Allyship Award

This category seeks to recognise a man who has gone above and beyond the call of duty, supporting female colleagues, addressing gender imbalance and materially contributing to the success of women in the industry.

The contenders

Andrew Daly

The Workdry Group

Andrew Daly stands out as an exceptional ally in the utilities sector, going above and beyond to support female colleagues and drive meaningful progress on gender balance. He consistently champions women within his organisation, ensuring their voices are heard, valued, and represented in key decisions. Beyond this, he actively supports women across the wider industry, advocating for inclusive practices and cultural change. Andrew takes a proactive approach, seeking opportunities to challenge norms, role model allyship, and inspire others to act. His leadership has delivered tangible, lasting impact, embedding inclusive behaviours and helping create an environment where women can thrive.

Ian West

M Group Water - Welsh Water Contract

Ian West is a transformative and committed ally who has significantly advanced gender equality across the Welsh Water contract. Under his leadership, the senior team has evolved from an all male group to a diverse leadership team of nine, with five women appointed on merit for their skills and expertise. Ian consistently champions fairness, challenges bias, and ensures women are given equal opportunities to develop, progress and thrive. His proactive sponsorship, open leadership style and commitment to embedding inclusion into everyday decision making have created a more respectful, balanced and empowering environment for women across all areas of the organisation.

Justin Hargate

National Grid

Justin Hargate, Operations Director at National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), is a standout male ally driving meaningful change for women in the utilities sector. Through his voluntary role as Executive Advisor to the Women in Non‑Traditional Roles (WiNTR) Employee Resource Group, Justin has played a pivotal role in increasing engagement, removing barriers, and embedding inclusion into operational leadership. His visible, authentic allyship has expanded opportunities for women, strengthened mentoring pipelines, and normalised inclusion within field operations. Justin exemplifies how senior leaders can go beyond advocacy to deliver lasting cultural change that supports women to thrive in utilities.

Peter Rawcliffe

Evolve Energy

Peter Rawcliffe, Head of People and Culture at Evolve Energy, has spent the past two years reshaping workplace culture to champion equity, flexibility, and meaningful inclusion. Through progressive policy reform, active sponsorship of female talent and embedding fairness into recruitment and leadership practices. Peter has transformed Evolve Energy with his commitment to agile working, gender equity and mentorship extends beyond his organisation into the wider industry. By combining strategic influence with personal accountability, Pete exemplifies allyship with continued action to creating sustainable change across the business.

Robert Ballentine

National Grid

Rob is a senior utilities leader who has gone beyond traditional allyship, delivering measurable and lasting change for women in a critical operational environment. As Head of Control Centres at National Grid Electricity Distribution, Rob has combined operational excellence with inclusive leadership, using his influence to address gender imbalance, challenge structural barriers and actively champion women. Through his proactive sponsorship of inclusive recruitment practices, visible support of WING, and commitment to opening pathways into leadership, Rob has helped transform opportunities for women in Control Centres, setting a strong example of modern male allyship in the utilities industry.

Stephen Slessor

RSE

Stephen Slessor, CEO of RSE and former Managing Director at Galliford Try, is a transformative male ally in the construction, engineering and water sectors where women represent just 13% of the workforce. A father of three daughters, Stephen has moved beyond words to concrete action: establishing women's mentoring programmes, launching the Women into Work Empowerment Programme, championing flexible working, and introducing free period products on construction sites years before legislation required it. As President of CICES, he drove EDI transformation that increased female representation from 15% to 28%. His allyship creates tangible pathways for under-represented groups to thrive.

Tom Walsh

Opus Utility Solutions

Tom Walsh is a visible and committed ally for women in utilities, using his influence to promote equality, inclusion, and opportunity. He challenges bias, supports development, and ensures women’s voices are heard and respected across teams. Through mentoring, advocacy, and everyday actions, Tom helps create an environment where colleagues feel valued and empowered. He leads by example, encourages collaboration, and contributes to a culture where inclusion is part of daily work. Tom’s consistent, genuine commitment to allyship makes a real difference to those around him. Shortlisting him recognises meaningful impact through authentic and sustained support for women.