Utility Week Live, the UK’s only dedicated utilities exhibition, has named Simon Harrison as one of its Transformation Leaders for 2017. Simon is one of ten individuals who have embraced innovation and change in their companies across the energy and water sectors and more widely. He appears alongside some well-known individuals, including Elon Musk.
The accolade celebrates executives who are driving change and leading the way for the UK water, gas and electricity industries to become more flexible, sustainable and better suited to future demands. In light of changing consumption models, consumer demands, environmental change, disruptive new technologies and business models, adaptation is crucial if utilities are to serve their purpose and remain relevant.
Readers of Utility Week, Water & Wastewater Treatment, WET News and Network, key trade publications in the UK utility sector, voted to select the Transformation Leaders.
As Mott MacDonald's group strategic development manager, Simon’s activities and influence in the UK’s utilities sector were noted by voters who highlighted his whole-systems perspective across physical infrastructure and the built environment. Simon currently chairs the Institution of Engineering and Technology's (IET) energy policy panel and the Future Power Systems Architecture Project, a collaboration for the UK government between the IET and Energy Systems Catapult which is exploring the future needs of the UK’s electricity system and how solutions to those needs can be enabled at a time of transformational change. These activities have been facilitated and supported by his experience in directing key energy sector studies worldwide.
Commenting on the title, Simon said: “This accolade was a wonderful surprise and very flattering. However, it really reflects the many great people I've been working with over many years across Mott MacDonald, the IET and the Energy Systems Catapult."
Chris Davis, Mott MacDonald's director for professional excellence and practices, added: “The selection of Simon as one of Utility Week Live’s Transformation Leaders is very well-deserved recognition of his insightful and important thought leadership in the utilities sector.”
Simon will be speaking at Utility Week Live on 24 May 2017.
