Our clients trust us to deliver on one of their most important investment decisions - their leadership. Our industry knowledge, functional expertise and extensive networks ensure that our clients can trust us to deliver on one of their most important investment decisions – their leadership, both on a permanent and interim basis.

1. www.veredus.co.uk
Our industry knowledge, functional expertise and
extensive networks ensure that our clients can trust us
to deliver on one of their most important investment
decisions – their leadership, both on a permanent and
interim basis.
We are strategic resourcing partners with a professional
and open style. We aim to build a deep understanding of
our clients’ operations and cultures, taking pride in our
contribution to their success.
We are creative and determined to find the very best Board
and Senior Management talent, across a wide range of
industries, including:
• Energy – energy retail, smart grids & smart meters,
nuclear, oil & gas, renewables.
• Manufacturing & Engineering – aerospace & defence,
automotive, building products, electronics, precision
engineering, process & chemicals.
• Infrastructure – construction, support services, utilities
(power, water, waste).
Our clients trust us
to deliver on one of
their most important
investment decisions -
their leadership
Our Executive Search team delivers creative and far reaching
senior recruitment programmes. We have experience of
recruiting Chairs, CEO’s, Managing Directors, Executive
Directors, Senior Technical, Project and Commercial Talent.
We often support our clients with the redefinition of roles,
building new organisations or divisions and positioning them
to take advantage of market opportunities.
Our multilingual research team is able to identify and engage
a diverse range of talent globally, to ensure the broadest range
of options from which our clients may appoint.
Our Interim Management team provides proven sector
specialists, who undertake turnaround, change management
and project management assignments, as well as filling any
significant “gaps”.
Roles may be based in the UK or internationally – many of our
Interims have advanced language skills and are comfortable
operating across a wide range of cultures and geographies.

2. www.veredus.co.uk
Written by
Aaron Webster
Renewable and non-renewable sources
Renewable versus non-renewable energy is a political and
economic hot topic that can stir passionate views on either
side. When considering the long term, the finite nature of
non-renewable fossil fuels and the need to reduce our carbon
footprint means that renewable energy sources will become
more and more important. In the short to medium term
however, there are positive and negative aspects to each.
Renewable energy sources offer a 'cleaner' energy that is less
harmful to the environment. They can be relatively cheap to
maintain and to run once installed but the installation itself
can be costly. It can also be difficult to produce energy in the
same quantities as that produced by non-renewable fuels.
According to Chevron, worldwide energy consumption is
projected to increase by more than 40% by 2035.
Even if the use of renewables was to triple over the next
25 years, the energy corporation claims the world will still
depend on fossil fuels for at least half of its energy needs.
So even with the best will in the world and with the onset
of fracking it would seem proving technologies like carbon
capture and storage are equally as important as driving the
investment in renewable energy.
How can lines and grids be so complex?
One of my favourite books of all time is
Catch 22. It is a brilliantly written and
enveloping book where its storyline,
characters and hilarious but terrifying
logic can’t help but get your mind
spinning. In the end I was left staring at
a blank wall trying to figure out the great
mysteries of life.
The energy sector lends itself beautifully to Catch 22.
It is a sector that must have been purposefully designed
to be complex but now strives to simplify itself around
its customer. These customers want transparency and
simplicity but the sector gets so tied up trying to explain
why the system is the way it is trust cannot be built.
Where energy companies now strive to help its customers
use less of its product and change their behaviour but
because of the lack of trust between them this task is ever
more difficult. Where something as simple as turning
a light on has a chain of different events and data flow
processes that number into the thousands.
Throw into this a healthy portion of regulation and
competition reviews, the need to reduce our carbon
footprint with increasing global energy use and the clear
need for future infrastructure investment while customers
call (or rather shout) for lower bills, my blank wall has
become a good friend of mine.
Energy economics tries to bring some sense to this
conundrum and Veredus is proud to be sponsoring the
annual Energy UK conference where the importance
of energy economics to the UK is set to be discussed.
Alongside key sector leaders the energy secretary Ed Davey
and shadow secretary Caroline Flint will be among those
discussing the topic on the 22nd October.
With the forthcoming roll-out of smart meters and the
creation of the Energy Systems Catapult I hope the sector
will open itself up and allow some bright sparks to radically
transform and reshape it into something that doesn’t just
think in ‘lines’ and ‘grids’.
But for the time being what does the future hold for the
energy sector – and are we ready for it?

3. www.veredus.co.uk
Investment vs affordability
The demand for energy is set to continue increasing
worldwide, spurred by an ever growing population
(the United Nations estimates the global population
will reach 8 billion people by 2024) and the continuing
growth of emerging economies such as China, India
and Latin America.
Investment in infrastructure is required on this global scale
in order to match the demand that fuels economic growth
but infrastructure at a more regional level is also important.
A 2013 report commissioned by the Civil Engineering
Contractors Association claimed that the UK was lagging
behind other countries in the developed world in terms of
infrastructure – including energy infrastructure – and hinted
that it could end up costing the country.
For every £1 billion increase in infrastructure investment,
the report claimed, UK-wide GDP increases by a total of
£1.299 billion. Furthermore, the cost of the UK running
an infrastructure which fell short of typical developed
economy standards was £78 billion each year between
2000 and 2010.
Investment in infrastructure and new technology is vital
in both economic terms and in matching the increased
demand for energy but there's also a question of
affordability. Passing investment costs onto consumers has
proven to be massively unpopular, as politicians and energy
suppliers have both found out in recent months and years.
Reliability and security of supply
Headlines warning of potential power shortages if demand
for electricity outstrips supply at peak times have made
the front pages of many national newspapers. Many forms
of renewable energy can be affected by the weather and
domestic energy prices can fluctuate depending on socio-economic
and political conditions elsewhere in the world.
It's important for the economy as well as for individuals,
that UK energy supplies are both reliable and secure.
The gradual move to a smart grid system could have a
major role to play in increasing reliability. Electricity is
difficult to store (although electrical storage technology
does have a part to play) and the electricity that is
generated can often be wasted, particularly that generated
from renewable sources. A computerised smart grid can
help by directing power to where it is needed based on
usage patterns and current demand. Smart meters can also
help consumers by letting them know exactly how they
are using energy within their homes and businesses enable
us all to take control of the grid.
All of these double edged debates require leaders
to make some significant decisions at all levels from
global agreements, long-term national policies, robust
organisational strategies and personal behaviour changes.
I am sure that there will come a time when we aren’t
thinking in ‘Lines’ and ‘Grids’ but in innovative, flexible,
two-ways flows that stimulate a different relationship with
our energy system.

4. www.veredus.co.uk
Aaron Webster
Director
Head of Energy, Manufacturing & Infrastructure,
Executive Search and Selection
aaron.webster@veredus.co.uk
+44 (0) 207 932 4251
Aaron joined Veredus in December 2012 to lead
the Energy, Manufacturing and Infrastructure
practice based in London. His 9 years' international
experience has involved working with a wide
range of organisations across both the public and
private sectors that specialise in the Energy, Built
Environment and Utilities sectors.
Aaron completed a BSc degree in Geography at Leeds
University and is presently studying towards an MSc
in Environmental Decision Making. He also holds the
British Psychological Society’s Level A & B certificates
of competence in psychometric assessment.
After working for two high quality boutique executive
search firms Aaron moved to Penna Plc as Head of
Practice. His five and a half years at Penna saw him
work across the private and public sectors developing
a strong network, deep experience and excellent
knowledge base within the Energy, Manufacturing
and Infrastructure sectors.
Aaron has recruited across all C-Level roles as well as
vital specialist and technical positions. He has also
delivered Chair and Board appointments as well as
high profile Ministerial appointments for Government
and Regulators.
www.veredus.co.uk
Meet the Energy, Manufacturing
and Infrastructure team
Hannah Mayfield
Consultant
Energy, Manufacturing & Infrastructure,
Executive Search and Selection
hannah.mayfield@vedus.co.uk
+44 (0) 7703 470 782
Hannah has worked in global executive search as a
senior researcher, and more recently in an execution
and delivery consultant capacity for a number of
leading executive search firms. She graduated from
UCL six years ago and speaks French.
Hannah’s experience has covered both the Financial
Services sector and now the Energy and Infrastructure
sectors. Hannah previously worked cross-border
between London and Hong Kong supporting two
offices of a global search firm.
Her experience includes the full spectrum of Financial
Services mandates as well as senior functional roles
across many sectors for large corporate both in the UK
and internationally.
More recently she has delivered projects to build
the senior management team of Smart DCC Ltd
and the Future Cities Catapult, as well as delivering
programmes for some of the Big 6 and major
Infrastructure Consultancies.