Our experienced, skilled and committed team works across our Local Enterprise Partnership areas, offering practical support, raising awareness of local energy schemes, attracting investment and developing innovative projects.
Net Zero Hub Manager
Karen joined the Net Zero Hub from the Hull and East Yorkshire and formerly Humber LEPs where she spent 8 years managing over £150m capital investment programmes, providing effective strategic and operational management of key programmes and ensuring exceptional delivery for economic and social benefit.
Karen brings determination, rigour and attention to detail to her work and cares passionately that the best possible energy outcomes can be achieved for the North East and Yorkshire.
As the Hub manager, Karen leads the strategic delivery of the Hub co-ordinating its day to day functioning and acting as a key node in terms of reporting to the Hub Board. Karen also acts as the primary channel through which the Hub communicates with central government officers at BEIS.
Net Zero Hub Project Manager
Abbie joined the Net Zero Hub in June 2021 after relocating, from Edinburgh, back to her hometown of Middlesbrough. Her background is in environmental geography, housing retrofit schemes, and home energy efficiency and renewable technology programmes, which she managed while working with Energy Saving Trust. The Coronavirus pandemic has further highlighted the need for safe and comfortable energy efficient homes - which Abbie is keen to strive towards within her role in the Net Zero Hub.
Abbie manages the Hub’s regional funding and support programmes, including the Rural Community Energy Fund and Energy Project Enabling Fund.
Housing Retrofit Project Manager
Nicole has worked in roles across the housing and third sector for the past 10 years, both for Local Authorities, Housing organisations and charities, mainly in community, tenancy, sustainability, energy, environmental fields. She worked as a Project Development Coordinator at a national charity (NEA) part of the team managing a £26 million Redress fund on behalf of Ofgem and Central Government. This involved working on over 100 projects across the UK, working with Local Authorities and Housing Associations to deliver energy improvements to over 8,500 homes. Nicole joined the North East and Yorkshire Energy Hub in July and her main work involves supporting North East Local Authorities to deliver the Green Homes Grant Phase 2 Funding.
Nicole leads the Net Zero Hub’s housing retrofit activity, including managing the Local Authority Delivery Housing Retrofit Programme (LAD2).
Net Zero Projects Officer
Isaac joined the Net Zero Hub in June 2022, with previous work experience at Tees Valley Combined Authority supporting the region’s strategic investment ambitions through analytics work, including cost-benefit analysis for the Teesside Freeport announced in the March 2021 budget.
Isaac assists with the administration of the Hub’s daily activities, including leading on its public facing communications element and assists the Team with co-ordination of the project pipeline and other programmes.
West Yorkshire Project Manager
Femi joined the team in June 2022, He has previous experience in working on scientific projects on the energy transition particularly the uptake and distribution of Hydrogen and biomethane for heat and transport applications. He is also an associate member of the institute of chemical engineering, a published journal author and has carried out research on optimising the production process for energy gases particularly hydrogen from renewable sources.
Femi is the Hub-funded provider of local capacity support for the West Yorkshire area, helping to deliver local strategy in his area.
South Yorkshire Project Manager
George joined the Hub in late 2021 from a role in energy and sustainability project development and delivery at Barnsley MBC. George has specialised in built environment, energy management, EV charging, and carbon accounting and net zero pathways, as well as dabbling in community energy. George is responsible for working with the local authorities and stakeholders across South Yorkshire and the Hub region to develop innovative projects and deliver on our ambitious net zero commitments.
George is the Hub-funded provider of local capacity support, for the South Yorkshire area, helping to deliver local energy strategy.
North East Project Manager
Andrew heads up our collaborative work in the North East, driving growth through regional energy. He has extensive experience in leading energy and low carbon programmes both nationally and internationally. He is a chartered environmentalist, a member of the Energy Institute, and a published journal author.
Andrew is the Hub-funded provider of local capacity support for the North East area, helping to deliver local strategy in his area.
York & North Yorkshire Project Manager
Katie supports energy project development in York and North Yorkshire, helping partners to drive change towards a regional target of becoming carbon negative by 2040. She’s got a particular interest in innovative approaches to reusing unavoidable food and agricultural wastes, via bio-refining and anaerobic digestion.
Katie is the Hub-funded provider of local capacity support for the North Yorkshire area, helping to deliver local strategy in her area.
Hull & East Yorkshire Project Manager
Phil comes with an extensive background in economic policy, business support delivery, project management and Inward Investment. Phil joined the Humber LEP in 2014 to establish the Humber Growth Hub. In his role at the newly established Hull and East Yorkshire LEP, Phil has helped to secure key investments; he also occupied positions on several regional and national groups and currently sits on an advisory board to the British Business Bank. Networked into the Northern Powerhouse region, Phil is a Certified Quantitative Risk Manager and strategic problem solver.
Phil is the Hub-funded provider of local capacity support for the Hull and East Yorkshire LEP region, helping to deliver local strategy in his area.
The Net Zero Hub Board Members govern and provide strategic direction for all Hub activity, and are formed of representatives of the six constituent Local Enterprise Partnerships in the region
Chris Rowell, Tees Valley (Chair of the Board)
Chris.Rowell@teesvalley-ca.gov.uk
Richard Baker, North East LEP
Richard.Baker@nelep.co.uk
Katie Thomas, York & North Yorkshire LEP
Katie.Thomas@businessinspiredgrowth.com
Andrew Hewitt, Hull & East Yorkshire LEP
a.hewitt@heylep.com
Noel Collings, West Yorkshire Combined Authority
Noel.Collings@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
Colin Blackburn, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
Colin.blackburn@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk
Hosted by Tees Valley Combined Authority, Teesside Airport, St George Way, Darlington, DL2 1LU
