Our Team

Gerry Jewson

Chairman

Gerry has over 35 years’ experience in the energy industry. Gerry established both West Coast Energy and Renewable Development Company (RDC) in 1996 and assembled a highly motivated and qualified team with a wealth of experience in all aspects of the renewables industry. Both RDC and West Coast had an impressive track record of wind energy development and Gerry was responsible for developing over 655MW of wind in the UK. Gerry was a member of the Welsh Government Energy and Environment Sector panel and sold West Coast Energy to ENGIE in 2014.

Sarah Smith

Managing Director

Sarah has had 30 plus years' experience in the power generation industry and has spent the last 8 years working with Gerry Jewson, initially at West Coast Energy where she led the sale of the company to ENGIE and is now the Managing Director of Wind 2. Sarah is Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Prior to joining West Coast Energy she was the UK Finance Director for International Power (now ENGIE). She has extensive experience of both renewables and conventional power generation including power plant operations, energy trading, project finance and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to International Power she was Regional Vice President at Edison Mission Energy, where Charles, Sarah and Gerry were responsible for the development of the Rhyl Flats Offshore wind project off the coast of North Wales, one of the first UK offshore wind energy projects.

Ian Thomas

Associate Finance & Commercial Director

Ian is a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has worked in the energy industry for 9 years, covering a wide range of financial aspects including financial management, renewable project financial modelling and taxation.

Chris Thomas

Technical and Development Director

Chris has over 14 years’ experience in the renewable energy industry working on every stage of project development from site identification, development, construction and operation. A Mechanical Engineer, Chris joined Wind 2 from ENGIE where he spent 6 years developing a range of renewable energy projects and portfolios involving onshore wind, offshore wind, solar and battery storage. Chris latterly was a statutory Director of ENGIE UK’s onshore wind portfolio, managing the asset management team including the project financing of a wind farm. Before ENGIE Chris spent 8 years at West Coast Energy developing wind farms as an Engineer and Project Manager, finally heading up their Technical Department. Chris has been active on a number of industry groups including RenewableUK’s aviation working group and was an early board member of the wind industry’s Aviation Investment Fund Company Ltd.

Fraser Mackenzie

Development Director

A chartered town planner, Fraser has worked in renewable energy for 12 years primarily as project director on EIAs for large scale commercial wind farm projects. Prior to this Fraser worked on the development of mobile telecommunication networks throughout the UK and as planning advisor with Scottish Natural Heritage. Fraser is a Director of Coigach CIC- an operational community owned wind turbine. Fraser has worked with Gerry since 2007 and joined the Wind 2 team on formation in 2016.

Kevin Flynn

Head of Land

Has a background in corporate real estate having spent the whole of his career dealing with land and property in one guise or another. He has worked across a variety of differing industries from Minerals, Commercial Agency, Telecoms, Retail and Local Authority leading on both Corporate Estates, Developments and Acquisitions/Disposals of land and property. Kevin entered the renewables industry in 2019 when working for Infinis, the UK’s leading generator of low carbon power from captured landfill and methane, leading their Estates and Planning team and assisting in the development of their own solar portfolio.

Pippa Ross

Project Manager - Land

Pippa has a master’s in Renewable Energy Development and comes with experience of working on high profile, strategic infrastructure projects including renewable, electricity and water.

Where she has secured Exclusivity Agreements, Heads of Terms, Option Agreements, negotiated commercial rates for Wind, Solar, Battery sites, substations, habitat management areas and lease terms to ensure land was secured in a timely manner and on mutually agreeable terms.

She will be involved in site selection and delivery of early-stage projects in both solar and Wind up to a gate point to be handed over to the Project Management team. This will involve securing the necessary planning, landowner and environmental consents in a timeframe which aligns with the project schedule.

Charles Williams

Consultant

Charles has had 30 years experience in the power generation industry. Charles is a qualified Engineer who has focussed on the power generation sector throughout his career. Initially working for Babcock Power in manufacturing and contracting, then for Southern Electric Power Generation and Edison Mission Energy developing and constructing large and medium scale power generation plants. For the last 20 years the focus has been on commercial development of large scale wind farms. Charles was one of the 3 founding members of Falck Renewables in 2002, and oversaw the successful development of a portfolio of 700MW as Business Development Director.

Janet Wagstaff

Marketing & PR Manager

With over 20 years of marketing and public relations experience, Janet has worked across various industries including construction, the public sector, manufacturing and FMCG.

As a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), she enjoys keeping up to date with the ever-changing marketing and PR landscape.

Janet has a genuine passion for renewables and the environment and joined Wind2 in May 2023.

James Bruce

Project Manager – Land

James, a Chartered Surveyor has over 20 years qualified experience dealing in all matters regarding the valuation, acquisition and disposal of land and property.

He has worked for National agencies including Knight Frank, DTZ, smaller niche practices and a few property developers. Specialising in land acquisition for wide ranging uses for the development of commercial and residential properties.

James will be working with the Land team and managing site selection and delivery of acquisition opportunities for renewable energy projects and battery storage solutions; up to a gate point to be handed over to the project management team.

James joined the business in July 2023 and has a genuine passion for renewable energy projects and the UK’s quest to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Mark Hensor

Grid Engineer

Mark graduated from Exeter University in 2008 with a Renewable Energy degree and has worked in the renewables industry since.

After a spell in London working as a sustainability consultant, he joined ICP Freedom Agrilek as a Project Engineer delivering wind, hydro and anaerobic digestor grid connections.

Mark joined Wind2 in April 2023 as Grid Engineer following nearly 9 years at Anesco as a Grid Project Manager, where he connected numerous Solar and Battery Storage projects to the grid, in the UK and the Netherlands.

Ryan Bissoonauth

Project Manager

A qualified Mechanical Engineer, Ryan has been working within project management since 2016. In his previous role within the renewables sector, Ryan was involved in the planning, design and tendering of multi-disciplinary renewable energy projects. Ryan brings his knowledge of engagement with the local planning authorities and statutory consultees, along with technical knowledge of renewable technologies to his role as Project Manager. Ryan joined Wind2 in April 2020.

Ewan Eley

Project Manager

Ewan has been working in the renewables industry for the past 9 years, with a direct focus on the development of wind energy projects from conception to installation and operation. Ewan has been responsible for managing the construction of over 50 consented wind energy schemes ranging from 500kW to 27MW. In recent years he has also had an involvement in managing operational duties for a portfolio of operational renewables developments between 50kW – 7.5MW. This gives a unique insight into maximising productivity of schemes at all stages of development. Ewan joined Wind 2 in May 2018.

Oliver Penney

Project Manager

Oliver has over 10 years' of experience working in the renewable energy industry, with a key focus on developing and project managing wind developments from initial site assessment, through the planning process to construction and commissioning. Oliver, a qualified engineer, recently completed an Engineering Doctorate at Swansea University which focused on specialist coatings for low temperature solar thermal collectors. Based in Swansea, Oliver will be focusing on our Welsh sites.

Karen Elliott

Project Manager

Karen has over 20 years of renewable energy experience. As a charted Town Planner, she worked initially at West Coast Energy, then ENGIE and subsequently EQUANS. She was involved with the development of 17 operational onshore wind farms in England, Scotland and Wales from inception to planning consent, the management of the production of the EIA and the appeal process. Karen was involved in the preparation of reports to support bids for the Round 4 offshore wind schemes. More recently she was involved with the consent process of over 500MW of solar and battery storage projects in The Republic of Ireland.

Iain Symon

Grid Manager

Iain has a wealth of experience across compliance, risk, system design and asset management having worked for National Grid Transmission, National Grid ESO, SSE Transmission and SSE Distribution.

As Grid Manager, Iain is responsible for managing Wind2's grid connection portfolio of over 1.2GW of renewable energy project connections, along with grid regulation, strategy and relationship informing future site search.

Iain is a member of The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and holds a professional certification in Asset Management from the Institute of Asset Management (IAM). Iain is also a Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) ambassador mentoring engineering students through the Arkwright Scholarship Trust.

Niall Hunter

Project Manager

Niall graduated with a Master of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow in 2021. Focussing his final 2 years of university on renewable energy, he immediately started in the renewable sector as a Project Developer in June 2021. In his previous role, he was responsible for developing and managing multiple commercial scale onshore wind projects in Scotland – this included initial site development, liaising with Planning Authorities and various consultants, working with distribution and transmission network operators to enable project grid connections, and putting projects through the EIA process in line with best practice. Niall started with Wind 2 as a Project Manager in May 2022, and with his mechanical engineering background, along with his knowledge of the renewable industry and technology, he will continue to manage the development of renewable energy projects across Scotland.

Hannah Brown

Project Manager

Hannah has been active in the renewables industry since 2009. She previously worked for Falck Renewables for 10 years contributing to the success of operational onshore wind projects totalling approximately 400MW. Hannah also brings a variety of project management experience from other industries having worked for Police Scotland and Robertson before joining Natural Power in their consenting team. She has worked on renewable projects, both pre and post planning consent, throughout the UK and is based in the Highlands of Scotland.

Janet Sanders

Project Manager

Janet has over 25 years of experience in the renewable energy industry and sustainability sector, including Project Manager and co-ordinator for several onshore wind and solar Developments of National Significance (DNS).

Janet holds a degree in Environmental Earth Sciences from Aberystwyth University, where her interest in sustainability and tackling climate change began. Janet began her renewable energy career with Dulas and went onto work at Aberystwyth University as carbon manager, NRW and most recently as Project Manager at Natural Power.

She brings extensive project management and renewable energy experience gained in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors and has worked with a wide range of stakeholders including industry, local authorities, communities and NGOs.

John Moisey

Renewable Project Manager

John has over 13 years’ experience in the Renewables Industry in the UK. He has worked in a consulting capacity covering all aspects of Client and Development Management including Environmental Impact Assessment co-ordination and preparation of major planning applications including the application of his specialist knowledge in Acoustics and Noise Control. John also has a wealth of experience working directly on the development of Wind and Solar projects with involvement in the design, planning, construction and operation of numerous renewable energy installations across Scotland for a private developer. John joined the Wind2 team in April 2023 to help in the expansion of the portfolio of sites across Scotland, he is based on our Perth Office.

Sam Leuty-Milner

Renewables Project Manager - Planning

Sam joined Wind2 in April 2024 to focus on the project management of wind developments from site investigation, feasibility and through the various stages of planning and development, as well as Planning Policy consultations and engagement.

Having graduating with an Urban Planning degree at the University of Birmingham, Sam also achieved a Masters in Planning and Urban Design from the University of Sheffield in 2014. In the following years, Sam earned a wealth of planning and development experience from the 9 years he spent in his Senior Planning and Development role at Tesni Properties. During that period, Sam focused on residential and commercial opportunities throughout England and Wales, from site search and acquisition and through Local Plan promotion and/or planning applications.

Sam also has a diverse background of voluntary experience in public and private sector organisations. Previously a Community Ambassador for his local town, he has also spent time volunteering abroad supporting the development of a village and school in rural Madagascar. Sam is an active member of the RTPI North West’s Regional Activities Committee and the chair of the region’s Education and Careers task group, championing the profession of planning and engaging with education facilities throughout the region.

Sam is an Associate Member of the RTPI but is seeking to progress to becoming Chartered in 2024.

Seren Whitley

Renewables Assistant Project Manager

Seren graduated from the University of Chester in 2018 with a degree in Geography. Seren has worked in the Planning and Development Sector for 4 years, with her previous role focusing on the development of sustainable residential projects from initial site search and acquisition to taking sites through the planning process. Seren has also become more actively involved in the renewables sector over the past year, working on the early stage identification and acquisition of Battery Energy Storage Sites.

Seren joined Wind2 in January 2024 as an Assistant Project Manager and will be focused on the management of BESS and wind developments from initial site identification and feasibility studies and through the various stages of development.

Seren is an Affiliate Member of the RTPI and hopes to progress to Associate Membership in 2024.

Vasu Raman Sharma

Project Manager

A mechanical Engineer with a master’s degree in renewable and sustainable energy, Vasu Raman has been associated with the renewable sector for over 3 years now. In his previous role, He was involved in the testing of the renewable samples and interacting with the clients. As a renewable engineer he has undertaken projects in sectors like Solar, Wind and Biomass. Vasu Raman brings a blend of mechanical and renewable energy knowledge for this job role as a Graduate Project Manager. Vasu Raman joined Wind 2 in March 2022.

Lucy Taylor

Project Coordinator - Land

Lucy graduated from the University of Chester in 2020 with a degree in Geography and Natural Hazard Management. Having studied topics including Environmental Sustainability and GIS, Lucy developed a keen interest in renewable energy which she pursued as a career.

Lucy has worked in the renewable sector for 3 years, focussing primarily on onshore wind projects in Scotland. In her previous role, Lucy worked on site identification, initial feasibility studies, design and development of large-scale wind projects. In addition, Lucy assisted with work on sites already in the planning process, including attending community engagement events and consultations and meeting with consultants and clients.

More recently, Lucy was involved in the initial feasibility studies and landowner identification for a large-scale solar site in England.

Lewis Molyneux

Graduate Design & Development Engineer

Lewis graduated Liverpool John Moores University with a degree in mechanical engineering. His keen interest in renewable energy led him to complete his dissertation on the reduction of drag on offshore structures for varying Reynolds number.

Lewis joined Wind2 in September 2023 and will be developing his design skills using large-scale wind project tools such as windPRO and PVcase.

Jack Goundrey

Apprentice Development Engineer

Jack is a higher-level degree apprentice development engineer currently studying for a BEng (Hons) in Low Carbon Energy, Efficiency and Sustainability at Wrexham Glyndŵr University.

Since joining Wind2 in September 2022, Jack has been working on site identification, design and development of large-scale wind projects learning tools such as QGIS and windPRO.

Aside from the skills he has amassed in the workplace, in his first year at University, Jack has studied Future Energy Systems, Engineering & Operations Management, Design and CAD, Analytical Engineering Techniques and how to write a professional standard Workplace Environmental Audit.

Carolina Norbury

Finance & IT Manager

Carolina is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and has over 15 years’ experience in finance and managing operational and commercial capital investments for large portfolios throughout Europe.

Carolina has worked across various industries including steel, glass and plastic manufacturing as well as construction. Joining the team in September 2022, she is responsible for the Wind2 day to day financial activity and providing financial information to the management team and Board of Directors to help deliver strategic financial planning.

Kristie Williams

Assistant Accountant

Kristie has a number of years experience working in accounts and previously worked in the insurance and manufacturing industries. Kristie has held a full AAT membership (MAAT) since 2019.

Kristie joined Wind2 in September 2022 and whilst new to the the world of renewable energy, she's really enjoying learning the complexities of the sector.

Sally Jones

HR and Administration Officer

Sally has a wealth of experience working in office administration, having previously worked in banking, financial services and local government.

Sally began working for Paula and Gerry in 2010 as a personal assistant and joined the Wind2 team in 2021.

Jane Bleasdale

Administration Officer

Jane has a wealth of experience and joined Wind2 five years ago. Jane provides clerical support to all project managers and the wider team as well as co-ordinating all daily administrative activities, including key documents and any IT issues.