Partners & Mentors

Prof Norman K. McLennan

I am a respected business improvement professional in the areas of business development, project management, surveying, supply chain management, commercial practice and contractual advice.

Ray Milne

I am a time-served mechanical engineer with 23 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, and an MBA from Robert Gordon University. I possess specialist knowledge of oil and gas, subsea engineering and offshore drilling sectors. I am an award-winning strategic planner, skilled in market research and social and digital media, contract and account management.

Rory Ingram

I am a senior knowledge exchange fellow at NMIS, leading a steadily growing team of design engineers supporting companies in the development of new products and systems. I studied product design engineering and went on to become a graduate design engineer working on lithium ion batteries for defence applications, an R&D engineer working on motorcycle accessories, a technical manager developing technical ropes, tethers and moorings for maritime applications, a design engineer and a senior design engineer. Prior to my current role in NMIS, which is technology and sector agnostic, I was a global product responsible engineer for a large oil and gas OEM developing topside and subsea workover equipment.

Sidney Johnston

My role has been to establish an Innovation Centre within SPEX Group in order to develop new proprietary technologies and secure funding for the development of these technologies so that they can be commercialised. 

Sonia Lalli

I am a management consultant within the resources sector with a focus on digital transformation, business improvement, talent strategy, business change and organisational development. I work with a range of clients within the sector to advise on organisational design and improvement across people, process, systems, technology, data and culture to realise a company’s vision. 

Steve Bruce

I specialise in new technology development – from fag packet to patent filing. I have been involved in technology development with global service companies and with new technology start-ups for the last 25 years from the basic idea stage right through to patent filing. I am the named inventor in multiple granted and under-examination patents.  

Steven Moore

As Metron is a technology SME, my role is broad in scope but focused on business management and improvement. I am experienced in implementing robust but pragmatic finance, QHSE, commercial, HR and operational delivery systems, with a focus on the unique needs of smaller business operations. My experience includes commercial management (especially with complex technical proposal development), commercialisation of R&D activities, constructing new partnership frameworks, business planning, analysis, financial modelling and strategy development for business growth, stabilisation or turnaround and recovery. I am additionally experienced in operations and production management, specifically in implementing performance management systems, building teams and developing new facilities.

Tim Gibbons

I am the managing director of a sales training company. I recognised the need to provide training that was tailored to the specific needs of the team and the specific products that they were selling. I provide a range of services from one-off training courses to year-long training programmes covering all aspects of selling. I have supported a variety of companies but my particular focus is with technology and technical services, where many of the people involved in sales have a technical background and very little sales experience.

Tony J. A. Laing

I am a business consultant and advisor. Over the last seven years as an independent consultant I have supported a range of organisations, drawing upon my commercial and technical experience spanning over 40 years. This has included large corporates, SMEs, academia and government organisations. The commercial and technical experience has enabled me to support board level and technical developers in addressing business opportunities. 

Troy Stewart

I am the head of energy industries for UK and Ireland at ABB. I have experience creating value for customers using technology, deep domain expertise and alternative commercial models in a profitable and sustainable manner. I have developed collaborative partnerships within the energy industry. My experience with coaching and mentoring extends to those within and outside ABB, including helping companies and individuals with the energy transition.

Will Leonard

I am responsible for repositioning ABB’s business towards growth sectors utilising digital technology, new services, innovative business models and defining the strategy for emerging segments (i.e. clean energy). I am also the business lead for strategy transformation and partnerships, i.e. solution or market entry/exit (investment, divestment, acquisition, horizontal & vertical partnerships). I lead growth segment teams across chemicals and new energy, as well as running innovation programs from ideation to product and portfolio leadership, customer implementation and product lifecycle management. I create, facilitate, capture and test the outputs of creative ideation and intrapreneurship, while defining market opportunity and go-to-market planning.

Alan Duncan

Advantage is a single person consultancy so, as director, I’m also principal consultant. I provide strategic, commercial and sales / business development advice and direct support to companies (usually technology focused SMEs). Having extensive international experience, I often help with international market entry and development, including the identification, screening and appointment of local partners.

Angus MacLeod

I presently work in a central team advising and supporting well integrity activity globally within BP. I have over 24 years’ industry experience working across drilling, completions, interventions, well P&A, technology development and commercialisation.

Audrey Orhon

I have 22 years of leadership experience in the offshore/subsea energy industry, and am currently the general manager of an umbilical manufacturing facility located in Rosyth, Scotland. Here, I am responsible for the overall leadership of the business including safety and wellbeing of personnel, profit and loss, as well as development and growth of the business.

Carmen Moreno Morales

I am a senior investment associate at Repsol, an oil and energy company, where I help identify the technology to achieve our net zero commitment. I identify, source and evaluate new investment opportunities across the whole energy sector value chain, and I assist individual portfolio start-ups. I also execute internal projects as needed, including developing and researching investment theses. My background is in international business and business administration with a Masters degree in Corporate and Institutional Communications with more than 10 years of experience in the energy sector.

Donald Girvan

I am a specialist in strategy consulting, general management and mentoring/coaching with 30+ years SME general management experience, based in both the UK and overseas. 

Caroline Roberts Haritonov

I am managing director and chief consultant specialised in technology qualification, reliability engineering, technical risk management and predictive integrity management, with a focus on subsea, pipelines, well P&A, offshore renewables and more recently, net-zero technologies. 

Christopher Bird

I am the chair and in the executive leadership for Birkdale Energy group and Riskwell Limited. Birkdale is an oil and gas/energy company that is acquiring energy assets in Southeast Asia, but also provides energy consultancy and technology services across Europe and the Middle East. Riskwell is a software (with consultancy) technology company specialising in decision and risk management applications to improve business success and sustainability.

Dave Russell

I am a business advisor with experience in sectors which include energy, petrochemicals, engineering contracting and consulting. My skills include energy transition consulting, business development, customer care, business transformation and technical advisory. I am experienced in the application of process technology and process innovations, and am passionate about sustainability, digitalisation and performance improvement. In 2015, I established Leviticus Consultants offering technical advisory, business transformation and business development consultancy services including non-executive director support. I was previously executive director at Genesis Consultants, where I had full P&L responsibility for the £17M p.a. business and 150 personnel. Since inception, I have supported the TechX accelerator as a mentor.

Denis Pinto

Consultant with extensive commercial and engineering skills in flow measurement as well as hydrocarbon allocation and accounting within the oil and gas industry in both domestic and international markets.

Derek Smith

Currently owner and principal at ElmSeat Consulting, where I support firms not only to identify but also to execute strategies that will transform their businesses. Over my career I have held chief executive, managing director, group finance director and CFO roles in SMEs ranging in size from start-ups to >£100 million turnover. I have worked extensively in Europe, Middle East, Americas and Asia Pacific in the oil and gas sector as well as periods in the food industry and in safety consultancy.

Donna McWilliams

Currently managing director at Electra Learning, where we deliver Training and Change Management services to Corporate Energy clients when they are upgrading or implementing IT Business Systems. We have offices in the UK and Canada so have experience of working internationally. In my role, my focus is on business growth, strategy, managing people and process.

Eleanor Akers

As director/founder of Innovative Energy Consultants Ltd, I am responsible for attracting new clients to the business, negotiating fees, defining scopes of work and providing the agreed upon services to our clients. This business is in its infancy (founded Jan 2021) and is rapidly growing. I work with businesses seeking to become more sustainable and/or to commercialise energy and sustainability tech.

Elliot Kinch

A well intervention and completion specialist with over 25 years’ industry experience, I have dedicated over 10 years to the offshore deployment of well intervention, as well as conventional and intelligent completion technology product lines. My project management experience of the design and deployment of these technologies in many international regions gives me valuable connections, knowledge and understanding of the subsea arena and specifically the challenges faced by an industry tasked with effective well plugging and abandonment. I hold a Masters in Oil and Gas Enterprise Management from the University of Aberdeen.

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Fernando C. Hernandez

As principal at Hernandez Analytica, I am involved in projects (in the private and government sectors) in CCUS, hydrogen, hydrocarbons and renewables. I am also a chairman at the Marine Technology Society and a task group lead for the American Petroleum Institute. Additionally, I work with a Wall Street firm on international energy projects, giving me a holistic view on the global flows of commodities and energy, and the role of technology. I have featured in Capital.com, Forbes, Journal of Petroleum Technology, Market Insider, National Interest, Ocean News, Oilprice.com, Offshore Engineer, Offshore Magazine, Society of Petroleum Engineers and Yahoo Finance.

Fraser Dunsmore Pritchard

I am a founding partner at Columbus Energy Partners, offering strategic advisory on corporate direction, commercialising disruptive technologies, leadership development and effectiveness of boards, business development of markets and channels, as well as capital restructuring.

Garry Millard

I have 40+ years of multi-disciplinary experience in a diverse range of companies within the global energy sector, but primarily in the oil and gas subsea sector. My work ethos is commercially driven with a strong contractual and customer focus. I have significant experience working with multi-ethnic and cultural customers, partners and colleagues. I am Masters degree qualified and have extensive experience working with private equity backed businesses as a director / MD / CEO and specialise in developing and implementing strategy, globalisation, M&A, commercialisation of IP / patented technology, and developing commercial and contractual models. I have worked with TechX companies as a mentor since Cohort 1.

Hamish Milne

I am a business growth consultant with a long career as founder member and director of a major Scottish private sector company supporting early-stage companies to develop and grow through mentorship. I draw on over 20 years investing in and working with early-stage companies in new technologies, including oil and gas and renewable energies, bioscience, media and property and construction.

Hugh McIntyre

I have over 20 years of management experience on challenging engineering projects globally, and in IT management positions delivering systems support and project management. I have developed an ability to combine the delivery focus of construction with the unique challenges of IT to establish a track record of delivery on major projects. Together with a deliberate effort to acquire skills in behavioural science and organisational design, I bring a level of leadership to work comfortably at CEO/VP level of any organisation to provide change management programmes and business process improvements through multi-million dollar projects.

John Butler

I am global head of strategy and development for both energy and energy transition within Global Maritime. A chartered mechanical engineer and a fellow of the IMarEST, I have previously worked on developing alternative energy strategies through a series of industry-led initiatives. I now support Global Maritime in delivering marine solutions across the blue economy in the shipping decarbonisation, aquaculture, offshore renewables and oil and gas sectors. 

John MacGillivray

I am a board member and business strategist supporting early stage SMEs grow and scale, with extensive multi-sector commercial, operational and NPD (R&D) knowledge. I have a multi-year track record of assisting companies win grants and national awards, and have been coaching, mentoring and supporting NZTC clients (and others) since launch.

Kay Drummond

For the past seven years, I have provided a rare blend of strategic business guidance with hands-on marketing and communications leadership for a range of global and local brands. Working in partnership with my clients, I help position their businesses to best effect and ensure we achieve maximum brand awareness through development of all the right messages in support of their business propositions and to promote business growth. I have a lifetime of experience in journalism, newspaper management and corporate communications, most recently in a global role in the energy industry.

Kenny Murdoch

I am an operational CFO who gets things done, with 30 years’ experience mainly in the energy sector, focused on strategy development, business performance improvement, transformation/turnarounds and funding growth. I am skilled within global high technology, innovation, research and digital transformation. I am a university governor at the University of the West of Scotland, while working via a global learning and development firm to mentor and coach global business executives.

Malcolm Banks

Currently working as part-time consultant focusing on supporting small and start-up organisations with technical, coaching and mentoring support. 

Mark Bennett

I am currently working for a small consultancy providing commercialisation support to SMEs engaged in EC funded R&D. 

Mark Richards

I have over 40 years of experience in the oil and gas service sector, including 21 years at Schlumberger and 16 years at CGG. I have worked on offshore seismic acquisition, marine operations, HR, marine sales and business development. I now run my own business as a financial broker and am a full-time consultant for the Chinese company BGP, as global SVP heading up their multi-client business. I work at executive level in IOCs and NOCs, and at a ministerial level for government contracts. I have developed multi-million dollar projects globally, responsible for P&L and $250M revenues. I have been a director on several boards, in the UK and internationally.

Martin McCormack

I am responsible for ETZ Ltd’s activities in the hydrogen and CCUS domains, working to develop hydrogen and CCUS economies in Northeast Scotland. Our decade of hydrogen experience and being on the doorstep of 30% of the UK’s CO2 offshore storage sites means that “we’re open for business”. I am a member of the Northeast Scotland CCUS (NECCUS) Board and the BEIS Hydrogen Sector Development Working Group, as well as a founding member of the Northeast Scotland Hydrogen Ambition Steering Group.

Neil O’Brien

I lead Accenture’s energy, chemicals and natural resources industry, focusing on sustainability and digital transformation of businesses, operations and plant. I work closely with strategy, consulting, Industry X.0, applied intelligence, interactive, technology and operations teams to unlock value and help our clients rotate to new sources of sustained long term value.

Nigel Lees

I am a strategist, thought leader, exec and non-exec director, and experienced chair with over three decades of experience in the energy sector, from oil and gas through renewables and onto the development of alternative energy solutions for the future.

Patrick Brown

Venture activities within the ClimateTech space on behalf of a large professional services firm including the identification and assessment of novel start-up solutions to identify investment and partnership opportunities. This process involves market sensing, founder outreach and due-diligence activities as well as supporting a number of accelerator programmes with start-up mentorship (e.g. Gravity Challenge, Conception X, Digital Catapult). 

Paul de Leeuw

A senior industry leader with 34+ years’ experience in the global energy industry, I am currently the director of Robert Gordon University’s Energy Transition Institute, chair of the National Energy Skills Accelerator, chair of PlanSea Solutions, a Board member of the International School in Aberdeen and a professor at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Penelope Hope

I am a transformational, purpose-driven serial entrepreneur with a 10+ year track record in finance and business leveraging skills from investment banking into growth companies. I am an expert at positioning brands to resonate with audiences by communicating through mission and values. I have consistently boosted profitability by exploiting the correlation between workplace satisfaction and commercial success. I am also a skilled communicator with a natural talent for propelling teams into change-making companies that exist for the social good.