The LowCVP Board

The LowCVP is steered by a Board of Directors which provides overall strategic direction for the Partnership, agrees a rolling work plan and initiates Partnership activities. The Board comprises a minimum of 6 and maximum of 20 directors drawn from across LowCVP’s principal stakeholder groups:

Automotive manufacturers
Automotive supplier, consultant or technology provider or after service
Fuel or energy supplier
Transport operators and consumer organisation
Public sector (including trusts, agencies NDPBs and local government)
Environmental, academic and other organisations

One director will be appointed each year by the members of the relevant stakeholder group. The Board will also be able to co-opt individuals with specific skills and experience to serve one two-year term. The number of co-opted representatives in each stakeholder group will be decided by the Board. One position is reserved for the Chairman of the Members Council.

The two funding Government Departments (DfT and BIS) will be able to attend Board meetings as contributing observers.

The Board has selected a Chairman (Neville Jackson – Ricardo) and two Vice Chairmen (Darran Messem – Carbon Trust  and Philip Sellwood - Energy Saving Trust) from within its membership for 2012/13.

Professor Neville Jackson, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Ricardo UK Ltd is the Chair of the Board of Directors.  

Other Board members are:

• Brendan Connor - CENEX
• Darran Messem – Carbon Trust
• Doug Parr - Greenpeace UK
• Graham Smith - Toyota Motor Europe
• John Lewis - BVRLA  
• Paula Crofts - Dept for Business, Innovation and Skills
• Phil Margrave - Go-Ahead Group
• Phillip Sellwood – EST
• Philip Spittle - Eddie Stobart Ltd
• Richard Stark - British Sugar
• Rob Thring - Loughborough University
• Rupert Furness - Dept for Transport (Observer)
• Simon Best - Institute of Advanced Motoring Trust
• Stewart Kempsell - Shell International Ltd

Neville Jackson - Ricardo UK Ltd (Chair)

Professor Neville Jackson is currently Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Ricardo UK Ltd. He is responsible for developing the future vision of powertrain and related vehicle technology at Ricardo and for the strategy, planning and execution of research and development. He has also been responsible for a wide range of future vehicle demonstrators featuring advanced powertrain concepts with cost effective improvements in fuel economy and emissions. He is Vice Chairman of the European Automotive Research Partners Association based in Brussels, a visiting Professor at the University of Brighton and a director of CENEX, the UK Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon Vehicles.

Brendan Connor - CENEX

Brendan Connor is Chairman of CENEX -;The Centre of Excellence for Low Carbon and Fuel Cell Technologies based at Loughborough University. CENEX is funded by DTI and led by a consortium of UK automotive systems companies and representative bodies.

He was Chief Executive Officer of Cosworth Racing between 2001 and 2003 during which it provided engines to Formula 1 teams (Jordan , Jaguar , Minardi), IRL (Chevrolet) , CART and WRC. He was the recipient of MIA Business of the Year Award in 2003. Brendan has held senior general management positions in TRW and Lucas and currently holds a number of Non Executive Board appointments. He is a Trustee of the Royal Air Force Museum and a number of other charities.

Darran Messem – Carbon Trust 

Darran Messem is International Director of the Carbon Trust, where he leads the development of the Carbon Trust’s international relations and business development. Previously Darran was Vice President Fuel Development for Shell, where he lead the development of new fuel technology and products for Shell’s Downstream business, and General Manager Market Development for British Airways where he led customer insights and new business development. Darran is a Director of the LowCVP, Vice Chairman, and Chairman of the Remuneration Committee.

Darran is a graduate of Cambridge University and holds a post-graduate diploma in Marketing. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In his spare time he cycles with the Hounslow & District Wheelers and Berkshire Triathlon Squad, and paints in oil.

Doug Parr - Greenpeace

Dr Douglas Parr is Chief Scientist and Policy Director at Greenpeace UK, looking after the science and political functions. Currently working on climate change policy in the power, heat and transport sectors, he has previously worked ona number of issues including GM crops, chemicals policy, green refrigeration, marine conservation and nuclear power. He obtained a D.Phil in Atmospheric Chemistry from Oxford University in 1991.

Graham Smith - Toyota Motor Europe

Graham Smith, OBE graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, with a Masters Degree in Economics and subsequently gained a Diploma in Business Administration from Manchester Business School.

Graham's career in the motor industry began with Ford Motor Company where he held a number of senior sales and marketing positions. He joined Toyota (GB) PLC in 1993 as a Regional General Manager and was subsequently appointed Marketing Director in May 1994 before becoming Managing Director in May 1996. Graham was appointed to the position of Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Toyota Motor Europe in 2006.

Graham is now Managing Director of Toyota Motor Europe at the London office.

John Lewis - British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association

John Lewis is Chief Executive of the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association, a position he has held since 2000. He has been in the industry since 1984, having held senior positions in the contract hire and fleet management sector working with both cars and commercial vehicles.

To support the needs of the industry’s customers the BVRLA has taken on the role of “supporting the interests of the business and private motorist”. To help in achieving this objective John holds a seat on government advisory body, The Motorist’s Forum, and is chair of the DfT funded work-related road safety programme “Driving for Better Business”.   In addition, John is a member of the governing board for Cars QA (the automotive quality assessment and certification organisation), Automotive Fellowship International and is a Freeman of the City of London.

Paula Crofts - Department of Business, Innovation and Skills

Paula is currently the head of Automotive and Advanced Manufacturing Showcasing in Department of Business Innovation and Skills. Prior to this Paula led work in a number of high profile policy areas including higher education policy and the Government's growth and industrial strategies. Before this Paula was the Chief Economist at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Paula also has extensive experience in various regulated industries where she has worked in both regulators and regulated companies.

Paula has a degree in Economic and Politics from the University of Exeter and a Masters degree in Economics from Birkbeck College.

Phil Margrave – The Go-Ahead Group plc

Phil is currently Group Engineering Director for the Go-Ahead Group plc.

He is a qualified professional engineer, starting out as an apprentice in 1971 within London Buses, and has held various roles principally within London Transport and its successors, over his 40 years within the business. As District Engineering Manager of one of the London Buses companies during the mid-1980’s he was the engineering specialist in the development and preparation of London Buses for privatisation.

In 1989 he became Engineering Director of one of these pre-privatisation companies (London General) and together with his colleague Directors was successful in a management buyout in 1994. The Company was subsequently sold to the Go-Ahead Group in 1996 and his responsibilities were enlarged as the Engineering Director for London Operations encompassing London Central, which was already owned by Go-Ahead. Phil held the role as Engineering Director until just recently.

He is the Chair of the CPT Engineering Committee and serves on the Low CVP Bus Steering Group.

His role as Group Engineering Director encompasses a range of areas including engineering, property and energy/environment and allows him to bring his background, wealth of knowledge and passion for the industry to the table.

In his spare time, Phil is an Arsenal season ticket holder and Formula One follower.

Philip Spittle - Eddie Stobart Ltd

Philip Spittle oversees Fleet Management and Operator Licensing for the Stobart fleet of over 6000 vehicles and trailers and has been with the company since 2005. In addition to traditional fleet management services he focuses on emission reduction initiatives and sustainable distribution policy. Through collaboration with vehicle manufacturers, customers and industry groups Stobart has a clear understanding of both how to maximise vehicle and trailer technology for road freight and how/where modal shift supports sustainable distribution. His focus on Operating Licence compliance, which is highly regulated, is paramount in day-to-day operations and to safeguard the future of the business. Philip has spent 38 years in the logistics industry as both a provider and user of Transport & Distribution services.

He is a member of the West Midlands Council of the Freight Transport Association and a National Council representative of the regional council.

Phillip Sellwood – Energy Saving Trust

Philip Sellwood has been the Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust since 2003. He has an extensive commercial background in the retail, food and private equity markets. He spent twenty years with Marks and Spencer, joining as a graduate in 1977 and working in almost every part of the business. Amongst his achievements at M&S were the expansion of the £3 billion food business and the development of the innovative mail order and e-commerce activity. Most recently Philip was Commercial Managing Director for the Thresher Group.

During the last decade Philip has undertaken work with the DTI/Defra, for an educational charity and as a Ministerial Advisor at the Home Office. He is currently a Non-Executive Director at the Improvement and Development Agency. Philip is also on the Editorial Board of Sustain magazine and sits on the UKERC Board and the Advisory Board of the National Consumer Council. He has been a member of several influential Government Task Forces, most recently the Energy Innovation Review.

Philip graduated from Nottingham University and has an MBA (Dist) from the University of Westminster. In addition he is a MBIM and a Fellow the Royal Society of Arts.  

Richard Stark - British Sugar (profile to follow)

Professor Rob Thring - Loughborough University

Prof. Thring has 30 years experience in the automotive field, with Ricardo Consulting Engineers, Southwest Research Institute (USA) and LU. He has constructed and directed major consortium research programmes, including one that generated technology needed for car makers to meet the California ULEV regulations. Prof Thring also started an Engine Technology consulting service and built it to 30 client companies in the USA, Japan, Korea and Europe, with a total value of 3 million US dollars. The first to coin the term HCCI (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition), he conducted seminal research in that field. He was also the first to publish results in the field of engine/transmission matching, with its associated benefits in fuel economy, a technique that has been widely adopted by the auto makers. He was Head of the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering at Loughborough University from 2003 until 2008. In 2009 he was responsible for the installation and commissioning of the second hydrogen vehicle refueller in the UK, at Loughborough University, value £400,000, and is now working with Intelligent Energy and Suzuki on fuel cell electric scooter research.

Conducting research on electric vehicles, Rob has commuted to work in a G-Wiz electric car for two years, collecting data for publication at the same time. Rob Thring is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, a Chartered Engineer and has 41 published papers and 6 patents.

Rupert Furness - Department for Transport (Observer)

Rupert Furness is the head of DfT’s Environment Policy and Delivery Division, responsible for coordinating the delivery of DfT’s climate change and air quality commitments. His previous posts in DfT have included advising Ministers on a range of transport and environment issues, and managing the implementation of the UK’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. Before joining the DfT in 2003, he worked for a number of other Government Departments including DEFRA and the Cabinet Office. He is a fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

Simon Best - Institute of Advanced Motorists

Simon Best is Chief Executive at the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists). Simon joined the IAM in 2008 from GE Capital Solutions where he was responsible for the BT business partnership, thought to be the largest partner programme of its type in Europe. An accountant by profession, Simon was previously the sales director at Liberata and before that spent ten years at Lex Vehicle Leasing, where he rose to Corporate Sales Director. Simon’s role at the IAM takes in both the charity and its commercial arm, IAM Drive & Survive, which contributes to occupational driver training safety. While the IAM is best known for the advanced driving test, it is not widely associated with eco-driving techniques, which it also promotes. IAM Drive & Survive has an on-road and on-line course called “ecolution”, designed to minimise CO2 emissions by fleets. Simon has also overseen the introduction of a cycle training initiative, recognising that many drivers are also cyclists. 

Stewart Kempsell - Shell International

Dr Stewart Kempsell is General Manager in Shell’s Downstream CO2 group working closely with automotive OEMS and otherspartners outside Shell. He has worked to advance sustainable mobility for the last ten years including chairing the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) fuels working group in the UNEP partnership of NGO’s, governments and industry which successfully phased Lead out of gasoline in Sub Saharan Africa; and contributing to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) sustainable mobility report . He has been active in the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership since its formation.
Stewart joined Shell Research in 1981 after studying for a D.Phil at the University of Oxford and subsequently worked in sales, marketing, internal audit and managed a joint venture company in Saudi Arabia.

Outside work he has served as trustee and company secretary of a small charity and was a founder member of the Oxford and Chester Nature Conservation Volunteer groups.