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
Meet the team
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
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 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
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
He has worked outside of academia as a renewable energy engineer specialising in off-grid and local energy communities. Dr Cherubini joined the Transition Lab research group at the HWU’s Orkney campus in November 2022, to work on the EPSRC DISPATCH research Project, which focused on eliminating fuel poverty within decarbonization of heating and cooling pathways.
Email - [email protected]
LinkedIn - Paolo Cherubini
Email - [email protected]
LInkedIn - Florian Ahrens
Sandy Gunn is a Research Coordinator for the ICNZ Programme at Heriot-Watt University. The role includes supporting projects, securing funding bids and ensuring good collaboration with other programme partners.
He has a background in Chemistry with many years of experience in sales and marketing of speciality chemicals. Prior to joining Heriot-Watt he worked for CPI one of the UK’s Catapult centres supporting companies developing innovative products in the IoT, medtech, flexible electronics and graphene applications sectors.
Email - [email protected]
LinkedIn - Sandy Gunn
With a background as a senior software engineer and expertise in programming and data systems, Keji’s research explores innovative applications of agent-based modelling and digital tools to improve housing allocation systems in urban areas. Her interdisciplinary work aims to provide actionable insights for long-term sustainability, housing equity, and impactful societal change through engineering systems thinking.
Email - [email protected]
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
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]
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'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
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 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]
She has over 30 years experience working in the commercial sector; in particular, contributing to and managing IT projects. She has an excellent track record in business and systems analysis and managing complex implementations, including working with multiple subcontractors and stakeholders to tight budgets and timescales.
Having originally graduated with a degree in Geography she is delighted to bring her skills to ICNZ where she is passionate about building solutions for a fairer, kinder and more sustainable world
Email - [email protected]
LInkedIn - Catherine Waters
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]