RenewableUK has announced that Isabel DiVanna will be taking over as executive director, as the organisation’s current deputy chief executive Maf Smith moves on.
DiVanna has previous worked for the Bar Council, The Royal College for Obstetricians and the International Institute for Strategic Studies, designing and delivering commercial strategy and widening their membership.
She has a PhD from the University of Cambridge in Political Thought and Intellectual History, and is set to start her position at RenewableUK on 21 January.
DiVanna said: “This is an exciting moment to be joining the clean energy sector, with the Government committed to achieving net zero emissions using cheap renewables and the UK hosting the next crucial climate change summit in Glasgow this year.
“Working with our members and customers at the very heart of the energy transition is a truly unique opportunity. RenewableUK will grow even bigger and better in this new decade and I’m delighted to be taking on a leading role in its expansion”.
RenewableUK’s chief executive Hugh McNeal said DiVanna will be a “superb” addition to the company, bringing “great energy, drive and commitment to our work.”
“I’m very excited that she’ll be leading the next phase of our commercial development. She has an exceptionally strong track record as a team leader who brings innovative business strategies to high-profile organisations.
“We’ve found the right person to drive the future growth of RenewableUK as the leading organisation in the clean energy sector, building on Maf Smith’s seven years of ground-breaking work here”.
Outgoing Smith had worked for RenewableUK since 2012, following positions at Xero Energy, the Department of Energy & Climate Change and Scottish Renewables.
At the end of 2019, he left RenewableUK to launch a specialist advisory business, Lumen Energy and Environment, with his wife.