Judith will be introducing the session. She co-created All-Energy at the start of the century (the first show was held in Aberdeen in 2001) taking on every role imaginable. She is now responsible for creating the conference; PR (she has over half a century of PR activity under her belt); and as an Ambassador for the show. She was awarded MBE in 2014 for ‘services to renewable energy’; won the Scottish Green Energy ‘Outstanding Contribution’ award in 2012; and is a Fellow of the Society for Underwater Technology.

Since November 2018, Jim Smith has been leading SSE Renewables, which brings the together the development and operation of all SSE’s renewables assets under a dedicated management team. Jim joined SSE in 1988 and has held a wealth of development, production and management roles within large scale power generation and transmission as well as renewables. Jim has also held roles in Energy Portfolio Management and was responsible for SSE’s generation, gas storage and E&P assets too. He was previously the Managing Director of Renewable Development, responsible for the development and construction of onshore and offshore wind power projects.

Paul is a professional economist and, since 1992, has specialised in higher and further education markets, policy evaluation and economic appraisal and impact assessment of capital projects.

After being elected to the Scottish Parliament in 2011, Paul initially served on both the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee, and the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee. In addition to these roles, he served as the Parliamentary Liaison Officer to the Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy and Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment.

In September 2012, Paul first became a Scottish Government Minister with portfolio responsibility for Environment and Climate Change, before being appointed to the positions of Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs in 2014, and Minister for Business, Energy and Innovation in 2016. Paul currently serves as the Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, a post he has held since June 2018.

Claire has been Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, the representative voice of Scotland’s renewable energy industry, since October 2017. She is responsible for leading the organisation’s work to grow Scotland’s renewables sector and sustain its position at the forefront of the global clean energy industry.

Claire is a member of the First Minister’s Energy Advisory Board and the Renewable Energy Strategic Leadership Group, co-chaired by Scotland’s Energy Minister.