Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Director operating in the Solar space. If you think a Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Peter Landau
Executive Director of Makomo Diamonds Limited
Mr Peter Landau is the founding director of Okap Ventures Pty Ltd and Komodo Capital Pty Ltd. Mr Landau is a former corporate lawyer and corporate advisor and has over 17 years’ experience in providing general corporate, capital raising, transaction and strategic advice to numerous ASX and AIM listed and unlisted companies. Mr Landau has project managed a significant number of oil and gas and mining and exploration and development transactions around the world including capital raisings, M&A, joint ventures and finance structures. Mr Landau is an Executive Director of various ASX and AIM listed resource companies including Range Resources Limited, Nkwe Platinum Limited, Black Mountain Resources Limited, Kaboko Mining Limited and Makomo Diamonds Limited.
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About Australian American Mining Corporation, Hipo Resources, Makomo Diamonds Limited, NKwe Platinum Limited: Makomo Diamonds Limited provides coal based energy solutions.
Vikas saluguti
Co-Founder and Director of Fourth Partner Energy
Vikas’ early career was spent as an investment banker with ABN Amro in Europe for over 10 years. Since his return to India, he has been a serial entrepreneur and investor in a variety of ventures in the area of water treatment, healthcare, IT and education. Vikas brings with him extensive experience in setting and scaling-up of businesses successfully.
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About Fourth Partner Energy: Fourth Partner Energy provides turnkey rooftop solar energy solutions for customers in India.
Godfrey Ainsworth
Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of IQE
Godfrey Ainsworth qualified as a Chartered Accountant and was employed by Coopers & Lybrand before becoming an audit partner and then corporate finance partner with Spicer & Oppenheim. He founded Gambit Corporate Finance in 1992, a practice specialising in the provision of corporate finance services where he was Managing Partner until his retirement from the firm on 30 November 2009. He has held several Non-Executive Directorship appointments, including assignments for 3i plc and the Welsh Development Agency. He has provided advice to IQE (formerly EPI) since its inception and was appointed to the Board in 1997. He was appointed to the Board of IQE Plc in April 1999, and was appointed chairman in February 2002.
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About : IQE is the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced semiconductor wafer products.
David Grant
Senior Independent Director of IQE
David Grant has a background in engineering and technology and was appointed to the Board of IQE Plc in September 2012. He was Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University from 2001 to 2012. Previously he held leadership positions in a number of international businesses including United Technologies Corp., Dowty Group plc and GEC plc. He has been a Vice-President of the IET, and was a Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2007 to 2012. He was awarded the IEE’s Mensforth Gold Medal in 1996 and in 1997 he was made a CBE for his contribution to the UK’s Foresight Programme. He has a PhD in Engineering Science from the University of Durham. Sir Grant was knighted in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to engineering, technology, and skills.
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About : IQE is the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced semiconductor wafer products.
Howard Williams
Director of Operations of IQE
Howard Williams has held a number of positions within both Manufacturing and Service industry sectors, with roles ranging from Engineering Management to General Management. He was a member of the founding team of EPI in 1988 and was appointed Operations Director for EPI in 1996. He was appointed General Manager of IQE Inc in 2002 and General Manager of IQE (Europe) Limited in 2003. He was subsequently appointed Chief Operations Officer in 2004 and was appointed to the Board of IQE Plc as Operations Director in December 2004.
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About IQE: IQE is the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced semiconductor wafer products.
Phillip Rasmussen
Group Finance Director of IQE
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About IQE: IQE is the global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced semiconductor wafer products.
Matthew Boyle
Finance Director of BBOXX
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About BBOXX: BBOXX designs, manufactures, and distributes plug and play solar systems.
James Batchelor
Managing Director, Automotive Division of Intelligent Energy
James Batchelor was appointed Managing Director, Automotive Division in October 2011. James brings a wealth of experience, including engineering leadership, business development, sales, technology licensing and partnership-forming responsibilities with large OEMs and their tier-one suppliers. James joins from Torotrak plc, a clean-technology development and IP licensing business, where he was responsible for the commercialisation of its innovative transmission systems across a number of global markets and applications. He has previously held senior engineering, commercial and business development positions at Land Rover, BMW AG and Trafficmaster plc, where he was responsible for its European subsidiary. As Managing Director, Automotive Division at Intelligent Energy James is responsible for expanding the company’s automotive business globally, building upon successful relationships such as its ongoing partnership with the Suzuki Motor Corporation.
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About Intelligent Energy: Intelligent Energy is a clean power systems company offering fuel cell and hydrogen generation technologies.
Peter Brown
Managing Director, Distributed Power & Generation Division of Intelligent Energy
Peter joined from Turbo Power System where he was Chief Executive. Turbo Power System manufactures high performance electric motors and generators, drives and power electronics. Prior to that, Peter’s experience spanned a number of roles in Customer Sales and Finance in Rolls-Royce’s Energy business, Vickers Specialist Engines and Vickers Defence Systems, culminating in the position of Executive Vice President for Customer Business for Rolls-Royce Energy.
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About Avnera, Intelligent Energy: Intelligent Energy is a clean power systems company offering fuel cell and hydrogen generation technologies.
Niels Kroninger
Director of Green Hedge
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About Green Hedge, Nimble & Agile Partners: Green Hedge is a leading developer and operator of low carbon electricity generation and storage projects.
Marzia Zafar
Director, Issues Monitor & Innovation of World Energy Council
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About World Energy Council: World Energy Council is a UN-accredited global energy body dedicated to delivering a sustainable energy system worldwide.
Jean Louis Cols
Technology Director of Invinity Energy Systems Plc
Jean-Louis Cols joined Intelligent Energy as Group Engineering Director in February 2013. During his 25 year career in Engineering, he developed a practical approach to bring technology products to market. He has worked in aerospace, wireless and semiconductors, serving diverse markets such as space telecoms, mobile phones, automotive and consumer electronics. Prior to joining Intelligent Energy Jean-Louis was at Head of Engineering programs at NXP semiconductors. During his career he has also held senior engineering management positions at Wolfson Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, Sony Ericsson and Matra Marconi Space. Jean-Louis holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts & Metiers in Paris and an MBA from HEC Montreal.
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About Intelligent Energy, Invinity Energy Systems Plc: Invinity Energy Systems Plc is a company which has created a method by which electrical energy can be stored in liquid form.
Paul Docherty
Operations Director of Invinity Energy Systems Plc
Paul Docherty is an operations director at RedT. Prior to joining RedT, Paul served as a business manager at Jabil Circuit Inc.
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About Invinity Energy Systems Plc: Invinity Energy Systems Plc is a company which has created a method by which electrical energy can be stored in liquid form.
Ed Porter
Energy Assets Director of Invinity Energy Systems Plc
Ed Porter is the energy assets director at RedT. He joined the company in December 2018 from Gazprom Marketing & Trading where he held the position of power portfolio manager, responsible for 1GW of UK assets. Prior to this, Ed held various senior positions for Gazprom, RWE npower and Innogy Renewables.
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About Invinity Energy Systems Plc: Invinity Energy Systems Plc is a company which has created a method by which electrical energy can be stored in liquid form.
Jim Crooks
Managing Director of PassivSystems
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About PassivSystems: PassivSystems was established in 2008 to develop leading-edge smart-home technology for the mass market.
Aviv Handler
Managing Director of ETR Advisory
Aviv Handler is Managing Director at ETR Advisory.
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About ETR Advisory: Energy Trading Regulati Ltd is a specialized, expert resource, which explains, and helps apply the complex labyrinth of European Energy.
Aviv Handler
Managing Director of ETR Advisory
Aviv Handler is Managing Director at ETR Advisory.
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About ETR Advisory: Energy Trading Regulati Ltd is a specialized, expert resource, which explains, and helps apply the complex labyrinth of European Energy.
Allan ‘Noel-edge’ Okello
CEO & Founder / Director of Plexus Wifi
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About Plexus Wifi: City wide Solar powered payg wifi for African cities
Judy Pearson
Co-Founder, Director of EcoLogicLiving
The marketing power behind the throne thanks to a marketing degree and Diploma in Business Management, Judy has been with EcoLogicLiving since the very beginning. She enjoys travelling to exotic locations and scuba diving, although looking after two children is proving just as much of an adventure!
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About EcoLogicLiving: EcoLogicLiving is a reseller and installer of renewable energy, heat, and power generation technologies.
