Sian Gardner

Head of Smart Home Opertations, British Gas

Biography

British Gas Smart Homes was established in December 2010 to ensure that customers are at the very heart of British Gas' smart metering rollout programme. Sian Gardner is Head of Smart Homes Operations, responsible for ensuring every customer with a smart meter experiences a differentiated and exceptional level of service. A major element of Sian's role is to ensure the design of the smart metering set and associated infrastructure, systems and processes are developed to fully realise the benefits of smart metering for British Gas and its customers.

During 2010 Sian managed the relationship with British Gas' third parties to start installing residential smart meters in volume. British Gas has now brought this operation in house through British Gas Smart Metering and has installed more residential smart meters than any other UK supplier.

Sian has been with British Gas for 10 years and in the Energy Supply Industry for over 20 years in a wide range of Operational and Programme roles, including Heading up the Account Management team for British Gas Business.

Steve Johnson

Chief Executive Officer, Electricity Northwest

Biography

Steve Johnson CEO: Steve was appointed Chief Executive of Electricity North West in September 2008. Steve has experience in both the Electricity and Water sectors; his early career being in Yorkshire Electricity and Norweb . He was Managing Director in United Utilities Contract Solutions Business and in 2001 he led the Welsh Water Operations Contract; delivering a step change improvement in Operational and Financial performance. He joined AWG Plc in 2006 as MD of Morrison; the support services group and successfully led sale process of Morrison Utilities to private equity.

Craig Dyke

Strategy Development Manager, Future Transmission Networks, National Grid

Biography

Craig Dyke is the Strategy Development Manager at National Grid in Future Transmission Networks. He is responsible for developing National Grid's future strategy on system balancing and represents National Grid at various SMART and demand side response industry forums. He is a Chartered Engineer and has been working for National Grid since March 2000. He has undertaken various roles over the last decade across the operations side of National Grid. Craig previously managed the team responsible for the development, negotiation, procurement and settlement of balancing services contracts in electricity and gas.

Richard Postance

Partner, Ernst & Young

Biography

Richard Postance is a leading partner in Ernst & Young’s Power & Utilities performance improvement practice and leads Ernst & Young’s response to Smart Metering and Grids.  He draws on his engineering and technology background to provide strategy and transformation consulting for the energy retail, telecommunications and public sectors.  Richard’s recent experience includes transforming the customer service and field operations for leading utilities including designing energy services propositions and customer engagement plans in response to a Smart Meter roll out.

Basil Scarsella

Chief Executive Officer, UK Power Networks

Biography

Basil Scarsella is the Chief Executive Officer of UK Power Networks, owned by the Cheung Kong Group. This is the largest Distribution Network Operator in the UK, distributing electricity to over 8 million homes and businesses. It has over 5,000 employees in its regulated and non-regulated areas and generated over £1.3bn of revenue in 2010, with revenue of over £200m per year for the non-regulated business, which has long-term contracts with high profile customers such as the London airports and the London Underground.

Prior to taking up the appointment at UK Power Networks, Mr. Scarsella was the CEO of Northern Gas Networks from 2005, also owned by the Cheung Kong Group, distributing gas to 2.5 million homes in the north east of England.

From 1998, Mr. Scarsella was the CEO of ETSA Utilities, a privatised electricity distribution business in Australia. Between 1994 and 1998 he was General Manager of ETSA Power Corporation, responsible for electricity distribution, retailing, field services and customer services. Before joining ETSA Corporation in 1994 he was Group Planning and Finance Manager at the South Australia Gas Company (SAGASCO).

Mr. Scarsella holds a degree in Economics from the University of Adelaide and is a Certified Practicing Accountant. He is a Life Member of Football Australia and former Member of the Executive Committee of FIFA. He received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and in 2003 became a Member of the Order of Australia, for services to sport.

Mr. Scarsella and his wife Rita have a daughter and two sons.

Rick Hanks

Smart Metering & Smart Grid Lead, Accenture

Biography

Rick leads Accenture’s UK Smart Metering & Smart Grid practise. He has worked in the utilities sector for over 20 years delivering business change projects and is regarded as a leading subject matter specialist for utility solutions in Smart Metering and the operation of liberalised electricity and gas market processes. He has developed many Smart Technology strategies and solutions in the UK and Europe for a diverse range of clients and implemented numerous Smart Metering solutions. He is currently working with one of the UK’s  major energy retailers on their Smart Metering Operating Model and high level solution design.

Phil Hack

Head of Smart Metering Programme, UK Power Networks

Biography

Phil Hack has over 24 years experience in the electricity industry, from both an operational and non-operational perspective. He has been responsible for developing and implementing transformational strategies including new operating models and cost reduction programmes.

Phil joined UK Power Networks in 1987 as an apprentice, he is now responsible for developing UK Power Networks strategy for the GB Smart Metering Programme, this includes both the interface with the three electricity distribution networks it operates in London, East of England and the South East and the investment opportunity in financing and deploying smart meters on behalf of energy suppliers.

"The measure of success for smart metering deployment, is that we knock on the door, the customer understands why we are there, allows us to install the smart meters and is delighted with the experience"

Phil recognises that this is easy to say and is extremely difficult to deliver!

Stephen Cunningham

Chief Executive Officer, Landis+Gyr

Biography

Steve Cunningham joined Landis+Gyr as CEO, UK and Ireland on 1st March 2009. Steve had previously spent 18 years in the IT industry, most recently at Nortel where he was General Manager of the business's Global Account Team supporting BT. Steve's appointment was a reflection of the increasing importance of the emerging European smart metering industry, with countries across the region looking to roll-out ambitious metering programmes in order to reach the EU's 2020 targets. His experience in large scale public sector and network provider managed service programmes will be invaluable in developing Landis+Gyr's business, both in the critical UK market and more widely in the EMEA region as a whole.

Stephen Cunningham

Chief Executive Officer, Landis+Gyr

Biography

Steve Cunningham joined Landis+Gyr as CEO, UK and Ireland on 1st March 2009. Steve had previously spent 18 years in the IT industry, most recently at Nortel where he was General Manager of the business's Global Account Team supporting BT. Steve's appointment was a reflection of the increasing importance of the emerging European smart metering industry, with countries across the region looking to roll-out ambitious metering programmes in order to reach the EU's 2020 targets. His experience in large scale public sector and network provider managed service programmes will be invaluable in developing Landis+Gyr's business, both in the critical UK market and more widely in the EMEA region as a whole.

Dave Openshaw

Head of Future Networks, UK Power Networks

Biography

Dave is a member of EDF Energy Networks senior management team and currently holds the position of Head of Future Networks. He is responsible for the development of long-term network development strategies for EDF Energy's regulated public electricity distribution networks business serving the East and South East of England and London.

Dave serves on the International Technical Committee for CIRED and is chair of Session 4 – Distributed Energy Resources and Efficient Utilisation of Electricity.

He holds an Honours Degree in Electrical Power Engineering. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the UK Institution of Engineering and Technology. He is also a member of the UK Institute of Asset Management.

Richard Postance

Partner, Ernst & Young

Biography

Richard Postance is a leading partner in Ernst & Young’s Power & Utilities performance improvement practice and leads Ernst & Young’s response to Smart Metering and Grids.  He draws on his engineering and technology background to provide strategy and transformation consulting for the energy retail, telecommunications and public sectors.  Richard’s recent experience includes transforming the customer service and field operations for leading utilities including designing energy services propositions and customer engagement plans in response to a Smart Meter roll out.