Meet the team

Claire Thomson is Assistant Project Manager with ICNZ. She provides support with planning, resourcing, delivering and monitoring projects.

Claire has a background in clinical research management and public health and previously worked in several universities and the NHS before joining the ICNZ team in November 2023.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn- Claire Thomson

Karen Jamieson is Knowledge Exchange Coordinator for ICNZ. She leads the Communication and Dissemination Plan, looking after marketing, event planning and community engagement.

Karen has a background in photography and previously worked in forensic photography with Police Scotland before returning to Orkney to work with EMEC.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Karen Jamieson

Elaine Salomon is the Project Development Coordinator at ICNZ, where she leads efforts to identify, develop and secure opportunities that expand the projects research and development portfolio.

She brings expertise in marine renewable energy and geospatial information systems, having gained valuable experience as a GIS analyst at Wood Mackenzie before joining ICNZ in August 2024.

Email – [email protected]

LinkedIn – Elaine Salomon

Jordan Low is Project Portfolio Manager for ICNZ, leading on delivering the Demonstration Zones element of the project. This will create a platform of test and demonstration zones where new technologies can be trialled in the islands which will accelerate the pathway for energy transition solutions to reach market.

Jordan has many years’ experience in both business and community development. He worked for Orkney Islands Council's Economic Development department for several years, playing a key role in improving Orkney as a place to live, work, invest, study and visit.

Prior to joining the ICNZ team, he worked as an International Trade Specialist for Scottish Development International, supporting Scottish companies across the renewable energy supply chain to successfully trade overseas, expand on existing markets and enter new markets.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Jordan Low

Professor Susan Krumdieck has led an interdisciplinary research group in the College of Engineering, University of Canterbury from 2000 to 2020. Students have worked in the context of industry, government, and communities on transition to resilient and environmentally integrated systems.

In 2020 Professor Krumdieck joined Heriot-Watt University to build a new research group. This group is focused on all facets of transition to net zero by realising 80% downshift in fossil fuel by discovering innovative transition shift projects that have positive business cases today. The Transition Lab is housed at the HWU campus in Orkney and is a key resource in the Islands Centre for Net Zero.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Susan Krumdieck

Dr Paolo Cherubini is a research associate working for the EPSRC DISPATCH research Project, focusing on elimination of fuel poverty within decarbonization pathways of heating and cooling. Originally a chemical engineer, after a brief experience in the oil and gas industry Dr. Cherubini pursued a PhD on off-grid renewable energy solutions in remote rural areas, conducting field research in Central America and East Africa.

Dr Cherubini joined the Transition Lab research group at the HWU campus in Orkney in November 2022, after a professional experience as a renewable energy engineer working on off-grid and local energy communities.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Paolo Cherubini

Sandy Gunn is a Research Coordinator for the ICNZ Programme at Heriot-Watt University, working with Prof. Krumdieck's Transition Engineering team. Sandy has a wide range of experience beginning in the chemical industry with paints, inks and pigments before moving into nanomaterials and more specialist applications such as materials for electronics and medical devices. Mostly working in commercial and business development roles he has worked with a wide range of companies from multinationals to start-ups.

Sandy joined the Transition Lab research group at the HWU campus in Orkney in February 2024, he has a long-standing interest in the history of science and has been a STEM Ambassador to schools and hopes this experience in communicating the engineering and scientific processes will be of value to the group.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Sandy Gunn

Matthew Logan is Outer Hebrides Manager for ICNZ, a role which focuses on promoting, facilitating and supporting innovative decarbonisation projects, trials and demonstrations across the Outer Hebrides. He works closely with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the University of the Highlands and Islands Outer Hebrides to deliver ICNZ locallyl, and collaborates with partners in Orkney and Shetland to coordinate the Centre.

During his time at Community Energy Scotland, he has worked on a variety of projects across the Outer Hebrides and beyond, developing experience in sustainable transport, local energy planning, knowledge sharing events, stakeholder workshops and policy work. A large part of his work involves projects which we work directly with a community to help them put project ideas into action.

Previous projects Matthew has worked on include Western Isles Energy in Motion, Outer Hebrides Local Energy Hub, RIPEET, the Uist Local Energy Plan, Network 76 in Motion and Community Power Outer Hebrides. He also contributes to CES’s work on policy and planning for internal strategy.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Matthew Logan

Hannah MacDonald is a development officer for the Islands Center for Net Zero. Within Hannah’s role, she assists community groups reducing emissions and working towards Net Zero within the Outer Hebrides.

After completing her studies of Environmental Geography at University of Stirling, Hannah decided to follow a career that promotes care of the environment. Following the completion of her dissertation on the Benefits and Barriers to a Community owned Wind project in Uist, it was clear renewable energy was the path she would like to pursue.

Email - [email protected]

Beatriz Maroto is the Outer Hebrides Community Support Specialist. She collaborates with the ICNZ project to support project developments and community involvement around the main priority topics identified for decarbonisation in the Outer Hebrides. In addition, her other role in CES is facilitating the Community Power Outer Hebrides network and supporting the Repowering working group.

Her background is in renewable energy technologies engineering and community development. She previously worked in rural community development linked to energy transition and decarbonisation, including access to power, fuel poverty, and energy efficiency in Africa, Latin America, Mongolia, Spain and the UK.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Beatriz Maroto

Cat McGinley is the Community Accelerator Officer within the Islands Centre for Net Zero, supporting community-led decarbonisation projects across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. Her role focuses on identifying funding opportunities, securing resources, and facilitating projects that help communities transition towards net zero.

Cat's previous work at Community Energy Scotland (CES) included energy projects such as Net Zero Islands, Heat Pump Plus and ReFLEX. She also has a background in renewable heat consultancy, specialising in government subsidy schemes like the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Catherine McGinley

Inga Burton is Service Manager for Sustainable Regeneration and Arctic and represents Orkney Islands Council on the ICNZ Steering Group whilst overseeing the delivery of Orkney Islands Council element of ICNZ.

With a strong background in sustainable development and environmental management Inga was brought up in Orkney and has experience in the higher education, private and public sectors. Her role with the Council includes the Islands Growth Deal Projects, External Funding and International Engagement with a focus on the Arctic.

In addition to her day job, Inga volunteers as Head Coach for Orkney Amateur Swimming Club.

Email - [email protected]

LinkedIn - Inga Burton

Jennifer Sjoberg is one of the Project Managers within the Future Energy Team at the Shetland Islands Council. She is involved in projects relating to affordable energy, the Shetland Energy Strategy and ICNZ Shetland.

Jennifer has a background in community energy projects and community led local development. She was previously involved in the Shetland LEADER Programme 2014-2020.

Email - [email protected]

Anna Marriott is the Programme Lead for Aquatera's work on the ICNZ project. She is a Senior Consultant and Project Manager with Aquatera working on a wide variety of projects particularly focusing on renewable energy and decarbonisation.

Anna has diverse experience in environment, renewable energy, journalism and communications, and a Masters Degree in Renewable Energy Development. Anna joined Aquatera in 2019 as a lead on ReFLEX Orkney, a pioneering UKRI funded project to demonstrate an integrated, affordable, low-carbon energy system for the future. Since September 2022 Anna has broadened her work with Aquatera to project manage a variety of projects ranging from wind and hydrogen to aquaculture.

Email - [email protected]

Dr Leuserina Garniati (Nia) leads the ICNZ Carbon Tracking Facility work undertaken by Aquatera.

Nia is a Director at Aquatera Ltd. and an Honorary Assistant Professor at Heriot Watt University.

Her technical expertise is in sustainable energy policy, carbon management, and renewable energy systems' environmental-social impact assessment within coastal communities' contexts.

She has led multidisciplinary action research and strategic advisory programmes, and her expertise in knowledge exchange methods and stakeholders’ engagement techniques have kick-started and successfully delivered international low carbon development initiatives through experiential learning design and by co-creating the enabling environments required to build local capabilities and capacities.

Email - [email protected]

Jennifer Fox leads the ICNZ work at Aquatera, where she serves as Project Manager. Her expertise spans environmental impact assessments, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement, with a strong focus on regulatory compliance and strategic project management. Jennifer has overseen complex, multidisciplinary projects across various sectors, bringing together regulators, industry, and community stakeholders to address environmental and socio-economic challenges. Her ability to manage large-scale projects and facilitate collaborative solutions ensures the successful delivery of initiatives that align with sustainability goals and regulatory frameworks.

Email - [email protected]

Maria Apolonia oversees the development of a regional carbon tracking facility. This includes creating carbon calculator models to help local businesses and island regions monitor carbon use and progress towards their decarbonization goals. Since joining Aquatera in 2022, she has led strategic planning and business development across Southeast Asia, Europe and Central America, with a focus on sustainable marine resource management, decarbonization, and enhancing resilience in coastal communities.

Previously, Maria served as a Research Engineer and Project Manager at WavEC Offshore Renewables, where she managed ocean energy projects and built partnerships across Southeast Asia. Driven by a vision of healthy oceans coexisting with vibrant coastal communities, she actively advances innovative, ocean-based solutions for a sustainable future.

Email - [email protected]