Our Team
The Board
Christian Kjaer
Board Chair
Christian Kjaer is Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer at SuperNode Ltd in Dublin, Ireland. SuperNode Ltd. is a cutting-edge global technology development company that designs and delivers terrestrial and sub-sea superconductor-based technology for bulk power transmission.
Christian has been involved in renewable energy for more than 20 years. He was CEO of the European wind energy sector’s lobby group WindEurope in Brussels for seven years between 2006 and 2013 and the organisation’s policy director for four years prior to that. Christian has been Head of Unit in the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi, senior adviser at the Nordic Council of Ministers’ energy unit, Nordic Energy Research in Oslo and CEO of Danish wind energy association, WindDenmark.
Marie Hayden
Vice-Chair
Marie is Managing Director of Grid Enhancing Technologies Ltd and a senior consultant to advanced High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) wire manufacturer, MetOx International. She has more than 30 years operational and executive experience in the electricity industry in Europe, USA, and Australia. She held multiple leadership roles with EirGrid, the transmission system operator in Ireland, before joining the US based start-up company Smart Wires. At Smart Wires she led Business Development activities in Europe and Australia, working with pioneering utilities to adopt Smart Wires modular power flow control technology. After leaving Smart Wires in 2022, Marie set up her own company, Grid Enhancing Technologies and joined the MetOx International team as a consultant advising on Business Development in March of that year.
Marie is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland and is presently undertaking the Chartered Directorship program with the Institute of Directors.
Mark Norton
Vice-Chair
Mark Norton has worked in the international electrical utility industry for 31 years, 14 of those in management. During his career, he has worked in the evaluation, design and planned development of power networks in Ireland and throughout Europe. In his current role as Vice President of European Business Development with pioneering power technology firm Smart Wires, he is working with some of Europe’s largest utilities helping them solve their biggest business challenges.
Mark's previous roles and responsibilities have included chairing the steering group for the European ten-year network development plan, developing the Irish Grid Development Strategy, leading the development of a network code which is now European Regulation for new demand users, and making investment decisions for network development projects with a five-year capital budget of over 1 billion Euros.
Stephan Herberer
Treasurer of the Board
Stephan has 30+ years of energy infrastructure experience. He has actively worked in the field of condition monitoring with a focus on asset management. He has been involved in various strategic monitoring and analytics projects around the world, focusing on the optimization of T&D infrastructure for power generation, transmission, distribution, offshore wind farms, and the oil and gas industry. He has served in executive positions in Zurich, Glasgow, Manchester and lastly in Bologna for companies like ABB, Qualitrol, HVPD, Techimp and Doble.
He shares his passion for personal disruption, helping individuals transform their careers, teams and performance through leadership and change management.
His dedication for transforming organizations and bringing them to the next level was revealed when he used to be Nexans Shift Transformation Program Lead and during when he successfully worked towards the improvement of the financial and individual performances.
Before that, Yann spent multiple years at Cavotec where he ended as Chief Marketing Officer at Cavotec, responsible for developing the value creation of the electrification of mobile equipment after some years as Airport Division head in the UAE where he supported the growth of the airport infrastructure electrification and the market adoption of disruptive GSE (Ground Support Equipment) systems.
He is driven by one motto: “Make a dent in the universe”
Duncan Burt
Member of the Board
Duncan was formerly Operations Director for the GB Electricity and Gas Transmission Grids and Chief Sustainability Officer for National Grid Group. In these roles, he oversaw the development of the British Power Grid as it became the fastest decarbonizing grid in the G20, saw the first coal-free operation of the GB electricity system, and set a strategy for zero carbon operation by 2025. Alongside this, Duncan worked closely with a range of TSOs across the globe in the run-up to COP26 in Glasgow and was named one of the Global Top 100 Sustainability leaders by Sustainability Magazine.
Peter Hughes
Member of the Board
Peter Hughes, CTC Global’s VP Europe, joined CTC in 2016 and leads a team in developing ACCC® business across Europe and promoting Advanced Conductor technology as a component in meeting energy transition objectives. Peter has also been instrumental in rolling-out CTC’s new InfoCore™ composite core monitoring technology and other overhead line innovations. With a background in engineering and an MBA, Peter has previously worked in defense projects and specialist logistics areas. Peter is currently based in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Oluf Ulseth
Member of the Board
Oluf is an experienced chief executive, board member and chair in the renewables industry, and former State Secretary to the Norwegian Prime Minister. He is a board member in Heimdall Power AS. He advises investors and companies within renewables and the green transition, with a particular focus on policy framework, regulatory and strategy. His other board positions include Board chair in Passer Group and Chair of the Supervisory Board in EPS.
From January 2019 until October 2021, Oluf served as State Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister Erna Solberg. Before joining government, he was the CEO of the Norwegian power industry association Energy Norway. This included extensive work at EU level, having several senior roles at the European power industry association EURELECTRIC. Oluf's experience from energy also includes SVP at Statkraft and State Secretary in The Norwegian Ministry for Petroleum and Energy.
Yann Duclot
Member of the Board
Yann Duclot, Nexans Acceleration Units Director, has 26 years of experience in leading electrification innovative engineering organizations . He leads organizations operationalize a high-growth mindset and bringing to market innovations that contribute to sustainability and a higher financial performance.
He shares his passion for personal disruption, helping individuals transform their careers, teams and performance through leadership and change management.
His dedication for transforming organizations and bringing them to the next level was revealed when he used to be Nexans Shift Transformation Program Lead and during when he successfully worked towards the improvement of the financial and individual performances.
Before that, Yann spent multiple years at Cavotec where he ended as Chief Marketing Officer at Cavotec, responsible for developing the value creation of the electrification of mobile equipment after some years as Airport Division head in the UAE where he supported the growth of the airport infrastructure electrification and the market adoption of disruptive GSE (Ground Support Equipment) systems.
He is driven by one motto: “Make a dent in the universe”
Mart Duitemejier
Member of the Board
Mart Duitemeijer, VEIR’s Managing Director of Business Development & Regulatory in Europe, leads efforts to bring VEIR’s products to market in Europe. VEIR’s next-generation superconductors deliver 5-10x the capacity of traditional systems, reduce permitting times, minimize energy losses, and optimize infrastructure layouts. By partnering with grid operators, utilities, renewable developers, and large consumers like data centers and energy-intensive industries, VEIR helps clients enhance competitiveness while advancing decarbonization goals.
Mart brings over a decade of experience in energy, innovation, and international collaboration. He founded his own company, contributed to the design of the European electricity market, and led the Dutch Consulate in Boston, focusing on innovation and technology.
Next to his role at VEIR, he is a Research Affiliate at MIT’s Murray Lab. He holds an MS in Engineering and Management from MIT and an MA in International Political Economy from the University of Groningen.
The Secretariat
Ewan Ramsay
Policy and Communications Officer
Ewan has an M.S.c in International and European Governance, specialising in climate change and climate policy. At CurrENT he has worked on promoting the benefits of Innovative Grid Technologies in the renewable energy sector with a focus on facilitating widescale deployment of IGTs through advocacy. Ewan is passionate about the future of clean energy and is committed to leveraging technological advancements to enhance grid efficiency, sustainability, and resilience.
- Email:[email protected]
The Directors and Working Group Members
Hilary Pearson
Hilary Pearson has been working on clean energy policy for nearly two decades. Passionate about the technology and policy solutions needed to accelerate the clean energy transition, she currently works as Vice President of Policy & External Affairs at LineVision, a rapidly growing climate tech company, helping utility partners around the world lead the energy transition by enabling enhanced grid flexibility, resilience and security. She is also the Board Chair of the Working for Advanced Transmission Technologies (WATT) Coalition, which represents companies interested in bringing technology solutions to the US electric transmission system to improve reliability and efficiency for American citizens and businesses.
Hilary has served in key roles in the utility sector, the solar industry, and the US Senate, starting her career working for the former Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works committee, where she held a variety of legislative and field-based roles.
Hilary holds a BA in Political Science from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as well as a Program Certificate from U.C. Berkeley in Corporate Social Responsibility.
Jay Vitha
VP of Strategy at MetOX
Jay has 10 years of experience in the energy industry working for banks, renewable project developers, infrastructure debt funds and large electricity retailers. Jay has worked in physical commodity operations, solar project finance, electricity product innovation and carbon offset business development. At MetOx, he applies his experience to assist in fund raising initiatives, market research, financial modelling, and other strategic initiatives.
Jay has a BA, Masters in Environmental Management and an MBA from Duke University in Durham, NC.
John Fitzgerald
CEO of SuperNode
John is the CEO of SuperNode a technology company developing superconductors for energy transfer. John has extensive experience of power systems and grid infrastructure. He was the Director of Grid Development & Interconnection with EirGrid, the Irish TSO, with responsibility for all onshore transmission and the development of interconnection. Prior to this, John was Project Director of the East West Interconnector, directly connecting the electricity markets of Ireland and Britain for the first time in 2012 with, what was then, the largest HVDC scheme of its kind in the World. John has been involved in the successful development of major energy infrastructure projects and corporate initiatives in the electricity and gas sectors across Ireland, the United Kingdom and Europe. A graduate of University College Dublin, he is a Bachelor of Electronic Engineering and holds an MBA from the UCD School of Business.
Robert Mork
Twenty years of experience working with the development of wholesale energy markets, and a range of leadership positions among U.S. state consumer advocates and in state, regional, national utility law associations and now in Europe too. Robert Mork loves figuring out new things and thinking outside current models to develop new approaches which can work for everyone, including end-use customers that the utility industry is supposed to serve.
Brian Berry
Chair of Incentives Regulation
Brian Berry brings over 14 years of experience to the energy sector. He leads with a senior and strategic perspective at Ampacimon, where he spearheads innovative solutions to address the intricate challenges faced by power systems. His previous roles at Reactive Technologies, GE and Eskom involved technical leadership, strategy and delivery of solutions focusing on improving power system operations with stability monitoring and control.
Grace McLoughlin
Regulatory Affairs Director
Grace McLoughlin works with Smart Wires as Manager Marketing & Communications. Based in Dublin, she works in the areas of business development, project execution, and regulation. She has a strong interest in energy policy and regulation, believing that it can become an enabler of the energy transition by supporting the use of flexible modular solutions. Grace holds a Bachelor of Commerce International from University College Dublin.
Jessica Harrison
Executive Director at VEIR
Jessica Harrison has spent most of her career tracking trends across the power sector and developing strategies to innovate. She has multi-disciplinary experience in public policy, economic analysis and engineering analysis.
Specialties: research, innovation, strategy, energy investment decision-making, standards development, regulation, policy, private sector, non-profit, Wholesale markets, partnerships, energy storage, distributed energy resources, demand response, electric vehicles, energy efficiency