Founder at ZOA Robotics

London, Greater London, United Kingdom

ZOA Robotics’ mission is to provide a serviced robotic solution for regular inspection of industrial sites. Our robots are designed create large, data dense maps of entire sites, providing an incredibly detailed picture of plant assets.

ZOA Robotics

Founder

Led on all commercial aspects of the project during the first phase of construction.The Tees Renewable Energy Plant is a landmark energy infrastructure project. Costing £650m to build, it will be the largest dedicated biomass power plant in the world, and is the largest thermal-combustion power plant under construction in the UK today.

MGT Teesside

Commercial Director

Worked with Macquarie teams on a broad range of areas to close this £950m project finance deal.Responsibilities included EPC contract negotiations, National Grid connection, detailed engineering and technical specifications, acceptance tests, financing plans and project documents.The project reached financial close in August 2016 backed by Macquarie Group and a lending syndicate of international banks.Construction started immediately thereafter.

MGT Power

Expert Consultant

Shadow designs and manufactures state-of-the-art anthropomorphic robot hands. As Commercial Director I took responsibility for turning around the company. In less than two years Shadow turned from annual losses to profitability, with an improved reputation for its products and robotics consultancy services.•	Restructured manufacturing process, tripling production of flagship product.•	Restructured management, creating clear lines of responsibilities and individual accountability.•	Introduced company-wide training programmes, performance reviews, policies and incentive schemes.•	Led R&D of new products and product lines, aligned sales team with broader company performance.•	Paid down debts, re-organised management accounts, formalised shareholder loans and stabilised finances.

Shadow Robot Company

Startup composed of top industry professionals, raised over £6m from private equity funds. Developed the world’s largest dedicated biomass power project (300MWe, £650m), associated fuel supply chain and related project financing contracts.•	Founding member of management team.•	Originated and led negotiations with biomass fuel suppliers (£60m p.a. value, 10 year contracts).•	Led and secured key permits (construction, environmental) maintaining full public and political support.•	Responsible for financial modelling, including the project’s DCF master model.•	Managed sell-side due-diligence throughout project’s fundraising.•	Led commercial negotiations on key contracts, including with National Grid.•	Supported broad spectrum of negotiations: power sale, construction, owner’s and lender’s technical and legal advisory roles.

Associate Director & Co-founder

Successfully bid for and delivered the world’s first deregulated, competitive water market. Scotland’s competitive water industry is now a successful template for water markets globally.•	Headed design of the new market’s system architecture.•	Managed Business Analysts and the interface with new market’s IT delivery partners.•	Led on relationship with water market incumbent, delivering project goals in a sensitive political environment.•	Co-authored the Market Code and authored infrastructure and data transactional code chapters.•	Increased Gemserv’s presence in renewables and environmental sectors through collaboration on other successful bids and projects.

Gemserv Ltd

Consultant

This startup became the largest independent biomass fuel supplier in the UK with revenues of over £20m in the second year. Supplied customers such as Drax (80% of biomass then consumed) and Eggborough (exclusively). Purchased biomass “ex-factory” (from Spain, Portugal, Denmark etc.), took title of product and delivered through ports around the UK. EdF Trading bought RFSL in 2006.•	Managed logistics, oversaw stock management, load and discharge operations at port and power stations and led negotiations with supply chain services partners.•	Produced biomass market analysis and product origination briefings.•	Own and customer position forecasting, briefing traders, directors and the board.•	Designed and coded (PHP and SQL web-app) in-house logistics management software.

Thiago Azevedo