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About us

Find out more about Powervault's mission and the people behind the products.

The Team

 

We are a growing and accomplished executive team supported by non-executive directors with a wealth of relevant experience

Joe Warren portrait

Managing Director

Joe Warren

Joe has spent 15 years working in the smart grid sector and is passionate about working in start-ups to bring new, smart grid technologies to market. Previously Commercial Manager at Open Energi and Director at internet service provider Pipex prior to that.

Qualifications: BA(Hons) from the University of Oxford in Experimental Psychology and an MBA from INSEAD

Hugo Radford

Business Development Manager

Hugo Radford

Hugo spent the early parts of his career in business development roles in financial services and consulting. Experience includes running his family owned furniture manufacturing and wholesale business. He has experience of building long-term strategic partnerships and has successfully launched new routes to market for products and services in the UK.

Qualifications: MA(Hons) from the University of Edinburgh in Social Anthropology.

Finance Director

Duncan Perritt

Over the last 20 years Duncan has set-up and run the finances for successful start-ups and early stage businesses. His focus is on new technologies and companies which provide disruptive, innovative solutions. Duncan has worked for large corporates in the Energy, chemicals and telecoms sectors and for a diverse range of SMEs.

Qualifications: qualified Accountant (FCCA) and a joint degree in Accountancy and Computer Science.

Technical Director

Steve Lavache

Steve has nearly 40 years experience in electronic hardware, software, and manufacturing in the consumer electronics sector. Named on over 30 granted patents and patent applications.

Qualifications: BSc. 2.1 in Electronics and Computing from the Open University.

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

 

Chairman

Mark Ansell

Mark Ansell is a chartered engineer who has spent over 30 years working in manufacturing industry. After starting his career as a design engineer at JCB, he became Chief Executive of Flow Group Limited, a UK-based manufacturer of valves for the energy industries, which he helped to develop into a profitable £30M+ turnover business with 250 employees and to deliver a successful exit for its investors in 2011. He was a non-executive director of JPMorgan US Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc from 2005 to 2017 and now works as a chairman or non-executive director helping early stage businesses develop and grow.  Mark has a degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from Cranfield University.

Non-Exec Director

John Wall

After completing an MBA, and subsequently the Fellowship in Manufacturing at Cranfield University, John has spent over 20 years alongside Mark Ansell, acquiring, turning around, running, growing, and making significant improvements to the performance of UK manufacturing businesses, large and small, resulting in the businesses ultimately being acquired from them by global PLC’s. John along with Mark led the 2020 Future Fund co-investment in Powervault through their private investment vehicle.

Board Member

Simon Acland

Simon is an active business angel investor in green technology. He sits on the board of two Triple Point VCTs, which invest primarily in renewable energy, and is a member of the investment committee of the British Business Bank’s Angel CoFund. He is an advisor to the Green Angel Syndicate and is also a Trustee of Plantlife, the UK’s main wild plant conservation charity. Simon has spent 30 years investing in young technology businesses. Much of his venture capital career was spent as Managing Director of Quester, which became one of the UK’s most active early stage technology investors. Seven of the companies that he has backed achieved public listings on the London Stock Exchange, AIM, Nasdaq or Easdaq, including two companies which reached the FTSE 250; many others have been successfully sold. He joined the Powervault board in 2012 when he was the lead angel investor in the first funding round. He was Chairman of Powervault from 2014 to 2018 and currently leads the fundraising activities for the Company.

Co-Founder

Andrew Wordsworth

As former Managing Director of Carbon Trust Enterprises, Andrew has previously led the creation and launch of twelve low carbon companies, which have secured over £250m in equity commitments. A former process control engineer with Esso Petroleum, Andrew has strategic consulting experience with Bain and Arthur D Little.  Andrew is Co-Founder of Sustainable Ventures Development Partners (SVDP); in 2015 he led the exit of SVDP’s first start-up, E-Car Club, to Europcar in what is now recognised as the UK’s first successful crowdfunding exit. Andrew holds a first-class MEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, where he was awarded the University Fox Prize. He was named ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by businessGreen in 2015.