Meet our speakers and hosts
Speakers and hosts
This year’s impressive line-up of industry voices for the Carbon Crunch Summit will share insights, perspectives, and examples - highlighting how our sector can drive rapid decarbonisation while supporting inclusive growth.
Nigel Topping
Chair of the Climate Change Committee
Nigel Topping, CMG, has been a leader and key contributor to global initiatives that unite business and government in addressing climate change. He is the co-founder of Ambition Loop, a not-for-profit organization focused on driving systemic change through collaboration between businesses and governments. As the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP26, he launched transformative global initiatives, including Race to Zero, Race to Resilience, and GFANZ.
Previously, he was CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, following an 18-year career in manufacturing. Nigel was awarded a CMG in 2022 on Queen Elizabeth II's final honors list for his contributions to accelerating climate action and serves as an Honorary Professor of Economics at the University of Exeter
Lord Marvin Rees OBE
Baron Rees of Easton, former Mayor of Bristol
Lord Marvin Rees OBE is a member of the House of Lords and former Mayor of Bristol (2016–2024), where he led one of the UK’s most diverse and globally connected cities through a transformative era.
His tenure saw the delivery of over 14,000 homes, the launch of the £1bn Bristol City Leap energy partnership and the award-winning One City Approach to urban governance. A champion of inclusive leadership, Lord Rees now continues his work through the Lords and as Founder of Three and Two Ltd, advising cities, governments and institutions on unlocking solutions for climate, equity and urban development
Mark Apsey MBE
Senior vice president, Ameresco
Mark Apsey MBE leads UK operations for energy solutions provider Ameresco. He is passionate about engineering a sustainable future and champions the vital role engineers play in the energy transition. Mark played a key role in securing Ameresco’s partnership with Bristol City Council to deliver the award-winning Bristol City Leap, a long-term initiative focused on local jobs, people, and social value.
In 2020, he was awarded an MBE for services to sustainable energy. He was elected to the IChemE Board of Trustees in 2023 and currently serves as Immediate Past President.
Ben Westerman
Director of policy and advocacy, Electrify Britain
Ben Westerman works closely with Electrify Britain’s CEO to lead the organisation’s strategy and impact. He previously held senior roles including Director of Energy and Industrial Policy at Public First, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group, and Head of Energy and Climate Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce.
Ben has advised the Labour Party and served on key government groups such as the Green Technical Advisory Group and Transition Plans Taskforce. He is also a Fellow at the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity, with deep expertise in energy, climate policy, and sustainable economic transition.
Anne-Marie Friel
Project Partner, Pinsent Masons
Anne-Marie Friel is a specialist non-contentious construction and infrastructure lawyer, advising on major UK and international projects. She is an expert in collaborative contracting, NEC, joint ventures, sustainability and digitalisation in construction. Ranked by Legal 500 as a leading individual for Infrastructure, Anne-Marie sits on the steering group of the Net Zero Infrastructure Industry Coalition.
She has published widely, including a recent paper on Contractualising for Climate Change in the Society of Construction Law journal. Her work supports clients in navigating complex legal frameworks while advancing sustainable and innovative project delivery.
Sophie Fry
Head of sustainability policy development, Barclays Bank
Sophie Fry leads thought leadership on public policy approaches to support the net zero transition. Her work spans climate tech scale-up, Agritech deployment, biodiversity net gain, transition finance and mobilising private capital for clean hydrogen.
Previously, Sophie worked at HM Treasury as Private Secretary to the Economic Secretary and as a senior policy adviser in the Financial Services Group. She holds a degree in Government from Harvard University and dual master’s degree in Public Policy (MPP) and Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Oxford.
Adam Elman
Director of sustainability – EMEA, Google
As Google’s Director of Sustainability, Adam works at the intersection of the physical, digital, and natural worlds. He coordinates with Google's real-world and digital infrastructure teams, from real estate and supply chains to data centers and products, to ensure that the company is taking advantage of opportunities to strategically advance sustainability.
Previously, Adam held senior sustainability roles at Amazon, Marks & Spencer, and Klöckner Pentaplast, where he developed and delivered innovative sustainability strategies and programs that enhanced their environmental, social, and governance performance.
He has been recognised as one of the UK's top 100 environmental professionals and among the top 50 sustainability thought leaders and influencers globally.
Richard Risdon
Executive board director and regional managing director, UK and Europe
Richard Risdon was appointed to the Executive Board in January 2025 and leads our UK and Europe region. He brings a passion for health and safety, strong client relationships, and a collaborative, people-focused approach. With a civil engineering degree from Leeds Metropolitan University and over 25 years’ experience in the water sector, Richard took on leadership of the UK and Europe business in 2022.
He joined JN Bentley in 1999, became a board member in 2013, and played a key role in forming Mott MacDonald Bentley Contracting (MMBC) following the 2014 acquisition, where he served as Head of Operations.
Professor Denise Bower OBE
Group external engagement director
Professor Denise Bower OBE is Group Director for External Engagement at Mott MacDonald, responsible for market positioning and leading the company’s climate change commitments. She is a former Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds and Executive Director of the Major Projects Association.
Denise has worked extensively with the UK Infrastructure Client Group to improve major project delivery and has a long-standing track record of shaping complex programmes through strategic engagement. A Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, she was awarded an OBE for services to the engineering and construction industries.
Clare Rhodes-James
Development director, energy
Clare Rhodes-James is development Director for Energy at Mott MacDonald, leading the growth of the UK and European energy business across nuclear, gas, electricity, generation, storage and supporting services. With over 30 years at Mott MacDonald, Clare began as a hydraulic engineer working globally before gaining chartership and an MBA. She has since led energy sector development for over 25 years, supporting infrastructure finance from technical and commercial perspectives.
Clare drives sustainable growth through strategic planning, market insight and client engagement, helping shape investment strategies and partnerships across the energy landscape.
Dominika Nowosinska
Market lead, environment and society, UK and Europe
Dominika is the UK and Europe market lead for environment and society at Mott MacDonald. She is passionate about driving change that benefits both communities and the environment. Dominika works to integrate Mott MacDonald's global climate, environment and social practitioners, harnessing their diverse skills, expertise and experience to deliver impactful projects.
Dominika's vision and leadership are pivotal in advancing Mott MacDonald's mission to create sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions. As a Fellow with the Institute of Asset Management, Dominika collaborates with asset owners to address the challenges of complex infrastructure asset portfolios. She leverages collective strengths in strategic asset management, business change, value chain, and climate and sustainability. Supported by digital know-how, she helps clients realise value from their assets.
Madeleine Rawlins
Global practice leader, climate change
Madeleine was appointed global practice leader for climate change in November 2021. Madeleine joined Mott MacDonald in 2015 and has held several leadership roles, including leading the climate change portfolio in the International Development business unit between 2020 and 2021 and leading the Group Sustainability and Climate Change function from 2022 to 2024.
As global practice leader, Madeleine is responsible for developing skills and capability to deliver climate change services. As part of this role Madeleine has developed an in-house Climate Change Academy to upskill practitioners on decarbonisation and climate resilience and has led several engagements to drive industry-wide action on climate change.
Kerry Scott
Global lead for environment and society
Kerry leads our environment and society market, focusing on the growth of our climate, environment, social and sustainability services. Her role involves drawing together the expertise we have across the company so that we can better identify and engage with clients and provide the services that help them achieve their environmental and societal aims.
Rachel Ellison
Managing director, advisory and programme delivery, UK and Europe
Rachel is an experienced business leader with a background in the general management of large infrastructure projects. Rachel gained her experience as an engineer and project manager working on some of the largest and most challenging civil engineering schemes in the UK. She has led large multidisciplinary teams through the entire project lifecycle having successfully delivered schemes at feasibility and options stage and managed nationally significant infrastructure projects through planning, design and construction as well as having led large asset management programmes.
Alan Hendry
Sustainability lead, UK and Europe
Alan is Mott MacDonald’s European sustainability lead and is also the Glasgow City lead. Alan’s focus is on strategic sustainability opportunities and works with clients to address their key issues. Alan works across Mott MacDonald’s business sectors and has developed a strong network, both in the UK and globally.
Simon Harrison
Group head of strategy
Simon is a leading expert in energy policy and infrastructure development and is Mott MacDonald’s Group head of strategy. He has more than 30 years’ global experience spanning energy systems, nuclear and renewable power, electricity networks and infrastructure resilience.
Through his work, Simon has played a major role advising governments and private sector clients on engineering aspects of energy transition and sustainability. He currently combines his day-today work at Mott MacDonald with advising the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in the role of Clean Power Commissioner.
Simon has been honoured with Fellowship of several prestigious institutions, including the Royal Academy of Engineering and The Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Carbon Crunch 2025
Reaching net zero is no longer a distant goal - it’s a present-day priority. Join a select group of industry leaders for a one-day event exploring how to deliver net zero faster, fairer and more effectively across every stage of project delivery.
