Laure Vernier | Bloomberg L.P.
When joining Bloomberg New Energy Finance (now BloombergNEF) 8 years ago, the only thing I knew about clean energy was that it was expensive but had real potential to get cheaper very quickly and change the energy landscape we had known for decades.
I was very attracted to the idea of working with a group a people similarly minded as I was – our research could help the world transition to clean energy faster – I was sold.
Moving forward to today, organising major conferences for one of the top providers of insight, data and analysis on how the world can sustainably transition to a low carbon economy is more fulfilling than I ever imagined – and I did learn a few more things about clean energy and transport along the way!
After starting my career in marketing and almost 8 years in business development and account management, I decided to challenge myself by taking on a completely different role when coming back from a year of maternity leave (becoming a full time working mum didn’t seem like a challenge big enough!) I now co-lead 6 major summits for BloombergNEF world-wide involving hundreds of stakeholders internally and externally, and allowing thousands of leaders in the fields of energy, industry, transport, technology, finance and the public space to meet, exchange and formulate ideas and strategies to shape a cleaner more competitive future.
Part of my role is to put together the agenda and recruit speakers for each event and I have naturally become over the last 2 years our gender diversity lead. We set a 30% female speakers target that we have reached in London and New York for the last 2 years and for the first time in San Francisco this year.
Aside from my job, I am a dedicated mum to a 3 year-old boy and avid cook and baker. I worked as a freelance advisor for Thermomix while on maternity leave and co-created a baking club within our department 7 years ago. I am also a Reformer Pilates enthusiast, and part of a French parents group in South East London. Both the French language and culture have a prominent place in my life and I have been mentoring GCSE-level students in French through the Best of Bloomberg corporate volunteer program for the last 6 years. I love reading about child psychology and how to raise bilingual children.
Susan Robson | National Grid
Following eight years in Management Consulting at PwC, Susan moved to National Grid where she has held a number of roles across the business.
She currently works as a Principal Consultant in the Internal Consultancy, delivering strategic projects across the business.
As a voluntary role, Susan leads Women in National Grid: a gender diversity employee resource group, which promotes the professional development of women and operates to attract and support a network of talent that enables National Grid to deliver its strategic priorities.
Susan was named as the #1 Future Leader on the 2018 Financial Times and HERoes Global Top 50 Champions of Women in Business for her work in gender diversity, with a personal interview appearing in the Financial Times. She has represented National Grid externally on inclusion and diversity, including UN Global Compact, Westminster Briefings and most recently on the final episode of BBC TV's The Apprentice.
She has also mentored two sixth-formers through the TeachFirst Futures Mentoring scheme.
Linda Blank | SUITCASE Group
Like many business school graduates, I was a generalist and therefore ended up in consulting.
I started off at Accenture, where my role was to provide strategy advisory services to FTSE500 corporates from a variety of industries, including FMCG, retail, healthcare and financial services. Having tried many different industries and functions, I developed a focus in digital transformation and business model innovation strategies. I was part of a new global team of 12 people within the Accenture Strategy arm, helping big businesses develop new growth strategies using digital business models, often seeking inspiration in start-ups.
After nearly four years at the company, I wanted to go somewhere smaller and actually try and drive growth through my own efforts, so I joined SUITCASE Group, a travel media start-up consisting of SUITCASE Magazine and SUITCASE Creative Studio. As a Chief Operating Officer my role is really versatile and includes growing existing revenue streams like exciting partnerships with established luxury brands; coming up with new business ideas and creating an actionable plan for the strategic direction we set. I love my job because I’m really proud of the product we have created and it allows me to bring structure as well as organisational, strategic and financial skills to the creative industry.
Lucy Kennedy | Spottitt Ltd
Satellites are the most amazing source of global imagery and data that humans have, and yet we do comparatively little with this treasure trove of information.
I am CEO of Spottitt, an innovative Harwell based start-up which is pioneering self-service satellite analytics for clients in the energy, environment and infrastructure sectors. Spottitt was born out of a phone conversation back in 2014 with old work collegues, and now my fellow Spottitt co-founders, Marcello Deplano and Paolo Senes. Marcello was woking on a number of onshore wind developments and voiced his frustrations with the poor quality data they were using to find sites with suitable geography for development, there had to be a better way in the 21st centurary. None of us had any background in the Space sector or Earth observation but I started investigating and fell in love with a whole new world. We decided to take the idea of using satellite imagery and complex analytics to support onshore wind site selection to the European Space Agency. I still remember sitting in my basement writing the grant funding request which was accepted, exciting and terrifying all at the same time. We built a team and over the course of the two year development project turned an idea into a commercially available service with its first paying clients. We still have a long way to go before individuals and organizations run low cost, complex analytics on satellite imagery as standard.
After my Masters in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University I enjoyed 9 years working for Procter & Gamble developing my project and operations management skills within their FMCG engineering & manufacturing business units in Belgium. After that, a move with my husband and the birth of our first child in the Netherlands forced a change of direction into consulting and channel marketing delivery for high tech. clients such as HP & Microsoft for 8 years before a move back to the UK and my discovery of the world of Earth Observation satellites.
At 46 I would describe myself as somebody who has ‘grown into’, as opposed to being ‘born into’ entrepreneurship. I have a patient husband and 3 less patient children.
Nina McNamara | Kaluza (Part of OVO Group)
Design and research lead by day, entrepreneur and activist by night, Nina brings a relentless curiosity and wealth of UX experience across energy, luxury fashion, retail and publishing.
Her interest in people doesn’t stop there, she is also the writer and producer of Bird Podcast, which explores the criminal justice system and prison reform. She is a business mentor and advocate for Gender Diversity in Tech.
Anna Armani | Genel Energy
Anna has started her career in the Energy team at Credit Suisse Investment Banking Division, where she was involved in a number of M&A transactions across the entire energy sector: from conventional oil & gas to nuclear to renewable energy.
She spent a big part of her time working on the transaction that is transformational to the UK energy sector: Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. Anna was part of the team advising EDF on a £26bn tariff negotiation and financing options for Hinkley Point C project. Whilst at Credit Suisse, Anna was also taking an active role in charitable activities supporting Parkinson's UK and was actively involved in young talent recruitment.
After developing a particular interest in oil & gas, Anna left Credit Suisse to join an Anglo-Turkish oil & gas company Genel Energy. Being in the oil & gas sector only for 4 years, Anna has shown commercial grip and industry passion, which helped her move quickly through the ranks to a position of Commercial Principal at Genel Energy.
From day one at Genel, Anna has been involved in negotiations with the government in Kurdistan Region of Iraq on numerous developments and deals. Notably, Anna was part of a special delegation from Genel to Kurdistan for a series of special meetings with the Minister of Natural Resources to negotiate and agree commercial terms for a gas development in the region.
Having a degree in Economics from UCL, Anna feels a constant need to improve her knowledge about the energy sector and is therefore taking an active role in learning about geology, petroleum engineering and renewables by taking extracurricular courses, such as Reserves and Resources seminars by RPS Group and Business Forums by Geological Society in London. Anna is also a member of Society of Decision Professionals. Anna has successfully completed and received a passing grade in “Energy Within Environmental Constraints” course offered by HarvardX, an online learning initiative of Harvard University.
Anna is also promoting the industry outside the workplace: recently, she participated in City Against Hunger mud run under the Genel flag. As part of the team, she ran a 5km obstacle course and raised funds for The Hunger Project, which is committed to eradicating hunger.
Charity has been a big part of Anna’s life: she successfully organised two charity art auctions in the UK and in Russia, raising £22,000 and £60,000 respectively, the funds from which went to HART UK and Radost charity fund in Russia.
Outside work and charity, Anna is a keen sportswoman: she has been playing competitive tennis from the age of 6, was a 1st Team tennis captain for two consecutive years at UCL and is now a member of the Queen’s Club in London.
Shruti Gupta | BP
Hard working, energetic, business driven and empathetic leader with a proven track record of delivering large complex, global projects/programmes while successfully managing business and IT stakeholders.
Trusted with strategic initiatives due to a strong reputation as someone who is diligent, conscientious and gets the job done.
An engineer by background, experienced in leading business relationships, managing operations and driving change—a unique mix of capabilities built during a career that started off as a software developer. Passionate about building products with sustainability and reliability as foundational capabilities.
Enjoys coaching and empowering teams to strive towards excellence and believes in building a culture that lets everyone bring their authentic self to work. As the current IT service owner for Air BP Airfield Services, accountable for the building and running of a portfolio of IT services in support of data capture and technical airfield digital services.
Aïssata N'diaye | Morgan Stanley
At 30 years old, Aïssata is dually qualified as an Attorney in New York and authorised to Practice as an Attorney in France (Paris Bar – C.A.P.A).
She has been promoted to Vice-President after seventeen months in her role as Documentation Negotiator, within the Institutional Equity Division of Morgan Stanley, London office.
Coming from a working class family, it has always been essential for Aïssata to give back. Giving back became a way of life. Aïssata is a strong advocate for education in underprivileged backgrounds and for creating opportunities for kids that would not have them otherwise. She mentors a number of students and help them find their professional path. She is a member of the ”APRES” (the ”Association for the Promotion of Success at School”), a French association fostering success at school in underprivileged areas. She still goes twice a year in France to intervene in high schools in front of kids from underprivileged backgrounds and explain to them, through her own experience, that they can follow the professional path they dream about.
She was the Patron of ”La Dictée des Cités” (the ”Dictation of the underprivileged areas”), an event organised by an association which aims is to reintroduce the passion of writing and reading in underprivileged areas.
She is the member of the Jury of the Moot Court organised by the Human Rights League of Compiegne-Noyon.
During her second year at University, she gave lectures to inmates in prison through a students association promoting reinsertion after detention. This allowed them to have a reduced sentence.
Symbolically, on International Women’s Day (8th March 2019), she received an Award from the Mayor of Compiegne (former President of the Finance Commission of the French Senate – Philippe Marini) for her achievements.
Diversity and inclusion is particularly important to her and this is the reason why integrating the African and Caribbean Business Alliance at Morgan Stanley was natural.
She also volunteers fortnightly at a school through Morgan Stanley volunteering programme to help develop MEND exercice (Mind, Exercice, Nutrition … Do it !) for 8th grades.
Alongside her different involvements, Aïssata is a passionate bookworm. You don’t have to look far away to find a book on her desk. Passionate by Handball that she practices since 8, sport is an important part of her life as well as music.
Becca Naylor | Reed Smith
I am passionate about ensuring people have access to justice.
I am Head of Pro Bono at global law firm Reed Smith for EMEA, encouraging and inspiring all our lawyers to provide free legal advice to individuals in need, charities and non-profits.
I was inspired to a career in human rights after hearing Nick Yarris speak about his exoneration from death row. Before joining Reed Smith I volunteered at Reprieve as part of its Abuses in Counter Terrorism team and during my training contract I went on secondment to Liberty and worked in its Advice and Information Team. I qualified in our pro bono team and I am now a Senior Associate responsible for leading our pro bono work.
In 2018, I was seconded to Safe Passage as joint Head of Casework & Programmes to assist with reuniting unaccompanied children with their relatives in Europe. I work with Kids in Need of Defense UK on leave to remain cases for undocumented children and their families who have a right to remain in the UK and I am part of Reed Smith’s Global Refugee Protection Project in Greece and Jordan. A large part of my role is engaging lawyers across our offices on pro bono matters including disability rights, domestic violence, prisoner rights, ending female genital mutilation, combatting human trafficking and protecting refugees.
Chloe Weir | Barclays
By day I'm a lawyer for Barclays, by night (and day) I am obsessed with using my good luck, and platforms such as this, to promote better gender equality and better outcomes for women.
I do this through various initiatives, I Co-Chair the Legal Gender Network, running events and initiatives throughout the year. We also run a mentoring scheme and work closely with our male allies and the working families network. We are driving particularly to reduce the gender imbalance at the more senior levels of the function. I am keen to increase diversity of all kinds so that we can bring our whole selves to work. I aim to achieve this through being a Committee member of the Legal LGBTQ Network, as well as role-modelling diversity initiatives through different media channels. I volunteer on a scheme supporting underprivileged school students to improve career aspiration, on the Barclays Legal Experience Weeks, and am also a Committee member for a community theatre group.
My legal role is to advise business colleagues building products and services for and supporting Barclays' customers, both personal and small and medium sized enterprises. So whether it's bank accounts, or fintech solutions, I help the business support our customers in the right way. My focus this year is on reducing paper use through our products and services, so that we can better serve our digitally active customers, and reduce negative environmental impact. I also support our work incubating LegalTech startups and drive toward greater digital inovation both within Legal and the Bank.
Prior to my current role I worked in-house for the Royal Bank of Scotland International, and in private practice as a litigator at Carey Olsen and Clifford Chance LLP.
I juggle all of the above loves and career drivers with my number one best invention, my one year old daughter, and the rest of the family.