Change and Climate Event

The issues of Change and Climate were explored with an expert panel at the CaterhamConnected Insight Evening held at the Royal Academy of Engineering on Tuesday evening.

Global leaders in sustainability, psychology and change management shared their expertise and networked with Sixth Form pupils, parents and Old Caterhamians. The sell out evening was abuzz with conversations exploring positive examples of sustainability, why individuals, companies and whole societies resist change.

The evening was opened by keynote speaker Almuth McDowall, Professor of Organisational Psychology and an award winning researcher having recently been recognised for her work on the ‘always on culture’ by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development. Almuth combines an active career in academia with a portfolio of consultancy activities including consultancy with organisations who have enacted significant changes including the Metropolitan Police and the NHS.

Our panellists included: Dr Niall McCormack, Managing Director and Chief Executive of CausewayGT. Niall is the Chair of the Geothermal Association of Ireland, is on the Board of Renewable Energy Ireland, the Geothermal Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland, and Vice Chair of the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geoscience

Simon Virley Partner, Vice Chair & Head of Energy and Natural Resources, KPMG. Simon advises some of the world’s largest companies on the energy transition and the shift to Net Zero and represented KPMG at the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November 2021.  He has over 30 years’ experience advising on energy and climate issues.  Before joining KPMG in 2015, he spent 25 years in the UK Government, including at No10 Downing Street, HM Treasury and latterly as Director General for Energy in the Department of Energy and Climate Change between 2009-15.  Simon is a Fellow of the Energy Institute (FEI) and was awarded a CB by the Queen in 2014 for his work on energy and climate issues

Robin Gwynn, Director, Whyteleafe Solutions. Robin was previously a senior British diplomat specialising in Africa, with 25 years’ track record in policy-making, negotiating and operational delivery at the heart of government in the UK and overseas. In 2014 he left the Foreign Office to set up his own consultancy business. During his government service he was twice appointed to represent the UK as a London-based Special Envoy. That included leading UK efforts to work with climate vulnerable countries in the international negotiations running up to COP 15 – from which perspective he will be basing his comments at this event.

Andrew Elmes, Head of Business Development, UK and Ireland at Siemens Gamesa. Andrew’s extensive international experience has seen him develop and execute renewable energy, engineering and infrastructure projects and portfolios. Siemens Gamesa is a leader in the renewable energy industry, working to provide the world’s best offshore and onshore wind turbines and services.

Olivia Garran – Founder, 3E Assessment. Olivia started her career in Management Consultancy with Accenture focusing on the change management aspects of large IT systems implementations and transformations for Media and Entertainment companies.  In 2008 she branched out into sustainability, training as an Energy Assessor and starting up a sustainability consultancy focusing on improving energy and water efficiency and sustainable sourcing for the Hospitality industry.  Since then, Olivia’s business, 3E Assessment has focused on energy efficiency consultancy for domestic and commercial properties and she has been awarded the ‘National Energy Efficiency Champion’ award at the Energy Efficiency Awards in 2018  

Claire Dunn. Age 8 I marvelled at my Great Uncle Frank’s butterfly collection. My questions about the natural world and our role in it led me to study Biology and live in Papua New Guinea researching fish for Cornell University. I then worked for over a decade in climate change investment and now grow a green social housing business and write on climate change issues. I’m offsetting, insulating and recycling in the Surrey Hills with a husband, three children and a carbon-emitting Labrador.

Dr Rachel Avery, BSc MSc PhD CPsychol. Rachel studied Psychology at the University of Kent before achieving chartered status as a research psychologist in 2012. Formerly a Lecturer at the University of Surrey, Rachel’s PhD thesis explored the strategic use of memory resources during learning, which has fuelled continued research and practice in the area of applied problem solving and design of authentic assessments in education. Dr Avery has worked organisational change projects with institutions including the BBC, Met Police and Network Rail, Rachel has published research examining working memory, personality and learning, adolescent mental health, and, pupil employability. Away from research and teaching Rachel is a keen horticulturist.

Clare Black –  Managing Director of Streets Consulting, a  business development, marketing and communications consultancy supporting international financial services, technology and fast-growth organisations. Previously, Clare was Director of Corporate Affairs & Communications at Innovate Finance, the UK FinTech industry association. Working closely with the CEO and board, she was closely involved in defining the corporate strategy and ensuring that Innovate Finance’s external messaging and reputation were upheld. She also led its Diversity programme.

Clare is an active and regular speaker/panellist, both internationally and around the UK. She speaks on a wide range of topics, but enjoys promoting the success of the UK’s vibrant FinTech ecosystem: from its pro-active regulators & government, its rich pickings of talent, its deep pools of capital, as well as its fascinating and inspiring innovators who are changing the UK’s finance sector for the better.

She was a founding director of Women in Listed Derivatives (WILD) London and is a non-executive director of UK charity Guide Dogs, where she sits on the Finance, Investment & Risk committee, and is chair of Blind Children UK. She was appointed to the Government’s socio-economic taskforce to boost socio-economic diversity at senior levels in UK Financial and Professional services in 2020.

Clive Furness – Director, Contango – a senior business leader, board advisor, financial technology and business risk expert, guiding organisational transformation for ambitious SMEs to drive profitability. Clive is adept at advising business and governments towards the economic benefits of changing markets. Clive has a particular interest in overcoming resistance to change to ensure advances for both individuals and business.