Rising Star of the Year (Energy)
Celebrating the achievements of emerging talent within the energy sector over the past year. Finalists have been working in the utilities sector for seven years or less.
Rising Star of the Year (Energy)
Celebrating the achievements of emerging talent within the energy sector over the past year. Finalists have been working in the utilities sector for seven years or less.
Poppy Airey, Xoserve
Poppy joined Xoserve as a Market Analyst in early 2025 and has made a significant impact across the business and wider industry. She established a highly effective policy and market insights function, increasing consultation responses, supporting board-level decision making, and contributing to key industry groups including the Gas Advisory Council. Alongside her excellent industry analysis work, she has strengthened Xoserve's decarbonisation engagement by growing ‘DeliveringDecarb’ newsletter subscriptions, co-hosting the Decarb Discussions podcast, and leading a major refresh of the decarbonisation webpages. Her work has enhanced collaboration, engagement, and awareness across the gas industry's decarbonisation agenda.
Deepanjali Dayal, SSEN Transmission
Deepanjali Dayal has rapidly established herself as one of SSEN Transmission’s most promising early-career engineers. Since joining the graduate programme in 2024, she has consistently exceeded expectations, progressing from supporting engineering activities across the business to leading cable engineering work on major transmission projects. Her technical capability, willingness to embrace challenging responsibilities and commitment to continuous improvement have enabled her to deliver significant value to project teams while building specialist expertise in cable engineering. Alongside her engineering achievements, she actively supports colleagues, promotes wellbeing and contributes to a positive team culture, embodying the qualities of a true Rising Star.
Lois Efe, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution
Lois only joined SSEN in January of this year, but in the months since, she's been promoted to a Flexibility Scheduling Engineer. This is a credit to her rapid development, technical capability and leadership potential. Specifically, she has taken ownership of critical flexibility scheduling activities, managed £2m on annual flexibility expenditure, and has represented SSEN externally with Elexon and on industry working groups. Through this last external-facing role, she's had an impact by helping shape emerging flexibility market arrangements, while also bringing best practice from others back into SSEN's own operations.
Kaiden Goodall, National Grid
As a Substation Higher Apprentice, I have demonstrated exceptional progression and commitment to the utility sector, consistently exceeding expectations throughout the past year. By achieving my NEBOSH General Certificate, gaining Authorised Person status, and completing my Electrical Power Protection and Plant Commissioning Engineer Apprenticeship four months ahead of schedule, I accelerated well beyond that expected of an apprentice. I am now preparing safety documentation, risk assessments, work packs and engineering drawings while working towards Project Lead and Senior Authorised Person authorisations. With my initiative, technical capability and dedication to safety I see myself as a future leader within the industry.
Hannah Harris, UK Power Networks
Hannah Harris’ work over the last seven years as somebody without an engineering background before joining UK Power Networks, stands out as remarkable. Becoming a fully-fledged Project Manager last year, she is now delivering multi-million-pound schemes across London, working in iconic, busy streets with high-profile customers. She helps keep the lights on for one of the world’s busiest cities and is carving out a shining utility career for herself and showing that new and non-traditional pathways into utilities are possible. The former events organiser is now one of the most trusted and capable project managers in the company.
Cuong Pham, Firstsource
Four years ago, Cuong "Dom" Pham was a new starter on the phones. Today, he builds the training he wishes he had. Dom created an Agent Assist simulation where new starters practise realistic customer journeys before going live. He built it in four weeks. Learners now begin practising from Day 2 rather than Week 2, and training yield has risen from 85% to 91%. Over the past year, he also designed around 30 AI Coach scenarios supporting 168 E.ON Next learners, helping cohorts reach required standards 14–20% faster. E.ON Next now consults him early on operational change.
Faye Ronald, SP Energy Networks
Faye has made an outstanding impact during her first year as a graduate within the Sustainability team, quickly establishing herself as a trusted and influential colleague. She has taken ownership of complex projects across carbon, biodiversity, social value and circular economy initiatives, delivering tangible improvements to reporting processes, data quality and sustainability outcomes. From leading work on emerging FLAG emissions reporting and improving SF6 data management, to developing biodiversity enhancement plans and contributing to industry working groups, Faye has consistently demonstrated exceptional initiative, leadership and professionalism. Her contribution has strengthened sustainability performance across the business and beyond.
Glenn Waktare, SSEN Transmission
Glenn has rapidly established himself as an exceptional engineering leader within SSE, successfully leading complex high-profile 400kV transmission projects under intense public scrutiny. He combines technical expertise, with sound judgement, and outstanding stakeholder management. He consistently delivers solutions to challenging issues while fostering collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. His calm and professional approach during extensive public consultations has been instrumental in maintaining constructive engagement and project progress. Equally committed to developing colleagues and supporting wider business needs, Glenn demonstrates leadership, resilience, and dedication far beyond his experience level, marking him as a highly promising future leader within SSE.
