The Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) has appointed five new board members to support its goal of promoting the north east of Scotland as a leading destination for renewable energy.
The new directors will help guide AREG in its next stage of development, following a 68% increase in its membership over the last year.
The appointees were selected following nominations from the group’s 230 member companies and a ballot of candidates.
Shell energy transition manager Sven van den Bedem brings over 17 years’ energy leadership experience and has headed large-scale decarbonisation and renewables projects as he works in helping to transition the supermajor towards net zero.
Nassima Brown is co-founder and director of business strategy at Fennex. She brings significant global energy sector experience with a career spanning over 20 years in nine different countries and expertise in AI and cloud computing technology as Fennex accelerates digital transformation in the sector.
Peterson managing director for England and renewables strategy, Jason Hendry, also joins the board, bringing 25 years’ experience in managing operations in highly regulated industries. He oversees the provision of logistics support to offshore assets and is responsible for developing and progressing the company’s renewables strategy globally.
Rodney Hutchison, legal director at MacRoberts LLP – previously company secretary and general legal counsel for AREG – brings over 20 years’ experience as a commercial lawyer, supporting the transition of energy businesses.
And University of Aberdeen senior lecturer Alfonso Martinez-Felipe, is a senior advisor to the PrototAU student engineering team and hydrogen champion at the Centre for Energy Transition and is a vocal promoter of new and cleaner technologies.
The new appointees join chairwoman Jean Morrison, and other board directors Gordon McIntosh and Philip Bell.
Ms Morrison said: “We are privileged to have a diverse and talented group of renewable industry leaders at the helm of our not-for-profit organisation, and we anticipate that the diverse experience of our new board members will add significant value at this important time for the energy sector as we work together to achieve net zero targets.”
Aberdeen City Council will also be appointing a board representative.
AREG also plans to launch a new policy forum this month, adding to its communications and young professionals networks.