Annette is Deputy Managing Director of Tatton Estates. Previous to that she spent nine years with Reaseheath College as Head of Commercial and Project Development.
Annette is involved on the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.
Marc is a Director of Greenarc, a business on a mission to ease the worlds journey to clean energy. As MD of the vehicle division, following a career in the motor finance industry that began in 1995, including roles at Blackhorse, Citibank and Haydock Finance, Marc and his team are now leading the charge to electrification through expert vehicle leasing solutions, managed company car programmes and EV salary exchange schemes - supporting their clients on the Road to Zero and sustainable transportation.
Nehal is responsible for driving decarbonisation and net zero projects along with social value
with both public and private sector within key focus regions SSE Energy Solutions are focussing
on. Nehal is keen to look beyond what qualifications people may or may not possess and back
their potential when bringing people into SSE and get the diversity of talent we need to make
net zero a reality.
Nehal, working with the wider team is actively recruiting and are working in partnership with
several social value organisations, educational establishments and community groups on
innovative ways of bringing people from different backgrounds into our business. The regional
strategy will see SSE focus on working with local contractors and suppliers where possible and
plans to open more regional hubs across the country in the coming months.
Harrison works in the Heat Network / District Heating project development team at SSE. Harrison is
responsible for taking a project making approach to initiate and accelerate district heating infrastructure
projects across the UK. As a part of a fast-growing industry, it is vital to consider how to upskill, hire and
expand at a pace that allows the industry be agile to the solutions of today. Technology in the heat
sector is evolving rapidly and understanding how to manoeuvre in this environment is key to success.
Harrison is taking a key role in developing and implementing social value across heat projects in the UK.
The heat sector provides a fantastic opportunity for a wide range of roles and skills to develop in and
around the UK, from the biggest major cities to smallest towns. How we engage with young people, the
vulnerable and those in declining industries will shape the future. Harrison is at the forefront of
developing that strategy within the SSE heat team.
Gerry Ruffles is Head of Education for MOBIE with responsibility for MOBIE's education innovation and development - courses, training, upskilling, design masterclasses and workshops and their many and varied student design challenges.
Gerry has been with MOBIE from its inception after twenty five years in Further and Higher Education, teaching and running courses in Construction and Built Environment, Design and Architecture, with a passion to excite, motivate and prepare young people for careers in innovative home and community design. He has been a writer for Pearson's BTEC and Higher National programmes and served as External Examiner for universities
After a degree in Industrial Design at Northumbria University and before teaching, Gerry worked in product and interior design in both the private and public sector before establishing his own Design and Build company delivering new builds, conversions, restorations and project management. Whilst practising as a designer Gerry gained Membership of the Chartered Society of Designers where for several years he was the Chair of the North East Region and the Societies Regional Board.
Joanne Patrickson is the Director at West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, a company owned by the seven FE Colleges of West Yorkshire. The consortium has a longstanding history of collaboration and extensive impact in bringing together business and providers in meeting the skills needs of the region.
Joanne leads at SLT level on the income generation of new and innovative projects which support the strategic priorities of its seven college members. Having worked in the public sector for over 25 years, Joanne has significant experience in project management of large-scale complex EU and non-EU skills contracts from bid inception, performance management of supply chains to project completion securing over £150m for the sector. Joanne has spent 20 years specifically within further education, maximising external funding opportunities with overall leadership responsibility for several regional and national Prime Contractor based ESF programmes.
Joanne leads on developing the organisational strategy, ensuring that there is strong collaboration across member colleges to innovate, design, develop and deliver products and services that close the skills gaps for employers across the West Yorkshire region.
Joanne has recently led her team in the launch of the consortium’s green skills agenda, including The Green Skills Service brand for businesses, The Green Consortium to collaborate and develop and Green Investment to build capacity.
Jo’s teaching and research focuses on employment relations, skills, training and the regulation of work. Jo researches these in relation to two contexts: the impact of climate change strategies on work, green jobs and skills and the re-shaping of labour mobilities. She worked for 20 years as a researcher and consultant for national and local government, public agencies, NGOs and unions using collaborative models of learning within organizational change and is currently working on a 12-country study of climate transitions and work for the Hans Bökler Foundation.
Holly has spent the last 11years making a positive difference to the areas that she works in through the creation and delivery of ambitious, yet achievable community strategies. Having forged a career in responsible business, her passion for the creation of social good brought her into Construction and into her current role at Willmott Dixon. Holly recently led the development and delivery of the Greek Skills Academy, a curriculum enhancing programme for the young people of Calderdale- a model that is now being adopted by her company nationally and is part of the Mayors of West Yorkshire’s Green Skills TaskForce
Lee, the Green Skills Manager at New College Durham, is a dedicated advocate for integrating sustainable practices and green skills into educational curricula. With a rich background in the Further Education sector spanning 10 years, Lee's journey as a qualified carpenter in both residential and commercial projects has instilled a deep-rooted passion for sustainable construction and environmental responsibility.
In his current role, spanning over 14 months, Lee has been actively collaborating across curricular boundaries to infuse green skills seamlessly into the fabric of FE provision. As a lead partner with the North East Institute of Technology, he plays a pivotal role in essential groups such as retrofit and MMC, driving innovation and sustainable practices within the construction industry.
Lee's mission centres on utilising employer intelligence to shape the educational trajectory at New College Durham, ensuring that green skills and sustainability are effectively integrated, preparing students for a future where sustainability is at the forefront.
Holly is a Sector Manager for Action Sustainability’s Supply Chain Sustainability School. She leads the Future Workforce and Retrofit Sectors for the UK. She works with the top companies across the built environment industry, and has recently launched the new sector which enables education providers to join the School alongside them to bridge the industry-education gap. She is also delivering a large programme throughout 2024 on retrofit skills. She has a background in Further Education, and is qualified in sustainability and education.
Phil and the charity he co-founded are on a mission to embed Carbon Literacy as a core workplace
competence and value, everywhere.
Based in Manchester, after a career in national radio and regeneration, Phil has devoted the rest of
his working life to ensuring that his daughters have ‘a future, not an apology’ by harnessing his skills
to tackling the climate crisis.
Founded in 2012 the Carbon Literacy Project has certified 71,000 learners across seven continents
via over 570 courses in fields as diverse as jet engine finance, fire-fighting and wedding planning.
They were recognised as a globally unique initiative at the historic Paris climate summit and their
prominent ‘graduates’ include both Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Sir Patrick Vallance.
Charlotte joined the EAUC team in February 2023 as CEO and is responsible for the strategic
leadership of the organisation. She has over fifteen years’ leadership experience across membership
and tertiary education organisations where she’s focused on business development,
transformational engagement and policy and advocacy.
Before joining EAUC she was the Education and Training Foundation’s education for sustainable
development (ESD) lead and prior to that was a keystone of NUS’ sustainability work, most notably
project managing the UNESCO ESD prize winning Green Impact programme from its inception. She
was a co-founder of Students Organizing for Sustainability International. She’s previously held senior
teaching associate positions at the University of Bristol and was a sustainability consultant working
with private and public sector clients prior to her tenure at NUS.
Charlotte has an MSc in energy and environmental technologies, is a Fellow of the RSA and a board
member at Change Agents UK. She lives in Scarborough and is happiest when on her bike, travelling
overland or cooking for friends.
I am excited to be speaking at the Green Skills North Conference. As a representative of sustainable development and an advocate for the environment, I am here to share my passion for driving awareness about the critical issue of green skill shortages within the construction sector. Moreover, I am dedicated to fostering skill development within the region and addressing the alarming skills gaps that plague the North East.
Alan founded a management consultancy in 1995 specialising in strategy development,
implementation, and director development. This consultancy worked with clients from
public and private sectors and included family-owned SME’s to £4bn pan-European groups.
Alan has had several non-exec roles the longest being 12 years in duration with one of the
UK’s oldest manufacturers in Liverpool.
In 2019 Alan developed the plan for the NetZero ‘Group’ of companies identifying the
opportunities arising from the significant challenges faced by property owners in meeting
the decarbonisation target for 2050. The focus of the Group is on delivering domestic
retrofit at scale using Retrofit Hubs which employ and train local people thereby creating
real economic benefits as a direct consequence of decarbonisation.
Nikki Davis is the Principal and CEO of Leeds College of Building – the first female to be appointed to the role in the College’s history. Nikki started her career in hospitality after gaining a Hospitality & Business Management degree before completing a PGCE at Leeds Trinity University. She joined Calderdale College in 2002 as Course Leader for Business and Economics before moving to Park Lane College as Curriculum Manager for Business and Enterprise.
Nikki then joined Kirklees College as Head of Department, managing various departments from Hospitality to Business Development, before a move to Assistant Principal at York College leading the apprenticeship programme. Promotion to Vice Principal for Technical and Professional programmes followed, which included leading the successful bid for the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology.
Under Nikki’s leadership, Leeds College of Building is focused on improving diversity in construction. Ensuring everyone has access to the amazing opportunities offered by construction is crucial to building a truly inclusive sector.
Mat is the co-founder and CEO of Greenworkx, an edtech startup focused on building the green workforce we need to reach net zero. Our mission is to get ten million people into green jobs over the next decade.
Before founding greenworkx in summer 2022, Mat was Chief Development Officer (CDO) at Catch22, a national charity and social business designing and delivering public services, where he had responsibility for business strategy and was instrumental in securing revenues in excess of £100m. He has had a diverse fifteen-year career so far, across private, public and not for profit sectors, including a two-year spell at No10 Downing Street as a Special Adviser to the Prime Minister, covering Home Affairs and Justice Policy, covering sensitive issues such as prison reform, violence prevention, policing and immigration.
Mat is a Churchill Fellow, a Fellow of the RSA, and holds a degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford and a Master’s in International Relations from the London School of Economics. He sits on a number of advisory boards and is a serial charity trustee.
Amer Gaffar is director of the £4.1m Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre at Manchester Metropolitan University and a sustainability professional with more than 23 years’ experience in the environmental sector during which he has led a number of large scale innovation programmes for both the private and public sector. Amer is a passionate advocate for fuel cell and hydrogen technology and has successfully built consensus and momentum in Greater Manchester and the North West towards positive environmental practice and cleaner energy over the last decade. In 2013, Amer founded the Greater Manchester Hydrogen Partnership to develop and build the strong and diverse network of SME, industry, researchers and public sector stakeholders integral to the work of the Centre today.
In addition to his role at the Centre, Amer continues to lead a number of projects to make Greater Manchester a centre of excellence in hydrogen and fuel cells such as leading one of Europe’s first targeted programme of Hydrogen Education (HySchools. He is also leading the Net Zero skills pathway for NetZero North West and has led the development and authored the now formally adopted Greater Manchester Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Strategy alongside working with the UK Government to establish key deliverables for the UK hydrogen delivery council.
Steve began his teaching career at Prices College in Fareham. Then followed a teaching career with management responsibilities at Peter Symmond’s College Winchester, where he was President of the Geographical Association, alongside being a PTRI inspector for ALI, FEFC, and then OFSTED. After being the Vice Principal at Saint Vincent College, he became Principal of Portsmouth College for 13 years. Steve “retired“ at 60, only to be elected by his peers to be their AoC President the very next day on August the 1st 2018.
In April 2023, Steve founded SS4FE (Sustainability Support for Further Education) a not-for-profit consultancy designed to promote and financially support awards for students in the green skills/sustainability space, in their FE Colleges and partnerships.
Steve continues to be a Board member of the AoC Charitable Trust, UNLOC, EFEC, and Pompey in the Community. He is the patron of ‘Off the Record’ (A mental health charity for young people) a strategic adviser for JISC , and
regularly does webinars, podcasts and conference chairing and key notes for the EAUC, ETF, LANDEX, JISC, and other institutions and partnerships.
Graham Hasting-Evans, NOCN Group Chief Executive, transitioned from building and construction to shaping the London 2012 Olympics' skills strategy. Prior roles include UK Commission for Employment and Skills program director. He's participated in UK apprenticeship reform, initiated Trailblazer standards, and advanced Green Skills advocacy through reports and event engagements.
Maddie works with organisations who believe there is a better way of doing things and cares about leading the way to a much more prosperous future, for all.
As a three-time start-up Founder turned Sustainability Director, she brings 7 years of experience working in the sustainability sector. Her career has been focused on finding ways to promote sustainable practices in both the public and private sector, across industries from Education to Clean Tech with a focus on green skills, business strategy and behaviour change. With a strong understanding of environmental science, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement, she has successfully supported over 40 companies on their journey to net zero. Maddie has had a particular focus in the waste management and education field within the sustainability arena taking up roles of national and international policy advisory, as well as a strong position within thought leadership completing a TED talk on the climate crisis.
Fernanda leads NEF’s programme on workers & transition since 2020, focused on research, policy and practice projects to move beyond the term and realise a Just Transition. She is the lead author of NEF’s 2023 report Skills for a new economy. Previously, she developed and led NEF’s coastal economies’ programme that brought together hundreds of people on the UK coast to co-develop solutions to support more and better jobs through healthier seas – the Blue New Deal. She has experience of bridging policy and practice, working directly with communities on policy, economic development and campaigning, and advising policy makers at all levels of government. In 2020, she sat at the advisory panel and was a speaker at the UK’s first Climate Assembly.
Paul recently transitioned from his previous role as a bus driver, into a role within the construction industry. He embarked on his journey by participating in RE:geon training's pre-employment program. Through this opportunity, Paul secured a role with REGEN Group, where he now thrives as an apprentice site manager.
Tom works for the Skills Team at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership. His roles include working with partners on facilitation, programme development and analysis of Skills Bootcamp delivery across sectors including Green Construction, Green Power, Green Transport, Advanced Manufacturing, Health and Life Sciences, Leadership and Management.
Brett is a Director at Thomas Kneale & Co Ltd, a bathroom and bedroom textiles manufacturer, importer and distributor in Greater Manchester
He is responsible for business performance, project management, sustainability, tenders and accreditations.
Prior to joining TK in 2015, Brett spent ten years in Retail Management and Head Office roles, with time at Marks & Spencer, Aldi UK, Tesco and The Co-operative Group. With a varied remit across the roles, Brett has spent time in the UK and Europe. At The Co-op, Brett managed the store services across a store estate of almost 3,000 sites, working collaboratively with organisations including Post Office Limited, Camelot Group, and PayPoint plc.
Brett’s work on Sustainability has landed TK both Sodexo SME Supplier of the Year 2023, and also this year the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, which has been awarded to only 15 organisations UK wide this year. He was selected to speak with His Majesty at a reception at Buckingham Palace, which included topics of recycled content in products, fair pay across the supply chain, and sustainable packaging developments.
Brett earned a Bsc in Business Management from Aston University, Birmingham and last year completed the Small Business Charter’s Help to Grow Management Programme.
