Who's Who At The MEUC

The MEUC Secretariat is kept purposefully lean to ensure Members’ inclusive subscriptions are held to the minimum. The key management team comprises two Operational Directors and five Sector Specialists together with the Events Manager and Membership Manager.

The Operational Directors

Andrew Bainbridge (Chairman) set up the Major Energy Users’ Council on the advice of Lord Ezra, former Chairman of the National Coal Board, shortly after gas was privatised. He and his team are celebrating 24 years as Europe’s leading energy network and lobby group.

He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Directors, a Freeman of the City of London, a Liveryman and Past Master of The Worshipful Company of Fuellers and a Past Provost of the Honourable Society of Masters. He is also Chair of the Power Efficiency carbon and cost reduction consultancy.
 

Andrew Buckley (Director General) cut his teeth in the industrial and commercial energy market surveying customers for their potential to switch to natural gas when North Sea supplies first came ashore. In 1976 he established the Energy Information Centre to provide market and pricing intelligence for business users and built up the business over
twenty years. He also founded the publishing imprint, Energy Publications.

He was closely involved in the energy management campaigns which followed the first energy crises and in advising firms on the switch to competitive energy purchasing after privatisation. He also acted as the European Energy Adviser to a major Japanese utility for over ten years. Andrew has written several books on the subject and has been a regular speaker. He is a graduate in Economics and Geography from London University.

The Sector Specialists

Hugh Conway has been Chairman of the Major Energy Users' Council (meuc) Electricity Group since the beginning of 2001. He was for a number of years responsible for energy supplies for the Rugby Cement Group. This included both energy purchases and the development of several projects aimed at reducing energy costs, including on site generation and CHP. His earlier career included 8 years in the steel industry in the UK and Australia as a plant engineer followed by a similar role in the non-ferrous industry before joining Rugby Cement in 1978. His other responsibilities include Chairmanship of the Brussels based European Cement Federation Solid Fuels Group.

Don McGarrigle is a Chartered Electrical Engineer by profession and began his career with John Brown Engineering in designing electrical power systems for Gas Turbine Power stations.

He subsequently joined RTZ Technical Services in the project management of large cement and chemical plant expansions. On privatisation of the Electricity Industry in 1990, Don joined Castle Cement to advise them on the opportunities arising from the ESI privatisation programme.

He has been a regular contributor at industry conferences both in the UK and overseas and has published several articles on electricity purchasing and utilisation both in the national and international press. His speciality is in the implementation of flexible purchasing contracts for both gas and electricity.

Don McGarrigle has represented the views of customers on many Electricity Supply Industry working groups including, Distribution Code Review Panel, Demand Side Bidding Working Group, the Electricity Pool Longer Term Review Task Force and more recently the Review of Electricity Trading Arrangements and Ofgem’s Demand Side Working Group.

He is a very active member of the Major Energy Users Council (meuc) and is a past chairman of the Electricity Group. He continues a role within the organisation as the Electricity Adviser.

In November 1993 he ceased full time employment to set up his own Independent Consultancy and now provides advice to Industry and Commerce on the benefits and pitfalls arising from competitive Electricity and Gas Markets.

Eddie Proffitt spent most of his career with Pilkington Glass in various management positions culminating in that of UK Head of Procurement with specific responsibility for energy purchasing with an annual budget of over £50million (today’s prices).

Eddie is Gas Group Chairman of the Major Energy Users Council which is an independent body representing a membership of companies and organisations with large annual energy consumption. Eddie also attends the Business Climate Change and Energy Group, which is hosted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Away from energy Eddie has recently completed a five-year term as a non-executive director of a NHS Trust where he was involved in chairing a number of sub committees of the board.

Roland Gribben is former Business Editor of The Daily Telegraph where energy was one of his main interests. He has dabbled in business journalism for more than 40 years, recording and attempting to analyse the changing face of British business. He has with difficulty followed key developments in the energy sector from the 1960s 'four fuel economy' White Paper- renewables was not one of them-to privatisation and beyond but has struggled with his carbon footprint and has given up looking into his clouded crystal ball.

Roland is semi-retired but continues to follow and monitor the highlights and low lights in a fascinating sector. He contributes regularly to the MEUC’s Newsletter and his vast experience with government energy and economic policies over many years is proving of great values to members.

Membership Manager

Caroline Buckley

Events Manager

Sandra Barradas