The Faraday Battery challenge has expanded its strategic cross-sector advisory group and opened a new associate member programme for early-career battery innovators.
The new appointments broaden the industries involved in the group and include areas such as defence and risk investment.
With new and more diverse applicants, the advisory group is now a strategic body that can change the way industry thinks, acts and plans for battery manufacture and use in the UK.
New appointments
The new appointments are:
James Ambrose
Principal Engineer for Plant, Traction & Rolling Stock, National Rail
Sector: Rail
Tim Hawk
Director: Mining, Metals and Industries, Societe Generale
Sector: Risk investment, financial investment
Wasim Sarwar Dilov
Head of Research & Advanced Engineering, Rimac Technology
Sector: Off-highway automotive
Isobel Sheldon
Chief Strategy Officer, Britishvolt
Sector: Risk investment, battery manufacturing
Mark Thompson
Co-Founder & Managing Director, AceOn Group
Sector: Built environment
Simon Weeks
Chief Technology Officer, Aerospace Technology Institute
Sector: Aerospace
Shaun White
Senior Project Manager, Spear Power Systems
Sector: Maritime
Mike Wilson
Executive Vice President Logistics Manufacturing Services, DSV/Panalpina
Sector: Risk investment: Logistics, scaling business and market expansion
David Wotherspoon
Executive Director: Innovation, UK Defence Solutions Centre
Sector: Defence
Building a cohesive strategy
Working with the existing advisory group members, they will help shape policy, strategy and opportunities by sharing common and different knowledge and experiences.
Their diverse knowledge and experience will be crucial for FBC’s efforts to create a more cohesive strategy for electrification and energy storage across the UK.
Setting the UK apart
This line-up of influential experts from across different sectors has the potential to help shape the future direction for the UK battery sector.
With the right people around the table to make a difference, this unique ability to collaborate with competitors, researchers and different sectors will help set the UK apart.
Dick Elsy, Chair of AB Dynamics and Chair of the FBC advisory group, said:
The key to the success of the group is in its multi-sectoral nature.
Being able to share both common and different knowledge and experiences will be crucial for our efforts to create a more cohesive strategy for electrification and energy storage across the UK.
After our initial meetings there’s already real energy to the contributions and discussions we’ve had across the group.
It feels like we have the right people around the table to make a difference, as having this ability to collaborate with competitors, researchers and different sectors is unique across the globe.
To take advantage of the new and different perspectives from emerging talent in the sector FBC has also created a new associate member programme to bring diverse viewpoints to the challenge.
Delivering the future
The application process for the associate member programme targeted the next generation of innovators for the battery sector.
The team was looking for people able to:
- constructively challenge the advisory group
- provide new perspectives on FBC activities, views and strategy.
Nicholas Yiu and Nicole Melzack were successful in their applications.
Both have shown they have the skills and critical thinking needed to support and challenge the advisory group now and in the future.
As part of their successful appointments, Nicholas and Nicole will also receive valuable mentorship from members of the advisory group to help their own careers and skill development.
For more information on the Faraday Battery challenge and the advisory group, visit the Faraday battery challenge page.
Further information
The nine new members join the existing members of the advisory group, listed here:
(CHAIR) Dick Elsy
Chair, AB Dynamics
Sector: Automotive
Peter Bruce
Wolfson Professor of Materials, University of Oxford
Sector: Academia
Kevin Brundish
Founder and Director, AMTE Power
Sector: Battery manufacturing
Neil Collins
Technology Director, Johnson Matthey Battery Materials
Sector: Materials
David Greenwood
Director: Industrial Engagement, CEO: High Value Manufacturing Catapult, WMG
Sector: Academia and early-stage innovation
Philip New
CEO, Energy Systems Catapult
Sector: Energy
David Wright
Group Chief Engineer, National Grid
Sector: Energy
Top image: Credit: Credit: fizkes, Getty Images