and Politics (BA Hons) at the University of Warwick.

He leads on policy and innovation for Mersey Maritime, including its positioning on key issues through the production of thought-piece material on a range of subjects pertinent to the work of the organisation and its membership. This also includes its collaborative Navigating Maritime Innovation in the Liverpool City Region project which is being delivered with the support of the Department for Transport and industry partners, via the national Maritime Cluster Development Fund.

Between 2019 and 2023, in collaboration with Maritime UK, he was Programme Manager, leading on the national ‘Regional Cluster Development’ work. As such he was responsible for delivering Maritime UK’s Regional Cluster Development Programme, sharing knowledge and best practice in the development of existing, and the creation of new, regional cluster organisations across the UK, using the Mersey Maritime model as an example of best practice.

Katie Hedges - Chief Strategy Officer

Working for CATCH since its inception in 1999, Katie has been instrumental in leading cluster engagement, developing and managing CATCH’s suite of industry lead networks and grant funded programmes. CATCH membership has grown to over 50 core client companies with 20 represented on the board of directors.

Katie helped secure a £2.6million Innovate UK grant funded programme to develop the Humber Industrial Cluster Plan - in partnership with local public and private sector partners – a comprehensive plan for decarbonisation in the region, which demonstrated routes for the Humber cluster can achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

With a Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Bath, Katie has lived and worked in the Humber region for over 20 years.

Sarah Duckering - Executive Director Research - Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Services at the University of Hull & Humber Freeport

Sarah is the Executive Director Research, Knowledge Exchange and Commercialisation Services at the University of Hull. She heads up a team of dedicated and experienced professionals that help to ensure we deliver our ambitions to be a research-led civic university that tackles the most important regional and global challenges.

Shaping a fairer, brighter and carbon neutral future is at the heart of the University’s vision and its research and knowledge exchange strengths underpin this. Through our research we will help to create a sustainable, healthy and inclusive world.
New to the Humber region but bringing over 25 years experience in universities, she is passionate about building and delivering opportunities for the University to partner with others to support innovation and growth, and together create a lasting impact on the region.

Stephen Rimmer - Project Development Lead - ABP

TBA

Natasha Leach - International Trade Adviser - Exports Directory North of England - Department for Business and Trade

Natasha Leach, International Trade Adviser - Department for Business and Trade.

With 14 years of practical experience collaborating with businesses across various sectors Natasha has assisted companies achieve international business successes. Recently appointed lead for Clean and Renewable Energy for the Humber area, Natasha's expertise lies in navigating complex trade regulations and market research identifying commercial opportunities for UK businesses.

Natasha manages and develops high-impact programs on ministerial level, including inward and outward trade missions and international trade events. She worked in the export sales for German, American and Italian companies.

With her extensive knowledge of Eastern Europe having both lived and worked there, she has developed a deep understanding of the region's culture and business landscape. She is passionate about helping businesses achieve their global ambitions and is dedicated to promoting the UK's trade interests on the international stage.

George Machin - Director of Engineering Apprenticeships, DN Colleges group

George Machin, Director of Engineering Apprenticeships at DN Colleges, has been been involved in apprenticeships since 1985 when he started his career at BAE SYSTEMS. During this time he has covered most of the roles involved in the delivery of apprenticeships within engineering, working with 100’s employers across the country and training 1000’s of apprentices. DN Colleges are currently working with over a thousand apprentices involved within the engineering, renewables and construction sectors adapting and amending their delivery constantly to the changing needs of industry.

Anil Sayhan - Programme Director for the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP)

Anil Sayhan is the Programme Director for the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP). Anil joined the organisation in 2022 and has overall responsibility for the development and delivery of the OWGP Programme and team. His key objective is to contribute to the accelerated development of the UK offshore wind supply chain, supporting UK companies to maximise economic value and create highly skilled jobs.

In his career spanning more than two decades, Anil has developed expertise in production planning, business development, procurement and supply chain management. Anil trained as an industrial engineer, specialising in manufacturing systems. After an initial 2-year stint in the defence industry, he joined Shell, where he performed senior roles in business development, procurement, supply chain management and led business transformation initiatives across multiple international assignments over 18 years.

Anil has an MSc degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Warwick University and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply.

Ricci Boston - Regional Manager (North of England), Global Underwater Hub

Ricci joined Global Underwater Hub (GUH) in April 2023 to lead the trade and industry development body’s operations in the north of England. Based in GUH’s office in Newcastle, he has been instrumental in increasing engagement with its members and partners across the region, enabling networking, collaboration and government engagement opportunities, all of which are designed to grow the UK’s £9.2 billion underwater industry.

His remit also covers aspects of GUH’s wider operations, including contributing to the delivery of initiatives around skills development and supporting the creation of an immersive virtual reality platform that brings different aspects of the underwater industry to life via VR headsets. He also represents the organisation on the North East Regional Defence Security Cluster.