Petter Allison

Director of Smart Metering, British Gas

Biography

Petter Allison is Director Smart Metering, leading the transformation programme to deliver smart metering across British Gas’ 16m energy customer accounts. This includes business design, technology and systems, process change, customer operations, and economics. Petter has held a range of roles in Centrica, including heading Metering & Payments, Head of Commercial in both Residential Energy and Home Services, Corporate Strategy & Development, M&A, telecoms and broadband development, and Commercial Director for BG Deutschland. Petter started his career as a project economist working in Africa and Asia for multilateral finance institutions.

Don Leiper

Managing Director, Energy Services, E.ON UK

Biography

Don Leiper was appointed Managing Director, Energy Services, in March 2008, having previously been in post as Director of Metering for two years.

Prior to that, Don held two IT roles, firstly as IS Manager in Retail and latterly as Chief Information Officer for E.ON UK. Don previously worked for East Midlands Electricity and is a qualified chartered accountant.

Jeff Douglas

Head of Network, Strategy & Development, Central Networks

Biography

Jeff Douglas heads the Network Strategy and Development activity at Central Networks, which is part of E.ON, one of the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas companies. Central Networks is the second largest electricity distributor in the UK, with around five million customers across Central England and 133,000kM of network.

He is a chartered engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Jeff’s career started in the Birmingham Area of the Midlands Electricity Board, before he undertook a range of operational and network design roles throughout the Midlands. After working in industrial and commercial energy field sales, and the headquarters energy marketing function, he held a variety of senior management roles in Shropshire, Birmingham and Worcestershire, including responsibility for field force delivery, network design, connection, operation and customer service, and the commercial and strategic network business aspects.

Jeff manages the strategic development of the network and the associated network investment and regulatory aspects, along with innovation and research and development. He is enthusiastic about the developing role of future distribution networks, and is leading projects on network scenarios and smartgrids within the Energy Networks Futures Group.

Jeff lives in Worcestershire, and is married with two daughters.

Chris Harris

Head of Retail Regulation, RWE npower

Biography

Chris Harris is the head of retail regulation at RWE npower, following a period as head of industry, networks and agreements. His background is in trading, consulting and asset management. He is a visiting professor in the Centre for Sustainable Power Distribution at the University of Bath.

Sarah Harrison

Senior Partner, Sustainable Development, Ofgem

Biography

Sarah took on leadership of Ofgem’s new Sustainable Development Division in September 09. The Division was created as part of Ofgem’s restructuring the aim of which is to increase Ofgem’s role in helping to meet Britain’s targets to cut carbon emissions. The Division brings together Environmental, Social and Consumer policy. It will lead on smart metering policy as well as enforcement and better regulation.

From 2005 Sarah was Ofgem’s Managing Director of Corporate Affairs and before that she was Ofgem’s Communications Director.

From 1994 – 1999 Sarah was the first Director of ICSTIS, the UK industry regulator for premium rate telephone services. Sarah’s earlier career was in government and public relations consultancy.

Walter Watson

SMART Go Early Programme Director, Scottish Power

Biography

An accredited Senior Black Belt, with 30 years experience in the utility sector, Walter has a proven track record for delivering results and managing business change. An effective manager & leader who has taken the opportunity to develop a diverse and extensive range of skills and experience across many disciplines including key roles in business strategy, commercial risk management, customer service and business transformation.

Practical experience of transforming a business through the deregulation of the UK energy market and review of the UK Energy Trading Arrangements has provided Walter with essential experience around the intricacies of a UK SMART meter deployment.