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News

Emma Pinchbeck to step down as Energy UK CEO

Emma Pinchbeck is to step down as Energy UK’s CEO next month to become chief executive of the Climate Change Committee.

Emma was appointed as Energy UK’s CEO in January 2020 and since then has led the trade association through a critical period that has incorporated the pandemic and gas price crisis as well as six different Secretaries of State. Over the past four years, energy has risen to the top of the news and political agenda with successive governments setting ambitious targets for the expansion of clean energy.

Under Emma’s leadership, Energy UK’s membership has continued to grow with the trade body playing a vital role representing the industry through challenges such as ensuring the continuation of critical services and protection of essential workers during the pandemic and putting in place support for customers through a period of record energy bills. Emma has also been a powerful advocate for the economic as well as environmental benefits of the transition to clean energy, through the investment, growth and employment that the industry can bring to all parts of the country.     

Emma will start work at the Climate Change Committee on 11 November 2024 at which time Energy UK’s deputy CEO Dhara Vyas will step up as interim chief executive if the recruitment process for Emma’s replacement is continuing.     

Emma Pinchbeck said:

“It has been the privilege of my life to work for Energy UK during these challenging and interesting years for the industry. Energy has moved from the fringes to the very centre of economic policy and I hope that I have played my part in making sure that the importance of our sector and of the energy transition is clear to government.

“It has been an honour to lead the staff of Energy UK over the past five years, and our talented team will continue to deliver impactful work on energy whilst the Association recruits a new CEO. 

“I am grateful to those who have supported me whilst I was juggling having two young children, and for the counsel of my Board and two Chairs during difficult times. I will not forget the way that people supported Energy UK’s team when we lost our deputy chief executive, the late Audrey Gallacher OBE, just before my second child was born. 

“I am excited to bring my experience and knowledge of a decade in energy to the challenge of decarbonising our economy at speed with tangible benefits to the people of the UK. There is a lot to do and I cannot wait to get started.”

David Laws, Chair of Energy UK said: 

“Emma has been a formidable CEO because she has such a broad range of skills – mastery of a complex policy area, superb powers of communication with both our partners and the public, an extensive network across the energy sector and beyond as well as the ability to build, lead and motivate a team. It is rare to find one person with all these skills.  

“We will be very sad to see Emma leave Energy UK but we are delighted for her that she will be taking up this important post at the Climate Change Committee.  

“The Energy UK Board has immediately started recruitment for a new chief executive to lead the organisation and speak for the energy sector at this exciting and challenging time. We expect to make an appointment shortly and during any interim period Dhara Vyas, our deputy CEO, will step up as she did so capably during Emma’s maternity leave.  

“I have full confidence in Dhara and our strong leadership team to guide Energy UK through this change, whilst continuing our work in 2024 helping the Government to deliver on its clean energy mission and to support our customers through the ongoing impact of the energy crisis.” 

ENDS 

Notes to editors

  1. For media enquiries regarding Energy UK please contact press@energy-uk.org.uk.
  • For media enquiries regarding the Climate Change Committee contact media@theccc.org.uk but please note that Emma Pinchbeck will not be doing interviews on behalf of the CCC – or about the role – until she starts there.
  • Emma Pinchbeck is an expert in whole-economy decarbonisation and the energy transition and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute. From 2016-2020, she served as deputy CEO of the trade body Renewable UK, in which role she also sat on the Board of Scottish Renewables and worked with Renewable UK Cymru and Northern Ireland. Prior to this, Emma was Head of Climate Change and Energy at WWF-UK, in which role she worked on the international Paris Agreement, UK coal phase out, international aviation and shipping, and the design of UK renewables policy. She also worked with corporate partners of WWF-UK as an informal auditor for their internal sustainability strategies. Before joining the WWF, she worked in finance and in commercial consulting for start-ups in the energy sector. She has a degree from the University of Oxford. Outside of her main roles she has also undertaken several advisory or Board roles, including for the academic consortia the Energy Research Council, the Energy and Physics Research Council, and UK Research and Innovation’s “Women in Innovation” grant awards. She is a well-known commentator and lecturer on energy, giving Imperial College’s Dennis Anderson Memorial Lecture in 2023. Emma is 38 and lives in Gloucestershire with her family, sharing childcare responsibilities for their two young children with her husband.
  • The recruitment for the next CEO of Energy UK has begun and will be managed by Energy UK’s Chair and Board Remunerations and Nominations Committee. Emma’s last day at Energy UK will be on 7 November 2024. If a new CEO has not been appointed at that time, Energy UK’s deputy CEO Dhara Vyas will act up on an interim basis. 
  • Energy UK is the trade association for the energy industry with over 100 members – from established FTSE 100 companies right through to new, growing suppliers, generators and service providers across energy, transport, heat and technology. Our members deliver to nearly 80% of the UK’s power generation and over 95% of the energy supply for 28 million UK homes as well as businesses. The sector invests £13bn annually and delivers nearly £30bn in gross value – on top of the nearly £100bn in economic activity through its supply chain and interaction with other sectors. The energy industry is key to delivering growth and plans to invest £100bn over the course of this decade in new energy sources. The energy sector supports 700,000 jobs in every corner of the country. Energy UK plays a key role in ensuring we attract and retain a diverse workforce. In addition to our Young Energy Professionals Forum, which has over 2,000 members representing over 350 organisations, we are a founding member of TIDE, an industry-wide taskforce to tackle Inclusion and Diversity across energy.