Report Launch: State of the Connected Home 2023

Paul Clark

Director of Partnerships, Smart DCC

Paul has 15 years experience in the energy sector, working for EDF, Centrica and Brookfield in a variety of policy, strategy and business development roles.  He joined the DCC in 2022 as Partnerships Director, where he is involved in working to widen the use of the smart metering network to best support the UK's transition to net zero.

Paul Clark | LinkedIn

Michael Cottrell

Global Product & Partnership Director, Octopus Energy Group

Michael Cottrell is Global Product & Partnership Director at Octopus Energy Group, where he leads teams across Europe to drive the decarbonisation of heat and transport through innovative cross-sector partnerships. A clean energy tech specialist, Michael also leads the charge on Octopus’ groundbreaking Zero Bills proposition, working with housing developers to remove the worry and cost of energy bills for good. A management consultant by training, Michael has over a decade of strategy experience in the energy space. He joined Octopus in 2018 from Oliver Wyman. Michael is also Commercial Advisor to Repowering London, which supports community-owned renewable energy to build more resilient communities.

Michael Cottrell | LinkedIn

Helen Fairfax-Wall

Head of Digital and Scams Policy, Which?

Helen Fairfax-Wall is a digital policy strategy and implementation specialist with 15 years spanning the public sector, private industry and the third sector.  Her career has included global digital behaviour change impact work with the Department of Health and Number 10 Downing Street.  Helen has specialised in data, digital identity, cyber security and the transformation organisations need to engage with to build safer online products and services.  Her work with public services has been internationally recognised and was featured in the global GovInsider Women in GovTech. Helen moved to Which?, the UK’s consumer champion, in early 2022 to focus on protecting consumers from the growth in digital harms including online fraud, cyber security attacks and data breaches. She is a qualified Data Ethics Professional and champions the use of data to build a barrier of evolving protection between those that intend harm and those who use the internet as part of their daily lives.

Trevor Godman

Key Account Director, Technology & Telecoms, GfK

Trevor Godman is Key Account Director at GfK working with technology and telecoms clients.  Over more than 25 years in the industry, Trevor has always focused on researching consumer views of technology markets in the UK and globally, advising client on how to grow their brands and strengthen customer relationships.

Naima Khondkar

Senior Government Relations Manager, Samsung UK

Naima Khondkar currently works for Samsung UK as a Senior Manager in the Government Relations Team. Prior to joining Samsung she held a number of roles within the global Life Science industry and the UK Government and has  over 20 years of experience in Policy and Government Affairs She currently works across the full portfolio of Samsung products helping Samsung to navigate through the policy environment here in the UK effectively.

Heidi Ranscombe

Policy Manager, AMDEA

Heidi Ranscombe is a Policy Manager at AMDEA, the UK trade association for the manufacturers of small and large domestic appliances.

Joining from the Citizens Advice Energy Team (statutory representative for domestic and small business energy consumers across Great Britain), Heidi has a wealth of experience on a range of policies, including smart technologies, interoperability and energy network regulation.

Her management of relationships with stakeholders, during and after the UK’s membership of the EU and in the context of the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, has included cooperation with BEUC (the umbrella group for 46 independent consumer organisations from 32 countries).

Prior roles have included engagement on European toy environmental and safety policies (including living and working in Brussels).