Former North Sea Transition Authority chief executive, Andy Samuel has joined the X-Academy as a strategic advisor.
Mr Samuel will support the senior leadership team as it aim accelerate clean jobs by preparing the workforce for employment in green fields, the group said.
The announcement comes as members of the team, including Mr Samuel, head to the UAE for COP28.
He said: “X-Academy has gone from strength-to-strength. The impressive diverse team continue to expand their positive impact through excellent partnerships including bp and EnBW JV, Fred Olsen, Full Circle 21 and NZTC.
“I’m very happy to be supporting as we play our part in solving the energy trilemma.”
Mr Samuel left his previous position, leading the UK regulator, late last year.
He assumed the role of chief executive at the then-Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) in 2015, helping to establish and guide the organisation after the 2013 Wood Review recommended the creation of an independent economic regulator.
In his time at the helm, the Authority said he had helped improve the North Sea oil and gas industry’s performance by working closely with the sector and government.
He announced his retirement in February last year, weeks before the regulator unveiled its new strategy and identity as the NSTA.
X-Academy looks ahead to 2024
X -Academy was launched in November 2021 and is led by global consultancy Xodus with investment from ETZ Limited and ScotWind consortium partners, BP and EnBW.
Programme cohorts, ‘xccelerators’, are employed on the salaried programme where the organisation provides “development experiences” to help prepare them for work throughout the energy transition.
The groups said that in 2024 it will be actively targeting projects and initiatives with the potential to unlock the talent, capability or infrastructure of specific regions.
Its partnerships will continue to expand in Aberdeen and Orkney, and new regions are expected to be added wherever accelerating employment has the potential to increase the pace of achieving energy security and net zero.
Peter Tipler, managing director of X-Academy, said: “Andy’s appointment comes at a pivotal time when we are closely exploring our next steps.
“We are now reinvesting revenue to create additional jobs across the globe and plans are already underway to scale as the UK jobs accelerator and expand globally in Australia, with intended projects developing in the Middle East, Japan and USA.
“With a singular focus on jobs and employability to deliver the energy transition, Andy’s role as strategic advisor and executive coach to X-Academy, with experience of working across multinational companies and governments, will bolster our plans to be a huge enabler of the energy transition jobs transformation.”