Agenda

Explore the comprehensive agenda featuring keynote presentations, panel discussions, and interactive workshops. Stay ahead of the curve with insights from utilities industry leaders and innovators.

Purple Stage - Energy system resilience

09.10 - 09.15

Chair's opening remarks

Juliette Foster

Moderator

09.15 - 09.35

Keynote

Building the future energy system: meeting the infrastructure challenge

Simone Rossi

Chief Executive Officer

EDF Energy

09.35 - 09.55

Fireside chat

Running an energy system nobody designed for today

Stig Martin Fiskå

Global Head of AI for Good

Cognizant

Rebecca Anderson

Account Executive

Databricks

09.55 - 10.40

Leaders' Forum

Charting the road to energy security

Towards a clean, secure energy system: how far along are we and what are the next steps?
Managing intermittency how can reliability be ensure in a renewable-heavy energy system?
Working with customers: how can energy companies most effectively engage customers in the transition?
Balancing stability and speed in the infrastructure build: what are the key considerations?
Securing a digitally connected system: how can utilities stay ahead of evolving cyber risks?
Building the workforce of the transition: how can shortages of skilled labour be overcome?
From private investment to GB Energy: how can the required level and type of funding be secured?
How can momentum be maintained as the energy transition becomes increasingly politicised?

Bill Bullen

Chief Executive Officer

Utilita Energy

Suresh Bhaskar

Managing Director Renewables - UK & Ireland

ENGIE

Akshay Kaul

Director-General, Infrastructure

Ofgem

Philip Songhurst

Managing Principal

Capco

Blue Stage - Long-term resilience in water

09.10 - 09.15

Chair's opening remarks

09.15 - 09.35

Keynote

Driving lasting change in the water sector: the next steps

Ruth Jefferson

Chief Executive Officer

Wessex Water

09.35 - 09.55

Keynote

Designing a strategic approach for water resilience

Matt Firla-Cuchra

Partner, UK Head of Water, Power & Utilities, Global Lead Nuclear Energy

KPMG

09.55 - 10.15

Keynote

Achieving true long-term transformation in water: the road ahead

David Hinton

Chief Executive Officer

South East Water

10.15 - 10.35

Keynote

An update from Ofwat

Chris Walters

Interim Chief Executive

Ofwat

10.35 - 11.05

Leaders' Forum

From catchment to customer: securing the UK's water future

Building resilience: how can systemic challenges across the water sector be best addressed?
Meeting the needs of the nation: how can projected future water demands be met? Where can consumption be reduced?
Addressing regulatory changes: what must be prioritised to truly reshape the water sector?
What should be the key focus areas for investment in the sector? What strategies might successfully attract that investment?
Addressing pollution concerns while maintaining affordability: where does the solution lie?
Desalination plants, reservoirs, dams: what are the key challenges to delivering major water resource projects and how can they be overcome?
How can the industry translate long-term, complex problems into actionable steps that engage diverse stakeholders?

Carol Cairns

Chief Risk Officer

Portsmouth Water

Giles Stevens

Director of Regulation for Strategic Water Resources

Thames Water

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

09.30 - 09.50

Podcast Episode

The robots are coming: are fully automated homes the future?

Zac Curtis

Innovation Lead

E.ON Next

10.15 - 10.30

Podcast Episode

How batteries can reduce fuel poverty and limit burgeoning costs

Davide Turi

Innovation Lead, Flexibility

E.ON

10.35 - 10.50

Podcast Episode

The intersection of behavioural science, the water sector, and utilities more broadly

Armenak Antinyan

Head of Behavioural Economics & Impact Evaluation

Thames Water

10.55 - 11.10

Podcast Episode

Can Britain avoid a water crisis? An interview with the CEO of Ofwat

Chris Walters

Interim Chief Executive

Ofwat

Purple Stage - Customer engagement

11.30 - 11.45

Keynote

From passive user to active participant: understanding the modern customer

Christopher Shead

Director of Customer Operations

E.ON Next

11.45 - 12.05

Keynote

Customer journey mapping: driving loyalty at every touchpoint

Hattie Lister

VP - Utilities & Retail

Vyntelligence (Vyn®)

12.05 - 12.20

Case Study

So Unique, the personalised energy tariff

Michelle Little

Head of Propositions

So Energy

12.20 - 12.40

Keynote

The real-time energy future: how data turns utilities into energy partners

Siem Simonis

Chief Technology Officer

NieuweStroom

Fabienne Vanquickelberghe

Account Director

Itineris

12.40 - 12.55

Keynote

Towards an accelerated smart meter rollout: charting the path ahead

Stève Hervouet

Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer

Smart DCC

Red Stage - Grid transformation

11.30 - 11.50

Keynote

The Intelligent Grid: AI Agents Redesigning Energy Distribution in Real Time

Carol Yan

General Manager - Energy & Utilities UKI

AWS

Sara Brooks

Chief Growth Officer

Kaluza

Charlie Davies

GTM

Anthropic

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Solving the UK's £Billion Infrastructure Puzzle with Data, Not Luck

Fawad A. Qureshi

Global Field CTO

Snowflake

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

How start-ups will accelerate the coming grid transformation

Luke Wainwright

Director of Business Development

National Grid Partners

12.30 - 13.10

Panel Discussion

Overcoming the capacity crunch: accommodating soaring energy demand

How far and how fast must the grid change to manage increased demand?
Maintaining stability during grid upgrades: how can rapid build-out be achieved without hitting reliability?
Coordinating networks: how can transmission and distribution companies collaborate to enhance grid performance?
Smart grid solutions: which grid management tools best improve system reliability and stability?
From DLRs to HVDCs: how are next-gen technologies enhancing grid capacity and performance?
Securing investment: which regulatory and market mechanisms will help deliver the required capital?
Streamlining planning and consenting: what land access reforms are required?
To what extent can today’s upgrades accommodate tomorrow’s system requirements?
Anticipating the future: is generation set to become ever more localised and in what timeframe?

David Boyer

Electricity Systems Director

Energy Networks Association

David Adkins

Head of Network Architecture and Innovation

National Grid

Nigel Bessant

Head of Network Operations

SSEN

Samuel Pachoud

Partner, Energy Transformation Lead

Green Stage - Generation

11.30 - 11.50

Keynote

An update on RIIO3: moving to a more collaborative delivery approach

Joseph Davidson

Energy System Innovation Manager, Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund

Innovate UK

11.50 - 12.10

Fireside chat

Production-ready Intelligent Utilities: How Atos and Dell's Smart Edge capabilities are turning real-time data into operational advantage - improving resilience, safety, and control across critical infrastructure at scale

Tony Long

Chief Technology Officer - Critical National Infrastructure

Atos

Mark Smith

Client Delivery Executive

Atos

Emma Call

Account Director

Atos

James Hulse

Global Director, Business Development – Sales

Dell Technologies

12.10 - 12.30

Case Study

Entering the golden age: next steps in nuclear development

Josh Buckland

Director of Strategy and Policy

EDF

12.30 - 12.50

Keynote

Why renewable investment still feels like a gamble

Alex Warren

Chief Executive Officer

Stark

Blue Stage - Tackling water scarcity

11.30 - 11.50

Keynote

From desalination plants to water reuse: combatting water scarcity

Sam Fox

Chief Strategic Planner

United Utilities

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Improving water management: making the most of smart technology

Alon Bernitz

OT Principal Engineer | Operational Technology

Thames Water

12.10 - 12.30

Case Study

Grand Union Canal Transfer

Clare Carlaw

Head of Stakeholder, Land and Consents

Affinity Water

12.30 - 13.05

Panel Discussion

Reducing leakages, increasing capacity: driving water resilience

Expanding the UK’s water storage capacity: what more must be done to ensure long-term resilience?
Assessing drought management strategies: what role should demand management play vs building new supply infrastructure?
Solving scarcity in the short term: what immediate capacity solutions are actually viable? 
Engaging the consumer: how do you get customers to buy into conservation? 
How viable is desalination and water recycling compared to traditional reservoir development? 
Reducing leakage: how are AI models helping?
What changes to the regulatory framework will secure the future of water?

Natalie Akroyd

Director of Quality & Environment

South Staffordshire Water

Sam Fox

Chief Strategic Planner

United Utilities

Julie Morton

Head of Water Resources

Thames Water

Katie Davis

Head of Water Service Planning

Don Sullivan

Senior Vice President

Precisely

Yellow Stage - AI think tank

11.30 - 12.40

Think tank

Towards successful AI implementation

In this interactive session delegates will come together to discuss how they can seize new arbitrage opportunities across the trading landscape.

Have your say in this lively, interactive session and pool ideas wit some of the industry’s most innovative and senior figures.

11.30 - 11.40

Welcome and introduction

Joe Mitchell

Account Director

FYLD

11.40 - 11.50

Opening scene setter

Moderated discussion

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

Why do most AI pilot schemes fail? What needs to happen to ensure success?
What are some real-life use cases of successful AI implementation in your organisation?
What might energy systems look like in 2050 when AI capabilities have fully matured?

12.20 - 12.40

Group feedback

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

11.45 - 12.00

Podcast Episode

Can Britain build the energy system it needs?

Josh Buckland

Director of Strategy and Policy

EDF

12.50 - 13.15

Studio Panel

AI at scale: moving from experiments to everyday options

Join the discussion as it’s filmed live in the Studio + broadcast post-Summit to the wider Future of Utilities community

Key questions: 

What is actually stopping AI programmes from moving beyond the pilot stage?
How do you fit AI into the systems and workflows you already have, rather than building around them?
What governance and audit trail does the regulator expect, and how early does that need to be in place?
Where should utilities companies focus first to get real returns from AI investment?
What does appropriate human oversight look like when AI is embedded in operational decisions?
How do you build internal confidence in AI as a core capability rather than a series of one-off projects?
What would it take for AI to become as unremarkable in utilities as any other operational tool?

Ritika Wattan

Head of Strategy

SSE Energy Solutions

Joseph Tabita

Energy Commodities Lead

Publicis Sapient

Nitish Mittal

Partner

Everest Group

Purple Stage - AI in energy retail

14.10 - 14.25

Case Study

Data as a catalyst for market innovation

Chris Wood

Smart Data Repository Design Lead

Elexon

14.30 - 14.50

Keynote

Leveraging AI in energy retail: efficiency, prediction, personalisation

Jo Page

Data Director

E.ON Next

14.50 - 15.10

Keynote

The Future of Utilities CX: What Customers Need and How AI Delivers It

Edward de Mas Latrie

Director AI & Agentic

NiCE

Dominic Gregory

Service Design Director Accenture Song

Accenture

15.10 - 15.30

Case Study

From chatbot to operator: building OVO's agentic AI in energy retail

Andrew Mohammed

Director of Data & AI

OVO Energy

15.30 - 16.00

Panel Discussion

Achieving AI excellence: identifying the challenges, crafting solutions

Setting the scene: where are AI capabilities most mature in the energy retail space?
Towards a deeper customer relationship: how is AI enabling greater personalisation and value-add?
Conversational AI: what does the gold standard now look like?
Shortening time to market: how can AI accelerate coding and QA for new products?
Feeding the machine: how can disparate data sources most effectively be integrated?
Enabling real-time analytics: what are the critical foundations?
Why do many proof-of-concepts fail to reach implementation? How can pilot schemes scale up and monetise?

Ritika Wattan

Head of Strategy

SSE Energy Solutions

Chloe Fong

Head of Product - Growth and Innovation

E.ON

Anyi Guo

Head of Data Science & Engineering

Utility Warehouse

Vibhor Garg

EXL Business Head

EXL

Red Stage - Energy trading

14.30 - 14.40

Keynote

Building a market framework for a changing power system

Andrej Stancik

Senior Policy Advisor

Energy Traders Europe

14.40 - 15.00

Keynote

Navigating the evolving landscape of energy trading

Cathrin Stadler

Director - Head of Energy Trading Regulation

Centrica

15.00 - 15.20

Keynote

Accelerating trading risk management: meeting the data challenge

Ihyeeddine Elfeki

FSI Solutions Global Lead

DXC Technology

15.20 - 15.40

Case Study

SSE Energy Markets

Gordon Bell

Managing Director

SSE

15.40 - 16.00

Keynote

E.ON Next

Marianella Gurney

Head of Platform Strategy & Development

E.ON Next

Green Stage - Integrating renewable generation

14.30 - 14.50

Keynote

Bridging the integration gap: financing the infrastructure behind the megawatts

Rob Gilbert

Director

Great British Energy

14.50 - 15.05

Keynote

The decisive decade: what will it take to make the energy transition bankable at scale?

Shubhda Kaushik

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Alternative Energy

15.05 - 15.25

Interview

SSEP location strategy: maximising the value of generation assets

Alice Etheridge

Head of Strategic Spatial Energy Planning

National Energy System Operator

15.25 - 16.00

Panel Discussion

Financing renewable generation: unlocking the capital

Investing in British energy: what level is required to achieve CP30?
Stimulating investor appetite: how can the case for renewables be made convincing amid increasing political risk?
CfDs, PPAs and beyond: how can stable returns be ensured?
Managing the impact of cost volatility and supply chain risk on cost of capital: what more can be done?
Identifying new sources of capital: where does the most fertile ground lie?
Higher risk, higher reward energy investment opportunities: how to attract new types of investor
How will GB Energy’s co-development model and focus on green tech affect private investment opportunities?

Nancy Wang

Investment Director

Octopus Energy Generation

I-An Chen

Head of Partnership Strategy & Origination

Orsted

Ana Musat

Executive Director, Policy and Engagement

RenewableUK

Blue Stage - Water customer engagement

14.30 - 14.50

Case Study

From Ambition to Delivery: Smart Water Metering Maturity & Capability in England

Ana Maria Millan

Smart Metering Policy Lead

Ofwat

14.50 - 15.10

Keynote

Ferranti

Gemma Hunt

Sales Manager

Ferranti

15.10 - 15.50

Panel Discussion

Driving water conservation: customer engagement that matters

Managing demand: which proactive engagement strategies are most effective?
Which tools are most effective in reducing water consumption in the home? How can the industry encourage their adoption?  
Tailoring the messaging: what communication strategies work best with which consumer groups? 
How can the industry ensure the smart meter rollout is customer-driven from day one? 
How can water smart meter data be used to drive engagement as well as operational efficiency?
Rebuilding trust in the water sector: what localised, community-focused strategies move the dial?

Aimee Shaw

Head of Customer Engagement

Wessex Water

Armenak Antinyan

Head of Behavioural Economics & Impact Evaluation

Thames Water

Ali Bell

Director of Communications & Policy

Consumer Council for Water

Yellow Stage - Asset management think tank

14.30 - 15.30

Think tank

Future-proofing critical assets

In this interactive session attendees will explore the operational, cultural, and investment changes required to transition from reactive asset management to strategic, risk-based approaches that prevent failures before they occur.

14.30 - 14.35

Welcome and introductions

14.35 - 14.50

Speaker presentation

Proactive asset management of Solar, PV & BESS

Niklas Will

Head of Asset Management Solar & Batteries

Vattenfall

14.50 - 15.20

Moderated discussion

From reactive to proactive asset management

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

By what criteria should assets be prioritised for proactive intervention?
What asset condition and performance data is needed before companies can be truly proactive? How can data gaps be handled?
Optimising asset management execution: what tools and strategies are proving most effective?
A cohesive approach: how can condition monitoring and prediction best be integrated with traditional inspection?
What would a shift to proactive maintenance mean for management and resourcing?

15.20 - 15.40

Group feedback

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

14.15 - 14.30

Podcast Episode

The future of energy security: The role of gas networks

James Earl

Chief Executive Officer

Future Energy Networks

14.50 - 15.05

Podcast Episode

Power responsive: flexibility is our hidden power

Jonathan Wisdom

Head of Market Change Delivery

National Energy System Operator

15.35 - 16.00

Studio Panel

The infrastructure gap: asset management in an age of rising demand

Join the discussion as it’s filmed live in the Studio + broadcast post-Summit to the wider Future of Utilities community

Key questions: 

How is the role of asset management evolving in utilities, and where are organisations finding it hardest to keep pace? 
Managing ageing infrastructure: how are utilities making smarter decisions about what to replace, repurpose or extend? 
What does integrated lifecycle thinking look like in practice, and how does it change capital planning? 
Laying the foundations for AI in asset management: what data standards are required? 
How far can predictive maintenance go in improving asset performance and extending operational lifespans? 
Guaranteeing network resilience: how are utilities maintaining supply continuity under increasing strain? 
What organisational and workforce shifts are needed to get the most from new asset management approaches? 
Looking ahead: where will the most significant changes in how utilities manage critical infrastructure come from? 
Guaranteeing network resilience: wow are utilities maintaining supply continuity under increasing strain?
What organisational and workforce shifts are needed to get the most from new asset management approaches?
Looking ahead: where will the most significant changes in how utilities manage critical infrastructure come from?

Ipek Kaymak

Head of Strategic Asset Management and Insight

Affinity Water

Kate Boxall

Head of Asset Management

National Gas Transmission

Carol Johnston

VP Energy, Utilities & Resources

IFS

Purple Stage - Flexibility

16.20 - 16.40

Keynote

Navigating the Clean Energy Flexibility Roadmap: an update from DESNZ

Duncan Stone

Head of Electricity System Flexibility

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

16.40 - 17.00

Keynote

Flexibility & Resilience: A Unified Field of Vision for Utilities

Mark Woods

Chief Technical Advisor & FCTO

Splunk

Rob Mossop

Chief Operating Officer

Sword Group

17.00 - 17.40

Panel Discussion

Facilitating demand-side flexibility: charting the path ahead

Taking stock: how flexible is today’s energy system, and how much more flexibility is required?
Incentivising consumer participation in flex schemes: what further levers can be pulled?
Making flexibility easy: how can flexibility market engagement be made as straightforward as possible?
Ensuring interoperability between flex devices: how do functionality standards need to change?
Speeding up the processing of flex data: how can the barriers be overcome?
EVs as a major flexibility source: how can flex schemes harness V2X and smart charging to support them?
Flexibility through VPPs: how can aggregation unlock greater value?
A flexible future: what will a fully mature market look like?

Doerte Schneemann

Head of Flexibility Markets

National Grid

Carol Choi

Flexibility Commercial Manager

UK Power Networks

Alan Rodgers

Experience Strategist

Energised Futures – Centrica

Henri-Thierry Toutounji

Sustainability and B2B Partner

OC&C Strategy Consultants

Blue Stage - Securing investment in water

16.20 - 16.40

Keynote

Stewardship as strategy: valuing nature as an asset through the £600 million innovation fund

Dr Jo Jolly

Director, Environment and Innovation

Ofwat

16.40 - 17.25

Panel Discussion

Balancing immediate needs with future growth: assessing water investment frameworks

How can immediate infrastructure repairs be balanced with long-term strategic growth?
How can investment frameworks prevent financial over-leverage while ensuring critical infrastructure delivery?
Beyond the Cunliffe review: what regulatory reforms are essential to restore investor confidence in the sector?
Ensuring affordability: how can the sector secure necessary investment capital while keeping customer bills manageable?
With data centres driving massive new demand, how should suppliers secure industrial customer contributions to capacity investment?
What role should green bonds, blended finance, an outcome-based contracts play in attracting diverse capital sources?

Iain McGuffog

Director of Regulatory Finance

Matt Humphrey

Head of Asset Management

Anglian Water

Cathryn Ross

Director, Strategy and External Affairs

Thames Water

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

16.50 - 17.05

Podcast Episode

Podcast with Modulr Finance's CEO, Myles Stephenson

Myles Stephenson

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Modulr Finance

17.20 - 17.35

Podcast Episode

When one failure becomes many: CReDo and the future of infrastructure resilience

Alanna Gluck

Delivery and Engagement Manager

Connected Places Catapult

Amit Bhave

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

CMCL

Purple Stage - Navigating the digital era

09.20 - 09.25

Chair's opening remarks

Juliette Foster

Moderator

09.25 - 09.45

Keynote

Will AI break or revolutionise our energy system?

Sam Hancock

Global Head of Data Science

Octopus Energy Group

09.45 - 10.05

Keynote

The Resilience Reset: Navigating the Intersection of Frontier AI, IT/OT Convergence, and the New Regulatory Mandate

Alistair Wildman

Chief Executive Officer, UK&I

Palo Alto Networks

10.05 - 10.25

Fireside chat

Building a digital roadmap: assessing the strategic priorities

Jennifer Rigby

Chief Digital and Transformation Officer

Iain Dougan

Head of SSEN Transmission OT & Cyber

SSEN Transmission

10.25 - 11.00

Leaders' Forum

Taking the digital leap in utilities: charting the path ahead

Matt Webb

Technology & Insights Director

South East Water

Marzia Zafar

Deputy Director of Digitalisation, Innovation and Decentralization

Ofgem

Graham Robinson

Chief Technology Officer

Smart DCC

Alexander Gittens

Sales Director

Getac

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

10.05 - 10.20

Podcast Episode

Driving the home energy transition

Emma Fletcher

Innovation Director- Octopus Energy Homes

Octopus Energy Group

10.25 - 10.40

Podcast Episode

Talking gibberish and siloed solutions: how water issues can learn from both nature, and Janet and John

Matt Wheeldon

Director of Infrastructure

Wessex Water

Women in Utilities Brunch

11.05 - 11.50

Networking

Women in Utilities Brunch

Hosted in partnership with Womens Utilities Network (WUN)

A networking session focused on career advancement, personal branding, and professional development for women in the utilities sector. This session brings together professionals at all career stages to connect, share insights, and build meaningful relationships that drive career growth.

11.10 - 11.20

Welcome and opening remarks

Emma Ford

CEO

Eclipse Power

Sophia Goring

Head of ESG

Business Stream

11.20 - 11.50

Mentor-led networking

An open networking session where you can connect with mentors and peers. Use this time to discuss career challenges, explore personal branding strategies, seek advice on industry transitions, or simply build relationships with others in the sector. Look for mentors wearing identifying stickers.

Purple Stage - Customer vulnerability and debt

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Resetting the debt landscape: from crisis to opportunity

Geoff Mills

Revenue Director

EDF

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

Leveraging AI and data to better serve vulnerable customers

Marcus Gardiner

Client Director - Energy & Utilities

Softwire

12.30 - 13.05

Panel Discussion

Addressing financial vulnerability: moving from a reactive to a proactive approach

Responding to Ofgem’s financial vulnerability guidance: what are the immediate priorities for energy retailers?
Identifying the financially vulnerable: how can AI and data analytics help?
Balancing privacy with proactivity: what data can and should energy retailers share?
Halting the rise of avoidable debt: what kind of interventions are most effective?
Improving billing accuracy: what more could retailers do?
Tailoring payment terms to individual circumstances: what level of flexibility is commercially viable?
Building a trusting relationship: which channels and approaches work best?

Ed Rees

Head of Retail Policy

Energy UK

Ivan Lourie

Head of Credit Risk

Octopus Energy Group

Maria Georgiou

Head of Collections

Utility Warehouse

Red Stage - Maintaining and upgrading grid assets

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Exclusive Insights

Keynote

Five-year plans, real-time decisions: how AI is rebuilding network asset management

James Dickenson

Vice President Solutions

Cogna

12.30 - 13.00

Panel Discussion

Integrating a changing generation mix: grid management in a time of transition

How will grid management strategies need to evolve as the energy mix changes?
Navigating growing intermittency: how can reliability be ensured in a renewables-heavy system?
Unlocking the potential of flexibility to manage load: how can the barriers be overcome?
Integrating AI into the control room: how can it be done most effectively?
Addressing asset decentralisation: what are the key considerations?
What new infrastructure is required to manage a mixed system, and what legacy infrastructure can be repurposed?
Asset location frameworks: how will NESO’s spatial plans influence grid management?
Managing metal scarcity: what more can be done?

Matt White

Head of Engineering Compliance & Standards

UK Power Networks

Paul Aukland

Head of Economic Regulation

SP Electricity North West

Green Stage - The future of gas

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Gas system in transition

Ian Radley

Chief Commercial Officer

National Gas

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

Gas in transition: From Energy Consumption Data to Financial Truth

Evo Stefanov

Managing Partner

Methodia

12.30 - 12.45

Keynote

Future of gas distribution - key role to play in clean energy transition , energy security and affordability

Jennifer Farrell

Regulation Manager

Northern Gas Networks

12.45 - 13.15

Panel Discussion

Shaping the UK's gas future: defining the decade to come

What innovations are emerging within the gas sector? How might they influence the future of gas in the UK?  
Hydrogen, biomethane, CCUS: which technologies offer the most promise by 2030?
The future of gas infrastructure: how might networks need to evolve to accommodate a decarbonised system? 
Addressing heavy industry: where will gas remain essential, and where can alternatives take hold?
The shift from gas boilers to heat pumps: how should various gas industry players adapt?
How will gas pricing and market structures adapt to an evolving role?

Annabel West

Head of Green Gas Solutions

SGN

Robert McKeon

Development Director - Renewable Gases UK

ENGIE UK

Kelly de Azevedo Dent

Director of Development

SSE Thermal

Charles McAllister

Director

Green Gas Taskforce

Blue Stage - Water pollution

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Southern Water

Nick Mills

Director of Environment & Innovation

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

Managing rain better where it lands

Matt Wheeldon

Director of Infrastructure

Wessex Water

12.30 - 13.10

Panel Discussion

Charting the water industry's role in the long-term health of the water environment

How can prevention strategies tackle pollution at source rather than just treating the symptoms?
Reducing storm overflows: what are the latest technological innovations?
Scaling nature-based solutions: how can they best be integrated into pollution prevention strategies?
Leaning into catchment-based solutions: what are the success stories and how can they be replicated?  
Integrating urban planning: how can SUDs and smart tech contribute to pollution reduction?
Farmers, wildlife trusts, Defra: exploring collaborative approaches to pollution reduction 
How can water companies protect the environment in the long term?

Simon Parsons

Director of Wastewater

Scottish Water

Zoe Frogbrook

Head of Environment and Sustainability

Helen Dobby

Director of Bioresources

Nicole McNab

Head of Strategic Partnerships - Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force

Southern Water

Yellow Stage - Flexibility think tank

11.50 - 13.00

Think tank

The future of flexibility

In this interactive session attendees will explore the benefits and opportunities of demand-side flexibility.

11.50 - 11.55

Welcome and introductions

11.55 - 12.15

Speaker presentation

Demand-side flexibility at scale: assessing the opportunities

Sallyann Blackett

Head of Volume Forecasting

E.ON

12.15 - 12.35

Speaker presentation

SSE

Gianna Huhn

Head of Future Programmes

SSE

12.35 - 13.00

Moderated discussion

Charting the flexible future of the energy system

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

How quickly could Flex-as-a-Service become mainstream and how will it reshape the supplier-customer relationship?
How great a role are non-retailer aggregators in the flex landscape long-term, and what are the implications?
Delivering value for I&C participants: what are the key success factors?
How soon will autonomous flexibility become a reality?

13.05 - 13.15

Group feedback

The Studio - Broadcasts & Podcasts

12.15 - 12.40

Studio Panel

WUN panel

Karen Anderson

Executive Director

Womens Utilities Network

Sophia Goring

Head of ESG

Business Stream

Naz Khanom

Head of People

Lanes Group

Purple Stage - Evolving the energy proposition

14.30 - 14.50

Keynote

From prosumption to EVs to heat pumps: meeting changing customer needs

Susan Wells

Director, EV & Solar - New Business & Net Zero

Hive

14.50 - 15.05

Case Study

All-inclusive energy: the Next Gen Home bundle

Zac Curtis

Innovation Lead

E.ON Next

15.05 - 15.35

Panel Discussion

Win-win scenarios for prosumers and suppliers: maximising the benefits

What types of prosumer participation create the greatest value for energy retailers?
How can retailers create sustainable revenue streams from prosumer products while ensuring customers realise tangible benefits?
How can the financial, environmental and energy security benefits of prosumption best be communicated to end users?
Broadening the prosumer base: how can suppliers engage the less active customer?
Ensuring accurate and seamless billing: what platform upgrades are required for complex prosumer accounts?
What innovations will accelerate the affordability of prosumer assets and improve wholesale price competitiveness?
MHHS, code reforms, levy amendments: how can structural changes improve prosumption value?
How can energy suppliers continue to deliver value as generation becomes increasingly localised?

Emma Fletcher

Innovation Director- Octopus Energy Homes

Octopus Energy Group

George Walters

Chief Home Services Officer

Utilita Energy

Tom Lowe

Principal Economic Regulation Specialist

Citizens Advice

Red Stage - Storage

14.35 - 14.55

Keynote

Connecting the Sun - solar, storage and grids in the energy transition

Lennart van Walsum

Director EMEIA & Americas

Global Solar Council

14.55 - 15.25

Panel Discussion

Storage at scale: building the UK's roadmap

Optimising storage asset profitability: which revenue stacking strategies are proving most effective?
Accelerating VPPs: what level of storage is needed for true scalability?
What infrastructure constraints are limiting storage deployment? How can grid connections be accelerated?
Beyond lithium-ion: which alternative storage technologies are ready for commercial deployment?
Derisking LDES: is the cap-and-floor scheme enough?
Addressing the skills gap: what skills are needed to capture the storage opportunity?

Ash Hein

Commercial Flex Gen Business Development Director

Drax

Jan Bruland

Director of Strategy & Market Intelligence

Vattenfall

Max Slade

Chief Operating Officer

Harmony Energy

Chessy Whalen

Partner

OC&C Strategy Consultants

Green Stage - Industrial decarbonisation

14.15 - 14.35

Keynote

Scaling decarbonisation: from alternative energy sources to energy efficiency

Ian Belfield

Director of Business Development

SSE Energy Solutions

14.35 - 14.55

Keynote

Geothermal UK

Anne Murrell

Lead

Geothermal UK

14.55 - 15.25

Panel Discussion

Decarbonising the commercial sector: understanding the requirements

Four heads of decarbonisation discuss what they are looking for in their energy partners

How can energy companies become indispensable partners in corporate decarbonisation?
How can utilities maximise the value they add in the corporate PPA market?   
Energy-Transition-as-a-Service: what are major energy users looking for?
Deploying low carbon heat networks: what strategies are available?
Appetite for green hydrogen: where does green hydrogen make economic sense?
Improving the efficiency of CCS: are industrial clusters the answer?
Demand-side response: what makes it a commercially appealing proposition for a major energy user?
The UK policy agenda: how will this shape decarbonisation in the next 5 years?

Severine Turgis

Energy and Estate Decarbonisation Manager

CLCH & West London NHS Trust

Sophie Lu

Global Head of Heavy Industry Decarbonisation

HSBC

Matthew Rhodes

Director

Black Country Industrial Cluster

Lucy Morgan

Director of Operations

Gren UK

Blue Stage - Water infrastructure think tank

14.15 - 15.25

Think tank

Mapping our the future of water infrastructure

In this interactive session attendees will come together to discuss how they can address the challenges to the water industry.

Have your say in this lively, interactive session and pool ideas with some of the industry’s most innovative and senior figures.

14.15 - 14.20

Welcome and introductions

14.20 - 14.40

Speaker presentation

Innovation, resilience, renewal: building the modern water infrastructure of the future

John Fawell

Chair

UK Water Network

14.40 - 15.05

Moderated discussion

Future-proofing the water network: envisioning a long-term strategy

Developing and delivering a long-term resilience strategy: what are the crucial pain points? 
Repair vs replace: how should suppliers address the ageing network? 
Funding network development: how can water providers attract investment? 
Can AI really reduce investment needs? Where might it have the most impact?
Minimising disruption: how is infrastructure repair evolving?

15.05 - 15.25

Group feedback

Yellow Stage - Smart metering think tank

14.15 - 15.25

Think tank

Getting smarter with smart meters

In this interactive session attendees will come together to share smart meter rollout learnings across the energy and water sector.

Have your say in this lively, interactive session and pool ideas with some of the industry’s most innovative and senior figures.

14.15 - 14.20

Welcome and introductions

14.20 - 14.35

Speaker presentation

Accelerating the smart meter rollout

Dan Swift

Smart Programme Director

Octopus Energy Group

14.35 - 15.05

Moderated discussion

Growing the smart meter estate: installation and renewal strategies

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

What rollout and renewal strategies are working in energy and water? Where can sectors learn from each other?
Engaging the refusers: what approaches are proving effective?
Identifying and restoring meters operating in traditional mode: how can installers keep pace?
What third-party partnerships could help overcome installation barriers?

15.05 - 15.25

Group feedback

Session Eight: Future of Utilities

15.35 - 15.55

Keynote

OVO

Mary Starks

VP Policy, Regulation and Risk

OVO Energy

Purple Stage - Energy system resilience

09.10 - 09.15

Chair's opening remarks

Juliette Foster

Moderator

09.15 - 09.35

Keynote

Building the future energy system: meeting the infrastructure challenge

Simone Rossi

Chief Executive Officer

EDF Energy

09.35 - 09.55

Fireside chat

Running an energy system nobody designed for today

Stig Martin Fiskå

Global Head of AI for Good

Cognizant

Rebecca Anderson

Account Executive

Databricks

09.55 - 10.40

Leaders' Forum

Charting the road to energy security

Towards a clean, secure energy system: how far along are we and what are the next steps?
Managing intermittency how can reliability be ensure in a renewable-heavy energy system?
Working with customers: how can energy companies most effectively engage customers in the transition?
Balancing stability and speed in the infrastructure build: what are the key considerations?
Securing a digitally connected system: how can utilities stay ahead of evolving cyber risks?
Building the workforce of the transition: how can shortages of skilled labour be overcome?
From private investment to GB Energy: how can the required level and type of funding be secured?
How can momentum be maintained as the energy transition becomes increasingly politicised?

Bill Bullen

Chief Executive Officer

Utilita Energy

Suresh Bhaskar

Managing Director Renewables - UK & Ireland

ENGIE

Akshay Kaul

Director-General, Infrastructure

Ofgem

Philip Songhurst

Managing Principal

Capco

Blue Stage - Long-term resilience in water

09.10 - 09.15

Chair's opening remarks

09.15 - 09.35

Keynote

Driving lasting change in the water sector: the next steps

Ruth Jefferson

Chief Executive Officer

Wessex Water

09.35 - 09.55

Keynote

Designing a strategic approach for water resilience

Matt Firla-Cuchra

Partner, UK Head of Water, Power & Utilities, Global Lead Nuclear Energy

KPMG

09.55 - 10.15

Keynote

Achieving true long-term transformation in water: the road ahead

David Hinton

Chief Executive Officer

South East Water

10.15 - 10.35

Keynote

An update from Ofwat

Chris Walters

Interim Chief Executive

Ofwat

10.35 - 11.05

Leaders' Forum

From catchment to customer: securing the UK's water future

Building resilience: how can systemic challenges across the water sector be best addressed?
Meeting the needs of the nation: how can projected future water demands be met? Where can consumption be reduced?
Addressing regulatory changes: what must be prioritised to truly reshape the water sector?
What should be the key focus areas for investment in the sector? What strategies might successfully attract that investment?
Addressing pollution concerns while maintaining affordability: where does the solution lie?
Desalination plants, reservoirs, dams: what are the key challenges to delivering major water resource projects and how can they be overcome?
How can the industry translate long-term, complex problems into actionable steps that engage diverse stakeholders?

Carol Cairns

Chief Risk Officer

Portsmouth Water

Giles Stevens

Director of Regulation for Strategic Water Resources

Thames Water

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

09.30 - 09.50

Podcast Episode

The robots are coming: are fully automated homes the future?

Zac Curtis

Innovation Lead

E.ON Next

10.15 - 10.30

Podcast Episode

How batteries can reduce fuel poverty and limit burgeoning costs

Davide Turi

Innovation Lead, Flexibility

E.ON

10.35 - 10.50

Podcast Episode

The intersection of behavioural science, the water sector, and utilities more broadly

Armenak Antinyan

Head of Behavioural Economics & Impact Evaluation

Thames Water

10.55 - 11.10

Podcast Episode

Can Britain avoid a water crisis? An interview with the CEO of Ofwat

Chris Walters

Interim Chief Executive

Ofwat

Purple Stage - Customer engagement

11.30 - 11.45

Keynote

From passive user to active participant: understanding the modern customer

Christopher Shead

Director of Customer Operations

E.ON Next

11.45 - 12.05

Keynote

Customer journey mapping: driving loyalty at every touchpoint

Hattie Lister

VP - Utilities & Retail

Vyntelligence (Vyn®)

12.05 - 12.20

Case Study

So Unique, the personalised energy tariff

Michelle Little

Head of Propositions

So Energy

12.20 - 12.40

Keynote

The real-time energy future: how data turns utilities into energy partners

Siem Simonis

Chief Technology Officer

NieuweStroom

Fabienne Vanquickelberghe

Account Director

Itineris

12.40 - 12.55

Keynote

Towards an accelerated smart meter rollout: charting the path ahead

Stève Hervouet

Chief Strategy & Regulation Officer

Smart DCC

Red Stage - Grid transformation

11.30 - 11.50

Keynote

The Intelligent Grid: AI Agents Redesigning Energy Distribution in Real Time

Carol Yan

General Manager - Energy & Utilities UKI

AWS

Sara Brooks

Chief Growth Officer

Kaluza

Charlie Davies

GTM

Anthropic

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Solving the UK's £Billion Infrastructure Puzzle with Data, Not Luck

Fawad A. Qureshi

Global Field CTO

Snowflake

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

How start-ups will accelerate the coming grid transformation

Luke Wainwright

Director of Business Development

National Grid Partners

12.30 - 13.10

Panel Discussion

Overcoming the capacity crunch: accommodating soaring energy demand

How far and how fast must the grid change to manage increased demand?
Maintaining stability during grid upgrades: how can rapid build-out be achieved without hitting reliability?
Coordinating networks: how can transmission and distribution companies collaborate to enhance grid performance?
Smart grid solutions: which grid management tools best improve system reliability and stability?
From DLRs to HVDCs: how are next-gen technologies enhancing grid capacity and performance?
Securing investment: which regulatory and market mechanisms will help deliver the required capital?
Streamlining planning and consenting: what land access reforms are required?
To what extent can today’s upgrades accommodate tomorrow’s system requirements?
Anticipating the future: is generation set to become ever more localised and in what timeframe?

David Boyer

Electricity Systems Director

Energy Networks Association

David Adkins

Head of Network Architecture and Innovation

National Grid

Nigel Bessant

Head of Network Operations

SSEN

Samuel Pachoud

Partner, Energy Transformation Lead

Green Stage - Generation

11.30 - 11.50

Keynote

An update on RIIO3: moving to a more collaborative delivery approach

Joseph Davidson

Energy System Innovation Manager, Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund

Innovate UK

11.50 - 12.10

Fireside chat

Production-ready Intelligent Utilities: How Atos and Dell's Smart Edge capabilities are turning real-time data into operational advantage - improving resilience, safety, and control across critical infrastructure at scale

Tony Long

Chief Technology Officer - Critical National Infrastructure

Atos

Mark Smith

Client Delivery Executive

Atos

Emma Call

Account Director

Atos

James Hulse

Global Director, Business Development – Sales

Dell Technologies

12.10 - 12.30

Case Study

Entering the golden age: next steps in nuclear development

Josh Buckland

Director of Strategy and Policy

EDF

12.30 - 12.50

Keynote

Why renewable investment still feels like a gamble

Alex Warren

Chief Executive Officer

Stark

Blue Stage - Tackling water scarcity

11.30 - 11.50

Keynote

From desalination plants to water reuse: combatting water scarcity

Sam Fox

Chief Strategic Planner

United Utilities

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Improving water management: making the most of smart technology

Alon Bernitz

OT Principal Engineer | Operational Technology

Thames Water

12.10 - 12.30

Case Study

Grand Union Canal Transfer

Clare Carlaw

Head of Stakeholder, Land and Consents

Affinity Water

12.30 - 13.05

Panel Discussion

Reducing leakages, increasing capacity: driving water resilience

Expanding the UK’s water storage capacity: what more must be done to ensure long-term resilience?
Assessing drought management strategies: what role should demand management play vs building new supply infrastructure?
Solving scarcity in the short term: what immediate capacity solutions are actually viable? 
Engaging the consumer: how do you get customers to buy into conservation? 
How viable is desalination and water recycling compared to traditional reservoir development? 
Reducing leakage: how are AI models helping?
What changes to the regulatory framework will secure the future of water?

Natalie Akroyd

Director of Quality & Environment

South Staffordshire Water

Sam Fox

Chief Strategic Planner

United Utilities

Julie Morton

Head of Water Resources

Thames Water

Katie Davis

Head of Water Service Planning

Don Sullivan

Senior Vice President

Precisely

Yellow Stage - AI think tank

11.30 - 12.40

Think tank

Towards successful AI implementation

In this interactive session delegates will come together to discuss how they can seize new arbitrage opportunities across the trading landscape.

Have your say in this lively, interactive session and pool ideas wit some of the industry’s most innovative and senior figures.

11.30 - 11.40

Welcome and introduction

Joe Mitchell

Account Director

FYLD

11.40 - 11.50

Opening scene setter

Moderated discussion

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

Why do most AI pilot schemes fail? What needs to happen to ensure success?
What are some real-life use cases of successful AI implementation in your organisation?
What might energy systems look like in 2050 when AI capabilities have fully matured?

12.20 - 12.40

Group feedback

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

11.45 - 12.00

Podcast Episode

Can Britain build the energy system it needs?

Josh Buckland

Director of Strategy and Policy

EDF

12.50 - 13.15

Studio Panel

AI at scale: moving from experiments to everyday options

Join the discussion as it’s filmed live in the Studio + broadcast post-Summit to the wider Future of Utilities community

Key questions: 

What is actually stopping AI programmes from moving beyond the pilot stage?
How do you fit AI into the systems and workflows you already have, rather than building around them?
What governance and audit trail does the regulator expect, and how early does that need to be in place?
Where should utilities companies focus first to get real returns from AI investment?
What does appropriate human oversight look like when AI is embedded in operational decisions?
How do you build internal confidence in AI as a core capability rather than a series of one-off projects?
What would it take for AI to become as unremarkable in utilities as any other operational tool?

Ritika Wattan

Head of Strategy

SSE Energy Solutions

Joseph Tabita

Energy Commodities Lead

Publicis Sapient

Nitish Mittal

Partner

Everest Group

Purple Stage - AI in energy retail

14.10 - 14.25

Case Study

Data as a catalyst for market innovation

Chris Wood

Smart Data Repository Design Lead

Elexon

14.30 - 14.50

Keynote

Leveraging AI in energy retail: efficiency, prediction, personalisation

Jo Page

Data Director

E.ON Next

14.50 - 15.10

Keynote

The Future of Utilities CX: What Customers Need and How AI Delivers It

Edward de Mas Latrie

Director AI & Agentic

NiCE

Dominic Gregory

Service Design Director Accenture Song

Accenture

15.10 - 15.30

Case Study

From chatbot to operator: building OVO's agentic AI in energy retail

Andrew Mohammed

Director of Data & AI

OVO Energy

15.30 - 16.00

Panel Discussion

Achieving AI excellence: identifying the challenges, crafting solutions

Setting the scene: where are AI capabilities most mature in the energy retail space?
Towards a deeper customer relationship: how is AI enabling greater personalisation and value-add?
Conversational AI: what does the gold standard now look like?
Shortening time to market: how can AI accelerate coding and QA for new products?
Feeding the machine: how can disparate data sources most effectively be integrated?
Enabling real-time analytics: what are the critical foundations?
Why do many proof-of-concepts fail to reach implementation? How can pilot schemes scale up and monetise?

Ritika Wattan

Head of Strategy

SSE Energy Solutions

Chloe Fong

Head of Product - Growth and Innovation

E.ON

Anyi Guo

Head of Data Science & Engineering

Utility Warehouse

Vibhor Garg

EXL Business Head

EXL

Red Stage - Energy trading

14.30 - 14.40

Keynote

Building a market framework for a changing power system

Andrej Stancik

Senior Policy Advisor

Energy Traders Europe

14.40 - 15.00

Keynote

Navigating the evolving landscape of energy trading

Cathrin Stadler

Director - Head of Energy Trading Regulation

Centrica

15.00 - 15.20

Keynote

Accelerating trading risk management: meeting the data challenge

Ihyeeddine Elfeki

FSI Solutions Global Lead

DXC Technology

15.20 - 15.40

Case Study

SSE Energy Markets

Gordon Bell

Managing Director

SSE

15.40 - 16.00

Keynote

E.ON Next

Marianella Gurney

Head of Platform Strategy & Development

E.ON Next

Green Stage - Integrating renewable generation

14.30 - 14.50

Keynote

Bridging the integration gap: financing the infrastructure behind the megawatts

Rob Gilbert

Director

Great British Energy

14.50 - 15.05

Keynote

The decisive decade: what will it take to make the energy transition bankable at scale?

Shubhda Kaushik

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Alternative Energy

15.05 - 15.25

Interview

SSEP location strategy: maximising the value of generation assets

Alice Etheridge

Head of Strategic Spatial Energy Planning

National Energy System Operator

15.25 - 16.00

Panel Discussion

Financing renewable generation: unlocking the capital

Investing in British energy: what level is required to achieve CP30?
Stimulating investor appetite: how can the case for renewables be made convincing amid increasing political risk?
CfDs, PPAs and beyond: how can stable returns be ensured?
Managing the impact of cost volatility and supply chain risk on cost of capital: what more can be done?
Identifying new sources of capital: where does the most fertile ground lie?
Higher risk, higher reward energy investment opportunities: how to attract new types of investor
How will GB Energy’s co-development model and focus on green tech affect private investment opportunities?

Nancy Wang

Investment Director

Octopus Energy Generation

I-An Chen

Head of Partnership Strategy & Origination

Orsted

Ana Musat

Executive Director, Policy and Engagement

RenewableUK

Blue Stage - Water customer engagement

14.30 - 14.50

Case Study

From Ambition to Delivery: Smart Water Metering Maturity & Capability in England

Ana Maria Millan

Smart Metering Policy Lead

Ofwat

14.50 - 15.10

Keynote

Ferranti

Gemma Hunt

Sales Manager

Ferranti

15.10 - 15.50

Panel Discussion

Driving water conservation: customer engagement that matters

Managing demand: which proactive engagement strategies are most effective?
Which tools are most effective in reducing water consumption in the home? How can the industry encourage their adoption?  
Tailoring the messaging: what communication strategies work best with which consumer groups? 
How can the industry ensure the smart meter rollout is customer-driven from day one? 
How can water smart meter data be used to drive engagement as well as operational efficiency?
Rebuilding trust in the water sector: what localised, community-focused strategies move the dial?

Aimee Shaw

Head of Customer Engagement

Wessex Water

Armenak Antinyan

Head of Behavioural Economics & Impact Evaluation

Thames Water

Ali Bell

Director of Communications & Policy

Consumer Council for Water

Yellow Stage - Asset management think tank

14.30 - 15.30

Think tank

Future-proofing critical assets

14.30 - 14.35

Welcome and introductions

14.35 - 14.50

Speaker presentation

Proactive asset management of Solar, PV & BESS

Niklas Will

Head of Asset Management Solar & Batteries

Vattenfall

14.50 - 15.20

Moderated discussion

From reactive to proactive asset management

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

By what criteria should assets be prioritised for proactive intervention?
What asset condition and performance data is needed before companies can be truly proactive? How can data gaps be handled?
Optimising asset management execution: what tools and strategies are proving most effective?
A cohesive approach: how can condition monitoring and prediction best be integrated with traditional inspection?
What would a shift to proactive maintenance mean for management and resourcing?

15.20 - 15.40

Group feedback

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

14.15 - 14.30

Podcast Episode

The future of energy security: The role of gas networks

James Earl

Chief Executive Officer

Future Energy Networks

14.50 - 15.05

Podcast Episode

Power responsive: flexibility is our hidden power

Jonathan Wisdom

Head of Market Change Delivery

National Energy System Operator

15.35 - 16.00

Studio Panel

The infrastructure gap: asset management in an age of rising demand

Join the discussion as it’s filmed live in the Studio + broadcast post-Summit to the wider Future of Utilities community

Key questions: 

How is the role of asset management evolving in utilities, and where are organisations finding it hardest to keep pace? 
Managing ageing infrastructure: how are utilities making smarter decisions about what to replace, repurpose or extend? 
What does integrated lifecycle thinking look like in practice, and how does it change capital planning? 
Laying the foundations for AI in asset management: what data standards are required? 
How far can predictive maintenance go in improving asset performance and extending operational lifespans? 
Guaranteeing network resilience: how are utilities maintaining supply continuity under increasing strain? 
What organisational and workforce shifts are needed to get the most from new asset management approaches? 
Looking ahead: where will the most significant changes in how utilities manage critical infrastructure come from? 
Guaranteeing network resilience: wow are utilities maintaining supply continuity under increasing strain?
What organisational and workforce shifts are needed to get the most from new asset management approaches?
Looking ahead: where will the most significant changes in how utilities manage critical infrastructure come from?

Ipek Kaymak

Head of Strategic Asset Management and Insight

Affinity Water

Kate Boxall

Head of Asset Management

National Gas Transmission

Carol Johnston

VP Energy, Utilities & Resources

IFS

Purple Stage - Flexibility

16.20 - 16.40

Keynote

Navigating the Clean Energy Flexibility Roadmap: an update from DESNZ

Duncan Stone

Head of Electricity System Flexibility

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

16.40 - 17.00

Keynote

Flexibility & Resilience: A Unified Field of Vision for Utilities

Mark Woods

Chief Technical Advisor & FCTO

Splunk

Rob Mossop

Chief Operating Officer

Sword Group

17.00 - 17.40

Panel Discussion

Facilitating demand-side flexibility: charting the path ahead

Taking stock: how flexible is today’s energy system, and how much more flexibility is required?
Incentivising consumer participation in flex schemes: what further levers can be pulled?
Making flexibility easy: how can flexibility market engagement be made as straightforward as possible?
Ensuring interoperability between flex devices: how do functionality standards need to change?
Speeding up the processing of flex data: how can the barriers be overcome?
EVs as a major flexibility source: how can flex schemes harness V2X and smart charging to support them?
Flexibility through VPPs: how can aggregation unlock greater value?
A flexible future: what will a fully mature market look like?

Doerte Schneemann

Head of Flexibility Markets

National Grid

Carol Choi

Flexibility Commercial Manager

UK Power Networks

Alan Rodgers

Experience Strategist

Energised Futures – Centrica

Henri-Thierry Toutounji

Sustainability and B2B Partner

OC&C Strategy Consultants

Blue Stage - Securing investment in water

16.20 - 16.40

Keynote

Stewardship as strategy: valuing nature as an asset through the £600 million innovation fund

Dr Jo Jolly

Director, Environment and Innovation

Ofwat

16.40 - 17.25

Panel Discussion

Balancing immediate needs with future growth: assessing water investment frameworks

How can immediate infrastructure repairs be balanced with long-term strategic growth?
How can investment frameworks prevent financial over-leverage while ensuring critical infrastructure delivery?
Beyond the Cunliffe review: what regulatory reforms are essential to restore investor confidence in the sector?
Ensuring affordability: how can the sector secure necessary investment capital while keeping customer bills manageable?
With data centres driving massive new demand, how should suppliers secure industrial customer contributions to capacity investment?
What role should green bonds, blended finance, an outcome-based contracts play in attracting diverse capital sources?

Iain McGuffog

Director of Regulatory Finance

Matt Humphrey

Head of Asset Management

Anglian Water

Cathryn Ross

Director, Strategy and External Affairs

Thames Water

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

16.50 - 17.05

Podcast Episode

Podcast with Modulr Finance's CEO, Myles Stephenson

Myles Stephenson

Chief Executive Officer & Founder

Modulr Finance

17.20 - 17.35

Podcast Episode

When one failure becomes many: CReDo and the future of infrastructure resilience

Alanna Gluck

Delivery and Engagement Manager

Connected Places Catapult

Amit Bhave

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

CMCL

Purple Stage - Navigating the digital era

09.20 - 09.25

Chair's opening remarks

Juliette Foster

Moderator

09.25 - 09.45

Keynote

Will AI break or revolutionise our energy system?

Sam Hancock

Global Head of Data Science

Octopus Energy Group

09.45 - 10.05

Keynote

The Resilience Reset: Navigating the Intersection of Frontier AI, IT/OT Convergence, and the New Regulatory Mandate

Alistair Wildman

Chief Executive Officer, UK&I

Palo Alto Networks

10.05 - 10.25

Fireside chat

Building a digital roadmap: assessing the strategic priorities

Jennifer Rigby

Chief Digital and Transformation Officer

Iain Dougan

Head of SSEN Transmission OT & Cyber

SSEN Transmission

10.25 - 11.00

Leaders' Forum

Taking the digital leap in utilities: charting the path ahead

Matt Webb

Technology & Insights Director

South East Water

Marzia Zafar

Deputy Director of Digitalisation, Innovation and Decentralization

Ofgem

Graham Robinson

Chief Technology Officer

Smart DCC

Alexander Gittens

Sales Director

Getac

The Studio - Podcasts & Broadcasts

10.05 - 10.20

Podcast Episode

Driving the home energy transition

Emma Fletcher

Innovation Director- Octopus Energy Homes

Octopus Energy Group

10.25 - 10.40

Podcast Episode

Talking gibberish and siloed solutions: how water issues can learn from both nature, and Janet and John

Matt Wheeldon

Director of Infrastructure

Wessex Water

Women in Utilities Brunch

11.05 - 11.50

Networking

Women in Utilities Brunch

Hosted in partnership with Womens Utilities Network (WUN)

11.10 - 11.20

Welcome and opening remarks

Emma Ford

CEO

Eclipse Power

Sophia Goring

Head of ESG

Business Stream

11.20 - 11.50

Mentor-led networking

Purple Stage - Customer vulnerability and debt

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Resetting the debt landscape: from crisis to opportunity

Geoff Mills

Revenue Director

EDF

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

Leveraging AI and data to better serve vulnerable customers

Marcus Gardiner

Client Director - Energy & Utilities

Softwire

12.30 - 13.05

Panel Discussion

Addressing financial vulnerability: moving from a reactive to a proactive approach

Responding to Ofgem’s financial vulnerability guidance: what are the immediate priorities for energy retailers?
Identifying the financially vulnerable: how can AI and data analytics help?
Balancing privacy with proactivity: what data can and should energy retailers share?
Halting the rise of avoidable debt: what kind of interventions are most effective?
Improving billing accuracy: what more could retailers do?
Tailoring payment terms to individual circumstances: what level of flexibility is commercially viable?
Building a trusting relationship: which channels and approaches work best?

Ed Rees

Head of Retail Policy

Energy UK

Ivan Lourie

Head of Credit Risk

Octopus Energy Group

Maria Georgiou

Head of Collections

Utility Warehouse

Red Stage - Maintaining and upgrading grid assets

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Exclusive Insights

Keynote

Five-year plans, real-time decisions: how AI is rebuilding network asset management

James Dickenson

Vice President Solutions

Cogna

12.30 - 13.00

Panel Discussion

Integrating a changing generation mix: grid management in a time of transition

How will grid management strategies need to evolve as the energy mix changes?
Navigating growing intermittency: how can reliability be ensured in a renewables-heavy system?
Unlocking the potential of flexibility to manage load: how can the barriers be overcome?
Integrating AI into the control room: how can it be done most effectively?
Addressing asset decentralisation: what are the key considerations?
What new infrastructure is required to manage a mixed system, and what legacy infrastructure can be repurposed?
Asset location frameworks: how will NESO’s spatial plans influence grid management?
Managing metal scarcity: what more can be done?

Matt White

Head of Engineering Compliance & Standards

UK Power Networks

Paul Aukland

Head of Economic Regulation

SP Electricity North West

Green Stage - The future of gas

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Gas system in transition

Ian Radley

Chief Commercial Officer

National Gas

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

Gas in transition: From Energy Consumption Data to Financial Truth

Evo Stefanov

Managing Partner

Methodia

12.30 - 12.45

Keynote

Future of gas distribution - key role to play in clean energy transition , energy security and affordability

Jennifer Farrell

Regulation Manager

Northern Gas Networks

12.45 - 13.15

Panel Discussion

Shaping the UK's gas future: defining the decade to come

What innovations are emerging within the gas sector? How might they influence the future of gas in the UK?  
Hydrogen, biomethane, CCUS: which technologies offer the most promise by 2030?
The future of gas infrastructure: how might networks need to evolve to accommodate a decarbonised system? 
Addressing heavy industry: where will gas remain essential, and where can alternatives take hold?
The shift from gas boilers to heat pumps: how should various gas industry players adapt?
How will gas pricing and market structures adapt to an evolving role?

Annabel West

Head of Green Gas Solutions

SGN

Robert McKeon

Development Director - Renewable Gases UK

ENGIE UK

Kelly de Azevedo Dent

Director of Development

SSE Thermal

Charles McAllister

Director

Green Gas Taskforce

Blue Stage - Water pollution

11.50 - 12.10

Keynote

Southern Water

Nick Mills

Director of Environment & Innovation

12.10 - 12.30

Keynote

Managing rain better where it lands

Matt Wheeldon

Director of Infrastructure

Wessex Water

12.30 - 13.10

Panel Discussion

Charting the water industry's role in the long-term health of the water environment

How can prevention strategies tackle pollution at source rather than just treating the symptoms?
Reducing storm overflows: what are the latest technological innovations?
Scaling nature-based solutions: how can they best be integrated into pollution prevention strategies?
Leaning into catchment-based solutions: what are the success stories and how can they be replicated?  
Integrating urban planning: how can SUDs and smart tech contribute to pollution reduction?
Farmers, wildlife trusts, Defra: exploring collaborative approaches to pollution reduction 
How can water companies protect the environment in the long term?

Simon Parsons

Director of Wastewater

Scottish Water

Zoe Frogbrook

Head of Environment and Sustainability

Helen Dobby

Director of Bioresources

Nicole McNab

Head of Strategic Partnerships - Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force

Southern Water

Yellow Stage - Flexibility think tank

11.50 - 13.00

Think tank

The future of flexibility

In this interactive session attendees will explore the benefits and opportunities of demand-side flexibility.

11.50 - 11.55

Welcome and introductions

11.55 - 12.15

Speaker presentation

Demand-side flexibility at scale: assessing the opportunities

Sallyann Blackett

Head of Volume Forecasting

E.ON

12.15 - 12.35

Speaker presentation

SSE

Gianna Huhn

Head of Future Programmes

SSE

12.35 - 13.00

Moderated discussion

Charting the flexible future of the energy system

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

How quickly could Flex-as-a-Service become mainstream and how will it reshape the supplier-customer relationship?
How great a role are non-retailer aggregators in the flex landscape long-term, and what are the implications?
Delivering value for I&C participants: what are the key success factors?
How soon will autonomous flexibility become a reality?

13.05 - 13.15

Group feedback

The Studio - Broadcasts & Podcasts

12.15 - 12.40

Studio Panel

WUN panel

Karen Anderson

Executive Director

Womens Utilities Network

Sophia Goring

Head of ESG

Business Stream

Naz Khanom

Head of People

Lanes Group

Purple Stage - Evolving the energy proposition

14.30 - 14.50

Keynote

From prosumption to EVs to heat pumps: meeting changing customer needs

Susan Wells

Director, EV & Solar - New Business & Net Zero

Hive

14.50 - 15.05

Case Study

All-inclusive energy: the Next Gen Home bundle

Zac Curtis

Innovation Lead

E.ON Next

15.05 - 15.35

Panel Discussion

Win-win scenarios for prosumers and suppliers: maximising the benefits

What types of prosumer participation create the greatest value for energy retailers?
How can retailers create sustainable revenue streams from prosumer products while ensuring customers realise tangible benefits?
How can the financial, environmental and energy security benefits of prosumption best be communicated to end users?
Broadening the prosumer base: how can suppliers engage the less active customer?
Ensuring accurate and seamless billing: what platform upgrades are required for complex prosumer accounts?
What innovations will accelerate the affordability of prosumer assets and improve wholesale price competitiveness?
MHHS, code reforms, levy amendments: how can structural changes improve prosumption value?
How can energy suppliers continue to deliver value as generation becomes increasingly localised?

Emma Fletcher

Innovation Director- Octopus Energy Homes

Octopus Energy Group

George Walters

Chief Home Services Officer

Utilita Energy

Tom Lowe

Principal Economic Regulation Specialist

Citizens Advice

Red Stage - Storage

14.35 - 14.55

Keynote

Connecting the Sun - solar, storage and grids in the energy transition

Lennart van Walsum

Director EMEIA & Americas

Global Solar Council

14.55 - 15.25

Panel Discussion

Storage at scale: building the UK's roadmap

Optimising storage asset profitability: which revenue stacking strategies are proving most effective?
Accelerating VPPs: what level of storage is needed for true scalability?
What infrastructure constraints are limiting storage deployment? How can grid connections be accelerated?
Beyond lithium-ion: which alternative storage technologies are ready for commercial deployment?
Derisking LDES: is the cap-and-floor scheme enough?
Addressing the skills gap: what skills are needed to capture the storage opportunity?

Ash Hein

Commercial Flex Gen Business Development Director

Drax

Jan Bruland

Director of Strategy & Market Intelligence

Vattenfall

Max Slade

Chief Operating Officer

Harmony Energy

Chessy Whalen

Partner

OC&C Strategy Consultants

Green Stage - Industrial decarbonisation

14.15 - 14.35

Keynote

Scaling decarbonisation: from alternative energy sources to energy efficiency

Ian Belfield

Director of Business Development

SSE Energy Solutions

14.35 - 14.55

Keynote

Geothermal UK

Anne Murrell

Lead

Geothermal UK

14.55 - 15.25

Panel Discussion

Decarbonising the commercial sector: understanding the requirements

Four heads of decarbonisation discuss what they are looking for in their energy partners

How can energy companies become indispensable partners in corporate decarbonisation?
How can utilities maximise the value they add in the corporate PPA market?   
Energy-Transition-as-a-Service: what are major energy users looking for?
Deploying low carbon heat networks: what strategies are available?
Appetite for green hydrogen: where does green hydrogen make economic sense?
Improving the efficiency of CCS: are industrial clusters the answer?
Demand-side response: what makes it a commercially appealing proposition for a major energy user?
The UK policy agenda: how will this shape decarbonisation in the next 5 years?

Severine Turgis

Energy and Estate Decarbonisation Manager

CLCH & West London NHS Trust

Sophie Lu

Global Head of Heavy Industry Decarbonisation

HSBC

Matthew Rhodes

Director

Black Country Industrial Cluster

Lucy Morgan

Director of Operations

Gren UK

Blue Stage - Water infrastructure think tank

14.15 - 15.25

Think tank

Mapping our the future of water infrastructure

In this interactive session attendees will come together to discuss how they can address the challenges to the water industry.

Have your say in this lively, interactive session and pool ideas with some of the industry’s most innovative and senior figures.

14.15 - 14.20

Welcome and introductions

14.20 - 14.40

Speaker presentation

Innovation, resilience, renewal: building the modern water infrastructure of the future

John Fawell

Chair

UK Water Network

14.40 - 15.05

Moderated discussion

Future-proofing the water network: envisioning a long-term strategy

Developing and delivering a long-term resilience strategy: what are the crucial pain points? 
Repair vs replace: how should suppliers address the ageing network? 
Funding network development: how can water providers attract investment? 
Can AI really reduce investment needs? Where might it have the most impact?
Minimising disruption: how is infrastructure repair evolving?

15.05 - 15.25

Group feedback

Yellow Stage - Smart metering think tank

14.15 - 15.25

Think tank

Getting smarter with smart meters

In this interactive session attendees will come together to share smart meter rollout learnings across the energy and water sector.

Have your say in this lively, interactive session and pool ideas with some of the industry’s most innovative and senior figures.

14.15 - 14.20

Welcome and introductions

14.20 - 14.35

Speaker presentation

Accelerating the smart meter rollout

Dan Swift

Smart Programme Director

Octopus Energy Group

14.35 - 15.05

Moderated discussion

Growing the smart meter estate: installation and renewal strategies

Attendees will discuss these challenges at their tables and share key insights with the wider group.

What rollout and renewal strategies are working in energy and water? Where can sectors learn from each other?
Engaging the refusers: what approaches are proving effective?
Identifying and restoring meters operating in traditional mode: how can installers keep pace?
What third-party partnerships could help overcome installation barriers?

15.05 - 15.25

Group feedback

Session Eight: Future of Utilities

15.35 - 15.55

Keynote

OVO

Mary Starks

VP Policy, Regulation and Risk

OVO Energy

2026 Agenda at a Glance

Just a taste of what we'll discuss at this year's utilities conference

Day 1
____

PURPLE STAGE

Energy system resilience

BLUE STAGE

Long-term resilience in water

PURPLE STAGE

Customer engagement

RED STAGE

Grid transformation

GREEN STAGE

Generation

BLUE STAGE

Tackling water scarcity

YELLOW STAGE

Trading think tank

PURPLE STAGE

AI in energy retail

RED STAGE

Energy trading

GREEN STAGE

Integrating renewable generation

BLUE STAGE

Water customer engagement

YELLOW STAGE

Proactive asset management think tank

PURPLE STAGE

Flexibility

BLUE STAGE

Securing investment in water

YELLOW STAGE

Responding to the SSEP think tank

After party

Day 2
____

PURPLE STAGE

Navigating the digital era

Women in utilities networking brunch

PURPLE STAGE

Customer vulnerability and debt

RED STAGE

Maintaining and upgrading grid assets

GREEN STAGE

The future of gas

BLUE STAGE

Water pollution

YELLOW STAGE

Flexibility think tank

PURPLE STAGE

Evolving the energy proposition

RED STAGE

Storage

GREEN STAGE

Industrial decarbonisation

BLUE STAGE

Navigating the challenges to water infrastructure think tank

YELLOW STAGE

Smart metering think tank

PURPLE STAGE