Paul Gazzard

Having spent the early part of his career in Private Banking asset management Paul later transitioned into the commercial financing sector. Between 2002 and 2010 he participated in the listing of three clean technology companies 
on the AIM market of the LSE operating at the senior Executive level.

Paul went on to the role of COO of a listed Group specialising in international manufacturing and sales of branded products which was admitted onto AIM 
in 2010. Since then, Paul has worked as a consultant and Non-executive Director across various listed companies in the financial services and tech sectors advising on corporate and financing related matters which has led 
to his work in the energy sector.

Working in the BESS space for a decade, Paul has to his credit co-founding Arlington Energy in 2017, building up that company to manage one of the 
UK’s largest development pipelines as well as building and managing over 
10 BESS sites into construction and operation in the UK.

Meriel Laikin

Meriel has 7 years experience in the development and financing of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) assets across the UK.  She has demonstrated strong leadership in driving the development of a 2GW in-house pipeline in the platform acquisition of Arlington Energy in 2022. Having previously worked on acquisitions and disposals of 200MW of assets and using her comprehensive understanding of project viability, Meriel successfully navigated the complexities of development to ensure all projects were designed to be constructable, financeable, and adaptable for dynamic trading strategies.

More recently, Meriel has been working collaboratively with network operators to optimise the grid connection dates and reinforcement requirements of BESS projects.  In 2024 alone, her efforts resulted in the acceleration of connection dates by 35 years, while also reducing the reinforcement requirement costs by £40m.

Alex Mitchell

Alex is a highly accomplished Chartered Town Planner with an outstanding 18-year track record in the development industry. His expertise spans multiple sectors, with a particular focus on renewable energy. With a strategic mindset and exceptional project management skills, Alex consistently drives projects forward with precision, efficiency, and foresight, delivering success in the planning applications he has managed.

His strong commercial acumen and extensive UK-wide network make him a vital asset to our leadership team. Renowned for navigating complex planning landscapes, he has successfully delivered a diverse portfolio of high-profile projects. Alex’s attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to excellence set him apart as a leader in the sector. His appointment strengthens our ability to deliver challenging projects whilst ensuring bankability for our funding partners. We are privileged to have him on board as we continue to bolster the roll-out of renewables in the UK.

Dan Connor

As a Non-Executive Director, Dan brings over 10 years of experience in the flexible energy sector, having held commercial and strategic roles across a range of blue-chip energy generators, suppliers, and developers.

Between 2017 and 2019, Dan built a 100MW Demand Side Response (DSR) portfolio at npower Business Solutions, including delivering the UK’s first co-located solar and battery storage project. He then joined Centrica, where he established and grew a 1GW flexibility portfolio spanning Northern Europe.

In addition to Dan’s role at Marzipan Energy, he is also a Director & CEO of Dais Energy and previously to that led the commercial energy storage strategy for Lightsource BP across the EMEA region, developing deep expertise in European flexibility markets and a comprehensive understanding of how and when to deploy flexible energy assets to maximise commercial value.

Gordana Krivosic

Gordana is a results-driven and adaptable finance professional with over 20 years of experience spanning financial services, accounting, operations, and people management. She began her career in the financial publishing industry, where she managed a broad range of financial and operational activities, before progressing through a variety of finance and management roles across the financial services, media, and mining sectors.

Throughout her career, Gordana has demonstrated a strong track record of developing and implementing robust financial processes that improve efficiency, strengthen internal controls, and ensure regulatory compliance. She is recognised for her practical and commercially focused approach, supporting business growth while maintaining sound financial governance.

For the past seven years, Gordana has focussed on the clean energy industry, playing pivotal roles in overseeing the financial processes and commercial reporting of UK BESS portfolios. During her time at Arlington Energy, she supported the team through the construction, energisation and delivery of multiple clean energy assets, including its first operational BESS project in 2019, and the successful disposal of a 1.7GW BESS portfolio in 2022.

Tom Holdaway

Tom started his career in the UK’s nuclear industry, managing a portfolio of projects to support the UK’s ambitions to construct a new fleet of nuclear power stations. From there Tom joined a start-up as the Chief Development Officer, developing combined renewable energy, agriculture and water projects in agriculturally challenged regions of the world, primarily in Africa. These first-of-their-kind projects won international plaudits from global institutions such as the United Nations for their proposal to address both climate change and food security whilst ensuring a harmony with the local communities in which the projects were sited.

Tom joined Arlington Energy in 2022 and was part of the development team which developed a 1.7GW pipeline of UK BESS, which was subsequently sold to a sovereign wealth fund in October 2022. Tom then led the development of a 1GW portfolio of transmission BESS projects, overseeing all development areas including funding and planning before joining Marzipan.

Peter Roberts

Peter Roberts is a conscientious renewable energy professional with 6 years of experience across major players within the Solar and BESS industry. After an initial period in O&M and asset management, Peter focused on the delivery of Greenfield development pipelines and a range of M&A projects.  He is an active member of industry bodies and engages with policy makers, including presenting at Solar and Storage Live.

He secured over 400MW of planning permission for projects with over 100MW now in construction or operational. Peter focusses on delivering the opportunities presented through grid reform and policy backing.

Jake Powell

Jake is an accomplished Senior Planner with 6 years’ experience across development in the private sector and local authority specialising in renewable energy, commercial and residential development across the UK. Jake has submitted over 100 complex minors to major applications achieving positive determinations in more than 85%.

With a keen eye for detail Jake is an Associate member of the Royal Town Planning Institute and in the process of achieving full chartership. Jake also has a passion for heritage with expertise in building conservation holding a Master of Arts in Urban Conservation.