The Foundation

Louise Kingham OBE has spent over 25 years working with energy professionals around the world. She has led the Energy Institute (EI) from 2003, which is the leading professional body for energy promoting excellence by developing knowledge, skills and good practice in the global energy sector. Prior to this appointment, Louise was director general of the Institute of Petroleum and chief executive of the Institute of Energy.

Louise is also a board member of the Powerful Women initiative that works to promote better gender balance among the energy sector’s leadership. She is a board member and former chair of the Energy Industries Club and she volunteers her time to judge several energy industry awards programmes.

Louise was awarded an OBE in 2011 for her work in relation to services to the energy industry and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute (FEI). In 2017, she received an Honorary Science Doctorate from the University of Bath.

Tom Knowland is head of sustainable energy and climate change for Leeds City Council. Tom joined Leeds in 2002 to establish the Council’s Environment Unit after previous posts with Oxford City Council, Cherwell District Council and sustainable development specialists, CAG consultants. Tom is a full member and also served two years on the Council of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. He is a Chartered Environmentalist and Fellow of the RSA and is currently seconded part-time to the University of Leeds as a visiting researcher. Tom’s role is concerned with achieving sustainable development, which effectively means achieving the Council’s corporate priorities for economic, social and environmental improvement, but all at the same time rather than at the expense of each other. A significant priority in the city is attracting investment for low carbon energy infrastructure to address fuel poverty, increase competitiveness and increase resource efficiency.

Margaret Cobbold has worked in the environmental and waste services industry for over three decades. She was executive director of a grant-giving organisation and charity, The Veolia Environmental Trust. During this period, she was responsible for overseeing hundreds of individual projects across the UK, funded through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. Schemes ranged from practical community initiatives to significant research projects aimed at reducing waste and protecting the environment working with businesses, charitable organisations and government.  During Margaret’s period in charge of the Trust, she also drove a period of significant change, including the creation of new operational processes for the business.

Margaret’s background prior to this was in marketing and communications, working for Veolia and Waste Management Ltd. Among other achievements, she was involved in the introduction of bi-weekly waste collection and recycling, working in partnership with local authorities. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.