Opening Session

Session A1 | Day 1, Tue 29 June, 09.30-10.15am

Session Summary
Opening session

• Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive, RenewableUK
• Rob Hastings, Director of Marine Estates, The Crown Estate
• Michael Rea, COO, The Carbon Trust
• John Sinclair, Managing Director, Subocean Group

	Chair: Maria McCaffery, Chief Executive, RenewableUK Maria McCaffery was appointed Chief Executive of RenewableUK in June 2006. She is a graduate Chemist with a long track record in business support, international trade and national membership organisations. She is passionate about renewable energy systems and now champions the use of the UK’s natural energy resources for electrical power generation, primarily from wind, wave and tidal technologies. With a strong focus in policy development and communications, she is engaging with industry, government and the finance sector to accelerate the deployment of all forms of renewable energy. In 1998 Maria was awarded an MBE for her services to international trade.
	Speaker: Rob Hastings, Director of Marine Estates, The Crown Estate Rob Hastings is The Crown Estate’s Director of the Marine Estate. His career has included working in the Offshore Oil and Gas industry, followed by six years developing and managing projects and businesses in the UK wind energy industry, including as a director of Shell Wind Energy Limited and a Director of the British Wind Energy Association, Rob is a member of the UK Government’s Renewable Advisory Board (RAB) chaired by the Minister of Energy.
	Speaker: Michael Rea, COO, The Carbon Trust Michael joined the Carbon Trust in 2002 as Director of Strategy, responsible for developing existing and new services to reduce carbon emissions and develop low carbon technologies. He has carried out a number of strategic and operational roles at the Carbon Trust including Director of Technology Development and his current role of Chief Operating Officer. Previously, Michael was at McKinsey & Co where he specialised both in corporate & business unit strategy and in performance improvement. Prior to that Michael worked at Procter and Gamble in product supply. Michael Rea is a graduate of University College Dublin where he completed a BEng (Mech) in 1991. He was awarded the faculty gold medal in his final year. He also completed an MBA at INSEAD, Paris in 1996.
	Speaker: John Sinclair, Managing Director, Subocean Group Core Sponsor Address Biography Entrepreneur John Sinclair is a leading industry figure and an international ambassador for renewable energy. He was honoured for his outstanding contribution to the industry at the 2009 Scottish Green Energy Awards. John’s passion for the UK to be at the global forefront of renewable energy has resulted in him establishing a company with extraordinary success. Subocean Group is one of the UK’s largest market-leading subsea construction company specialising in high performance cable-laying and burial solutions, and is now considered a major role player in the industry by pushing the boundaries of marine renewables. Since its inception in 2005, Subocean has more than doubled its number of employees to more than 450 people and grown its turnover by more than 100%. High-profile contract awards, combined with the company’s innovative approach to marine renewables, form the backbone of Subocean’s success. Substantial investment in assets has also strongly positioned Subocean as the leader in its field. In 2009, the company created an industry first by becoming the first company to use a DP vessel equipped with a cable plough to install cables in the windfarm market – an approach which has reduced cable installation and burial time by up to 50%. Subocean has capitalised on its inherent oil and gas expertise of which John has almost 30 years’ experience in offshore subsea. Born in Thurso, Scotland, John is a BSc qualified electrical and electronic engineer who has worked on a number of major oil and gas deepwater projects such as BP’s Fionaven/Schiehallion development in the UK, and Shell’s Draugen and Conoco’s Hedrum in Norway. In 1986, he moved onshore into vessel operations management and a year later, formed his first company specialising in subsea cable installation to the oil and gas and telecommunications market sectors. He subsequently diversified into the emerging renewable energy market and established Subocean Group, having recognized, the potential of the renewables sector as early as 2000. The company has since been involved with key industry developments including the Robin Rigg windfarm, the Thanet and Greater Gabbard offshore windfarms, the Centrica Lynn & Inner Dowsing projects along with the latest Lincs project. Subocean’s achievements reflect not only John’s entrepreneurialism but his vision for the company’s future and, indeed, that of the UK renewables industry. John is a fervent campaigner for the industry to work together towards achieving a sustainable energy future for the next generation in the UK, Europe and globally. He is actively driving home the message that investment in vital resources – people, assets and time - is urgently needed if the UK industry is to attain future sustainable growth. As such, John has become a much sought-after speaker at high profile industry events including the House of Commons, Renewable UK’s 2009 conference in Westminster and the 2009 Offshore Wind Power Summit in Washington DC.