SMARTESTENERGY - Key Persons
Alex is a highly knowledgeable individual with over 14 years' experience within the Energy Industry. Alex joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 as the Customer Services Manager to implement her excellent track record of significantly increasing service quality, sales and customer base. Alex serves as a direct point of contact for customers portfolios and billing queries. She also supports the team serving as an escalation point for complex queries. Prior to working at SmartestEnergy, Alex worked as a senior manager at Eutility one of the largest procurement and sustainability energy consultants within Australia. Managing over 15,000 commercial sites across approximately 2000 C&I customer accounts.
Job Titles:
- Head of Industry Operations
Alex's core responsibility is to ensure that SmartestEnergy Business Limited complies with industry metering standards by invoicing our customers in a timely and accurate manner, matching industry reconciliation. He also manages the teams responsible for the smart meter rollout and billing of our Business Division customers on time every month, with a current focus on migrating our customers to our new billing platform, Honeycomb.
Before joining the energy industry, Alex worked in the travel industry for 20 years, with experience working for well-known brands including Hayes & Jarvis, Austravel, Virgin Holidays and Trailfinders, having graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a degree in Marketing and Tourism. He is skilled in managing large-scale departments, implementing new processes and streamlining complex operations for maximum productivity.
Andrew leads our trading function and is a highly experienced and accomplished energy professional, having spent most of his career working in the energy industry. Previously Andrew was at Origin Energy for 13 years in senior roles including Gas Portfolio Manager. Before joining SmartestEnergy, Andrew was a Senior Commercial Adviser to the COO of the Australian Energy Market Operator.
Job Titles:
- a Generation Account Manager
- Head of Smart Generation Sales
Angus joined SmartestEnergy as a Generation Account Manager in October 2014, providing Power Purchase Agreements for independent generators across Great Britain. He is now leading the Smart Generation Sales team to develop and grow our portfolio of renewable generation customers to meet the growing demand for deep green power from our consumer base.
Angus has been instrumental in growing our renewable generation volumes by 25% and is keen to implement the next phase of growth for SmartestEnergy underpinned by a re-balancing of risk through product and market innovation.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Angus spent 4 years developing and operating an extensive range of wind turbines, hydro schemes and biogas plants across the UK, so has a range of energy experience. In his first role, he had a great experience visiting a wind turbine factory in Germany, seeing them make 100m long blades.
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Manager
- in 2018 As a Channel Development Manager
Ashley joined SmartestEnergy in 2018 as a Channel Development Manager and is responsible for building relationships and working with TPI partners to promote the SmartestEnergy brand and help find the right solutions for their customers, with a current focus on CPPA products.
Ashley previously worked in several roles at Gazprom Energy, involving people management and leading on some of the largest TPI and customer portfolios in the energy market.
Prior to his career in energy, he graduated from Hull University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing, where he was Sport Vice President and a member of the Cricket Club.
Ben's key responsibilities include building and maintaining relationships with a number of our customers and key partners, as well as account management and customer renewals. He aims to continue to work closely with our other teams to ensure our customers receive a high standard of service and the best possible experience working with SmartestEnergy.
He joined SmartestEnergy in July 2021, having previously worked for a TPI as a Senior Account Manager, and has amassed over 11 years of experience in the energy industry in procurement and account management roles.
Job Titles:
- in 2023 As Senior Vice President of Global HR
- Senior Vice President Global Human Resources
Caroline joined SmartestEnergy in 2023 as Senior Vice President of Global HR and is responsible for overseeing all people-related matters in the company.
Caroline comes with over 20 years' experience in energy / financial services environments. Before joining SmartestEnergy Caroline spent half her career working in senior roles within the Energy industry (EDF) and the other half of her career working as a management consultant including Deloitte and most recently EY.
Caroline has a BSc.(Hons) in Psychology from Birmingham University and an MSc. in Business Psychology from Nottingham University Business School.
Cathie is responsible for managing Direct Customers and large managing agent portfolios, ensuring SmartestEnergy meets our clients' requirements. She is focused on delivering excellent service and will continue building key relationships by ensuring SmartestEnergy provides the best customer service possible.
Her current focus and future aspiration are to have a clear understanding of the clients' and TPIs needs.
Cathie joined the industry in 1997 and has worked in many areas from Back office, Billing, metering & Customer Service. She has worked as a Key Account Manager for ten years. I've worked for E.ON, EDF Energy and Consultus International Group.
Outside of work Cathie enjoys spending time with her family, visiting the theatre, and watching the Rugby.
Charlotte joined SmartestEnergy in 2012 and worked within the Sales Support team. She later became Channel Account Manager and progressed to Partner Account Manager, managing some of our biggest TPI flexible portfolios. In 2021 she joined joined TotalEnergies as a National Account Manager. In 2022 she returned to SmartestEnergy as Key Account Manager.
Charlotte is responsible for managing a number of our large managing agent portfolios. She works alongside the TPI and customer in each case to keep the account running smoothly, ultimately maintaining and developing the relationship with the aim to renew and build the current portfolio. Charlotte's focus main focus is to support our customers and TPIs in navigating their way through the volatile energy market and continue to build our relationships. Before joining SmartestEnergy in 2012, Charlotte worked for Eon within the SME servicing team and then I spent 2 years at a TPI as a customer service account manager. In 2012 she took a year out and travelled and worked in Australia. She has about 17 years of experience in the energy industry.
Outside of work Charlotte likes to stay active. She has completed 15 half marathons and a tri-athlon. She is aiming for London marathon next!
Job Titles:
- Channel Account Manager
- in 2019 As a Customer Service Executive
Chris joined SmartestEnergy in 2019 as a Customer Service Executive. Gaining an understanding of the pricing and tenders side of commercial energy and the various government levies and charges that go along with it, to price to customer and business needs, he moved into his current role as Channel Account Manager.
He is now responsible for maintaining and strengthening relationships with a diverse portfolio of customers. Meeting customers' needs and managing relationships for the betterment of both them and the business is a vital contribution to the overall business strategy.
Chris has been a vital part in helping the business undertake our Smart Metering Project, championing this from a Sales perspective and liaising between the team and the Smart Metering Project managers. He has also helped grow one of our largest framework portfolios in his first year within this role.
Before SmartestEnergy, Chris has years of customer service experience, with his most recent role as Team Leader at Flow Energy. Outside of work, Chris is an avid writer and has written a book that he would love to have published one day.
Job Titles:
- in 2021 As Global Vice President of IT
- Vice President IT, SmartestEnergy Ltd
Claire joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 as Global Vice President of IT and is responsible for the design, development and implementation of our Enterprise information systems, software applications, and IT support and infrastructure systems. She is also responsible for SEL UK IT.
Claire provides leadership for the continued development of an innovative, robust and secure IT environment Global for SmartestEnergy. A mentor with long-standing ties to STEM and Women in Technology. Claire has financial acumen coupled with extensive experience in end-to-end IT project management, data migration and upgrades, transformational change, and IT operations.
Claire has accrued over 30 years of experience in IT-based roles across a range of industries, with her most recent roles as Director of IT at Clarks and SSE, Global CIO at Nisbets and IT Leader at NSF International. Her career started at Northampton University, where she studied a HND in Computer Science.
Dan is responsible for the commercial activities in Australia, primarily Sales, Operations and Marketing related to electricity retail. Dan started his energy career in consultancy in 2006 and joined SmartestEnergy in 2008 to support the UK start-up of the Commercial & Industrial retail business. Dan led that division before coming to Australia. Dan has been central to developing the customer centric culture and renewable focus at SmartestEnergy. He is committed to supporting the Australian renewable transition, simplifying any complexity for businesses on their journeys.
Job Titles:
- Head of Customer Operations
Darren oversees SmartestEnergy's Business Division customer operations and is responsible for leading and developing teams that engage with our customers across multiple channels. He drives improvements across our culture, process and performance, enabling us to delight customers and our people as we continue to grow.
Since joining Smartest, he has delivered various projects, predominantly focused on improving our debt management processes and controls. Crafting a customised debt management solution that aligns with our long-term goals whilst giving us tangible quick wins in the short term.
Darren is the Deputy Chairperson for our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Group at Smartest and sits on the Wellness Hub Committee. With a focus on our people and culture, he aspires to help deliver our goals for staff wellbeing, with a personal philosophy of 'Employee Happiness drives Customer Delight and Advocacy'.
Darren joined as part of the Dual Energy acquisition in December 2019 and has been leading large internal and outsourced operations for the last 20 years, predominantly within the insurance and banking sectors. His previous roles have included; Head of Operations at First Central Insurance Group, Close Brothers merchant banking group and more recently Ticker Insurance. He is a huge football fan and, outside of work, has been lucky enough to play 3 times at The Emirates in charity games for The Arsenal Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- in 2020 As the Head of Finance
Elizabeth joined SmartestEnergy in 2020 as the Head of Finance, she is a finance leader with a passion for working in dynamic, entrepreneurial business environments. With senior experience in the big four accounting and global law practices, Elizabeth has established a reputation for building high performance teams, managing complex projects and driving business growth through financial insights. With all this experience, Elizabeth leveraged her skills and was part of the original team who set up SmartestEnergy Australia and has since supported its growth.
Job Titles:
- Key Accounts Team Manager
Gavin joined SmartestEnergy in 2008 and is now Key Accounts Team Manager. In this role, he is responsible for supporting the team with the development of relationships with TPIs, and the growth and retention of existing retail contracts.
Since starting his current role in 2014, Gavin and his team have been focused on ensuring SmartestEnergy are best placed to successfully renew contracts, by working closely with TPI's to continue to deliver the excellent levels of service they have become accustomed to receiving from us.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Gavin had years of experience in the sector, having worked at Eon for 9 years in customer services and sales areas of the business.
Job Titles:
- Key Account Manager
- in 2021 As Key Account Manager
Gemma joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 as Key Account Manager, where she is responsible for managing a number of our large managing agent portfolios. She works alongside the TPI and customer in each case to keep the account running smoothly, ultimately maintaining and developing the relationship with the aim to renew and build the current portfolio.
Gemma started her career in the energy sector as a Customer Service Apprentice with British Gas in 2012 and has now amassed 10 years of experience in the energy industry, with her most recent role as a Business Development Manager for a TPI. In 2018, Gemma took a career break and based herself in Australia for 9 months, and enjoyed the opportunity to travel across Asia and many other countries.
Job Titles:
- in 2018 As Marketing Communications Manager
- Vice President Global Marketing, SmartestEnergy Ltd
Hayley joined SmartestEnergy in 2018 as Marketing Communications Manager before working as Head of Marketing Communications and Customer Experience and finally moving into her current role as Vice President of Global Marketing in 2022. She is responsible for the coordination and management of all marketing activity within SmartestEnergy globally, overseeing both our insights and marketing communications teams.
Hayley is experienced in leading high-achieving marketing teams, with demonstrated success working for leading companies spanning a range of industries from engineering and aviation to healthcare, education and now utilities.
She is a well-rounded marketing professional, skilled in digital strategy, branding, marketing management, corporate social responsibility, integrated marketing, public relations and crisis communications, with a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and Psychology from the University of North Carolina.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Manager
James Clark joined Smartest in 2015 as a Sales Support, working his way up to an Account Manager and then a Business Development Manager in 2020. Working up through the company has given James a unique perspective on Operations, Account Management and Business Development.
As a Business Development Manager, James works closely with a range of Developers, Asset Managers and Third-Parties to help tailor the best Power Purchase Agreements for them and maximise returns on their projects.
More recently, James has been responsible for proving the route to market for large subsidy-free Wind and Solar assets, helping the UK transition to Net-Zero. He regularly attends industry events, providing a recognised point of contact for SmartestEnergy's renewable customers.
James joined SmartestEnergy in 2012 as a Business Development Manager after more than a decade's experience working in the energy sector. In his current role, he is responsible for all customer-facing commercial activities and sales strategy and manages commercial teams across business development, account management, commercial, and marketing.
James provides insight-backed views on market opportunities and risks, defining how these could impact future growth, and has worked as part of the team defining our future product roadmap, translating into platform change and investment, resulting in the initiation of our most ambitious transformation project, as our product concepts evolve into products and we acquire new sales pipeline opportunities and actual growth.
His career in the energy industry has seen him hold senior roles with companies, including Reactive Technologies and Bergen Energi, and he is keen to continue to play a leadership role, getting involved as Smartest strives to become the benchmark for renewable energy suppliers. He wants to continue developing outside his core commercial experience and building a more robust general management skillset.
James studied at the University of Leeds, graduating with a BA(Hons) in International History and Politics. He enjoys living by the sea and has taken up cold water swimming, enjoying the exhilarating experience of swimming during the winter.
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Team Manager
Jessica manages the Channel Development team, responsible for I&C Supply Sales and growth, and manages SmartestEnergy's relationship with a number of key consultants.
Her current focus is strategic planning to ensure SmartestEnergy are best placed to continue providing a high standard of service and flexible products in the changing market.
Jess joined SmartestEnergy as a Channel Development Manager in 2016 and started managing the team in 2019.
Her career in the energy industry began in 2002, and she has since held several customer-facing roles across sales and account management with EnergyQuote and British Gas Business, collating 20 years of industry experience.
Job Titles:
- Business Relationship Manager - Major Accounts
Jonathan joined SmartestEnergy as part of the acquisition of Dual Energy, where he began in January 2018 as Head of Commercial. He brings a blend of commercial and technical experience to the team and is responsible for the oversight of SmartestEnergy's Business Division, overseeing forecasting and hedging activities, as well as all pricing and commercial propositions.
He has been instrumental in the ongoing development and deployment of key business systems and functions and successfully oversaw our recent SoLR (Supplier of Last Resort) project, taking on circa 1100 supply points of the failed supplier MA Energy - the first project of its kind in Smartest Group.
Jonathan's previous experience is with fast-growth challenger brands, where he oversaw commercial and IT operations, most recently for a new start-up supplier taking it from inception to 80k+ customers in 12 months. He is an information technology professional with a Bachelor of Science in Management and Strategy from Aston University.
Jonathan has over a decade of experience in Australian wholesale energy industry, across electricity, gas and green products. Jonathan joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 as Head of Trading Operations and is responsible for contract management and optimisation, wholesale route to market services, and portfolio construction. Prior to SmartestEnergy, Jonathan worked at Macquarie Bank, Origin Energy, Hydro Tasmania and the Australian Market Operator (AEMO). Jonathan is passionate about the evolution, volatility and dynamics of the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM) and strives to support SmartestEnergy to build products, relationships and processes that add value, manage risk and minimise our carbon footprint.
Job Titles:
- Head of Compliance and Regulation
- in 2010 As a Business Analyst
Julia joined SmartestEnergy in 2010 as a Business Analyst before progressing to Industry Regulatory Risk Manager and finally into her current role as Head of Compliance and Regulation in 2019. She is responsible for ensuring the company complies with its regulatory obligations concerning Supply Licence Conditions, Industry Governance & Change, Financial Legislation with regard to trading in Wholesale Energy Markets, Data Privacy, Anti-Corruption and various other related legislation such as Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering, Competition Law and Modern Slavery.
Julia has worked in the energy industry for over 20 years. Her career has seen her hold roles with companies, including Eastern Electricity, Powergen, E.ON and Gemserv, with roles spanning Registration, Operations, Data Quality, Change Management and Industry Governance.
Outside work, Julia is a lead singer in a ukelele band, with experience as a semi-professional vocalist in the local rock music scene for over 25 years.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Finance
- Dual Energy As Group Finance Director
Kieran is responsible for the strategic oversight and financial performance of SmartestEnergy Business. He is also responsible for building and maintaining professional relationships with banks, auditors, tax advisors, and trading partners.
After graduating from business school with an honours degree, Kieran qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant. He established his career in senior financial and commercial roles across several different sectors, including construction, financial services and manufacturing.
Kieran joined Dual Energy as Group Finance Director in 2013. Drawing on his previous experience of working in large corporates, as well as SMEs, Kieran helped to put the framework and strategies in place to enable Dual Energy to treble in size within three years of joining. He subsequently played an instrumental role in facilitating the purchase of the business by SmartestEnergy.
Job Titles:
- in 2022 As Vice President
- Vice President Portfolio Optimisation & Pricing, SmartestEnergy Ltd
Klaus joined SmartestEnergy in 2022 as Vice President of Portfolio Optimisation and Pricing and is responsible for optimizing SmartestEnergy's current portfolio by developing ideas, partnerships, and building new business.
With over 20 years of experience in the energy industry, Klaus is a strong business professional, skilled in risk management, financial modelling and strategic leadership. His career in the energy industry has seen him hold senior roles with companies, including TotalEnergies and EnBW, after having studied Mathematics at Heidelberg University.
Job Titles:
- in 2022 As a Senior Business Development Manager
- Senior Business Development Manager, SmartestEnergy Ltd
Leigh joined SmartestEnergy in 2022 as a Senior Business Development Manager and is responsible for helping Smartest Energy reach its ambitious growth targets by helping renewable generators maximise returns and providing PPA solutions to generators, developers and investors.
With almost 25 years of experience in the UK gas and power markets, Leigh is an experienced energy professional. He is commercially focused and skilled in trading, deal structuring, analysis, budgeting, sales, commercial negotiation and product development, and is keen to continue to develop key contacts within the renewables sector.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Leigh's most recent roles include Business Development Manager at SSE and Head of Commercial Performance at Infinis and has also spent time at Orsted, Drax, Engie and Alkane Energy. He is a strong business development professional with a Bachelor of Arts in Enterprise and Innovation from Staffordshire University.
Louise joined SmartestEnergy in 2011 as one of the Channel Account Managers. She is responsible for a number of key portfolios, TPIs and customers, and is involved in the whole customer journey to make sure that we meet the customers' needs, ensuring people and queries are treated with the attention they deserve.
Her primary focus is to continue building these key relationships, treating customers and TPIs with the best customer service possible.
Prior to working at SmartestEnergy, she worked for a TPI and at E.ON Energy for 4 years in a sales-orientated role. Outside work, she enjoys being outdoors and has recently taken up cold water swimming.
Having qualified as an accountant, Louise spent the first 25 years of her career in various finance roles before moving across to general management in 2019. Working in the energy sector for more than 15 years, Louise has held several senior leadership positions within Centrica and SmartestEnergy and is now CEO of SmartestEnergy Business.
She is an engaging and dynamic leader and has a broad range of financial, operational and commercial skills and capabilities, which she has used to drive performance and growth in a very challenging market.
Louise's career began at an accounting firm after graduating in Accountancy and Economics from Reading University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management. Most recently, she completed her MBA at London Business School. Outside work, she and her husband enjoy walking their dogs in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside and keeping the local food and drink establishments thriving!
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Manager
- in 2017 As a Channel Development Manager
Luke joined SmartestEnergy in 2017 as a Channel Development Manager. In this role, Luke is responsible for managing and evolving relationships with several key TPIs and securing fixed and flexible new business contracts for Smartest. He coordinates the promotion of our products and renewable solutions and ensures industry-leading service.
Luke was critical in winning the Cambridge Colleges contract in 2020, which involved the collaboration of multiple internal teams, resulting in a bespoke contract with a supporting engagement strategy to promote the renewable product to the students.
Having worked over 15 years in both the UK and Australian energy markets, he has strong relationship and account management experience working with large portfolios of multi-national clients.
Before his energy career, Luke graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a Bachelor's degree in Urban and Regional Geography.
Mandy is a highly accomplished Commercial and Industrial Account Manager who's worked in the energy sector since 2006. At SmartestEnergy, Mandy has been pivotal in the start-up and growth phase of the business in Australia. Previously, at Simply Energy, she managed the mass market sales channels during the start-up phase delivering over 400,000 new customers. At Alinta Energy she was responsible for broker and consultant relationships. Mandy thrives on building positive, mutually rewarding relationships with customers.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Account Manager
Mark joined SmartestEnergy in 2014 as a Strategic Account Manager. In this role, Mark is responsible for the management of senior stakeholder relationships with some of Smartest's largest I&C clients with combined annual revenues of over £200m. He negotiates high-value supply contracts with buyers based across the UK, Europe & US and hosts our ever-popular live Non-Commodity Cost webinars.
Mark has played a leading role in delivering our new demand response services to secure additional revenue streams for customers and provide more flexible options for the business by managing market imbalance risk.
Before commencing his role at SmartestEnergy, Mark was Account Director at Inenco, raising their profile in the elite £10m+ energy spend market. Mark studied Geography at Birmingham University and he has now worked for over 27 years in the energy industry, previously holding roles with E.ON, Corona Energy, Shell Gas and British Gas. Outside of work, he enjoys sports and is a qualified FA football coach.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Trading, SmartestEnergy Ltd
Mark joined SmartestEnergy in 2008 and is responsible for managing SmartestEnergy's power, gas and renewable trading activities in Europe and providing market insight to inform and implement company strategy.
He has over 18 years of experience in the energy industry, working at RWE in analyst roles before moving to SmartestEnergy, where he has now worked for 14 years.
A graduate of the University of Bath, Mark holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, completing his master's project at Grenoble Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Strategic Account Manager
- in 2008 As an Account Manager
Matt Neve joined SmartestEnergy in 2008 as an Account Manager, before working as Business Development Manager, and finally moving into his current role in 2017.
Matt works closely with Smart Generation customers, negotiating and structuring Power Purchase Agreements to help them maximise return on their projects across a combination of existing and bespoke products and services. He also deals with the provision of flexible trading and risk management strategies tailored to individual projects or customer circumstances, budgets and board risk profiles.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Matt was part of the B2B Industrial & Commercial Sales Team working in Commercial Pricing and Account Management at E.ON Energy and also spent some time at Powergen. Starting his career in 1998, he has amassed over 24 years of experience in the energy industry.
Michael is responsible for the development of new customer facing energy trading transactions, with independent generators, independent retailers and large energy users. Beginning his career in nuclear power generation, Michael has since worked in a variety of portfolio optimisation, trading and origination roles, across nuclear, gas and renewable power generation. Michael joined SmartestEnergy in 2018, bringing with him extensive knowledge of physical and financial risk management structures, such as PPAs, option and tolling agreements and market access arrangements. Michael is committed to bringing this experience to our customers in Australia, to help them manage their risks in complex and sometimes volatile commodity markets
Mike Joined SmartestEnergy in 2023 as Vice President of Risk and is responsible for managing and overseeing all the financial and non-financial risks for the company.
Mike comes with over 25 years' experience in highly regulated commodity trading and energy trading environments and has successfully led the Risk and Middle Office functions at both PetroChina and Chevron trading organisations, in addition to previous experience at Enron, Phibro and Shell, where Mike began his career in 1993.
Mike has a BA(Hons) in Business and Finance from London South Bank University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Risk Management (CFIRM).
Job Titles:
- Head of I & C Supply Sales
Nathan joined SmartestEnergy in 2013 as a Channel Development Manager and shortly after took up the role of Head of Channel Development in 2017, before moving into his current role in 2019.
He is responsible for the management of new business growth and retention of existing customers through the retail arm. His role includes managing three Sales teams covering the TPI Sector and Strategic prospects, as well as the retention of our current 6 TWh retail business. Nathan has greatly contributed to year on year sales growth and has acquired significant new customers and frameworks.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Nathan was a Key Accounts Manager with Bergen Energi, managing a portfolio of pan-European and UK clients, and initially joined the energy industry in 2003 as a Customer Relations Manager with RWE Npower, after having completed a BA Hons in International Relations.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Commercial Development
Nicolas is responsible for developing new propositions and accessing new markets relating to SmartestEnergy Business' power and gas supply business, leveraging the wider SmartestEnergy Group capabilities and improving the commercial offering towards its business customers.
Nicolas joined the management team of SmartestEnergy Business following its acquisition by SmartestEnergy Ltd in December 2019, where he oversaw the integration programme between the two businesses. He has significant experience in structuring bespoke supply and trading arrangements, developing new products and a strong track record of working with multi-site customers and large intensive users.
He has also worked for a number of other I&C energy suppliers in the UK and France, including EDF and British Gas and has enjoyed success in a variety of roles, including key account management and European sales, pricing and commercial structuring.
Nobuyuki is responsible for the day to day management of the operations of the company, implementing the Board of Directors and Group company policies, decisions and strategies. Nobuyuki started his career in Marubeni in 2009 and joined SmartestEnergy in 2016 in the UK. Through his career of 14 years in the energy industry, Nobuyuki played a variety of roles and had vast experience such as risk management, portfolio optimisation, and internal control. With a broad range of highly skills, Nobuyuki leads the company bringing support by Marubeni.
Job Titles:
- Key Account Manager
- Smartest Energy in 2023 As a Key Account Manager
Orsolya joined Smartest Energy in 2023 as a Key Account Manager. In this role, Orsolya is overseeing several strategic accounts of large commercial and industrial companies across the UK, managing the relationship with key customer and TPI stakeholders. Her focus is to deliver a high standard of services, ensuring that each customer's unique needs are met.
Before starting at Smartest Energy, Orsolya worked for a TPI as a Client Energy Associate where she created strategic energy plans for a wide variety of large I&C companies across the UK, Europe and Australia. In her previous role at a TPI as a Senior Risk Analyst, she developed and executed hedging strategies for her customers.
Orsolya studied Management and Business Administration at the University of Debrecen (Hungary) and International Economics at the Corvinus University of Budapest (Hungary). Outside of work she enjoys hiking in the mountains, running and yoga.
Owen is responsible for several customer accounts and portfolios, ensuring SmartestEnergy meet individual customer requirements. He focuses on delivering excellent service and bringing new opportunities to add value for customers.
He joined SmartestEnergy in June 2015 as a Proposition Executive in the Marketing Team, focusing on Proposition and Product Development, including the development of our award-winning Certified Renewable Product, and has since worked as Account Manager and now Key Account Manager.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Owen was a member of the Rentokil Initial Graduate Scheme, with roles in Marketing & Innovation, Change and Lean Improvement, before moving into Product Marketing on Initial's global product range.
Owen gained a Bachelor's degree in Business and Marketing at the University of Hull, where he was a part of the university squash club and football teams. Outside work, Owen continues to enjoy playing squash and football, and playing the piano.
Paul leads our risk function, ensuring the company's risk policies, standards, and procedures are fit for purpose and compliant with industry standards, handling license obligations (Retail Licenses, and Australian Financial Services Licenses). He has worked in global energy markets for over 20 years, having provided energy risk services to most of Australia's largest energy and commodity companies whilst working at Deloitte and KPMG.
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Manager
Paul joined SmartestEnergy in 2017 and works closely with energy consultants to develop and implement flexible commercial arrangements. He is responsible for building relationships with new partners, assessing the needs of their portfolio and providing bespoke solutions or frameworks to help their and their clients' procurement objectives. He ensures that we maintain high standards of customer service for both the TPI and customer throughout the various touch points within our business.
Given the need to reduce our demand for power as well as contribute to a reduction in emissions, he is keen to explore the role that energy storage can have in this aspect of the industry.
Paul joined SmartestEnergy in 2017 from Haven Power, where he was I&C Key Account Manager. His career, now spanning over 17 years In the energy sector, has also included roles with E.ON Energy and EIC. After studying at Keele University, Paul has a BA Honours Degree in Business Administration and Human Resource Management.
Job Titles:
- Vice President Sales and Marketing
Richard joined the SmartestEnergy team in December 2019 upon its acquisition of Dual Energy, where he was Sales and Marketing Director. He is now responsible for the growth of SmartestEnergy's Business Division.
Having joined Dual Energy in 2013, Richard was responsible for executing a high-growth strategy, including the design and delivery of its sales channel and marketing strategy, including pricing and product development.
Richard brought with him an in-depth knowledge of deregulated markets by having gained more than 20 years of experience, and with his leadership, Dual Energy became one the fastest growing privately-owned companies in the UK, winning several awards along the way.
Before his career in the energy industry, Richard held leadership roles in the telecoms sector and graduated with a Master's Degree in Business Administration.
Richard joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 as Vice President of Finance and is responsible for overseeing all financial-related matters in the company.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Richard spent 9 years working at Gazprom Marketing & Trading in various senior finance roles.
Before his work in the energy sector, Richard started his career in the Financial Services industry with the US investment bank Morgan Stanley. He graduated from the University of Glasgow with a bachelor's in Accounting with Finance and later gained his certification as a Charted Accountant from The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Rob joined SmartestEnergy in 2019 and has global responsibilities for all aspects of technology-enabled innovation and transformation and day-to-day IT operations for the organisation. He has over 25 years of experience in the energy industry across a range of business areas, including trading, risk management, energy retail and high availability IT infrastructures and services.
Before joining Smartest, Rob was with Shell's New Energies division working on technology solutions to optimise small-scale power assets. Rob has also held senior leadership roles at Gazprom Marketing & Trading as Director of Global IT and Centrica Energy as Head of Architecture. He has been active in several industry association initiatives and was a co-founder of the European Energy Trading CIO Forum.
A graduate from Aston University, Rob holds a BSc in Business Administration and Computer Science and joined British Gas on graduation, following a year with them on industrial placement and being awarded a bursary.
Robert is responsible for the management of SmartestEnergy's 3.2GW of aggregated generation capacity from distribution-connected generators, as well as the supply of electricity to large business consumers.
Robert began his energy career with Enron in 1997 and held senior commercial positions at EDF Trading and BHP Billiton, before joining SmartestEnergy in 2004 as Vice President Commercial. He became Chief Operating Officer in 2006 and was then appointed Chief Executive in 2011.
A former submarine engineer in the Royal Navy and Chartered Engineer, Robert has an MBA from London Business School, a BEng(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and a Diploma in Nuclear Technology and Engineering.
Robert is responsible for the management of SmartestEnergy's operations in Australia. Part of the global management team Robert supports the overall strategic direction of the business enabling SmartestEnergy to deliver its goals. With 25 years' experience as an energy industry professional, Robert was one of SmartestEnergy's founding employees in the UK. Having established the company on behalf of Marubeni he continues this with the creation of SmartestEnergy Australia. Robert is passionate about developing solutions that address the challenges our customers face and continuing to position SmartestEnergy as a thought leader, showing how we can transition the traditional energy market towards a more sustainable future.
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Manager
Rowan's role as a Channel Development Manager focuses on building strong relationships with TPIs and managing C&I tenders to help customers find the correct solution to their requirements.
Her current focus is on cPPAs and flexible contracting. Keen to help customers develop their journey to Net Zero. She joined the Energy Industry in 2019. Rowan has previous experience from working at a TPI and a supplier. Her previous role was at Centrica, managing the tenders of large C&I customer with bespoke needs, including PPAs.
Rowan shared that she loves being a mum and she enjoys spending her evenings and weekends with her daughter. She inspires her to be the best role model she can.
Job Titles:
- Commercial and Pricing Analyst
Roxy joined SmartestEnergy in 2020. With 5 years experience in the industry Roxy previously worked for the energy consultant, Kinect Energy Services, running complex tenders, providing market intel and managing some of Australia's largest customer's progressive purchasing strategies. Now at SmartestEnergy she is part of the Trading team, managing wholesale and renewable certificate pricing and bringing customer knowledge and focus into every trading process.
As an Account Manager at Smartest Energy Limited, his primary responsibilities revolve around building and nurturing strong relationships with our valued clients. He plays a pivotal role in our business strategy by ensuring client satisfaction and facilitating the renewal of power purchase agreements (PPAs). His approach focuses on being a trusted partner, offering insights, and providing exceptional customer service to support our clients' energy generation needs.
Ryan's current focus is to continue strengthening our client relationships and helping them navigate the energy landscape effectively. He aspires to contribute to the growth and success of Smartest Energy by further expanding our client portfolio and promoting sustainable energy solutions. With a commitment to our company's ethos, he aims to pursue a long and prosperous career here.
Before joining SmartestEnergy, Ryan gained valuable experience in various roles that honed his skills in customer service, sales, and relationship management. He holds a BA in Music Production and Audio from University Campus Suffolk and Buckinghamshire New University. His diverse background includes positions as a Sales Support Executive, Business Development Representative, and Billing Clerk, all of which have equipped him with the skills needed for effective account management.
As Chief Operating Officer of SmartestEnergy, Ryuichi Noyama is responsible for the control functions (Risk, Finance, Compliance/Regulation). He is also serving role as Executive Director of SmartestEnergy Board.
As a member of SmartestEnergy's management, he is focused on the success of our colleagues and the joy of their achievements. In 1994 he joined Marubeni where he worked for almost 30 years! In 2007 Ryuichi Noyama joined SmartestEnergy where throughout the years he had multiple roles of Deputy VP Risk, Deputy VP Retail, VP Risk. In 2013 he started a role as Non-Executive Director of SmartestEnergy in which he worked in Tokyo as a counterpart of SmartestEnergy in Marubeni. In 2019 he started a new role as Chief Operating Officer for SmartestEnergy US and later in November, 2021 he began his current role as a Chief Operating Officer at SmartestEnergy Limited in London.
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Manager
- in 2017 As a Channel Development Manager
Sean joined SmartestEnergy in 2017 as a Channel Development Manager and is responsible for relationship management for a number of our key TPIs, and the development of new business products and opportunities to meet customer needs.
He specialises in structuring and implementing flexible frameworks with TPIs and customers and hopes to continue to work on exciting framework opportunities, finding solutions for large end consumers in this challenging market.
Having joined the energy industry in 2003, Sean has over 19 years of experience in the energy sector, with 16 years in account manager roles, including at a Big-Six supplier and large end TPI.
Outside work, Sean loves to travel, having been to over 50 counties over 6 continents, and plans to have visited every country in Europe within the next 2 years.
Job Titles:
- Channel Development Manager
Sian joined Smartest Energy in 2019 as a Renewable Business Development Manager in the Smart Generation team. Focusing on working directly with generators and TPI's to negotiate Power Purchase Agreements that will optimise generation value.
Having been within the energy sector for 5 years previously working at Opus Energy before joining Smartest Energy Sian has gained experience in account management, data analysis and contract negotiation for retention and new business customers.
Tom has been in the industry since 2010. He has worked for suppliers such as Opus Energy and British Gas Business, in various commercial, analytical, and account management roles. He has a BA in Business Management from the University of Leicester and a Prince2 Project Management Qualification.
His main responsibility within SmartestEnergy is to solve customer queries through product knowledge. He is focused on getting to know the TPIs he works with in order to understand their needs and give them the best customer experience.
Tom loves to travel and he has visited 60 different countries.
Yamary joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 to manage the structuring of complex customer transactions, new wholesale market access, and bespoke green portfolio. Yamary is an experienced energy industry professional who has transitioning from fossil fuels, having held trading roles at BP and Ampol, to now working on the future of energy at SmartestEnergy. She brings a consolidated knowledge of the entire Value Chain of the traditional heavy carbon industries to assist the decarbonation of the planet
Job Titles:
- in 2021 As Vice President of Operations
- Vice President Operations, SmartestEnergy Ltd
Zoe joined SmartestEnergy in 2021 as Vice President of Operations and is responsible for delivering operational excellence through leading, implementing and managing significant profit and loss business areas. Her key strengths include strategy setting and leading through to delivery, operational transformation and change, and excellent interpersonal and team development skills.
Zoe is focused on building a high-performing team, ensuring seamless service to our customers across the whole lifecycle whilst balancing financial performance and growth. She is the operational sponsor of the largest transformation programme SmartestEnergy has delivered, and places support for our customers' net zero journeys as a key priority.
She has wide-ranging experience in strategic, commercial, operational, and financial roles within the manufacturing, utility, and service sectors, having worked as Director of I&C Energy Supply at Centrica, I&C Energy Head of Operations at British Gas, and a range of leading roles at Thames Water. Outside work, Zoe enjoys baking, supporting the local rugby club where her two boys play, and is a mentor for the Women in Utilities Network, providing support and expertise to women in the utilities sector.