2024 Panel Speakers

Nick Winser, Energy Commissioner, NIC

Nick Winser, CBE,  has enjoyed a 30-year career in the energy sector which included being CEO of National Grid across UK and Europe, President of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity, and CIGRE UK Chair. Inaugural Chair of Energy Systems Catapult from 2015-2024, Nick was appointed Chair of the Advisory Board for the Energy Revolution ISCF programme in 2018. This was followed by his appointment in 2022 as the Government’s Electricity Networks Commissioner.  In 2022 he also joined the Board of Greencoat UK Wind,  where he acts as the Senior Independent Director.

Nick is both a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, serving as its President in 2017/18, and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.  He is also a former Chair of the MS Society and a former member of the Board of the Kier Group.

 

 

Dhara Vyas - CEO, Energy UK

Dhara is currently the CEO of Energy UK, having taken up the role of CEO in November 2024

Dhara joined Energy UK in 2022. She is an expert in energy consumer issues and the energy transition, and was named ‘Executive of the year’ at the 2023 Trade Association Forum Awards. Prior to joining Energy UK Dhara led work on net zero, the future energy system and decarbonisation at Citizens Advice.

Dhara began her career in local government and has worked across a broad range of policy areas from civil society to community building and deliberative democracy. She has been an active member of several Government and academic advisory boards, is on the Board of Green Alliance and EVA England. 

 

Eleanor Warburton - Director for Energy System Design and Development, Ofgem

Eleanor is currently Ofgem’s Director of Energy System Design and Development, a role that spans Ofgem's engagement in Clean Power 2030 and the SSEP, to the distributed energy, digitised data and innovation that will help transform our future energy system.

Before that Eleanor worked as Director of Energy Systems, Markets and Security where she led Ofgem's work on markets and charging, and worked with Government to deliver the legal transformation of electricity system operator to the NESO.

Eleanor joined Ofgem in 2016, from the Department of Energy and Climate change where she led energy on issues relating to energy security and international energy engagement. This followed a range of jobs in a number of central government departments to support the counter-terrorism and preventing extremism agenda.

 

Richard Earl - Director of Research & Development, EO Charging

Richard Earl is the Director of Research and Development at EO Charging. For the last 20 years, Richard has been working in the energy and automotive sectors across a number of engineering and leadership roles. Since studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering at university he has developed code for safety critical applications such as engine controllers, lead teams of software developers to develop large scale software applications managing millions of end points and he has managed cross functional teams to deliver several electronic products to the mass market.

In his roles at EO Charging he has led the successful delivery and evolution of the Mini, Mini Pro and Genius families of electric vehicle charging stations along with the introduction of OCPP into the business. Two of the products that Richard has helped to deliver have received nominations for product innovation along with submission for patents.

Richard is also the chair of the BEAMA Electric Transport Systems helping the industry navigate the evolving regulatory landscape as EV infrastructure moves from niche to mass adoption.

 

 

Rowena Rodrigues, Director of External Affairs, Sustainability & Governance at Glen Dimplex

Rowena is passionate about the energy transition and sustainability. She joined the Glen Dimplex Group in 2004 after working in international business development in the pharmaceutical and beverage industries. In her current role, she is responsible for 4 key areas: Policy & Regulatory Engagement, External Affairs & communications, Sustainability and Board Governance and reports directly to the Group Executive's Board. Rowena has 20 years of expertise in public affairs and communications and is active in the UK and European energy sectors, actively participating key associations and Boards.