Smart Energy GB appoints Dan Brooke as new Chief Executive

Smart Energy GB today announces the appointment of Dan Brooke as the company's new Chief Executive.

Announcing the appointment, Smart Energy GB's Chair Mark Lund said:

"Dan is one of the leading communications and marketing practitioners of the last decade having for nine years served as Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and Board Champion for Diversity & Inclusion at Channel 4, in which time he oversaw the expansion of Channel 4's digital marketing and the widely praised Paralympics campaigns of 2012 and 2016."

"The board's appointment panel, made up of a mixture of energy supplier and consumer members of the board, as well as an observer from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, were unanimous in their belief that Dan stood out from a very high quality field, for his leadership experience and skills, his expertise in consumer engagement across different consumer groups and in his passion for Smart Energy GB's cause."

"Smart Energy GB has played a critical part in the smart meter rollout thus far, which has seen almost 40 per cent of households already convert to smart meters and seen millions of tonnes  of carbon dioxide reduction thanks to the greater energy efficiency enabled by smart meters in our homes. But, there is a very important role for Smart Energy GB in the next phase that will see the smart meter rollout completed and form a crucial backbone to the country achieving our Net Zero ambition. Dan's expertise leading teams delivering complex campaigns to very broad and diverse audience groups will be critical in the next period of Smart Energy GB's campaign."

Dan will be joining Smart Energy GB in May, taking over from Smart Energy GB's founding Chief Executive Sacha Deshmukh who is moving on to become Chief Executive of UNICEF UK. Smart Energy GB's Director of Finance & Operations Alastair Gibbons will be acting as Interim Chief Executive between Sacha Deshmukh's departure at the end of March and Dan Brooke's arrival in May.

Commenting on his appointment, Dan Brooke said:

"I'm honoured to be CEO of an organisation with such a purpose-driven mission and can't wait to start working with the whole Smart Energy GB team on their vital work helping to combat climate change."

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

About Dan Brooke

Dan joins Smart Energy GB from his own consultancy, which helped businesses be more purpose-driven. Prior to this he was Channel 4's Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and Board Champion for Diversity and Inclusion (2010-2019). During this time Channel 4 was widely awarded in these areas, especially for its work with the Paralympic Games, including being made: Brand of the Year, Advertiser of the Year, Advertiser of Excellence, Agency of the Year, and winning two Cannes Lion Grand Prix Awards. Channel 4 was also elected Britain's Best Diverse Company 2016 and became the first company ever to be awarded Level 5 status in Ernst & Young's National Equality Standard. Before that he was Managing Director of Discovery UK, Rare Day Productions and Channel 4 Digital Channels.

Dan holds a number of other board and advisory roles, including; Chair of the British Independent Film Awards, UK Government Sector Champion for Disability Employment; and a member of the International Paralympic Committee Global Brand Advisory Group.

About smart meters and the rollout

Britain is committed to a cleaner future - one with zero carbon, zero emissions and reduced pollution.

To make this happen, our nation requires a major upgrade to its energy infrastructure, specifically, it requires the creation of a smart energy system. Smart meters, which replace traditional, analogue meters, are the foundation of a more reliable, clean and affordable energy infrastructure, allowing Great Britain to better manage energy use, transition to mass uptake of electric vehicles and to build a greener economy.

There are already 16.5 million smart meters installed in homes and microbusinesses across Great Britain. Every household in England, Scotland and Wales can now see their energy use in near real time, receive accurate bills and do their bit for the planet, by requesting a smart meter, at no extra cost, from their energy supplier.

About Smart Energy GB

Smart Energy GB is the campaign for a smarter Britain. It's our task to help everyone in Great Britain understand smart meters, the national rollout and how to use their new meters to be cleaner and greener with their energy use. Our national campaign is reaching households and microbusinesses in England, Scotland and Wales. For more information visit our website smartenergyGB.org

Smart Energy GB media contacts

For more information including interview requests, case studies of smart meter users, infographics, photography and video content please contact the Smart Energy GB media team:

Stephen Shawcross: [email protected]; 0203 019 1057

Max Budgen: [email protected]; 0203 019 1045 / 07715 679 555