The founder and former chief executive of Good Energy is stepping down from the firm’s leadership after more than 20 years.
Juliet Davenport founded the Aim-listed green energy supplier in 1999 and has served on the Chippenham-based company’s board as a non-executive director for just over a year - having stepped down as chief executive in April 2021.
Ms Davenport has chosen not to stand for re-election at the company’s 2022 Annual General Meeting, in order to allow for the continued expansion of her portfolio career in the energy industry.
Good Energy said the businesswoman is widely acknowledged as “a pioneer” in the renewable industry. The company was one of the UK’s first 100% renewable electricity suppliers and set up the country’s first commercial wind farm at Delabole in Cornwall.
The firm’s chair Will Whitehorn said: “When renewables were not considered worthy of serious consideration by investors and made up less than 2% of the power we used as a country, [Juliet] understood that ordinary energy customers wanted to help tackle climate change.
“She was one of the first to pave a path which the rest of the industry has followed. We thank her deeply for her contribution and look forward to seeing her continue to inspire and lead the way towards a cleaner, greener future.”
Good Energy’s current chief executive Nigel Pocklington said it had been “daunting and an honour” to succeed Ms Davenport.
Mr Pocklington said: “She is rightly respected having built Good Energy over 20 years, with a remarkable track record in leading and innovating in renewables. I want to thank her not only for her contribution as a director over the past year but for laying the foundations of a business over the previous 20, which is now fit for the future.”
Earlier this year Good Energy completed the sale of its wind and solar generation assets to investment firm Bluefield Solar Income Fund in a deal worth up to £21.2m.
The business made the move as part of a strategic shift towards energy and mobility services, driven by further investment in its electric vehicle (EV) mapping platform Zap Map.
Ms Davenport said she would “always cherish” Good Energy’s staff, customers and investors, adding the company had shown renewables "are to be reckoned with".
She added: “The past year has been an extremely turbulent one in energy, but it has been heartening to see the business navigate the crisis well whilst continuing to build on its mission and strategy under Nigel’s leadership. I believe it has a promising future, continuing to help drive the energy transition.”
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