Communications Conference: driving Scotland’s energy journey Speakers

Vicky Allan

Environment Correspondent, The Herald

Vicky Allan is the environment correspondent for the Herald. In recent years she has covered a wide range of issues relating to the renewables industry - from meeting anti-windfarm campaigners on Skye through to how to bring renewables wealth to the Highlands, or why the UK must reform TNUoS. Her weekly newsletter, Winds of Change, also regularly covers the latest clean energy topics.

She is also a cold-water fan and the author of numerous books on wild swimming.

Stephen Dunne

Editor, reNEWS

Stephen Dunne is the editor of leading renewable energy news title reNEWS. He has been writing about the global onshore and offshore wind sectors since 2014. Stephen holds a PhD in press ethics and regulation from Dublin City University and has worked for various national newspapers in Ireland during his career.

Steven Flanagan

Vice President, Client Affairs, Weber Shandwick

With a reputation built on delivering transformative results, Steven is a multi-award-winning communications strategist at the forefront of the renewable energy, agritech, and technology sectors.
Drawing on 13 years of frontline journalism experience, he brings a sharp, story-first approach to his role at Weber Shandwick, which he joined in 2014. He is a sought-after expert in corporate media relations, crisis communications, and high-impact integrated campaigns.
From his base in Scotland, Steven leads an international portfolio of clients, with experience advising industry leaders such as the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult, Smart Energy GB, RES, Flexitricity, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Energy Saving Trust.

Josh Gabbatiss

Climate Policy Correspondent, Carbon Brief

Josh is climate policy correspondent at the UK-based climate publication Carbon Brief. He previously worked as science correspondent at The Independent and prior to that was a freelance journalist for a variety of scientific publications including New Scientist and BBC Earth.

Kirstin Gove

Communications Manager, Thistle Wind Partners

Kirstin Gove leads and delivers communications and stakeholder engagement strategies for the Bowdun Offshore Wind Farm at Thistle Wind Partners. She is an experienced communications professional with more than three decades of experience across media, events and corporate communications.

Kirstin began her career at STV, where she worked as a news anchor and broadcast journalist on STV News at Six. She has since held a range of senior communications roles, predominantly within the energy sector, including Step Change in Safety, the UK oil and gas industry’s safety body, and Subsea UK (now Global Underwater Hub). As Head of Communications, she led member and media engagement, stakeholder relations and digital communications.

She brings extensive experience across multiple areas of the energy industry and has delivered media training, emergency response and reputation management services to a wide range of clients and public sector organisations. At Thistle Wind Partners, Kirstin leads communications and stakeholder engagement activities that support the company’s value proposition, reputation management, and community, media and government relations.

Nikki Keddie

Head of External Affairs and Policy, Ocean Winds

Nikki is the Head of External Affairs & Policy for Ocean Winds, a leading developer and operator in the offshore wind sector with a significant footprint in the UK. She is an economist with two decades experience in enabling economic development within the offshore wind and wider energy industries in the UK and Europe.
Nikki has extensive experience within project development of large offshore windfarms, including stakeholder, communications and external affairs management, supply chain development, policy development and management, community benefit fund and Corporate Social Responsibility management, economic modelling and cost estimation, events planning and delivery, skills development, and marketing.

Nikki has a particular interest in encouraging and enabling positive economic development impacts resulting from energy developments on local communities, wider industry and local and national economies.

Simeon Kerr

Scotland correspondent, Financial Times

Simeon Kerr is the Financial Times' Scotland correspondent, covering politics, energy and business. He was previously the FT's Gulf correspondent based in Dubai, where his beat spanned geopolitics, finance, business and societal change in the Arab Gulf states and broader Middle East. Before journalism, he was a risk analyst. He studied Arabic and Middle Eastern politics at Edinburgh university.

Thomas Nicoll

Senior Communications Manager, SSEN Transmission

Thomas is SSEN Transmission’s Senior Communications Manager and is responsible for managing the external communications and digital output of the business – a key arm of the SSE Group.

Having joined SSE in 2007, starting as a Trainee in IT, he joined Corporate Affairs in 2009 where he has held a number of roles, including a near ten-year stint as the SSE Group’s Digital Communications Manager, before moving to lead on SSEN Transmission’s external communications activity in 2023.

Jack Norquoy

Director of Public Affairs & Communications, Scottish Renewables

Jack Norquoy is the Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Scottish Renewables, the leading voice for the renewable energy industry in Scotland. Jack is responsible for leading Scottish Renewables' communications and public affairs strategies in pursuit of the organisation’s vision of a Scotland leading the world in renewable energy. With experience in communications, public relations and policy advocacy, Jack previously worked in the Scottish and UK Parliaments prior to joining Scottish Renewables in March 2023. From Orkney, Jack featured in The Press & Journal’s ‘Generation Next’ project in 2020 which identified 35 rising political talents in Scotland.

Jess Ralston

Head of Energy, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit

Jess Ralston is Head of Energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, a non-profit organisation focussed on independent analysis of energy and climate issues in the UK. Working mainly with journalists and politicians, Jess leads the ECIU’s work on power, homes, industry, Scotland and Wales. With around a decade of experience in the energy industry, Jess frequently appears in mainstream media and produces analysis that informs the debate on net zero. Jess holds a BSc in Geological Sciences and MSc in Oceanography.

Lesley Riddoch

Freelance Journalist

Lesley is an award-winning broadcaster, journalist, author, filmmaker, podcaster, cyclist, land reform campaigner & lover of all things Nordic. She is best known for broadcasting with programmes on BBC2, Channel 4, Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland, for which she won two Sony speech broadcaster awards. She was also Assistant Editor of the Scotsman and edited the paper when it became the Scotswoman on International Women’s Day 1995, and was part of the start-up team for the Sunday Herald. She’s written weekly columns for the National since its inception in 2014 and used to write for the Herald, Scotsman & Guardian. She now appears regularly on BBC and STV as a political commentator.

Ruth Shewan

Senior External Affairs Manager, EDF power solutions UK and Ireland

Ruth Shewan is the Senior External Affairs Manager at EDF power solutions UK, managing the business’s public affairs activity in Scotland, stakeholder and community engagement, media relations and reputation management across multiple renewable technologies.
Ruth, a Chartered Public Relations Practitioner, has a Masters in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs from Robert Gordon University. She joined EDF power solutions UK, formerly EDF Renewables UK in October 2022. Prior to this role Ruth worked within senior communications and media roles with high profile organisations, such as LNER and National Farmers Union Scotland, for over 16 years. In addition, Ruth spent seven years as a regional senior journalist in Scotland.
Ruth sits on the Executive Committee for Women in Public Affairs Scotland.

Cris Thacker

Communications Manager, Fred. Olsen Renewables

Cris Thacker is the UK Communications Manager at Fred. Olsen Renewables, leading strategic communications across onshore development, construction, and operations throughout Scotland. With a focus on clear, trusted engagement, Cris works at the intersection of community, political, and industry stakeholders - shaping conversations around the role of clean energy in Scotland’s transition to net zero.
A proud East Lammermuir resident and former community councillor, he is a long standing advocate for accessible, community focused communication. Cris helps deliver consistent messaging for major renewable projects while championing transparency, local benefit, and meaningful dialogue. His work includes public exhibitions, community council presentations, media relations, political briefing, and strengthening sector wide collaboration.