Siemens Energy has appointed Darren Davidson as vice president of its UK divisions as Steve Scrimshaw looks to retire.
Steve Scrimshaw is retiring from Siemens Energy at the end of March, giving him time to say “au revoir” to the people he has worked with throughout his 45 years of working in the energy sector.
Mr Davidson will be responsible for a team of 6,000 people across the UK in this position with bases in Lincoln, Manchester, Hull, Newcastle and Aberdeen falling under his jurisdiction.
Mr Scrimshaw says that he will be taking a break following his departure from the firm, however, “as someone who can’t stay still for very long” the outgoing vice president told his LinkedIn connections that he’ll “no doubt” be looking for something to keep himself occupied.
Darren Davidson takes over as Siemens Energy, the sole shareholder of Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa, looks to integrate its UK businesses.
Siemens Energy took full control of the turbine manufacturer last summer when it picked up the 2.21% of shares it did not already own in Siemens Gamesa.
Meanwhile, Clark MacFarlane, former vice president of Siemens Gamesa UK, is also being succeded by Mr Davidson.
Mr MacFalane explains that 2024 marks his “42nd year of continuous service” as he stays with the firm on a part-time basis.
Mr MacFarlane added: “As our integration journey continues, our two companies are becoming one and Darren is the right person to steer this ship moving forward.”
Over the Christmas break Mr Scrimshaw took the time to write down his reflections on the “16,000 days-worth” of experience he has built up during his time in the industry.
He reminisced about stating his career, aged 16, as an apprentice at the then CA Parsons site in Newcastle, an experience he has in common with Darren Davidson.
© Supplied by Siemens EnergyBy the time he was 21 years of age, Mr Scrimshaw became a service engineer while still working for CA Parsons, now Siemens Energy.
Since then, he has held various positions and saw the creation of Siemens Energy UK&I in 2020, following a “carve out from Siemens AG.”
Reflecting on his career, Mr Scrimshaw wrote: “With each year that passes, my passion for this sector, and indeed the energy transition, only gets stronger.
“It fills me with pride when I see plans for technologies like hydrogen and CCS at scale, the building of Keadby2, the most efficient gas-fired power station in Europe; our offshore transformers sail out to transfer green energy from the Moray West wind farm; and Siemens Energy interconnector technology connecting Great Britain’s grid to France, Denmark, Belgium and Germany.”
Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK ‘ideally placed’ to deliver UK energy transition
The new Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK vice president, Darren Davidson, took on the role on 1 January.
With 35 years of experience in the energy sector, the new vice president is a Newcastle native, much like Mr Scrimshaw before him.
He has a BEng in Mechanical Engineering from Northumbria University and worked for Alstom Power, from 1998, in various project management roles focusing on turnkey power station construction projects in the UK and Bahrain.
Having returned to Siemens in 2006, Mr Davidson has led teams in the UK Power Generation business and moved to Canada in 2013 to become head of energy services.
He returned to Newcastle in 2017, where he led the UK’s Gas Services business for more than seven years.
Darren Davidson, vice president of Siemens Energy UK&I and Siemens Gamesa UK, said: “I’m proud to take on this new role as Vice President for the UK and Ireland. From grid technology to power generation and wind, I believe we are ideally placed to help the UK deliver on its energy transition targets.
“Our people make the difference, and it’s a privilege to lead such a dedicated team playing a critical role in the UK’s journey to net zero.
“I’d also like to pay tribute to both Steve Scrimshaw and Clark MacFarlane. They are both inspirational leaders and have been fundamental to the success we’ve had as a business and our net zero targets in both the UK and Ireland.”
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