The UK’s leading energy & water summit goes digital
Streamed directly to you | 1 – 4 December 2020
“This event is always a highlight of the calendar: interesting, insightful speakers and great debate. Highly recommended.”
CEO, E.ON UK
Introducing Future of Utilities Summit Online – the digital event providing an unrivalled opportunity for the utilities industry to reconnect, share ideas and transform its future at this challenging and turbulent time.
Now in its 28th year, the Future of Utilities Summit will be broadcasting to you from various locations around the world and feature 60+ international speakers including board-level executives from the likes of EDF Energy, Anglian Water and SP Energy Networks. Join senior representatives from every important industry player to exchange ideas, raise your profile, unlock solutions and accelerate industry change – from wherever you are in the world!
Block out your diaries and get ready to be inspired by this year’s stellar line up of industry change makers as they discuss engaging the customer of the future, transforming energy networks, strategies in water resource management, realising Net Zero and the future of the utilities industry.
Speakers
Matthew Timms
Chief Digital and Technology Officer, E.ON
Philippe Commaret
Managing Director, Customers, EDF
Greg Jackson
Chief Executive Officer, Octopus Energy
Jessica Tan
Managing Director of Smart Home, OVO Energy
Joao Torres
Chief Executive Officer, EDP Distribuição
Frank Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer, SP Energy Networks
Basil Scarsella
Chief Executive Officer, UK Power Networks
Steve Trippier
Chief Information Security Officer, Anglian Water
“With the strong audience engagement and networking added in, the conversations started here could be the beginning of the next major innovation to benefit our customers and businesses.”
CEO, Northumbrian Water Group
Agenda
Day 1
Tuesday, 1 December 2020
1 Dec
Day 2
Wednesday, 2 December 2020
2 Dec
Day 3
Thursday, 3 December 2020
3 Dec
Day 4
Friday, 4 December 2020
4 Dec
09.30-11.30 | Leaders' forum
Keynote presentation + Q&A
Matthew Timms
Chief Digital and Technology Officer
E.ON
In conversation with + Q&A
Real-Time Energy: what does it mean for consumers and the grid to be truly data-enabled?
Jessica Tan
Managing Director of Smart Home
OVO Energy
Marzia Zafar
Head of Customer Strategy & Policy
Kaluza
Keynote presentation + Q&A
Adapting business strategies to decentralisation, customer centricity, and digitalisation
Learn how EDF Energy has adjusted its business strategy to enable it to react quickly and flexibly so that it is strongly positioned to meet the needs of its customers now and in the future.
Philippe Commaret
Managing Director, Customers
EDF
Panel discussion
Opportunities and threats throughout disruption: strategic goals for 2021 and beyond
- Meeting the challenge of disruption: approaches for ongoing success
- How has the coronavirus changed timelines for change?
- How will technological advances transform utilities companies over the next five years?
- How can the industry ensure that the transformation benefits all customers, especially the vulnerable?
- Developing stronger collaboration: working towards a common aim
- How can companies ensure that technological changes are appropriate for all customers?
- Overcoming uncertainty to deliver outstanding outcomes
- Funding a disrupted future: how can utilities retain their investability?
- To what extent are industry frameworks currently fit-for-purpose?
Greg Jackson
Chief Executive Officer
Octopus Energy
Philippe Commaret
Managing Director, Customers
EDF
Steve Trippier
Chief Information Security Officer
Anglian Water
Coffee break + networking
12.35-14.25 | Engaging the customer of the future | Achieving fully-digital networks
Blue Channel: Engaging the customer of the future
Panel discussion
Building an effective digital strategy to reshape and regrow
- Creating a brand that speaks to its audience
- Streamlining onboarding processes to reduce friction and improve brand loyalty
- Is digital always better? Ensuring new propositions cater for all customers
- How do relationships with third parties like PCWs impact strategies for change?
- Overcoming internal barriers to change
- Understanding the power of customer feedback and insights
Lisa Chiba
Customer Services Director
iSupply Energy
Senior Representative
IFS
Panel discussion
Streamlining business models for success: developing a roadmap for execution
- How are customer demands changing?
- Understanding the importance of branding in attracting new customers
- Standing out from the crowd: strategies for differentiation on commodity products
- Which technologies are best placed to lead the transformation?
- How can customer feedback be integrated, understood and acted upon?
- What’s the role of employee engagement in new customer strategies?
- How will this disruption impact revenues and gross margins in the future?
Tom Steward
Senior Regulation & Policy Manager
Good Energy
Red Channel: Achieving fully-digital networks
Panel discussion
Reinventing operating models to win in the digital world
- Assessing the benefits of automating design functions to make efficiency gains
- Where do the greatest benefits from automation lie?
- Striking the right balance between computerised and analogue approaches
- Overcoming obstacles to embracing industry change
Dave Ogden
Head of Wholesale Technology
United Utilities
Panel discussion
Undertaking a digital revolution to deliver more for less
- Are we on the cusp of a new era of asset performance?
- To what extent has the coronavirus emphasised new areas for improvement?
- Embedding a digital strategy into the business transformation project
- Overcoming legacy structures and siloed information
- Unlocking hidden value from existing assets
- How can the current pace of change be upheld once the stimulus of the pandemic has reduced?
- Using technology to enhance resilience
- Making the most of the growth in available asset data
Neil Dewis
Director of Water Service Delivery
Yorkshire Water
Eric Brown
Chief Technology Officer
Energy Systems Catapult
Coffee break + networking
09.30-11.25 | Delivering outstanding customer service | Transforming energy networks for RIIO-2
Blue Channel: Delivering outstanding customer service
Panel discussion
Building a loyal customer base: redesigning the relationship between businesses and their customers
- Understanding the value of creating a loyal customer
- Communicating the brand ethos with every interaction
- Identifying pain points to ensure that investments in customer service are effective
- Retaining control of brand messaging while working with outsourcing providers
- Organising customer experiences around customer journeys to transform interactions as a whole
Lissa Balmer
SME Customer Director
Wave Utilities
Panel discussion
Creating next-gen customer experiences in utilities
- What does customer centricity really mean?
- Personalisation to drive a better customer experience
- What is the role of loyalty programmes in the energy market?
- To what extent will data drive customer journeys of the future
- Which channels will dominate the mix over the next five years?
- Serving passive consumers: approaches to serving the disinterested customer
- Automation for success: streamlining processes to deliver end value for customers
Mark Royle
Chief Executive Officer
Zebra Power
Eileen Brown
Customer Experience Director
Northern Gas Networks
Red Channel: Transforming energy networks for RIIO-2
Panel discussion
Revolutionising industry capability for the future: the pathway to 2030
Marcus Stewart
ESO Principle Advisor
National Grid ESO
Andy Manning
Head of Transmission & Distribution
Centrica
Panel discussion
Navigating future scenarios to achieve ambitious industry-wide commitments
- Overcoming market uncertainty: outlining plausible future energy landscapes
- Utilising technology to take advantage of intelligent network analysis
- What is needed to transform gas networks for the future?
- Which technologies will help during the transition to the future?
- Delivering system transformation in the face of a reduced WACC
- How important is digital transformation in delivering industry-wide commitments?
- Engaging wider stakeholders in innovation projects: reflecting on past success
- How effective is the current framework in supporting industry ambitions?
Matthias Finger
Professor
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Chris Clarke
Energy Strategy Director
Wales & West Utilities
Coffee break + networking
11.50-13.10 | Innovation Hub | Local energy in a transforming system
Blue Channel: Innovation Hub
Case study | Rebel Energy
Clean energy with a big heart
With 15 years’ experience on the trading floor at BP, Dan Bates is shaking up the status quo on what it means to be a utilities supplier. Hear his new vision for energy, hitting the market in November 2020.
Dan Bates
Chief Executive Officer
Rebel Energy
Demo | Efficiency Solutions
Using technology to seamlessly eliminate wasted energy
By giving facilities managers and building occupants automated controls, real-time monitoring and deep data driven insights Measurable.Energy reduces workplace energy usage by at least 40%. Join this session to understand the technology behind the platform, and how efficiency solutions can be a differentiator in the utilities market of the future.
Dan Williams
Co-Founder
Measurable.Energy
In conversation with
Connecting with people to deliver great experiences: meaningful, personalised and omni-channel communications
John Hoggard
Global Utilities Principal
Quadient
Case study
Jeremy Heath
Innovation Manager
SES Water
Red Channel: Local energy in a transforming system
Panel discussion
Changing the shape of the energy network: assessing roles during and after the transition
- What will the impact be of increased levels of embedded generation into the current system?
- What are the benefits of utilising engaged communities to help deliver the energy transition?
- Which strategies are most effective for engaging with communities?
- How can networks retain a critical role as decentralisation gathers pace?
- Using smart meters, tariff innovation and price signals to improve the wider ecosystem
- Adapting industry frameworks to support future transitions
- How does a community model impact the financeability of the energy system?
Afsheen Kabir Rashid MBE
Co-Chief Executive Officer
Repowering London
Rose Chard
Consumer Insight Manager
Energy Systems Catapult
Leonie Cooper
Environment and Energy Lead for Labour
London Assembly
Nadia Smith
Director and Project Manager
South East London Community Energy
Coffee break + networking
15.00-16.00 | Assessing the future framework – a regulation and policy roadmap
In conversation with
Beyond 2025: envisioning a roadmap for industry frameworks
David Black
Senior Director, Water 2020
Ofwat
09.30-11.20 | Cutting-edge service offerings | Digitising network operations
Blue Channel: Cutting-edge service offerings
In conversation with
Craig Gosling
Director
Publicis.Sapient
Panel discussion
Creating a value proposition that resonates with the customer
- What role do new service offerings play in enhancing customer loyalty?
- Tailoring provisions to passive consumers: how can utilities provide convenience as a service?
- How can price comparison websites keep up with these developing propositions?
- Ensuring propositions are affordable for all while adding value
- How can companies maintain the focus on the consumer throughout the experimentation phase for new offerings?
- Learning from further afield: what can be learnt from success in other industries and abroad?
Alan Bates
Chief Executive Officer
Guernsey Electricity
Bryn Jones
Chief Technology Officer
Pure Planet
Red Channel: Digitising network operations
Panel discussion
Modernising the field force: using technology to unlock a reduction in costs
- How has the coronavirus impacted strategies for boosting field-force productivity?
- Balancing customer service quality and overall field force costs: can technology help?
- How can real-time intelligence generate greater efficiency?
- Making data accessible to the right people: where do the opportunities lie?
- Empowering field force operatives by extending back-office capabilities to support faster decision making
Jonathan Booth
Head of Asset Management
Electricity North West
Panel discussion
Identifying strategies for reducing operational costs
- Which processes have the greatest potential to be streamlined over the next five years?
- What role will technology play in the networks of the future?
- Integrating systems to avoid the frustrations of fragmentation and duplication
- Assessing the advantages of outsourcing on outcomes and service cost
- How effective are mobile information systems in supporting technicians in the field?
- Automating scheduling to maximise the efficiency of maintenance
- To what extent are the initial investments in new projects justifiable?
James Harrison
Head of Asset Management
Yorkshire Water
Coffee break + networking
11.45-13.05 | Serving the business market | The role of utilities in realising Net Zero
Blue Channel: Serving the business market
Panel discussion
Gaining a competitive advantage in commercial supply markets: strategic priorities for 2020 and beyond
- Understanding what customers want to create a proposition that delivers more
- How can suppliers differentiate themselves in the I&C and non-household markets of the future?
- Approaches for servicing multi-site accounts
- What is the role of price comparison sites in business utilities quotes?
- Adding-value for SMEs: creating propositions for smaller volume tenders
- What is the appetite for bundling energy and water for commercial and non-household accounts?
- Building relationships with commercial units: strategies for nurturing your key account contact
Neil Pendle
Managing Director
Waterscan
Mark Loveday
I&C Operations Director
EDF Energy
Kathryn Dapre
Head of Energy & Sustainability
NHS
Red Channel: The role of utilities in realising Net Zero
In conversation with
Mapping a path to success: key milestones on the road to Net Zero
Keith Owen
Head of Systems Development and Energy Strategy
Northern Gas Networks
Q&A with pundits
The panelist will be joined by the pundits to continue the discussion and debrief the session
Alain Bollack
Vice-President Energy Retail UK
Capgemini Invent
Panel discussion
Rising to the challenge: taking responsibility for our part in the puzzle
- What is the role of utilities in tackling wider social and environmental challenges?
- How important will efficiency solutions be in delivering a sustainable future?
- How can companies work in partnership with consumers to achieve success?
- Working together to electrify transport: driving forward the rate of change
- Which technologies are likely to be most effective in delivering the necessary changes?
- Minimising the cost and disruption caused by change: transmitting difficult decisions to the public
- What can be learnt from clean energy policies from abroad?
Rebecca Heaton
Head of Climate Change
Drax
Douglas Stewart
Chief Executive Officer
Green Energy UK
Nick Eyre
Director, Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions
Environmental Change Institute
David Riley
Head of Carbon Neutrality
Anglian Water
Q&A with pundits
The panelist will be joined by the pundits to continue the discussion and debrief the session
Alain Bollack
Vice-President Energy Retail UK
Capgemini Invent
Coffee break + networking
09.30-10.55 | Tech spotlights | A revolution in water resource management
Blue Channel: Tech Spotlights
Tech spotlight | Pivot Power
Power driving change
Pivot Power is developing the world’s largest transmission-connected battery storage and electric vehicle charging network. Recently acquired by EDF, Pivot is pursuing a 40-asset, 2GW-strong portfolio of utility-scale energy storage projects including the deployment of a battery storage system at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
Matt Allen
Chief Executive Officer
Pivot Power
Turning digital vision into reality
John Richardson
Head of Innovation
SGN
Tech spotlight
David Balsar
General Manager of Innovation & Ventures
Mekorot
Red Channel: A revolution in water resource management
In conversation with
Creating holistic strategies to water resource management
Mel Karam
Chief Executive Officer
Bristol Water
Interview
Maria Manidaki
Water Investment Planning Advisor
Mott MacDonald
Panel discussion
Investing in resilience: undertaking a collaborative approach
- Overhauling strategies on the road to Net Zero: what is the role of water resource management?
- Is the current pace of change adequate and achievable?
- What is the role of technology in maintaining sustainable water supplies?
- Which technologies offer the most cost-effective solutions?
- To what extent can modelling improve overall sustainability?
- How can suppliers effectively support their customer base to ensure sustainable water supplies are maintained?
- Minimising disruption during large-scale mains replacement: can technology help?
- Balancing trade-offs while delivering Net Zero: assessing strategies to maintain affordability
- To what extent is the current framework conducive to securing the best value for customers?
John Russell
Senior Director
Ofwat
Sal Watson
Technical Excellence and Digital Lead
Mott MacDonald
Coffee break + networking
11.30-13.35 | Leaders' forum
Keynote presentation
Facilitating system change for the benefit of current and future generations alike
Frank Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer
SP Energy Networks
Panel discussion
All change: assessing evolving industry priorities for 2021 and beyond
Basil Scarsella
Chief Executive Officer
UK Power Networks
Joao Torres
Chief Executive Officer
EDP Distribuição
Jo Harrison
Director of Environment and Asset Strategy
United Utilities
Sara Vaughan
Political & Regulatory Affairs Director
E.ON UK
Coffee break + networking
Sponsors
Gold sponsors
Silver sponsors
Bronze sponsor
Media partners
Networking opportunities
At Future of Utilities Summit Online, we’re not just delivering on content, we are also facilitating those all-important conversations and connections with our brand new networking and matchmaking platform.
Industry communication and collaboration has never been so important. With extended networking opportunities, this is the perfect platform to build your network, drive business growth, and stay ahead of the curve.
All episodes feature:
Networking breaks
Invitation-only virtual boardrooms
Q+As with industry experts
Get your ticket
Whether you work for an energy company, water company, network, solution provider, engineering firm or consultancy, your ticket gives you access to everything. Listen to all the content available, join in with the Q&As, chat with the attendees and experience everything our market leading networking and matchmaking platform has to offer.
Sponsorship options
We’ve created a range of sponsorship opportunities to enable you to raise brand awareness, demonstrate thought leadership and reach the right people via this year’s Summit.
Thought leadership
Whether it’s delivering a keynote presentation, or participating or engaging in a panel discussion alongside industry leaders, we have packages that illustrate your expertise to participants and help position you as a market leader.
Brand awareness
It’s now more important than ever to remain competitive and to ensure your brand has prominence with senior players in the banking world. Become a hub partner and get your story out with branding on our networking and matchmaking app.
Lead generation
With experts and leaders from key industry stakeholders, you’ll be able to form lasting connections with a vital audience. Our new matchmaking app will help you connect with the right people, facilitating 1-2-1 video-meetings.
Who attends
