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Publications / Blogs

A night to remember: the 10th annual YEP Awards 

2024 YEP Award winners

The Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Awards ceremony is always such an inspiring evening but this year was extra special – it marked 10 years of the YEP Awards celebrating the game-changing contributions of emerging professionals across the energy industry. 

Hosted by the YEP Forum – a network for those with less than 10 years’ experience in the sector – the evening saw the industry’s most promising young talents take centre stage. 

A powerful start 

The night kicked off with a warm welcome from Dhara Vyas, our CEO-designate setting the stage for an evening that would honor innovation, ambition, and the drive to make a difference. 

Taking the mic was award-winning climate comedian Stuart Goldsmith, who brought laughs and thoughtful insights to the room, making sure everyone was engaged in the critical issues facing our industry.  

We heard inspiring speeches from Colm Murphy, Director of Transformation and Major Projects at NESO, and Yumann Siddiq, YEP Forum Chair and Policy Manager at Smart DCC. Colm spoke passionately about the road ahead to Clean Power 2030 and Net Zero 2050, and the vital role NESO will play. Yumann reflected on her first year as the YEP Forum Chair, leading the network’s growth, hosting events, and keeping members connected and informed. 

Celebrating the winners 

With seven prestigious awards up for grabs, categories spanned from the Rising Star Award to the new STEM and Innovator for Net Zero Award, recognising individuals pushing the boundaries of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) within the energy sector.  

Previous winners have gone on to become leaders in their field, demonstrating the quality of nominees. From generators to customer champions, YEP awardees have something in common: wanting to make an positive and lasting impact on the energy industry. 

A panel of industry experts judged the awards, acknowledging those who demonstrated not only technical expertise but also creative, forward-thinking approaches to tackling the challenges facing energy today. 

The 2024 YEP Award winners were: 

  • Rising Star Award: Steven Waggott, Centrica 
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Focus Award: Jesusoorefunmi Olaoye, OVO Energy 
  • Customer Champion Award: George Snape, So Energy 
  • STEM and Innovator for Net Zero Award: James Bain, RWE Generation UK 
  • Team of the Year: Battery Box Team, AMP Clean Energy 
  • Audrey Gallacher Award for Excellence: Nathan Hunt, NESO 
  • YEP of the Year Award: Steven Melens, Mott MacDonald and Rebecca Pike, RWE 

Championing EDI 

As always, the YEP Awards underscored the importance of building an inclusive future. It’s so important to ensure that people from diverse backgrounds can see a future for themselves in the energy sector, and this is demonstrated at the Awards and throughout the wider work of the YEP Forum. 

Reflecting Energy UK’s commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, all the awards were judged blindly, removing potential bias and ensuring each young professional’s achievements could shine based solely on merit. 

Closing remarks 

Emma Pinchbeck, outgoing CEO of Energy UK and incoming CEO of the Climate Change Committee, closed the evening with heartfelt words. Reflecting on her five years witnessing the growth of the YEP Forum, she shared her admiration: 

“The thing I love about the YEPs most of all is that the positivity, ambition and commitment displayed by the next generation is a welcome cause for optimism at a time when it’s much needed by industry, our customers, and the planet we all share.” 

Emma’s words resonated with everyone in the room, capturing the spirit of the night and highlighting the impact that young professionals are already making on the industry. 

Thank yous! 

A very warm thank you to NESO for sponsoring the YEP Forum, as well as all category sponsors for making the evening possible. Their partnership underscores the energy sector’s dedication to investing in young talent and supporting the next generation of innovators and leaders. 

For companies or individuals interested in learning more about sponsorship opportunities with the YEP Forum, please get in touch at membership@energy-uk.org.uk.