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In our latest round-up of appointments across the sector, industry veteran Ian Marchant is to head the board of a hydrogen technology firm. Meanwhile Thames Water has appointed a new director and a trade body chief executive has decided to step down.
Logan Energy
Former SSE chief executive and current Thames Water chairman Ian Marchant is to head the board of the hydrogen technology firm.
Commenting on his appointment as chairman of the Edinburgh-headquartered business, Marchant said he believed hydrogen could have “as big an impact as North Sea Oil and Gas had in the 1970s or the wind industry had in the early 2000s”.
He added: “I have felt for some time that hydrogen has the potential to be one of the transforming technologies of the 21st Century and its deployment will be key to achieving a net zero carbon society as soon as possible, particularly in the fields of transport and urban heat.
“This will require expertise in developing and deploying technologies and projects that are transformational at local, regional and international levels. Logan Energy has the track record, knowledge, and knowhow to lead these initiatives.”
He will be joined by non-executive directors Bob MacDonald, former chief executive specialist technical solutions at Wood, and Derek Mathieson, ex-chief marketing and technology officer at Baker Hughes.
Bill Ireland, chief executive of Logan Energy, said: “These appointments represent a significant reinforcement of our executive team across a breadth of sectors and specialisms.
“Their industry expertise will play an invaluable role in Logan Energy’s growth plans as we scale our operation internationally and cement hydrogen’s role at the forefront of the energy transition.”
Logan designs, installs, commissions and maintains integrated energy systems across the UK and Europe.
Thames Water
Francis Paonessa will join the water company as its new capital delivery director next Monday (26 April) following John Bentley’s decision to leave the business.
Paonessa arrives from consultancy Aczel and was previously managing director of infrastructure projects at Network Rail. Bentley will stay with the company until May 25 to hand over.
The appointment follows the recent recruitment of Warren Buckley as retail director and Cathryn Ross into a newly-created role of strategy and regulatory affairs director.
Thames chief executive Sarah Bentley praised Bentley as a “hugely committed and valued member of the executive team”. She said that Paonessa had “an impressive track record of initiating and then executing, to time and to cost, large and complex infrastructure projects across a range of sectors”.
She added: “He will also bring a great depth of engineering experience and excellence which will be critical as we look to grow and nurture our company’s engineering capabilities.”
Paonessa added: “I’m very excited to be joining the Thames Water team. The company provides an essential service to over 15 million customers in London and the Thames Valley. A reliable and resilient water and waste network is a critical part of this service.
“Significant investment is required over the coming years and decades to ensure these networks can meet the challenges of population growth and climate change. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to deliver this investment and ensure Thames Water customers have the best possible service.”
Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA)
Luke Warren is to step down as chief executive of the trade body after seven years to take up an unspecified new position in the sector.
Warren, who joined the CCSA in 2009 and took on the role of chief executive in 2013, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the CCUS industry. I have enjoyed my time at the CCSA immensely and I am incredibly proud of the work that has been achieved by the association and its members to position CCUS at the heart of the UK’s net zero transition. I am grateful for the tremendous support from the staff and wider membership and I will miss working with the CCSA family. My successor will have the support of a fantastic team and a dedicated Board and I look forward to seeing the CCUS industry continue to grow.”
A recruitment process is now underway to find a new chief executive.
Jonathan Briggs, chair of the CCSA board, said: “Luke moves on from the CCSA with the association now at the heart of making CCUS deployment at scale, and the UK government’s 2050 net zero ambition, a reality.”
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