Navigant boosts Energy practice with six senior advisors
Navigant, has boosted its Global Energy advisory capacity with the addition of six new experts. The hires include two new managing directors, John Roddy and Ted Walker, and four new directors, René Groot Bruinderink, Andrew Johnston, Laura Manz, and Konstantin Staschus.
Concern around the long-term effects of climate change have in recent years, spurred governments globally to enter into the Paris Agreement as a means to limit warming globally to well below 2.0 C. A wide range of stakeholders, from businesses to local governments and citizens, have also begun work to boost the sustainability of their wider supply chains and behaviours.
In the energy sector this means, in some segments, disruption. Utilities face changing consumer demand as distributed energy generation becomes more common, while investors face stranded assets as technology, economics and reality come to rapidly favor renewable energy.
To support clients deal with rapid changes, Navigant, a global management, organisation and transformation consultancy firm that recently acquired Ecofys, is expanding its global Energy wing with the addition of six senior advisors.
Six new senior advisors
John Roddy joins the firm from his work as an independent consultant. He previously held leadership positions at Accenture and Black & Veatch. He brings more than 25 years of energy sector experience to the firm, and takes on the role of Managing Director and is tasked with supporting the firm’s clients develop strategy and sustain operations in light of changes.
Former Accenture employee Ted Walker was a Managing Director at the strategy advisory. He has extensive knowledge in the areas of distributed energy resources, alternative transportation fuels, and joins the Navigant as a Managing Director, to focus on creating key vision related to the energy transformation.
René Groot Bruinderink worked at RWE and its successor Innogy, for ten years – most recently as a Partner in its the in-house consulting unit in the Netherlands and Belgium. He joins Navigant as a Director, and will focus on the bridging the gap between government policies, technological innovation, and end-user looking to create low carbon strategies for clients.
Andrew Johnston background is at for Zpryme where he was a President in its energy segment. His expertise is largely in aligning policy and programme execution with the larger strategic priorities of utilities. He takes on the role of Director at Navigant, focused on strategic and client-centric approach to smart city opportunities though, among others, focus on local contexts and precedents.
Laura Manz joins Navigant from California ISO where she was a Vice President of market and infrastructure development and a Senior Vice President at Viridity Energy. She joins the firm as a Director, and will leverage her extensive knowledge of transmission and performance excellence to support clients in the area of guidance and source innovative solutions.
The former Secretary-General of ENTSO-E and Managing Director at VDN Konstantin Staschus brings over 30 years of experience to the firm and takes on the role of Director. He will focus his expertise on business and strategic issues pertaining to transmission.
Commenting on the hires, said Jan Vrins, Leader of Navigant’s global Energy segment, hoped the collective hiring would help prepare the firm for complex decisions around emerging technologies, industry changes, and operational excellence.
Vrins concluded, “Collectively, John, Ted, René, Andrew, Laura, and Konstantin represent more than a century of relevant experience, and individually they are already helping our clients navigate a steady path forward based on strategic advice and unique industry perspectives."
