Winners of Energy UK’s Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Awards 2020 were announced last night at a ceremony held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Annual YEP Awards, now in its sixth year, celebrate and recognise the outstanding contributions and achievements of energy sector professionals with less than 10 years’ experience.
The ceremony, watched by over 100 people, included keynote addresses from Emma Ford, head of gas construction at National Grid, Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of Energy UK and Chris Stark, chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, who all highlighted the importance of young energy professionals in the energy transition.
This year’s YEP Awards, sponsored by National Grid and Engage Consulting, received nearly 80 applications across four categories including a new one-off category for 2020 to reflect the sector’s role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winners of YEP Awards 2020 are:
- Rising Star: Rajan Patel, UK onshore project manager, Siemens Energy
- Outstanding Achievement in Responding to COVID-19: Gemma Harvey-Cole, project engineer, National Grid
- Diversity & Inclusion Focus: Rodney Williams, lead project manager, National Grid and Matthew Young, product manager, Centrica (Joint Winners)
- Young Energy Professional of the Year: Rubina Singh, lead e-mobility technologist, Centrica
The applications were assessed by independent judges and Energy UK’s YEP Forum Chair, Paul Lowbridge compered the Awards.
Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of Energy UK and judge of the YEP of the Year Award, said:
“Young professionals are the future leaders of the energy industry. It’s fantastic to see all they have achieved in the last year, despite the disruption and ongoing uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
“Congratulations to our winners and all those shortlisted. We need to make the energy transition appealing to people so it was encouraging to see that many of the applications I read as a judge and the achievements of our winners focused so much on colleagues, customers and community within the industry.”
Emma Ford, head of gas construction at National Grid said:
“I am personally very proud Young Energy Professionals have this platform to share and embrace our industry successes and upcoming talent. It was an honour to be a part of the evening and to see all the nominees recognised for their contributions and achievements. They all demonstrate a strong sense of accountability, motivation and proactiveness in making a positive change to the energy industry. Congratulations all!”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- Energy UK’s Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Forum is a network to promote the latest generation of energy industry professionals with less than 10 years’ experience in the industry. The Forum provides opportunities to collaborate, develop and recognise successes.
- Applications were assessed by independent judges:
- Rising Star: Joanna Hubbard, co-Founder & CEO of Electron
- Outstanding Achievement in Responding to COVID-19: James Wallin, digital editor at Utility Week
- Diversity & Inclusion Focus: Bobbi Pickard, senior project manager at BP, co-founder of Trans in the City and trustee of Mermaids
- Young Energy Professional of the Year: Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of Energy UK
YEP Awards 2020 was sponsored by
