Speakers

Baroness Verma is a highly influential figure, both as an outward facing global business leader and within the numerous political positions she has held.  

Since entering the House of Lords in 2006, she has held several key ministerial appointments, in government and opposition, notably for energy and climate change, and international development.

She also has significant experience in chairing committees, both in the private and public sectors – formerly serving as Chair of both the European External Affairs Committee and UN Women UK, the national committee of UN Women.  

A strong and committed advocate of diversity and inclusion, she is involved in a wealth of influential initiatives to create a more inclusive working environment and society. She has led from the front specifically on gender and race discriminations, both in her political position as well as in her many roles on committees. Baroness Verma was the Prime Minister’s Ministerial global champion for tackling violence against women and girls as a government minister.  

After seeing the lack of senior women in energy when an energy minister, she co-founded Powerful Women – which has helped changed the way women are supported in the sector.

Baroness Verma has received numerous accolades over the years, as a business leader, politician and champion on rights and access to opportunities. She doesn’t shy away from being forthright and honest but has always embraced the art of cooperative support as the most successful way to achieve results.     

Laura Sandys has been working in energy transformation for 20 years and chairs the UK Regulator’s Network Innovation Taskforce, Sero Homes, The Green Alliance, The Food Foundation and Electrify Industry.  She is on the board of SSE Transmission, Ohme Global, and Highview Power. She is an Honorary Fellow at Imperial College and a member of the EPRI Advisory Council.

She was the Chair of the UK Government’s Energy Digitalisation Taskforce and is now working globally to spread best practise of the digitalisation of the energy system, making keynote speeches in Australia, India and the USA.  

Laura was awarded a CBE in recognition for her work on energy policy, was awarded Lifetime Achievement Award by Green Economy by Business Green and Utility Week Industry Champion in 2019.  

She was previously a Member of Parliament for South Thanet, and described by The Times as ‘one of the sanest of all MPs’ and as ‘lateral-minded, original and free-thinking’.

Mac Alonge, CEO of The Equal Group and former KPMG consultant, is a strategic advisor to the UK’s leading institutions.

Trusted by partners such as the Mayor of London, Wellcome Trust and Lloyds Banking Group, Mac facilitates executive Inclusive Leadership sessions that drive performance, backed by board-level advisory roles with Social Finance.

Irene Bruce leads OEUK’s work on workforce strategy, industrial relations and skills policy across the UK energy sector.

Within the organisation’s People and Skills function, Irene is responsible for engagement with employers, trade unions and government on employment frameworks, skills development and workforce transition. Her work focuses on supporting a safe, fair and sustainable workforce as the UK’s energy mix evolves, ensuring people and skills considerations remain central to delivering the transition to a low-carbon future.

Irene has an extensive background in employment and employee relations, with a strong focus on collective bargaining, industry agreements and building workforce resilience. She brings a practical, evidence‑led perspective to equity, diversity and inclusion, recognising the critical role that inclusive workplaces play in attracting people, helping them progress and enabling them to achieve long-term skills sustainability across the energy industry.

Jane champions RenewableUK’s members to drive awareness of policy challenges, galvanise support and delivery of renewables, and publicly highlight the sector’s benefits.

As a leader in the renewable energy industry, she works closely with the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and the Onshore Wind Industry Council (ONWIC) to align the Government’s ambitions with industry deliverables. Over the last decade, Jane has built a deep, sector-wide expertise, contributing significantly to landmark collaborative initiatives such as the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership.  

A Chartered Mechanical engineer, Jane previously served as the Director of Regulatory and External Affairs at Ørsted, where she played a pivotal role in shaping industry regulations and fostering strategic partnerships between the Government and the private sector. Jane is Chair of the Aura CDT Strategic Advisory Board and co-Chair of the Floating Offshore Wind Executive.

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