The Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Forum has today announced the shortlisted nominees for its annual awards.
Now in their tenth year, the YEP Awards celebrate the achievements of up-and-coming talent and rising stars of those with less than ten years’ experience in the sector.
The Awards will be judged by industry experts in seven categories this year, ranging from Team of the Year to Rising Star. A brand-new category – STEM and Innovator for Net Zero – will recognise those who have challenged the status quo within the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and thought creatively about how to solve the problems facing the energy industry.
Yumann Siddiq, Chair of the YEP Forum and Policy Manager at the Smart DCC, said:
“The finalists represent a pool of exceptionally talented young professionals who are not only the future of the industry but are already helping to bridge the critical skills gap. As the sector transforms, now more than ever, it’s important we recognise the fresh perspectives, creativity and innovative ideas that early-career professionals bring. All finalists should be really proud – previous winners have gone on to do great things and make huge strides across the industry.”
This year’s finalists:
Rising Star, judged by Susan McDonald, UK Energy Transition Lead at Deloitte:
Mia Fursland, EDF Energy
Natasha Khan, Mott MacDonald
Lewis Pawlett, RWE
Doğa Can Tanrikulu, Mott MacDonald
Steven Waggott, Centrica
Madeleine Warburton, RWE
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Focus, judged by Loraine Martins, Global EDI Director at Arup, and sponsored by Policy by Murray:
Kate Geen, Centrica
Natasha Khan, Mott MacDonald
Jesusoorefunmi Olaoye, OVO Energy
Kyle Smith, EDF Energy
Khushal Thakrar, CubeLynx
Customer Champion, judged by Abigail Ward, Policy Manager at Energy Saving Trust:
Cosmin Dimitriev-Gradinescu, So Energy
Salvatore Giordano, RWE
Razi Khan, NESO
Dylan Hawthorne, Capula
George Snape, So Energy
STEM and Innovator for Net Zero, judged by Guy Newey, CEO at Energy Systems Catapult:
James Bain, RWE Generation UK
Aurelia Hibbert, Mott MacDonald
Thomas Mitchell, Capula
Abhijith Suboyin, Digital Energy
Margaret Zimmer, Mott MacDonald
Team of the Year, judged by Yujia Du, Founder of the Climate Circle:
Arup Energy Early Careers Team, Arup
Battery Box Team, AMP Clean Energy
Emerging Technologies Team, SSE
Fuel Poverty Alleviation Team, Citizens Advice
Kensa R&D Team, Kensa
Audrey Gallacher Award for Excellence, judged by Jag Basi, Head of Regulation and Compliance at ESB:
Nathan Hunt, NESO
Kyle McLaughlan, Mott MacDonald
Isabella Noble, EDF Energy
Hannah O’Donnell, National Gas
YEP of the Year, judged by Emma Pinchbeck, CEO at Energy UK, and sponsored by Modo Energy:
Emma Vizzino, RWE
Steven Melens, Mott MacDonald
Connor Innes, Energy Systems Catapult
Zenobia Sayed, Deloitte
Rebecca Pike, RWE
Jacqueline Chinwe Stephen, World Energy Council
All winners will be announced at the YEP Forum’s prestigious award ceremony at Leonardo Royal London St Paul’s on Thursday 7 November 2024. Tickets are available to buy individually or in tables of ten, and discounts are available for students and charity employees. More information about the event and ticket purchasing is available here.
The YEP Forum is a network, hosted by Energy UK, which provides opportunities for the next generation of energy industry leaders to meet, collaborate, develop and recognise success. While the Forum organises numerous events and site visits throughout the year, its flagship event is the YEP Awards—a prestigious evening that honors outstanding individuals in the sector. This event features entertainment and prominent keynote speakers, with past speakers including Chris Stark, Head of Mission Control, and Lord Callanan.
Sponsoring an award includes a table of ten, and some opportunities are still available. If you would be interested in discussing this or our wider sponsorship opportunities, please contact membership@energy-uk.org.uk.
Notes to editors
- 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 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.
- The Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Forum is community to promote and inspire the next generation of energy industry leaders, providing opportunities to connect, develop and recognise success. Free to join, we have over 2300 members from across 350 different companies. We run insightful events and initiatives throughout the year which cover the whole spectrum of the energy sector – from panel sessions and interviews with the sector’s senior leaders, to networking receptions, informal social events and site visits to some of GBs most significant energy infrastructure facilities. Check out our Annual Report from 2023 for more detail on what we got up to last year.