Tech and Net Zero Conference 2025

Paisley Ashton Holt

Strategy& Sustainability Director, PwC

Paisley is a sustainability and strategy consultant specialising in the intersection of sustainability and digital transformation. She has worked with leading companies to use data, technology and innovation to accelerate decarbonisation and identify, measure and manage their impacts and dependencies on nature. Her experience spans supporting companies with their net zero transition, advising on emerging nature-related frameworks, guiding organisations on biodiversity and ecosystem considerations, and developing holistic sustainability strategies and measurement approaches. Passionate about practical solutions, Paisley brings both technical insight and strategic perspective to advance corporate action on nature and climate.

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Susanne Baker

Partner, ERM

Susanne Baker is a Partner in ERM’s EMEA technology team where she leads on corporate sustainability, climate change and product stewardship. Her career has included appointments at the Environment Agency and the UK’s Department for Environment. She was a journalist at the ENDS Report, the UK’s first publication, and editor of its supply chain news. Over the last decade she worked at MakeUK and more recently at techUK, where she was associate director for climate, environment and sustainability. Susanne has worked with the tech sector on sustainability issues for over seven years and was recently elected chair of techUK’s climate council. She is a regular judge for Business Green and Edie’s sustainability leaders and clean tech awards. 

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Devrim Celal

Chief Marketing and Flexibility Officer, Kraken

Devrim is the Chief Marketing and Flexibility Officer at Kraken. Overseeing Kraken’s flexibility and product capabilities, the cloud-based flexibility platform controls and optimizes distributed energy resources such as batteries of all sizes, EVs, solar and wind generation or heat pumps with machine learning and AI to match electricity supply and demand, helping the electricity grid deal with the natural volatility of renewable generation. Kraken is currently contracted to manage over 42 GW of power.

Previously, Devrim was the CEO of Upside Energy, which was acquired by Kraken in 2020. Before starting Upside Energy, Devrim’s professional career saw him take up executive roles with blue chip management consultancies and finance companies such as Publicis Sapient, Kearney and Lansdowne. He also holds an MBA from Yale University. In 2023, Devrim joined the Elexon Board, which manages the Balancing and Settlement Code of Great Britain’s energy system, as a Non-Executive Director.
 

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Max Finney

Senior Sustainability Manager, Shoosmiths

Max is the Senior Sustainability Manager, responsible for all elements of Shoosmiths' sustainability programme including net zero, charitable donations and the Shoosmiths Foundation.
 
Prior to joining Shoosmiths, Max led sustainability strategy development and implementation across a variety of public and private industries including finance, healthcare, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
 
Max has an Honours Degree in Physical Geography and a Masters Degree in Carbon Management from the University of Edinburgh.

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Andrew Griffiths

Director of Policy and Partnership, PlanetMark

Andrew Griffiths is Policy Director at Planet Mark, a net zero certification that supports organisations and real estate to measure and continually reduce carbon emissions and increase their social value. Andrew co-founded the Carbon Accounting Alliance (CAA) representing 1,000+ organisations in the industry. He also sits on Advisory Boards, Councils and Committees for the Institute of Directors (IoD), ISO Greenhouse Gas Management Standards, and UK-Government backed initiatives like UK Business Climate Hub and Project Perseus. Having delivered a TEDx talk on the power of meaningful networking, he is a big believer in the power of community and how it can be used to drive climate action.

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Rosie Helson

Senior Sustainability Consultant, Sage

Rosie brings 16 years’ experience in sustainability from within consultancies across London, Australia and Singapore, as well as corporates including Microsoft, British Airways and Sage. In her role as Senior Sustainability Consultant at Sage, Rosie leads corporate sustainability governance, as well as the development, prioritisation and cross-functional delivery of Sage’s sustainability strategy. Recognised for driving innovation and collaboration across FTSE 100 and Fortune 100 environments in the UK and APAC, she is currently spearheading the development of a colleague sustainability learning strategy, including on green coding and software operationalisation.

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Usman Ikhlaq

Programme Manager - Artificial Intelligence, techUK

Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.

Prior to joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, government affairs and public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales and marketing and FinTech.

Usman is a graduate of the London School of Economics, BPP Law School and Queen Mary University of London.

When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.

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Humzah Khan

Legal Designer, The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP)

Humzah is a Legal Designer at The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) - a global non-profit that supports organisations to reduce emissions using the power of contracts and legal documents. He applies design thinking to TCLP's organisational strategy, legal content and engagement services. Humzah has a law degree and a masters in global environmental law and governance. 

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Dr Robin Lamboll

Research Fellow, , Imperial College

Dr Robin Lamboll researches what humans emit into our atmosphere, what we might emit in the future, what effects it will have and what we can do about it.

Robin mostly works on open-source software and data analysis. Examples include calculating how much CO2 was can emit before the earth warms more than the Paris Agreement states; analysing relationships between known or projected emissions to infer unknown emissions, and the impact of COVID-19 on human emissions. Robin contributed to the IPCC's AR6 working group 1 and 3 reports as well as several UNEP emissions gap reports.

Robin completed a PhD in the physics of solar cells at the University of Cambridge, modelling the behaviour of new designs of solar cells, and has an MSci in Natural Sciences from Cambridge. Robin has previously worked as a quantitative consultant and successfully represented the UK in multiple international poetry slams.

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Grace Langham

Senior Analyst, Analysys Mason’s Research

Grace is a Senior Analyst working in Analysys Mason’s Research and insights team and leads their Sustainable Networks programme. Grace’s work focuses on topics related to sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) within the networked economy; providing a detailed understanding of technologies and systems in relation to their impact on energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, embodied carbon, material use and circularity.

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Hannah Lawrence

Senior Sustainability Transformation Consultant, HPE

Working as a Technologist on HPE’s global sustainability team, I work at the intersection of technology and sustainability. I partner with HPE’s largest customers, stakeholders, and governments to develop low-carbon solutions to business challenges and advise on end-to-end IT sustainability strategies. I integrate the latest best practices and innovations in efficiency to help reduce the environmental footprint of IT operations. I also conduct media briefings and press engagements to share HPE’s perspective on IT sustainability.

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Joanna Mainguy

Director of Sustainability, AVEVA

Joanna was formerly Industry Director, EMEA, for Energy & Sustainability at Microsoft, where she led strategic engagements with major energy providers and supported the energy transition with digital solutions. She has worked across the entire energy value chain and has more than 15 years of experience in process industries and the energy sector, including work for major system integrators, software and energy companies.

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Chris Pritchett

Partner, Energy and Infrastructure, Shoosmiths

Chris is a commercial Energy and Mobility lawyer, with nearly 20 years' experience in the sustainability sphere. With specialist knowledge of battery storage, solar, EV infrastructure and wind, Chris regularly advises funders, asset owners, developers and contractors on renewable energy projects and the trading and procurement of renewable power. From PPAs and optimisation agreements to commercial frameworks for energy and EV developments, Chris has worked on some of the most exciting UK and international energy and mobility developments. 
 
He is also a keen advocate for innovation in the energy and mobility space  and is passionate about working on new commercial models to drive ever quicker towards Net Zero, from voluntary carbon offset schemes, local energy markets and a host of data-driven flexibility projects. 
 
Chris also takes an active role in the development of energy policy, and was a steering group member of the Government's Energy Data Task Force as well as chairing the Electricity Storage Networks Markets and Revenues Group. He was also included in The Lawyer's HOT 100 for his pioneering work in battery storage and EV Charging.  

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Ben Sandford

Product Manager, NATS

Ben Sandford joined NATS in 2006 and spent his first 10 years as an Instrument Flight Procedure Designer working on airspace projects in the UK and around the world. He joined the Product Management team in 2017 and is currently responsible for the Intelligent Approach product which has enabled Time Based Separation to go into operation at London Heathrow, Toronto Pearson, Amsterdam Schiphol, and London Gatwick airports. Ben has been involved in a number of projects looking at how new technologies can improve airport operations.
 

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Josh Turpin

Telecoms and Net Zero Programme Manager, techUK

Josh joined techUK as a Programme Manager for Telecoms and Net Zero in August 2024.

In this role, working jointly across the techUK Telecoms and Climate Programmes, Josh is responsible for leading on telecoms infrastructure deployment and uptake and supporting innovation opportunities, as well as looking at how the tech sector can be further utilised in the UK’s decarbonisation efforts.  

Prior to joining techUK, Josh’s background was in public affairs and communications, working for organisations across a diverse portfolio of sectors including defence, telecoms and infrastructure; aiding clients through stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, media outreach as well as secretariat duties.

Outside of work, Josh has a keen interest in music, painting and sailing.

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Mark Watson

Chief Architect, Civil Division, Leidos UK

Mark is the Chief Architect for the Civil Division of Leidos UK. Working across the Central Government, Devolved Government, Transport and Air Traffic Control sectors, Mark brings a wealth of experience to his customers

Mark is a seasoned professional known for introducing groundbreaking solutions to the market. His achievements include spearheading innovative projects such as Biometric services for Borders, Machine Learning applications, and Digital Twin technology for Intelligent Road Management. Mark has also led initiatives in Robotic Process Automation for Passport Control and has contributed to Security Accredited Shared Services, significantly reducing ownership costs for Government Departments.
With a distinguished career spanning over 28 years in the IT industry, Mark has held pivotal roles at renowned companies like IBM, CSC, Fujitsu, and Sopra Steria. In 2021, he joined Leidos UK, where he is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge solutions in the Civil space. Mark's mission centers on creating solutions that foster safety, health, and efficiency through the convergence of technology, engineering, and science. 
Mark is a pivotal member of the TechUK Steering Group for Digital Twin, playing a crucial role in driving the adoption of this transformative technology within the Government. He actively spearheads discussions across prominent entities such as the Cabinet Office, Number 10, NHS, DEFRA, Department for Transport, and HMRC. Mark's contributions are instrumental in fostering valuable conversations and initiatives that shape the digital landscape for the public sector.
 

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