The non-executive directors on the startup board are Frances O’Grady, the former general secretary of the TUC; Frank Mitchell, the former boss of Scottish Power’s power networks business; Kate Gilmartin, the chief executive of the British Hydropower Association; Nina Skorupska, the former chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association; and Valerie Todd, a former HR director at Siemens UK.
GB Energy emerged as one of Labour’s most popular election manifesto pledges after the party promised that investing public funds in clean energy would help the UK meet its climate targets while bolstering the economy and cutting energy bills by up to £300 a year.
The government promised in September that it would appoint an interim chief executive “soon” to set up GB Energy in Aberdeen, where it would “supercharge” Britain’s clean energy revolution.
Another source said: “There are many experienced energy executives already based in Aberdeen who have a strong track record in the oil and gas industry – but they wouldn’t necessarily be the best fit for the government’s clean energy company.
GB Energy faces ‘challenging’ task to find CEO for Aberdeen HQ, sources say Industry insiders say it will be ‘tricky’ to find suitable candidate who would agree to location and civil service pay.
