The UK government is facing difficulties in finding suitable candidates for CEO of Great British Energy (GB Energy), its new publicly-owned clean energy generation company to be based in Aberdeen.
According to a report in the Guardian, the UK government currently lacks clear candidates to assume the CEO role. Referencing high-level industry insiders, the report indicates that the state-owned energy firm is confronted with a “difficult” challenge in finding somone, and that the government may struggle to identify an individual who possesses the qualifications necessary to oversee GB Energy’s £8.3 billion budget while also being willing to accept a civil servant’s salary and work from its headquarters in Aberdeen.
“There are many experienced energy executives already based in Aberdeen who have a strong track record in the oil and gas industry – but they wouldn’t necessarily be the best fit for the government’s clean energy company. And those who aren’t in Aberdeen might not be willing or able to move there,” one source said.
Former CEO of Siemens UK, Juergen Maier, was appointed as Chair of the state-owned company last year, although he will operate from Manchester instead of Aberdeen.
“I haven’t heard any names attached to the role,” one senior industry executive told the Guardian.
Another commented: “The chief executive role will tap into a sense of public duty – it’s a chance to do something that’s in the public interest. So it might appeal to the heart rather than the bank account.”
Maier recently warned that GB Energy’s goal of creating 1,000 jobs will take 20 years, with between 200 and 300 to be created over the next five years in Aberdeen.
GB Energy was formed almost six months ago, with the government saying in September it would appoint an interim CEO “soon”.
GB Energy, which will be headquartered in Aberdeen, represents a central part of the government’s mandate to reach clean power by 2030.
The company is designed to be operationally independent from government interference, following the model of similar state-owned companies in France, Norway, Sweden, and Germany.
