Speakers

Sam Adham is Head of Battery Research at CRU, an independent and leading market analysis and strategic advisory firm. Sam leads CRU’s analysis covering the entire battery value chain from mining to end-use. He is an automotive and battery expert with over a decade of experience at major auto manufacturers, working on advanced engineering projects and strategic planning. He tenured at leading industry analysis firms before joining CRU.

Dr Alger is an automotive engineer with over 20 years of industrial experience, including 14 years with the leading global tier 1 supplier DENSO, spending a year in Japan, 4 years in Germany and the remainder in the UK.

Dr Alger started his career working on internal combustion engines but has focused on electrification for over 12 years now. After DENSO Dr Alger spent 2 years at Ricardo as a Chief Engineer working on a range of electrification projects before joining a Bristol Superlight, a start-up electrified truck OEM, as Head of Engineering just over 5 years ago.

Lauren is a highly experienced Principal Consultant specialising in Battery Cell Manufacturing. She works with a diverse range of global companies, from start-ups to cell manufacturers in the Electric Vehicle and Battery Energy Storage space. Lauren recruits for a variety of technical and commercial roles to senior level, including VPs, Directors and C-suite. “I love working in an industry where I am constantly networking and collaborating with individuals who are making a significant positive impact on our planet. It’s exciting to work in such a progressive sector and one which will make a difference for the future of our children.” Lauren is also a Project Director for the Volta Foundation, working on the Battery Career Fair Program which provides a platform to further elevate, advance, and connect the global battery community

Ruth Nic Aoidh is a visionary leader in automotive innovation, business transformation, and strategic leadership. As Director of Vehicle Programmes at Jaguar Land Rover, she is driving the company’s transition to electrification, leading JLR’s Energy Eco-System and shaping the brand’s electric future.

Previously, Ruth held a senior executive role at McLaren Automotive, reporting directly to the CEO and Executive Chairman. She oversaw core functions including Strategy, Purchasing, Legal, Commercial Partnerships, and Government Affairs. Her leadership extended beyond industry lines, including McLaren’s contributions to the UK’s Covid-19 Ventilator Challenge and vaccine support programme.

Ruth has addressed global audiences at the FT Future of the Car Summit and Bloomberg NEF, and appeared on Sky News, BBC, and Bloomberg. She was appointed to UK Government advisory roles including the DIT Trade Advisory Group and BEIS Automotive Council, where she influenced trade and industrial strategy.

Passionate about inclusion and grassroots sport, Ruth is Vice-Chair of Gael Londain GAA Club, a Paralympics Ireland Strategic Advisor, and a former interim CEO. She also supports SMEs through advisory directorships and served as a Non-Executive Director of the SMMT.

Ruth brings dynamic, purpose-driven leadership to every challenge, shaping the future of mobility and business.

Dyrr leads business development activities across WMG, within professional education programmes and across all research areas – whether it be collaborative, Research Council or industry-funded opportunities. He collaborates with a variety of customers, from SMEs to large multinationals, within the UK and across the globe.

Dyrr is an automotive engineering graduate with more than 25 years of experience in mobility and transportation and a breadth of technical, commercial and strategic experience. He started his career in powertrain development at Ford Motor Company before joining DENSO, where he developed electronic powertrain control and fuel systems for several European manufacturers. Dyrr held both Chief Engineer and Senior Commercial roles at Ricardo before joining WAE.

He has delivered projects globally in a variety of technical areas across products, from two-wheel mobility solutions, passenger cars, through to construction equipment and marine applications. At WAE he was responsible for strategic partnerships, collaborating closely with industry and academia, in addition to leading several de-carbonisation initiatives.

Roger has over 30 years’ experience within the automotive arena – including Audi, Virgin, Volvo, Ricardo, Modec ZEV, Gibbs HSA, and London Taxis.

From salesman to regional manager to sales director to EV Industry consultant – for over a decade now Roger has been involved with hybrids and EV’s. Inevitably perhaps, renewable energy is now forming a ‘nexus’ with it.

Roger has been very active on LinkedIn since 2004 and enjoys engaging on a daily basis with a rich network of like-minded people all around the world.

Mr. Jonathan Audric is a Senior Material Science Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, which focus on the research and development of next generation chemistry for cathode and anode materials application. Prior to joining JLR, Jonathan spent 3-4 years doing research during undergraduate program in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore on the development of battery (anode and cathode materials) and supercapacitor application (electrolyte for double layer supercapacitor and graphene development ) followed by working at Dyson Technology, Singapore for 3 years as a cathode material scientist developing novel technology process and cathode formulation establishment.

Daniel Benchetrite obtained his PhD in Electrochemistry in 2004 in Amiens University (France),
in collaboration with CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) and in 2005, Daniel was hired by
Exide as laboratory manager and participated in the improvement of 12V batteries for Trucks
applications.
In 2006, Daniel joined Valeo, first as Electrochemical Engineer for designing battery
management systems algorithms for micro-hybrid applications and then took the lead of Energy
Storage Activities, including 48V batteries evaluations.
In 2011, Daniel took the lead of Systems and Integration activities still in Valeo, covering all the
systems from 12V to 48V.
Between 2014 and 2021, Daniel moved to China as Asia System Engineering Director and then
to the USA where he was North America New Mobility Director.
After 7 years abroad, Daniel came back to France to develop new products namely AC Charging
Stations and HV Battery Management Systems

Michael is an experienced, emotionally intelligent, and strategic Partner. He provides pragmatic, commercial, and results-driven advice to a wide range of local and national clients across the full spectrum of human resources and employment law. 

At all times, Michael works in close partnership with HR and senior management teams. He is a trusted adviser and a reliable problem-solver, known for getting the job done. His expertise spans complex and sensitive senior or group exits, redundancies and restructures, challenging absence and performance issues, whistleblowing, the gig economy, and HR-related data protection — including extensive experience with data subject access requests. 

Michael also plays an active role in the National Employment Team’s IR35, Data Protection, and Financial Services sub-groups. 

He has a particular interest in defending Employment Tribunal claims and managing client relationships across a diverse employer base. Notably, Michael has supported a leading client in the tyre and vehicle service industry for over 15 years — a reflection of his deep-rooted passion for the automotive sector and its people. His long-standing commitment to this industry underscores his ability to align legal strategy with commercial realities in a fast-evolving market. 

Dr Rowena Brugge is the R&D Manager at Nyobolt, leading a team of scientists developing next-generation materials and furthering Nyobolt’s understanding of the fundamentals of new battery technology, since 2023. With a background in chemistry, Rowena oversees the Materials R&D activities and collaborates with cell engineering, powder production, and applications engineering teams in the company. Rowena joined Nyobolt as a Scientist in 2021, after completing a PhD at Imperial College London, followed by postdoctoral research there and at the University of Cambridge on various Li-ion battery technologies.

Nyobolt  is a Cambridge-based technology battery innovator company. It specialises in making fast-charge batteries. The company is vertically integrated from battery cells, modules to packs. With the anode as its core technology, Nyobolt has proved that fast charging is possible.  The company has two basic anode technologies: a) a patented niobium-based “Xtreme” for <5 minute charging and lowest TCO and b) graphite-based “Ultra” for >5minute charging with higher energy density and lower up front cost. Nyobolt has global operations in the UK, USA, Asia and Germany.

Kevin is an experienced business leader who has spent over 30 years dedicated to bringing low carbon footprint technologies to market. He has spent the last 20 years in the battery industry leading businesses focused on developing next generation products. Currently the CEO of LionVolt, Kevin also serves as a non-executive director for a number of businesses across the battery supply chain. A member of the Faraday Advisory Group, Kevin is the Chair of the Cross Sector Battery Systems innovation network which aims to bring together the battery supply chain with a range of non-automotive end users.

Eugenie has 25 years of HSE experience as an experienced Group Environment, Health and Safety Manager, Eugenie specialises in transport of Dangerous Goods, with a demonstrated history of working in the healthcare and consumer goods industries. Eugenie is skilled in EHS Management (Systems), Training, EHS Auditing, Manufacturing, Warehouse Operations, Business Continuity, Transport of DG, Trade Compliance, Security Management and Continuous Improvement. A safety professional who graduated from Prevent Academy, Leuven/VUB, Eugenie works with people to create safe working places and compliant operations. 

Diogo is Innovation Lead for the Faraday Battery Challenge, a £610 million programme to supporting the UK’s battery ecosystem. In this role, he leads the business investment stream, working to scale new innovations that address both UK and global supply chain needs. Diogo holds a PhD in electrochemistry and brings more than 10 years of experience in developing cutting-edge battery technologies, including Li-ion cathodes, Li-S, and beyond Li chemistries.

Dr Jennifer Channell is recognised as a leader in the battery industry. Jennifer is Commercial and Partnerships Lead for Anaphite Ltd where she leads the commercial and marketing functions to bring Anaphite’s dry battery electrode process technology to market. Jennifer is known in particular for her work with UK Government’s Faraday Battery Battery Challenge. Jennifer worked with the Faraday Institution to put the UK at the forefront of electrochemical and battery materials research and solidified this position in her role as Innovation Lead for Batteries during which she helped to grow the UK’s battery supply chain through investing in innovative R&D projects. She has also supported battery manufacturing skills development in the UK awarding funding to support upskilling and reskilling as well as new skills initiatives. Jennifer is also Project Director for Europe for the Volta Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to advancing the global battery ecosystem through community. Jennifer is a thought leader and a strong advocate for the power of collaboration and innovation and regularly features during panel discussions at global battery events. Jennifer is also a Battery Ambassador for the Battery Associates and is a professional Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry and IOM3.

As Business developer presenting XING Mobility’s immersion cooled battery system to European market. 
Successfully collaborating with the businesses partners in Norway, Netherlands, Austria, etc for long years schemes since the time working with XING from 2021. 
Solutions covers the industries of, BESS, marine, non-road mobile machinery, and automotive. 

As Head of Systems Integration at Williams Grand Prix Technologies, Jake Conway is responsible for leading the systems and electrification programmes, delivering F1 solutions to adjacent markets. With over 25 years of motorsport and automotive experience, working for companies such as Cosworth, McLaren and Gordon Murray, Jake focuses on system level optimisation. Having pioneered the powertrain for the first generation of Formula E cars and led the team who developed McLaren’s ERS, more recently he has been exposed to working with automotive OEMs with a particular view to Battery Swap and Ultra Rapid Charging capabilities.

Mickey Crozier is a Technology Manager at the MTC with a background in laser materials processing and automated production equipment.  Current responsibilities include leading MTC battery research strategy and ownership of collaborative R&D within the Component Manufacturing Technology group.  Previously Mickey was Director of Process Technology at equipment manufacturer M-Solv where he was responsible for R&D projects spanning energy generation and storage, microelectronics, displays and sensors using a range of advanced manufacturing technologies.  He has been responsible for the successful delivery of many large privately and publicly funded R&D projects

Mickey has 15 years’ experience in laser applications development for a wide variety of industries including automotive, energy and medical.  Previously he worked on the application of ultrafast time-resolved laser spectroscopies for the analysis of energy materials, jointly funded by STFC and Johnson Matthey and on development of production processes for the continuous improvement of various DPSS laser designs.

Mickey holds a BSc in Physics from the University of Sheffield, an MSc in Photon Science from the University of Manchester and an EngD from Heriot-Watt University. 

Elspeth is an Engineer and Project Manager with experience across the defence and automotive industries. She holds a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from The University of Nottingham and brings a broad technical background that includes battery system design, development, testing.

Throughout her career, she has contributed to a range of engineering projects, often coordinating multidisciplinary teams to deliver effective, real-world solutions. Elspeth particularly enjoys working at the interface between engineering and project delivery – bridging the gap between technical complexity and practical execution.

Passionate about creating a more inclusive industry, Elspeth is a strong advocate for STEM education and actively supports initiatives that promote equity and access within the engineering profession. She’s committed to mentoring the next generation of engineers and encouraging more diverse participation in technical fields.

Outside of work, Elspeth enjoys riding her motorbike, getting stuck into craft projects, and playing netball in local leagues.

George joined the FPA in 2014 with experience as a research and development engineer. During his time with the organisation he has held a multitude of roles focused around managing fire tests and providing consultancy, including as Laboratory Manager, Project Manager, and Technical Consultant.

As the FPA’s Technical Director, George is responsible for collaborating with stakeholders and directing policy development and quality assurance. He is also responsible for the Research Department, overseeing the RISCAuthority Team and the Special Projects Team who conduct bespoke research and fire testing. George holds a BEng (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc by Research, focusing on fire safety assessment tests for external cladding systems.

Ian joined the Faraday Institution after six years in central government where he worked on designing and implementing innovation programmes in the energy sector. He was responsible for the government’s energy innovation programme in the Department of Energy and Climate Change and continued in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy as Head of Disruptive Energy Technologies and Green Finance Innovation. Ian graduated from University of Cambridge with an M.Eng. in Manufacturing Engineering in 1993 and is an experienced technical manager. Previous roles were with the Ministry of Defence, QinetiQ and Meggitt Defence Systems.

Jake Entwistle is the Lead Engineer overseeing the delivery of Altilium’s ACT2 pilot processing plant, a cutting-edge facility dedicated to recycling lithium-ion battery black mass and recovery of critical battery materials, including nickel, cobalt, manganese, lithium and graphite.

Jake holds a PhD in battery materials and has extensive experience across industrial and academic projects in the UK, working on lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery active materials, electrode manufacturing and cell testing. Before joining Altilium, he served as Director of Battery Materials at a US-based nano-silicon start-up, developing next-generation anode active materials.

• Position: Product Manager Battery Testing
• Age: 35 years
• Starting at Weiss Technik in December 2021
• Education: Mechanical engineer with a doctorate in energy technology (Dr.-Ing.)
• Previously worked as a research assistant at the University of Stuttgart

Juliet is the Associate Director leading GFI’s Transport Team, looking after the GFI’s work on charging infrastructure, HGVs and the UK battery supply chain. She leads on bringing a series of financial products including Utilisation Linked Finance and a Battery Investment Facility to market. She joined the institute from the Power, Utilities and Infrastructure Investment Banking team at Jefferies, where she worked on several deals within the green energy and energy transition sector, and was involved in the successful completion of several infrastructure transactions.

Professor Martin Freer joined the Faraday Institution as CEO in September 2024. Professor Freer is a nuclear physicist. Between 2015 and 2024 he served as the Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute (BEI) at the University of Birmingham, a pan-discipline research centre with research activities from hydrogen, energy storage and battery technologies, through to nuclear energy, which is focused on creating technology and guiding policy that will shape future energy solutions. He also served as Director of the Energy Research Accelerator (which comprises eight internationally renowned Midlands universities that are part of the Midlands Innovation partnership, together with the British Geological Survey) delivering a £200m programme to accelerate university research into regional, national and international impact linked to 1,400 researchers.

Previously, Martin was Director of the Birmingham Centre for Nuclear Education and Research, which he established in 2010. He oversaw the development of the BEI and helped establish Energy Capital (a regional energy partnership for the West Midlands that brings the public and private sectors together to deliver place-based energy solutions). He also co-led the establishment of the joint University of Birmingham–Fraunhofer Germany research platform, the development of the Birmingham Energy Innovation Hub, and the co-development of Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham.

In 2015 Professor Freer co-led the BEI Commission “Doing Cold Smarter” chaired by Lord Teverson. From 2012 he led or co led a number of Birmingham Policy Commission reports including “Future of Nuclear Energy in the UK” and “Pathways for Local Heat Delivery” and he has championed the establishment of a National Centre for the Decarbonisation of Heat. Professor Freer also co-led the Policy Commission with Sir David King, which saw the creation of Energy Innovation Zone in the West Midlands.

His main research area is the study of the structure of light nuclei, using nuclear reactions. He received the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Prize, Humboldt Foundation, in 2004 and the Rutherford Medal from the Institute of Physics in 2010.

Dr. Frith is a principal at the US based venture capital firm, Volta Energy Technologies, where he works as part of the investment office helping to identify and assess growth-stage companies in the energy transition space. James has over 15 years of experience in the energy storage industry, which includes seven years working on lithium batteries in the laboratory before moving to BloombergNEF, where he led the company’s coverage of energy storage technologies and their associated supply chains. Using his in-depth knowledge and understanding of the techno-economics of the energy transition, Dr. Frith has advised governments, financial institutions, and the automotive and mining sectors as they position themselves for the low carbon economy. James holds a Ph.D in Electrochemistry from the University of Southampton.

Bio coming soon..

Iva Garfitt is a senior technology and data science leader with over two decades of experience across engineering, eCommerce, and AI. She is currently Head of Data Science at AGRATAS, a Tata Group battery manufacturing scale-up, where she leads the development of AI solutions for next-generation battery systems, predictive analytics, and sustainability initiatives. Iva plays a central role in the Battery Passport initiative, enabling traceability, compliance, and lifecycle insights through blockchain-integrated data architecture. 

An Executive MBA graduate, Iva bridges strategic leadership with deep technical expertise. She is a frequent speaker on AI in battery manufacturing, having presented on topics such as digital twins, AI for high-value production lines, and the role of data collaboration in accelerating R&D and net-zero goals. 

Mr Lukas Gazda is the company director of BMZ Innovation Group Ltd, located in Cambridge, UK. Lukas has been working at BMZ for over twelve years. He secures new business opportunities and strategic partnerships, consistently delivering state-of-the-art battery solutions for BMZ customers, thanks to his close collaboration with BMZ global teams. Lukas Gazda received his master´s degree in economics and an MBA degree in management and leadership. BMZ is one of the largest lithium-ion battery manufacturers worldwide. It keeps its unique position by supplying batteries across many industrial sectors, such as e-mobility, energy storage, power and garden tools or medicals. The BMZ headquarter is in Germany and it has additional production facilities in Poland, North Macedonia, China, the US, and Brazil, as well as branches in Japan, the UK, and France.

Tim is a UK and European patent attorney at Swindell & Pearson, and an IP Director. As an automotive enthusiast and PhD-level engineer, he has spent over a decade patenting all aspects of vehicle electrification. Tim also provides an external ‘general IP counsel’ role, advising businesses of all sizes on enforcement, risk assessment, investment readiness, commercial agreements, and tax-efficient IP strategies. Recognised in the Legal 500, he supports startups, microenterprises, scale-ups, multinationals, and several universities.

Keri Goodwin is currently a Chief Technologist at CPI and has 15 years of materials chemistry research experience.  She received an MChem and PhD from the University of Edinburgh before beginning her career at CPI in 2009.  During this time she worked in the printable electronics division of CPI for 8 years and lead the electronic materials development team, publishing several papers and patents relating to this work.  This was primarily focused on organic semiconducting materials and formulation development for flexible display applications.  She now leads the battery materials and formulation development area as part of the National Formulation Centre, within CPI. Her expertise lies in materials development for electronic applications as well as optimisation of coatings and interfaces using a variety of depositon techniques, both solution and vacuum based.

Bio coming soon…

Jonathan Hall is Head of Research and Advanced Engineering at MAHLE Powertrain, where he is responsible for leading a team of highly skilled engineers who are engaged in developing technologies to enhance electrified mobility, as well as advanced combustion systems for renewable and zero carbon fuels. Jonathan studied Mechanical Engineering at Coventry University. Jonathan has worked within powertrain consultancy for over 20 years having joined MAHLE Powertrain on the graduate scheme and has considerable experience gained from many challenging powertrain projects to develop cutting-edge technology for customers across the globe. His experience spans fuels cells, electric propulsion systems and internal combustion engines.

John’s first degree was in Engineering at the University of Cambridge He also has a Master’s degree in Information Management from the University of Lancaster. Until 2015 he was an occasional visiting lecturer at the school of Mechanical Engineering in the University of Leeds and he has lectured in the People’s Republic of China on electric vehicles.

He has written a book on electric vehicle technology published as “ICE-Free” in English in 2012 (ISBN 978-0957149502) with a parallel Simplified Chinese/English Edition published in 2013.

For the last eight years John has been involved in research into lithium-ion battery management and he was a co-founder of Intercal (UK) Ltd in 2014. Working with a widening group of collaborators including Indra Renewable Technology in Malvern and more recently Warwick Manufacturing Group based at the University of Warwick, Intercal has developed a highly innovative and effective battery management system. He is named as inventor in Intercal patents covering the USA, Europe and China.

Tony Harper is a senior leader and advisor with over 38 years’ experience in automotive product development and large-scale private and public Research & Development programmes.

In 2025, Tony set up his own consultancy business advising start-ups, large businesses, research & technology organisations and regional technology clusters. All with the common theme of generating growth and prosperity from the transition to a more sustainable future.

For over 6 years prior to that, Tony was the Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge, the UK Government’s £610m investment in research, innovation and scale-up infrastructure for battery technology. Arguably the UK’s largest single-technology integrated R&I intervention programme, Tony was responsible for delivery from concept to operational reality.

Tony spent most of his career, however, engineering cars and developing new technology for cars at Jaguar Land Rover, most notably as the Director of Engineering Research.

Tony is a Graduate of Imperial College London, a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the IMechE and a Fellow of The Royal Academy of Engineering.

As the Head of Lithium-Sulfur and Solid-State Batteries at Gelion, Gareth leads next-generation battery research and development. He coordinates international R&D collaborations with teams in Australia and the UK. Previously, he was Principal Scientist at OXLiD Ltd, guiding successful product development until its acquisition by Gelion in 2023. 

 Gareth also served as Business Intelligence Manager at the Faraday Institution, building networks and shaping commercialisation strategies. He holds a DPhil in Materials from the University of Oxford and a First-Class Master’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of Sheffield. 

Julian joined the APC in 2019 Automotive Transformation Director after over 31 years in the automotive industry, initially at Ford then over twenty years at Jaguar Land Rover, most recently as Globalisation Programmes Director where he was responsible for overseas industrialisation programmes.

Experiences in production operations management, industrial automation and controls development and senior roles in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering and Portfolio Programme Management, Corporate Business Office, Real Estate & Environmental Compliance were followed by international assignments in China and Brazil to establish joint ventures and overseas factories. He has been a passionate advocate for the UK automotive industry when dealing with overseas governments and agencies to promote bilateral investment and trade.

Deep business experience of managing change, business transformation and building new processes, operations, and programmes from the ground up, support his role as Automotive Transformation Director at the APC. Supporting the industrial transformation towards net zero, he is responsible for our Technology Trends and Business Development areas in addition to leading  delivery of the Automotive Transformation Fund and was a member of the Department of Business and Trade’s Critical Minerals Task & Finish Group until it completed.

Stronger Stories uses the science of storytelling to help innovative organisations win the support they need to make change happen faster.

Prior to co-founding Stronger Stories, I spent over a decade in strategic communications roles; advising companies such as Coca-Cola, Boots, 3 Mobile, Red Bull, Diageo, DHL, Accenture, Unilever, GSK and EDF Energy. 

To date Stronger Stories has coached around 1,000 scaling businesses, working with cohorts of entrepreneurs selected by Innovate UK, the Energy Systems Catapult, the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Sofinnova Partners, BusinessGreen, the Greater London Authority, and Ashoka.

Between 2010 and 2020 we worked with over 100 founders as part of Clean + Cool with Innovate UK. This group went on to secure over £770m in non-public money, including over £370m in private investment.

Our consultancy clients have included the United Nations Development Programme, the National Energy System Operator, Black & Veatch, and Wiley.

We’ve also been invited to speak about storytelling for growth at The All Energy Show, Innovate, Sustainable Brands, the Eco Technology Show, Tech Nation, and the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Luke Mr. Hu co-founded Electroder, a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer that focuses on battery cell design and development. He is currently focusing on building and operating the company’s global business.

Mr. Hu has been leading his team in completing cell design projects, developing advanced design tools for global users, and advising the company’s clients in the cell development process. In 2022, Mr. Hu led his company, joining the Global Battery Alliance as its first member, focusing on battery design and development. Before founding Electroder, he had a decade of experience in manufacturing and technology and held a variety of management roles globally.

Mr. Hu graduated with an MBA degree from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Beijing University of Technology.

David started his automotive industry career in 1975 with Jaguar Cars in Coventry as a sponsored student-apprentice with the company while studying for mechanical Engineering degree at Lanchester Polytechnic (now Coventry University). He joined the Vehicle Research department of Product Engineering after graduation in 1979 and went on to develop the team that was responsible for the noise and vibration refinement of the all-new AJ6 engine and the XJ40 car – Jaguar’s first all-new vehicle in 30 years.

Subsequently David spent significant time working in Far East and USA in technical and managerial consulting roles before joining Tata Motors European Technical Centre in 2008, David spent 3 years based in Pune, India running the NVH team, later taking lead role as Programme Chief Engineer for several new vehicle projects delivered for Tata Motors based from the European Technical Centre at University of Warwick.

David Hudson is EV Product Manager for ePropelled, a Massachusetts-based technology company offering electric propulsion systems for a range of applications. He leads the development and execution of its EV strategy for global eMobility markets. 

Dr. Padmeya P. Indurkar is working as a Modelling and Simulation Industry Consultant at Dassault Systèmes for the past 3 years. Padmeya’s role is aimed at transforming clients’ product development workflows by enabling simulation-driven design through advanced capabilities such as generative design, parametric and topology optimisation, additive manufacturing, and ML/AI-driven modelling for a range of industries, from automotive to aerospace, and from energy to life sciences. His recent work focuses on multi-physics simulation-driven battery engineering for cells, modules and packs through integration of CAD and emerging electro-chemo-mechanics CAE capabilities. Prior to this, Padmeya worked as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge on computational fracture mechanics, and developed data-driven deep learning techniques for lattice architected materials. Padmeya holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS) where he developed numerical methods for modelling microstructure informed plasticity in emerging lightweight metallic alloys. Research conducted by Padmeya has been published in leading computational engineering journals and conferences worldwide.

Pranav is a Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, focusing on electric vehicle and energy storage technologies. Pranav graduated from Imperial College London with an MEng in Chemical Engineering. Prior to joining IDTechEx in 2023, he worked as a market intelligence analyst for a leading financial technology company, developing experience in identifying short and medium-term market opportunities. He is currently based in London, UK.

At IDTechEx, Pranav is currently focused on future mobility, with an emphasis on electric vehicles and their application in the construction, agriculture, and mining industries.

Simon Jones is focussed on Battery Safety with a particular interest in thermal runaway and propagation events. Simon has 30 years of industrial experience in high temperature materials and destructive testing in the construction, oil and gas, automotive and aerospace industries. This has included leadership roles in new product development and the launch of commercially successful products with associated patents. He is responsible for the WMG Battery Safety Centre which provides an abuse test service to industrial partners and for WMG research.

Dr. Will Jones has extensive experience across multiple functions within a global manufacturing environment and has worked in both OEM and Aftermarket sectors of the automotive industry. He has led and driven numerous transformational projects by identifying critical industry needs and tailoring commercial and business solutions to meet them in both global PLCs and PE-backed businesses. With a deep understanding of the complexities in manufacturing, he excels at aligning business strategies with operational goals, ensuring sustainable growth and competitive advantage. His ability to integrate strategic vision with innovative solutions have made him a key driver of success in challenging, fast-paced environments, fostering meaningful change and long-term industry impact.

Dr Constantina Katsari is a Senior Business Adviser with over 15 years’ experience supporting high-growth businesses, building investor networks, and securing millions of pounds in funding across public and private streams. She specialises in investment readiness and commercialisation, with a strong track record in the battery, cleantech, and innovation sectors. 

David is the Sales & Marketing Director at Echion, with over a decade of experience across telecoms, finance, machine learning and batteries with expertise in scale up, and technology commercialisation and innovation. At Echion, he is responsible for the company’s commercialisation activities across EMEA and the Americas, spanning business development, commercial growth, sales and marketing. This includes engagement with OEMs and end users, and cell and battery system manufacturers to accelerate the commercial adoption of Echion’s XNO™ battery anode technology.   

With over a decade of experience in electromobility and battery product engineering, Dr Quirin Kellner has a passion for innovation combined with technical expertise and leadership experience.
In his current role as Chief Engineer for Electromobility at FEV UK he is leading a talented team working on the development of innovative battery solutions and electric vehicle technology.
As former Global Product Engineering Manager for Battery Energy Storage Systems at Aggreko be brought together cross-functional teams in the development of MW-scale battery products, driving product lifecycle management, product robustness and quality, and strategic planning for new product developments.

His career journey also includes a Senior Battery Engineer role at Jaguar Land Rover and a PhD in Li-ion batteries from the University of Warwick bringing together both theoretical understanding, and practical experience.

With nearly 15 years’ experience in the future of sustainable technology across automotive and the energy sector, I’ve support 100+ companies understand, navigate and develop services/products in the sustainable energy. This has included green hydrogen use cases, future of power generation (grid + local), BESS growth (grid + residential) and the growth of new business models to enable the implementation of these technologies through commercially viable solutions.

Marius Koestler has a decade of experience applying data-driven solutions for large enterprises facing complex exploration and optimisation challenges. His expertise includes supporting renewable energy asset owners, such as U.S. utility Dominion Energy, and industrial conglomerates like Norsk Hydro, in applying AI/ML to maximise profits in battery applications. His hands-on experience includes field deployments and a deep understanding of financing the next major growth area for batteries: BESS and electric commercial vehicles. At Monolith AI, he oversees the market expansion of battery applications for their B2B SaaS AI platform.

Anna Krajinska is the Director of T&E UK, Europe’s leading NGO for clean transport and energy. She is an expert in road transport decarbonisation, electrification, and air pollution, having worked on EU policy in these areas for the past five years. Before joining T&E, she worked as an engineer at Ford. In her current role, Anna leads T&E’s efforts in the UK to decarbonise the road, aviation, and shipping.

Ruth Nic Aoidh is a visionary leader in automotive innovation, business transformation, and strategic leadership. As Director of Vehicle Programmes at Jaguar Land Rover, she is driving the company’s transition to electrification, leading JLR’s Energy Eco-System and shaping the brand’s electric future.

Previously, Ruth held a senior executive role at McLaren Automotive, reporting directly to the CEO and Executive Chairman. She oversaw core functions including Strategy, Purchasing, Legal, Commercial Partnerships, and Government Affairs. Her leadership extended beyond industry lines, including McLaren’s contributions to the UK’s Covid-19 Ventilator Challenge and vaccine support programme.

Ruth has addressed global audiences at the FT Future of the Car Summit and Bloomberg NEF, and appeared on Sky News, BBC, and Bloomberg. She was appointed to UK Government advisory roles including the DIT Trade Advisory Group and BEIS Automotive Council, where she influenced trade and industrial strategy.

Passionate about inclusion and grassroots sport, Ruth is Vice-Chair of Gael Londain GAA Club, a Paralympics Ireland Strategic Advisor, and a former interim CEO. She also supports SMEs through advisory directorships and served as a Non-Executive Director of the SMMT.

Ruth brings dynamic, purpose-driven leadership to every challenge, shaping the future of mobility and business.

David Leah is a Senior Automotive Analyst at CRU, an independent and leading market analysis and strategic advisory firm. He is responsible for CRU’s forecasts on automotive demand, supply, and electrification, with a focus on their impact on commodity markets.

David has around ten years of experience in the industry, working at several leading analysis firms. His work has focused on automotive forecasting, industry and material intensity trends, OEM and powertrain strategies, and electrification.

Michael is a UK and European patent attorney at Swindell & Pearson. He advises on patents across the chemical, energy, and materials fields. He has a particular interest in battery technology. Prior to joining Swindell & Pearson, he graduated with a master’s degree in chemistry from Durham University and worked in R&D at a multinational energy company, researching catalysis, gas-to-liquid technology, and nanomaterials. Michael handles international patent portfolios for start-ups, SMEs, and multinationals. He has also helped many companies to secure UK patents, which can be used to obtain significant tax relief through the Patent Box. 

Tobias Lucas is a 21-year-old student with a background in Molecular Science & Technology
from TU Delft. He specializes in materials and hydrogen technology, and has a strong
interest in the energy transition. Tobias currently serves as the Project Manager of Forze
Hydrogen Racing, a student team that designs, builds, and races hydrogen-electric race cars
to push the limits of zero-emission motorsport. In his role, he is responsible for leading a
multidisciplinary team of over 50 students and guiding the development of Forze’s latest
racecar.
Tobias has been accepted into the European Master’s program HySET (Hydrogen Systems
and Enabling Technologies), an international collaboration focused on hydrogen technology.
With a hands-on approach and a passion for innovation, Tobias is committed to accelerating
the adoption of hydrogen technologies both on and off the track.

Marco is a senior expert in product management and development, passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation, and mobility solutions. Currently serving as Lead Product Manager – Battery Value Chain at Stellantis, he drives strategic initiatives in the EV ecosystem, focusing on technology development, strategic partnerships, and business case preparation to enhance battery sustainability and performance.

With over a decade of experience in automotive and electrification, he has led key projects in EVs, battery services, propulsion systems, and connected software solutions. Previously, as Product and Business Manager for EVs, he improved charging experiences and battery longevity across Stellantis brands. As an Intrapreneur in Stellantis Venture Studio for Battery Services, he spearheaded an award-winning corporate startup focused on circular economy and blockchain applications to enhance battery value chain management.

Earlier, he led advanced propulsion projects as Systems Development Manager, driving electrification strategies for E7 gasoline and diesel engines. His background includes systems integration, calibration, and product development at FCA and General Motors, contributing to award-winning propulsion systems.

Holding a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and certifications in Product Management, Strategy, Design Thinking, and Six Sigma, he blends technical expertise with strategic vision to advance sustainable mobility.

Le Anh Ma is Business Development Manager in the Battery division at ABB Sweden, supporting Euro-pean battery customer projects with ABB turnkey solutions. Before joining ABB, Le Anh has been work-ing as a business development manager at a battery startup, where she was driving projects with cell manufacturers from the US, Asia and Europe. At a later stage, she was also working as an intellectual property expert, to protect the technology, secure the freedom to operate on the market and enhance the company’s competitiveness. Le Anh holds a PhD in Chemistry from Uppsala University Sweden, where she researched on battery ageing in sodium-ion batteries. During her mission to pin down anti-ageing strategies for batteries, she was working at different research facilities in the UK, US, Germany and Japan. 

AJ’s career in the resource and waste industry spans over 17 years, which has been spent in both operational and more recently producer compliance scheme roles. Now with a particular focus on WEEE,  Battery and Packaging EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) both domestically and globally. AJ is respected in the industry, regularly attending forums and working groups, using his knowledge and passion to influence a more sustainable future for these waste streams.

Puneet is a Chief Engineer at HORIBA MIRA, leading Data-Driven Calibration Optimisation (DDCO). With 17+ years in automotive innovation, he specialises in integrating data analytics and machine learning to enhance EV efficiency. Passionate about collaboration and cutting-edge technology, he drives solutions that optimise vehicle performance and shape the future of mobility.

Dr Dorota Matras is a Materials Scientist at UKBIC. She joined the Electrochemistry team in 2023, where she supports customer projects focused on benchmarking battery cell technologies and forensic analysis of novel cell technologies. Additionally, she serves as a technical expert in tomography and data analysis. Prior to this, she spent 3.5 years as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Faraday Institution and Diamond Light Source, focusing on the development of multi-modal imaging and tomography of functional materials at the nanoscale. Her research primarily explored the solid-state chemistry of novel cathode materials used in Li-ion batteries.

Dorota holds a BEng from Warsaw University of Technology and an MSc in Chemical Engineering from École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris. She later moved to the United Kingdom, where she obtained her PhD from the School of Materials at the University of Manchester in 2019. Her doctoral research focused on the application of chemical imaging techniques to study catalytic reactors for methane upgrade processes.

Mark McNally joined Land Rover in 1989 spending his early career delivering new vehicle programmes and model year projects at the Solihull Manufacturing Plant. Throughout his extensive 35year career he has held several senior management positions in Product Engineering, Programme Management, Manufacturing Operations & Engineering Research, both in the UK and abroad. Since 2010, Mark has led a portfolio of future mobility R&D projects, underpinning the next generation of advanced electrification propulsion systems in partnership with Innovate UK, academia, SMEs, and supply chain, most notable one of the UKs largest Government funded automotive research programme ‘Evoque-e’ in 2015, delivering the technical foundation for the new Jaguar iPace EV.

In 2017, Mark was appointed Head of Global Manufacturing Innovation within Jaguar Land Rover’s Manufacturing Group, accountable for the overall manufacturing innovation strategy and building cross sector collaborations to inform technology roadmaps in: future factories, human centric manufacturing, smart connect enterprise, immersive capabilities.

In May 2019, Mark was appointed Interim Challenge Director at UK Research & Innovation leading the Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund strategic planning, business case and delivery plan. Following the successful delivery and transition to the operational team, Mark established RAVMAC Ltd consultancy working with businesses and organisations driving operational and organisational capabilities through the application of digital technology strategies and technical road mapping.

Richard is an HSEQ professional with over 30 years’ experience and triple standard lead auditor. Richard specialises in internal audit and internal HSEQ management systems, and as lead Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser. Richard has extensive HSEQ/DGSA knowledge through his career in global metal recycling and petrochemical industries prior to logistics. Richard is skilled in HSEQ management systems, training, HSEQ auditing, manufacturing and transport of DG with a Masters in Manufacturing Systems and NEBOSH-accredited Diploma in SHE Management. Richard establishes effective operations within the CEVA global certified standards (ISO, 9001, 14001 & 45001). 

Robert Mitchell is responsible for leading translational research programmes with commercial focus and manages a portfolio of customer engagements delivering existing and next generation battery chemistries, and projects in battery recycling and critical minerals recovery. Rob has secured significant funding >£3.5 million to support research initiatives and played a leading role in securing £12 million for a battery material scale up facility (AMBIC). Rob is currently a Principal Scientist at CPI, with 15 years professional experience, and develops people and capabilities to support technology scale-up.

Neelam holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham and has a background in sustainable chemistry. As a Knowledge Transfer Manager, Neelam’s role is to provide technical capability and expertise in the field of Advanced Materials, with a particular focus on topics such as materials for energy storage and materials for construction. She strives to convene communities across sectors enabled by materials challenges and innovation, especially sectors who do not usually work together.

Jacqui’s is leveraging BritishVolt’s battery expertise and operations alongside Glencore’s decades of recycling experience to ensure battery materials are retained in the supply chain. BritishLoop is future of sustainable battery materials. She sits on the Auto Council’s “Supply Chain to Net Zero Group”.

Previously, Jacqui was Deputy Director of the UK Government and UK Research and Innovation’s Faraday Battery Challenge and delivered this £541m programme in research, innovation and commercialisation that established the UK as the centre of battery science and manufacturing it is today.

Appointed in 2022 as Chair of the SmartNanoNI Advisory Group, a Seagate led consortium increasing both innovation capacity and accelerating manufacturing productivity in nano manufacturing and photonics – placing Northern Ireland at the centre of the UK and global ecosystem.

As S Jones Conversions General Manager, Andrew Nicholls has over 13-years of

experience within the engineering and manufacturing landscapes. He oversees the business’

Conversions Division, ensuring the team provides a consistently high standard of delivery across all contracts, engaging in high level client liaison, and leading operational meetings to ensure innovation, quality and performance. Andrew is highly knowledgeable in the electric battery sector, having led a number of key projects for the likes of Warwick Manufacturing Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Coventry University and BAE Systems. Following the launch of S Jones’ Conversions Division in early 2024, Andrew is driving their regulatory and compliance offering across Great Britain including delivering bespoke contained space solutions for highly-regulated industries.

• 22 year veteran of the Lithium Ion battery industry
• Awarded an OBE (2020) from HM the Queen for long service to EV batteries and their development
• Multiple world firsts:
• Worlds first commercially available PHEV (2004)
• Highest power density battery in automotive on two occasion’s (Infiniti e-merge and McLaren P1)
• Worlds first 12 meter EV bus battery

Career History
• Multiple Senior Director positions in battery development:
• Consultant and expert on battery technology and supply chain
• Chief Strategy Officer at Britishvolt
• Engineering and Technology Director, Johnson Matthey Battery systems
• Engineering and Technology Director, Cummins Electrified Power
• Development Director UK Battery Industrialisation Centre
• Global battery specialist Ricardo Plc Hybrid and Electric Division
• 10 years running own start up business, battery system development
• Extensive experience in China and Japan working with CATARC, JAC, GAC,
Nissan and Subaru
• NED Offshore Wind Growth Partnership
• Board of trustees, The Faraday Institution
• Chair of funding Faraday Institution review panels for UK academic research (battery
research)
• UK Automotive Council working group member that established the need for battery
eco-systems in 2016
• Led Britishvolt negotiations with UK Gov for £100mn grant, part of cap raise team
raising £200mn in equity

Olatomiwa is a Research Analyst at Rho Motion, a leading EV and battery research and consultancy firm based in London. With 3 years of experience in market research, he specialises in EV motors and systems and non-road mobile machinery (NRMM). He currently leads NRMM market research at Rho Motion.

Olatomiwa’s comes from an engineering background. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. Outside of work, Olatomiwa loves to cook and travel.

Bio coming soon…

Cristiana’s career as a motorsport engineer, sustainability expert and innovator spans 20 years. Having worked trackside and in the technical departments of a range of motorsport stakeholders, she obtained a PhD in Sustainability and Strategic Management and has since been applying her expert knowledge of both of these fields to the work of her purpose-driven sustainability strategy consultancy, Enovation Consulting.

Cristiana’s career in professional motorsport began working trackside along the FIA technical department in F1, as data analyst and technology developer.

From 2009 to 2016, she made key contributions to FIA’s safety legacy, consulting for the FIA Institute for Sustainability and Safety in Motor Sport.

In 2012 Cristiana focused on technology transfer and sustainability, joining Williams Advanced Engineering, then a division of Williams Racing, as Business Development Manager. During her time at Williams, she worked closely with the F1 CEO and the commercial department, writing the business strategy for the newly created Williams Advanced Engineering and winning multimillion pound projects including the supply of batteries to FIA Formula E, a project that she led from 2013 till 2015.

In 2015, Cristiana started a PhD in Sustainability and Strategic Management at Coventry University, exploring low-carbon sustainable transitions in the motorsport industry. During this time, she also consulted for a number of motorsport stakeholders on measuring and reducing the environmental impact of existing technologies and increasing sustainability awareness across the motorsport sector.

In 2018 she founded Enovation Consulting Limited, a purpose driven strategy and sustainability firm focusing on building sustainability strategies for the motorsport and sport industry. Customers include the Williams Racing Formula One Team, the FIA, Motorsport UK and many other motorsport and sport stakeholders.

Cristiana’s leadership in sustainability is well-recognised by the motorsport industry. She is a member of the FIA Environmental and Sustainability Commission, of the FIA carbon offsetting working group, member and advisor to the Motorsport UK Sustainability Committee, Chair of the Sustainability Working Group of eSC, the newly created electric scooter championship, and a board member of BASIS, the British Association for Sustainable Sport. Cristiana is also a well-known speaker in technology transfer, motorsport, e-mobility, STEM and diversity.

Cristiana holds an Engineering degree from Bologna University, an MSc in Motorsport Engineering and Management from Cranfield University, and a PhD from Coventry
University. In 2021 she was awarded as one of the Top 50 Engineering Heroes by the Women in Engineering Society and The Guardian.

Andy started his career as a 16-year-old Apprentice and then Project Engineer, before joining Austin Rover in 1986, culminating in his appointment to Chief Engineer for Transmission Engineering & Manufacturing. In 1991, Andy joined Nissan and held a succession of positions, including Program Director for Light Commercial Vehicles, Senior Vice-President, and Executive Vice-President before being appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2013.

​At Nissan, Andy is best remembered for transforming the product line-up, but was also responsible for Business Strategy and Product Planning, Global Sales & Marketing, IT and the company’s Electric Vehicle and Battery business. He was also Chairman of Infiniti. During this time in Japan, Andy was credited with pioneering ground-breaking technologies, including leading the development of the Nissan LEAF electric car.

​In October 2014, Andy was appointed CEO of Aston Martin Lagonda. At Aston Martin, Andy oversaw the launch of four core car models with nine derivatives, including the development and launch of the DBX, the company’s first foray into the growing Luxury SUV market.  This led to the company opening a new manufacturing facility in South Wales, UK. Andy’s time at Aston Martin coincided with unique business conditions, including navigating Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union and the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless he was also instrumental in moving the company towards a mid-engined car bloodline, with the creation of the Valkyrie to be launched late 2020.

In 2012, AutoExpress voted Andy into their Hall of Fame as the “Most Influential British Person in the Global Automotive Business” and in 2018, AutoExpress named him”Person of the Past 30 Years”.

​In 2021, Andy was appointed CEO and Executive Vice Chairman of electric bus maker. Switch Mobility (formerly Optare). Andy oversaw an investment in Switch that saw it valued at $1.8 billion, making it a unicorn. Andy made the decision to depart Switch in late 2022 to dedicate more time to a plurality of projects in the green automotive space.

Stephen Parker is the Vice President of Global Sales at Arbin Instruments, a manufacturer of high-precision battery testing systems. With over 15 years at the company, he has helped expand Arbin’s international presence, particularly in North America, Europe, and India.

In 2016, Stephen relocated from Arbin’s U.S. headquarters to Munich, Germany, where he established the European sales and support office to improve customer engagement and responsiveness across the region.

His work focuses on developing partnerships with battery developers, OEMs, and research institutions—helping align their testing needs with Arbin’s advanced solutions for next-generation battery technologies.

Dr Allan Paterson is Head of Battery Development for Fortescue Zero, leading cell technology and applications analysis for high performance battery systems development across breadth of technology areas including motorsport, road car and heavy-duty markets.  Prior to joining Fortescue Zero, Allan was the CTO for Britishvolt, leading the technology programme for cell R&D aligned to commercialisation through development of a UK Gigafactory.   Previously, Allan has held positions as the Faraday Institution’s Head of Programme Management, and as Chief Electrochemist at both Cummins and Johnson Matthey Battery Systems where he investigated new battery technologies and their application in next generation low carbon EV, PHEV and HEV applications. Allan has 25 years’ experience in the field of lithium-ion batteries, and over 10 years in automotive batteries.  Allan holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of St Andrews on advanced cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.

John Poli is Manufacturing Operations Director of UKBIC’s manufacturing capability.

Before joining UKBIC, John ran his own engineering consultancy, specialising in manufacturing engineering. Prior to that he was Jaguar Land Rover’s Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering Director, responsible for global engine, electric drive, and battery manufacturing.

John had a 30-year career at JLR, most recently leading the team that created production systems and advanced technologies to enable electric propulsion.

Graeme is the founding CEO of Ilika and a pioneer in the field of solid state batteries. Building from a program of high throughput materials development collaborations with Toyota on solid state electrolytes in the late 2000s, Ilika has progressed to developing two solid state battery product lines, both demonstrated on production-intent equipment: miniature Stereax batteries for med tech (now licensed to Cirtec Medical for manufacture) and large format Goliath batteries for electric vehicles and consumer appliances. Graeme is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and has an MBA from INSEAD business school in France.

I am Rincy Raju, the European Sales and Marketing Manager at DMEGC Germany GmbH, a leading global manufacturer of Lithium-ion cylindrical batteries. With 1 year of experience in the battery industry, I specialize in building strong customer relationships, market development, and promoting innovative battery solutions tailored to diverse applications such as e-bikes, light vehicles, and energy storage systems.

DMEGC Germany GmbH is part of the global DMEGC Magnetics group, renowned for producing high-quality 18650 and 21700 lithium-ion cells. Our company focuses on exporting cutting-edge battery technology for sustainable energy applications across mobility, consumer electronics, and renewable energy industries. With a production capacity of over 700 million cells annually, DMEGC is ranked 6th globally and 2nd in China for cylindrical battery production volume.

Matrishvan leads the product strategy and management initiatives for all vehicle electrification products at Turntide. He has extensive experience in developing and commercializing electrification and control systems across the automotive, motorsports, and aerospace sectors. Previously, he led engineering teams at McLaren Applied, focusing on automotive and motorsport control systems, and worked on sensor and software technologies at Meggitt. At GE Aviation and Rolls Royce, Matrishvan significantly contributed to the power systems for the Boeing 777X and the engine control software for Airbus models.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications and Electronic Engineering and a master’s in Safety Critical Embedded Systems from the University of Leicester. Additionally, he is an alumnus of the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Nikki Rimmington has more than 25 years of experience in the automotive and battery sectors and is now shaping the strategic direction of Volklec as Head of Strategy.

With a background in engineering, strategy, finance and product lifecycle planning, Nikki has held senior positions at Aston Martin and InoBat, driving major product and strategic initiatives. At Volklec, Nikki leads the company’s fast-to-market approach, leveraging proven technology to mobilise UK battery manufacturing.

As a seasoned leader my focus lies on innovation, quality, and efficiency, I combine technical expertise with strategic vision to deliver impactful results for industry-leading automotive clients.

In my previous roles within battery systems and automotive engineering, together with my teams, I have delivered advanced solutions for some of the most renowned automotive brands. Designing, developing, and testing cutting-edge lithium-ion battery systems, scaling a test facility to ISO17025 standards, and driving on-time, budget-compliant project completion are only a few of my experiences in the past years. I’ve developed scalable battery packs for micromobility and high-voltage applications, while also excelling in strategic planning, market research, and securing funding opportunities.

In the automotive sector, I’ve managed a transmission launch, bridging production, engineering, and program management, and led software function development for dual-clutch transmissions. My expertise extends to developing hydraulic systems, overseeing testing processes, and ensuring seamless collaboration across cross-functional teams.

Ekaterina Sergeeva, PhD, Top 50 Women in Engineering, as the Systems Engineering Lead in Humanoid is responsible for the development of different robotic systems, according to industry quality and safety standards. Ekaterina’s expertise also includes design and implementation of advanced battery management systems algorithms, development and integration of bms functional safety concept for different EV architectures. Starting as a bms SW developer she went the whole way from software components definition to managing the whole bms and charging systems development and support during vehicle integration and validation.  

With years of experience in the industry, Ekaterina has developed a deep understanding of the complex interplay between various software and electronics components, implementing key industry approaches to create efficient, safe, and reliable systems to drive the future of transportation 

Chantal Shearing is a seasoned automotive and e‑mobility leader with over 25 years of experience spanning engineering, operations, strategy, and product. She is currently Vice President of Product at TUAL | Powerbank Pro‑Charging, where she leads development of the innovative PowerUp Charger, an ultrafast, battery‑integrated CCS charger designed for grid‑constrained sites and remote fleet depots.

Prior to joining TUAL in January 2025, Chantal served as UK COO at Mobilize (Renault Group’s sustainable mobility division), playing a pivotal role in launching Mobilize Charge Pass in the UK while championing a zero‑emissions, EV‑first future. With a robust technical background and deep insight into electric fleets, she’s earned a reputation for driving strategic growth and operational excellence in the global EV charging ecosystem.

Passionate about sustainability, zero‑emission vehicles, and charging innovation, Chantal is recognised for her ability to translate industry vision into action guiding fleets through the EV transition and empowering businesses to succeed in the electric age.

Pritti Shoker is an experienced professional in training programme development and inclusive education. She has worked across the education and skills sector to support the creation of pathways that reflect industry needs while helping learners from all backgrounds succeed. Pritti has contributed to national initiatives aimed at improving access to apprenticeships and has collaborated with a range of partners to design programmes that promote diversity, sustainability, and long-term impact. She values collaboration, continuous learning, and the importance of supporting others through inclusive and mindful leadership. 

Bio coming soon…

Alex has spent nearly a decade in the automotive sector, latterly developing solutions for electrification of EVs before transitioning into the recycling sector. Since being at EMR he has worked to establish the Battery Recycling Centre, capable of processing around 2,000Tonnes per year of Lithium Ion batteries covering all aspects from identification, removal from the product, state of health assessment, and triage for repair, second life, or recycling. He is now developing the next stage, of battery shredding to black mass and other critical material recovery.

John joined Ilika in 2018 with a brief to develop the commercial activities for both thin-film (mm-scale) and printed format solid state batteries. Johns career has spanned 30 years in UK companies often, guiding them through their early stages. A Physicist from Birmingham University, focus sectors have included measurement instrumentation, optical components, telecoms equipment, fibre lasers and semiconductor design. Initial activities at Ilika have focussed on around creating industrial collaborations and identifying lead partners.

Dr. Ulderico Ulissi is a Technology Assessment and Research Strategy manager at 21C Lab, part of CATL. Before that, he worked in consulting and market research. He held technical roles as a Battery Research Engineer at Nissan Motor, where he was the European technical lead for research in energy storage technologies, and as a Senior Scientist at OXIS Energy Ltd., where he managed the design of a pre-A-sample cell for customer delivery. He was awarded his doctorate in chemistry in 2017 from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and he holds both a BSc and an MSc in industrial chemistry from Sapienza, University of Rome. He has authored 19 scientific publications, 5 patents, and 1 book on energy storage technologies. 

Aaron Wade is the Business Development Lead for Gaussion, enhancing battery performance through magneto-enhancement, and a project director for the Volta Foundation. He was previously the head of battery costs at CRU, helping clients understand the ever changing world of battery cost and technology. Aaron has a PhD from University College London, researching the degradation of battery chemistries using X-ray imaging.

Dr John Warner is a well-recognized figure in the battery industry. He is an authority on EV batteries, an experienced sales, business development, strategic marketing, and product management executive with more than 35 years of combined automotive and battery industry experience and author of three successful books on EV batteries.

Today he serves as one of the co-founders and Chief Customer Officer for American Battery Solutions, a lithium-ion battery pack manufacturer based in Michigan and Ohio where he is focused in on- and off-road mobility battery development. He is Founder and President of Warner Energy Consulting LLC. Previously, he served as Chief Marketing Officer for Ener1, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for XALT Energy, Director of Sales & Marketing for Magna Steyr Battery Systems NA, Director of Product Management at Boston-Power, and nearly 20 years in the auto industry, much of that with General Motors where he served in a wide variety of leadership roles.

Dr Warner published his first book “The Handbook of Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Design” in 2015 with a second edition published in May 2024. His second book, “Lithium-Ion Chemistries: A Primer” was published in 2019. His books focus on simplifying the complex topics around battery chemistries making it easily understandable by a wide audience for both entry level engineers and all non-engineering professionals.

Bio coming soon..

Sarah joined Mountside Ventures as an Investment Manager with the goal of ensuring our clients are investor-ready, leveraging her experience as a founder.

Mountside Ventures is Europe’s leading startup & VC accelerator, and early-stage advisory firm. We are the first port of call for founders and investors looking to fundraise, and are on a mission to optimise the fundraising process. For pre-seed and seed startups, we run the UK’s leading fundraising accelerator programme (free to participate, including equity-free), backed by corporates and the government.

For Series A and Series B companies, we provide interim CFO and fundraising support, enabling founders to raise their next round of funding faster, more efficiently and causing the least disruption.

For VCs, we run Europe’s first VC Accelerator, The Emerging VC Manager Programme, the gold standard in accelerating Europe’s exceptional fund managers through a combination of workshops, world-class mentoring, and LP & Family Office introductions.

For Limited Partners, we provide access to best-in-class emerging Venture Capital funds through our annual Funding Venture Conference and VC Accelerator.

For Family Offices, we run the VC Academy – a two-day programme designed for FOs looking to invest in tech, covering venture strategies, sector deep dives, how to be a VC insider, deal sourcing, term sheet negotiation, diligence, management and exit.

Mountside Ventures is proud to be a certified B Corp, is regulated by the ICAEW, and is a member of the BVCA, UKBAA and EISA.

Bill is the Global Director of Business Development for EV and BESS battery, working on sustainable gigafactory cooling worldwide. For over 25 years Bill has held executive positions, specifically in the electric vehicle & battery industry. Prior to joining BAC, he was at SEA Electric as VP of Sales, coordinating sales and training a dealer network for Volvo Mack and Hino Electric Trucks. As the Director Commercial Sales at Proterra, Inc. He focused on Zero Emissions Transportation solutions at all Airports, Universities and Corporations. Before joining Proterra, he spent 6 years, working on EV battery development, infrastructure for airports, workplace, and universities as well as smart city and DOE projects. Bill convinced Elon & the SpaceX team to install 30 level 1 chargers in their parking structure for employees. He has presented at multiple GigaFactory and Battery conferences, the Pentagon, Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Bill continues to be a passionate and knowledgeable, (“EVangelist”), spokesperson for the EV Industry.

Seth Yates is a seasoned technical manager with 25 years of expertise in engineering, specializing in power electronics and battery systems. He has a proven history of delivering high-volume products in the consumer electronics and vehicle electrification sectors. Seth’s career in electrical engineering began in motorsport with a leading Formula One team, before spending over 20 years at Dyson, pioneering new technology in high-performance motors and batteries.

Currently, Seth is leading the charge at Turntide Technologies, focusing on sustainable solutions for electrified transport. He is responsible for developing and delivering Lithium-Ion product technology from initial concept to mass production and beyond. Passionate about engineering, innovation, and sustainability, Seth is enthusiastic about new challenges and opportunities at Turntide Technologies.

Bahareh Yazdani is a Material Engineer with extensive skills in Li-ion cell manufacturing, solid-state batteries, nanomaterial, and multifunctional composites. She completed the PhD from the University of Exeter in 2015 within three years and seven peer-reviewed published papers. She started her career journey in 2005, working as a research assistant after master degree on Li-ion batteries cathode material and supercapacitors with 18 published papers. She continued the career by entering the Li battery industry and working on Solid-state batteries and then working at UKBIC to scale up battery manufacturing in UK.  As Head of Technical Authority- Batteries at Ricardo, she is responsible for Ricardo battery portfolio pipeline, selling the battery solution to customers and ensuring excellence project delivery as project director. She is responsible for developing Battery Road map and strategies to drive future growth and identifying new opportunities.

Dr. Faezeh Zarrinkhat is a Scientist at TeraView Ltd., Cambridge, UK, the pioneer and global leader in terahertz technology. Her work focuses on developing innovative terahertz sensing solutions for multilayer structures in industrial applications, with a particular emphasis on enhancing quality control and process optimization in battery electrode manufacturing. By leveraging TeraView’s cutting-edge technology, she helps improve the detection of defects and inconsistencies in battery electrode coatings by monitoring thickness, density, loading, and conductivity simultaneously.

She earned her PhD in Bio-sensing from Barcelona Tech – UPC, Spain (2022), where she conducted research on bacterial dielectric spectroscopy. During her doctoral studies, she was a visiting researcher at Aalto University, Finland (2020), working on corneal terahertz imaging, and at Cambridge University, UK (2022), focusing on numerical image-based modeling of biological tissues.

Dr. Zarrinkhat holds a BSc (2012) and MSc (2016) in Telecommunication Engineering from SUTech and KNTU, Iran, respectively. In addition to her research, she serves as a peer reviewer for the IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology

Bob started at Hewlett-Packard in 1984.  During his 39 years with HP, Agilent, and now Keysight, Bob has been part of the company’s marketing and R&D organizations for power supplies, electronic loads, power analysers, data acquisition equipment, test systems and test software.  Now, as a solution architect, Bob is responsible to create Keysight’s EV testing solutions roadmap by researching customer and industry trends and developing plans to meet emerging customer needs. He was product manager for several generations of power supplies, including the first modular power system introduced by HP in 1989.  He has also managed Agilent’s power supply test systems business, wireless power business, and battery test systems business.

Bob holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA.