25 Jul 2024
Thrive appoints Olivia Eijking and Robin Redfern as Non-Executive Directors
We’re delighted to announce the appointment of two new Non-Executive Directors to the Board.
Olivia Eijking and Robin Redfern both bring to the team extensive experience of leading and innovating developments in the energy industry. Their expertise will help grow our impact as we aim to double generation capacity in the next five years.
Olivia has nearly 30 years of experience in the energy markets, working across trading, investment management, private equity and project development. She has held a number of leadership positions, including partner & COO for Global Advisors, one of the first energy & metals focused hedge funds, CFO for Massena Capital Partners Private Equity during its substantial expansion, and co-founder & co-managing director of Ferrostaal Capital, the renewable energy venture of the German industrial services group.
As an entrepreneur, Olivia launched Kreen & WeBridge, the wind, solar and storage focused renewable energy consultancy and green tech platform that advises manufacturers, project developers and sponsors in the financing and development of renewables projects. Over the course of her career, Olivia has been directly involved in 5.5 GW’s worth of renewable energy projects as well as the oversight of over EUR 1.2 b in energy asset investments in Europe.
“I am deeply honoured to join the Board of Thrive Renewables as non-exec Director. Thrive has built a fantastic team of professionals and supports high quality, local, innovative, community focused, green energy infrastructure assets.
Joanna Butlin, Chair and Matthew Clayton, MD, are fantastic leaders and together with the other execs, non-execs and team members, we are set on an exciting growth trajectory.”
Robin is a mechanical engineer and has worked across a wide range of renewable energy technologies since 2009. Alongside his role at Thrive, Robin is a partner in Everoze, a leading technical consultancy in onshore and offshore wind, solar PV, battery storage and wider energy flexibility. Robin is also currently representing Everoze on the board of Skyray, a company set up to provide engineering services to solar PV and storage. Throughout his career, Robin has always sought to span the gap between practical engineering realities and desk-based theory and market forces, regularly visiting and inspecting projects whilst also providing due diligence and other advice to investors and lenders at a bigger picture level.
“Thrive has been a client of mine at Everoze for a number of years and I have always greatly admired and respected its dedication to ensuring its projects meet the best standards in terms of ethics and sustainability. I can’t wait to get stuck in and work alongside a team which I know from experience combines hardworking professionalism with entrepreneurship and enthusiasm for its ventures along with warmth and support for its colleagues and stakeholders. I look forward to applying my combination of “boots on the ground” practical experience alongside 15 years of technical support to investors and lenders, to help Thrive’s mission to grow its portfolio and to operate its existing assets to the best standards as it continues to enable its shareholders to make a real difference for the better.”
Robin and Olivia’s leadership and passion will complement the existing Board of three Executive Directors and five Non-Executive Directors. Colin Morgan has stepped down as Non-Executive Director, having made an invaluable contribution to Thrive over the past decade since joining the Board in 2013.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Robin and Olivia to the Board during an exciting period of growth for the company. They share our commitment to maximising the benefits of renewables for everyone, and we’re confident that their passion and experience in the sector will be hugely beneficial as we grow our impact.”