Our Board

The Regen SW board comprises:

Chairman, Kelvyn Derrick OBE

For over ten years, until 2007, Kelvyn Derrick was the chief executive of Hamworthy plc, an engineering company in Poole, Dorset, which employed 900 people worldwide. Before this, he was a founding partner of a private equity firm, and prior to this for 15 years he was chief executive of a number of international engineering-sector companies.  Kelvyn is deputy chair of the South West England Regional Development Agency, he chairs the South West International Business Forum, the Regional Business Forum and is on the board of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.  Kelvyn has an MBA from the London Business School and an engineering degree from the University of London.

Peter Capener

Peter has been working in the sustainable energy field for nearly 20 years, seven of which were as chief executive of the Centre for Sustainable Energy. Peter has an MSc in energy resource management and has expertise covering renewable energy, energy efficiency and fuel poverty. He has delivered energy research, advice, training and community projects, and has worked within all phases of the education sector. Most recently, Peter has led the project to establish sub-regional 2010 renewable electricity targets within the south west, REvision 2010. He is co-author of Regen SW's Public Engagement Protocol on Wind Energy and its Regional Renewable Energy Strategy (RRES). He is a judge for the SWEB/EDF Green Fund, the Energy Saving Trust Innovation Programme, and the Ashden Trust Sustainable Energy Award.

Charles Couzens

Charles Couzens is an executive director of Ecos Trust. He is a specialist in environmental management, with twenty years' experience in the sector.  He has worked as an environmental co-ordinator at Bedfordshire County Council and a project manager with the Woodland Trust, The Wildlife Trust and the Soil Association.  Charles has been director of Ecos Trust since 2003 and is also chairman of the Wessex Reinvestment Society, a regional community development finance institution.  

Richard Cresswell

Richard is currently regional director for the south west region of the
Environment Agency.  He has previously held posts in Thames, Yorkshire and Welsh Water authorities and the National Rivers Authority. He is a Trustee of Sustainability South West, chair of Future Foundations, promoting sustainable construction in the south west, and chair of the South West Climate Change Partnership.

Juliet Davenport

Juliet is the chief executive of Good Energy. The vision of Good Energy is to get individuals and businesses involved in climate change solutions, through their purchasing policies and later through getting directly involved in the development of renewable energy.  In 2006 she won Triodos's Ethical Business Woman of the Year award.

Neil Evans

Neil is director of energy for Sustainable Development Ltd, which specialises in carbon management. He has been involved in both consultancy and the development of venture companies in the sustainable energy sector.  He is currently a director of the Rudloe Centre, an initiative established to develop climate change solutions through partnership-working across all sectors.

Richard Freeborn

In his capacity of Chairman, Richard has steered Kensa to become the dominant force in the UK ground source heat pump industry. Richard has also been an informal advisor to Government on heat pumps, and has represented the UK on an Annexe of the International Energy Agency. He is a Non-Executive Director of the innovative Ocean Fabrications Ltd, which specialises in supplying the Wave and Offshore Renewables industries with components and support.

Claire Gibson

Claire is the head of planning, transport and environment at the South West Regional Development Agency (South West RDA), representing them on land use, transport and environmental policy issues where they relate to the Regional Economic Strategy. Claire is specifically responsible for developing the South West RDA's policy on renewable energy, waste management and climate change.  She manages the RDA's investment in Regen SW, renewable energy demonstration projects such as Wave Hub, and the business support activity in the environmental technologies' sector.

Colin Palmer

Colin has been active in renewable energy since 1978. He worked on the development of wave energy systems before moving into wind energy. He is now development director of Wind Prospect Ltd, a wind energy development company that has been involved in the installation of more than 200 wind turbines. He has a substantial portfolio under development, including projects in Australia. Colin is currently heading the company's diversification into marine renewable technologies.

Simon Roberts

Simon is chief executive of the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), the national charity based in Bristol. He has worked in sustainable energy since 1985, including two previous spells with CSE, five years running Friends of the Earth's national energy campaign, and four years as a senior manager at Triodos Bank. He is the south west representative on BERR's Regional Energy Group and a member of the government's Renewables Advisory Board, where he leads its Finance and Investment Working Group.

Stephen Ward

Stephen is an associate director for Faber Maunsell and leads the south west region's sustainability team. Faber Maunsell is one of the UK's largest engineering consultancies for the built environment. Stephen is a micro-renewables specialist and an experienced facilitator and trainer in the field of sustainable energy. Amongst other activities, his team is responsible for supporting developers and planners to prepare sustainability and energy strategies for new developments in the region.

Alan John

Alan is a partner with Osborne Clarke, solicitors.  He works in Bristol and is head of the firm's Energy & Environment Group, a position he has held since 1990.  He and his team have particular expertise in advising on renewable energy strategies for property development and a range of renewables projects including wind, landfill gas, biomass and biofuel, hydro, solar and geo-pressure. His experience ranges from involvement in microgeneration schemes to some of the largest windfarm projects in the UK. Alan has had a longstanding and close involvement in renewables in the South West: his first renewables project was Carland Cross windfarm in Cornwall and his team is a member of the consortium advising on the feasibility study for the Severn tidal project.