Events

Keynote Speech: Stuart Crooks CBE, Managing Director - HPC

In a career spanning 43 years, 39 in nuclear, Stuart has made a vital contribution to the UK's nuclear energy industry. Stuart started his career as an apprentice aged 16 and progressed through various technical and engineering roles in Stations including Dungeness, Hartlepool and Heysham After 5 successful years as Chief Technical Officer, he was appointed Managing Director of Generation and led the sale operation of EDF Energy's UK fleet of nuclear, coal, gas and renewables. Under Stuart's leadership the nuclear fleet generated their best ever output in 2016 and he oversaw the life-extension programme for the UK nuclear fleet.

Stuart is now the Managing Director of Hinkley Point C and has held this post since September 2017. Stuart's vision, drive and commitment has seen HPC, one of Europe's largest construction sites, make significant progress on schedule and to the exacting quality and safety standards required. Under Stuart's guidance, EDF in the UK is leading the way in new nuclear by building Hinkley Point C, providing the UK with low carbon electricity and providing the industry and those that work in it with an exciting future. Passionate about skills and diversity, Stuart is a champion for apprentices, women in nuclear and the working parents' network. Stuart was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2019 for service to Nuclear Energy.

Dr. David Cole, Director of Energy Strategy, Sizewell C Topic: Energy System Design and the Case for Nuclear Power

David is the Director of Energy Strategy for Sizewell C. He has experience in multiple industries across the energy sector, including power & renewables, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, energy storage, transmission and distribution and industrial decarbonisation. Before joining Sizewell C, David was the Operations Director for EDF Nuclear Services. Prior to this, he spent nearly 20 years at global engineering firm Atkins, latterly as Director of Atkins’ UK, Europe and Middle East ‘Net Zero Energy’ business. David is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Metallurgy. David is the creator of ‘Engineering Net Zero’ and is a passionate advocate for a system led, fair and pragmatic approach to energy infrastructure and its critical role supporting society.

Mike McLean, Chief Engineer & AMR/SMR Market Lead - AtkinsRéalis Topic: The Future of Nuclear Power: Big, Small & Advanced reactors

Mike McLean is Chief Engineer and Key Account Manager for the SMR/AMR market in AtkinsRéalis, one of the world’s foremost Nuclear Consultancies. With experience in Fusion Reactor design at UKAEA and previous work on conventional GW scale Fission plants as well as current SMRs and AMRs. Nuclear technologies are touted as the low carbon high availability solution to a variety of industrial needs including: data centres, micro grids, merchant navy propulsion and industrial heat. Mike is well-placed to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of new approaches to delivering nuclear power as part of a suite of technologies to help us reach Net Zero. 

Michelle Tilley - Safety & Schedule Assurance Director, HPC.  Topic: Learnings from Unit 1 to Unit 2 at Hinkley Point C

Michelle has 38 years in the construction industry, starting at the grassroots level delivering superstore projects, and progressing on to lead many complex construction projects in regulated environments.  

For the past 19 years, Michelle has been a director of construction and infrastructure businesses, driving excellence in health and safety performance as a priority.  She has a track record of transforming construction businesses, enhancing productivity, embedding Lean thinking, driving digitalisation, and leading process re-engineering to unlock efficiencies whilst improving the safety and welfare of workers.  

Michelle is currently the Safety & Schedule Assurance Director at Hinkley Point C, where she leads the teams responsible for health, safety and environment polices and standards, along with providing internal independent regulation on nuclear safety, conventional safety, environment, security and quality. Her directorate also provides independent assurance of the delivery schedule and ensures that the project is supported by high quality digital tools.

Michelle is dedicated to developing young people in our industry, her mentoring has been instrumental in lifting many women in construction from administrative roles into more rewarding technical careers.  She champions working parents and carers, driving equality for everyone whilst ensuring they can experience real work-life balance and maintain meaningful careers. Michelle served 10 years as a Trustee of the Construction Youth Trust, developing and implementing many successful construction apprenticeship models, culminating in Vice-chairmanship. She has spent 10 years fundraising for the Construction Alliance, part of the team that delivered a paediatric hospital, an orphanage, and a school in Malawi.

As Colonel in the British Army Staff Corps Reserves, Michelle was involved in 2020 with the construction of the Nightingale Hospitals.  She then led the recovery exercise for the Port of Lebanon following the devastating explosion, mobilising a team of specialists within hours to recover this vital port to an operational position. Michelle holds a doctorate in transforming businesses through the lens of behavioural safety, an MBA, is a Fellow of IoD and Chartered Director, a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Building and a Fellow of IOSH & IEMA.

Mike Roberts - Head of Programme Technical Delivery (Great British Energy - Nuclear)  Topic: Role of Great British Energy- Nuclear in Powering Britain's Future

Mike is Head of Programme Technical Delivery at Great British Energy - Nuclear and a Chief Technical Consultant in AtkinsRéalis. Great British Energy - Nuclear is an executive non-departmental public body to the UK Government, sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

With nearly 20 years’ experience in the nuclear industry, Mike has delivered projects across nuclear new build, fusion, decommissioning and generating stations. Mike joined Great British Energy - Nuclear in 2022, initially to advise the UK Government on an approach to delivering a new programme of civil nuclear build. Following the formal launch of GBN as a non-departmental public body, he was appointed as Head of Programme Technical Delivery across a portfolio of technical areas, including leading the technical evaluation of GBE-N’s selection of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology partner. As a Chief Consultant in AtkinsRealis, Mike worked on many leading projects in the sector, including with Hinkley Point C, China General Nuclear and Horizon Nuclear Power as a nuclear safety and licensing expert. His experience includes major infrastructure projects for UK fuel enrichment and nuclear naval base facilities.

Mike previously Chaired the Nuclear Institute’s Young Generation Network in 2019, having previously held several YGN Committee roles including as vice-Chair in 2018. In 2017 Mike was Conference Manager and part of the organising committee for the European Nuclear Young Generation Forum, the largest youth nuclear conference to be held in the UK and attended by delegates from 32 countries.

Thomas Godfrey, Safety & Licensing Lead, Rolls-Royce SMR Topic: Safety and Licensing of Rolls-Royce SMR

Tom works in the Safety and Regulatory Affairs department for Rolls-Royce SMR, where he provides nuclear safety guidance for the design development and leads the licensing efforts for the Civil Engineering topic. Prior to joining Rolls-Royce SMR, Tom worked as a consultant in nuclear safety and licensing since graduating in 2012, supporting several large UK nuclear new build and infrastructure projects. Recently, Tom coordinated the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Technical Safety Review (TSR) of the Rolls-Royce SMR design – the first such review of a Small Modular Reactor globally.