Board

Current directors

The Network can have up to 9 Directors on the Board. Our current Directors are:

Ruzanna Chitchyan

Dr Ruzanna Chitchyan is an Associate Professor of Software Engineering at the University of Bristol, an EPSRC research fellow on Living with Environmental Change and a member of the Cabot Institute for the Environment.

She has worked on energy and sustainability topics since 2011. For instance, she has researched and developed new energy services solutions (e.g., peer-to-peer trading and demand-response services), researched skills needs for transition to smart local energy systems for the city of Bristol, and co-developed the international Manifesto on Sustainability Design (with over 200 signatories from across the world – from Ghana to USA).

At BEN Dr Chitchyan works on improving collaboration between BEN and University of Bristol in fostering transition to net zero and helping to develop solutions for training provision and upskilling for this transition.

Kirsty Hammond

I’ve grown up all my life in Hartcliffe and have my own first-hand experience of how the inequality here is systemic and transgenerational. I work for a charity called Heart of BS13 working across the life course in BS13 supporting the community to produce a community climate action plan.

My role as Heart of BS13’s Climate Action Practitioner has catapulted me onto my own journey, and it’s been so powerful to share what I’ve been learning about low carbon futures and green economy jobs with young people who have their own dreams and ambitions for how they will play their part in a changing world.

I am passionate about supporting people to reach their full potential by ensuring there are equal opportunities for them to access services to tackle the inequalities faced here.

Working alongside BEN over the last year my confidence and learning has also grown which has helped me support residence in BS13 facing fuel poverty being a platform for their voices to be heard. In 2021 BEN nominated me as their Global Goal Hero7- Clean affordable energy and now joining the Board as a director I will bring my energy, creative thinking and experience to the team from an area of Bristol that often gets left behind.

Mark Leach

Mark has worked in varied roles across public, private and charitable sectors.

Over a decade in local government has included coordinating the 2015 European Green Capital bid, supporting the Bristol 2015 company, managing the Bristol Green Capital Partnership, working on climate change policy, land-use planning policy, and providing BCC support to Bristol Energy Network, other community energy organisations and Bristol’s Community Strategy for Energy.

His background includes training and development, community development, and community and stakeholder engagement and consultation.

Laura Penny

Laura has worked in sustainability and energy utilities since 2011, across the public and private sectors in Bristol. Before launching her own consultancy business, Laura worked for Bristol Energy Limited as Innovation and Strategy Manager. She has developed and managed EU and UK grant funded energy innovation projects, motivated by an enthusiasm for smarter greener energy systems and community resilience. Laura also established Bristol’s No Cold Homes steering group, a collective of multidisciplinary organisations working together to alleviate fuel poverty.

Laura is a vocal advocate for empowering individuals and communities to enact positive change and an avid champion for social equity and energy justice, always ensuring that those who may benefit the most from innovative solutions aren’t left behind. She holds an MSc in sustainable environmental management and is also a Trustee for the West of England Rural Network.

Peter Thomas

Peter has been studying and working in areas related to energy and sustainability for the last 12 years. During this time he has helped launch the UK’s leading electric vehicle charging map and has led the deployment of dozens of renewable energy systems at domestic, commercial and utility-scale across England, Wales and East Africa. He studied Climate Change and Energy Management at the University of the West of England and Sustainability and Adaptation at the Centre for Alternative Technology before completing his PhD on access to energy in refugee camps in Rwanda at Bristol University. He joined the BEN board in May 2023.