Gary Fielding - Joint Managing Director

Gary served his apprenticeship in the construction industry with a major multi-national company before taking over the Northwest region for a UK building firm, where he took financial responsibility for a variety of construction projects. This was followed by a role supervising the commercial side of a major power company's district energy business and it was here that Gary began to develop his reputation for delivering large-scale energy projects on time and in budget. These included over-coming the logistical problems of developing an urban combined heat and power (CHP) scheme on the one hand, and those of constructing a waste to energy plant in the remote Scottish islands, on the other.

Gary has considerable consultancy experience too and since becoming joint managing director his entrepreneurial skills have since seen Vital Energi become one of the most respected companies within the community energy sector. His approach to business is people-focussed and he strongly believes in developing long-term relationships with customers, associates and suppliers alike, close partnerships which help to create dynamic and successful businesses.

Ian Whitelock - Joint Managing Director

Ian has over 25 years experience in the construction industry and a strong track record of managing growth. He began his career as a quantity surveyor with a leading international engineering firm before moving into commercial management heavy civil engineering projects. In 1988 he became a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Diversifying into the building sector, Ian took up a senior appointment with a blue chip construction company, successfully managing their design and build portfolio during a period of rapid expansion. He then made the transition into project management, where he developed a keen sense of commercial awareness as well as a logical approach to problem solving and strong management skills.

At Vital Energi he now oversees all contractual, operational and financial matters, successfully managing the growth of the company to ensure it is well placed to meet the challenges ahead.

Steve Webster - Contracts Director

Steve has a background in mechanical engineering gained in both the public and private sectors.

His expertise is based on an in-depth knowledge of district heating systems, and as a project engineer Steve worked on several pioneering combined heat and power (CHP) schemes for major city councils.

Experienced in both on-site installation and maintenance, as well managing large teams, Steve is responsible for the implementation of all the company's district energy projects throughout the UK. He also fulfils a vital role co-ordinating the training of the next generation of engineers and site operatives.

Stewart McKechnie - Finance Director

Stewart is an established Finance Director with over 21 years financial and accounting experience, and a track record of managing the ever changing financial requirements of a growing business. He has spent the last 13 years in the construction industry working for large multi-disciplined contractor, providing both onshore and offshore pipeline solutions to the Water, Gas and Petrol-Chemical Industries as well as energy solutions covering Direct Injection and Co-fired Biomass Plants and Commercial & Industrial CHP.

He has successfully provided accounting support for some large joint venture projects, the largest of which a £450m Pipeline project for National Grid which included the design and construction of a 120km duel pipeline to carry Gas from Milford Haven to Abberdulais. This project was of great national importance, as it was to provide 20% of the UK Gas requirement and had various environmental and strategic issues to overcome.

As Finance Director Stewart will take charge of all finance matters in connection with the Company and provide leadership and vision to the finance team as well as assisting the business with future growth opportunities and strategic decision making.

Helge Wonsbek - Design and Proposals Manager

Danish born Helge began his career as a project engineer, learning from highly qualified colleagues about the design and installation of a scheme to supply heat and hot water to over 6,000 homes. Soon working as project manager he supervised the implementation of three combined heat and power (CHP) power stations in Denmark, taking sole responsibility for the design, installation and client/ supplier liaison.

This role enabled him to move into consultancy, where he advised clients on energy issues as well as running training courses on CHP design. He moved to the UK in 1988 to work on a major Scottish CHP project, a position which included training local staff in how to operate the system. He now manages design and installation, as well as the operation and maintenance of CHP and biomass projects.

Paul Hanrahan - Senior Contracts Manager

Paul is a highly experienced, mechanically biased, Senior Building Services Manager with a proven track record of success in the industry.

This incorporates a broad variety of projects including: New Build and Refurbishments, High Specification Office Developments, Corporate Headquarters, Residential Developments, Hospitals, Airports, Gas and Hydro Electric Power Stations, Retail Shopping complexes, Rail Stations, Computer Suites and both Scientific and Research Laboratories.

At the beginning of 2008 Paul joined Vital Energi as Senior Contracts Manager. Based in the South, Paul has full regional responsibility for the successful delivery of all projects in London and the Southern half of the UK, in particular projects encompassing a broad range of mechanical and electrical building services.

Angus Perry - Project Development Manager

Angus has over 25 years experience of the energy and utilities markets specialising in the design, implementation and operation of CHP schemes in the early stages of his career. As a Senior Design Engineer he gained a wealth of technical experience which has allowed him to work on significant trigeneration, combine cycle energy centre and district heating and cooling schemes.

Moving to a global utility services provider he held senior project development positions where he worked across a broad range of industrial and commercial business sectors, technology groups and was responsible for UK business development and supported European project development opportunities which broadened his commercial expertise.

At Vital Energi he is responsible for larger gas fired CHP project opportunities providing technical and commercial support to our design and delivery teams and is working closely with our business development team to develop biomass generation from clean and waste wood and CHP waste to energy opportunities.

Brendan Clancy - Business Development Manager

Brendan first became involved in district heating systems in the early 1980s, training in design and installation with a leading Danish manufacturer. From there he moved to a major power technology businesses, working as project manager on a series of cutting-edge district heating installations.

Moving to French power specialists Alstom, Brendan took his engineering skills into the field of technical sales, with special responsibility for customer liaison. As business development manager at Vital Energi he is responsible for developing new combined heat and power (CHP), community energy and biomass projects, with a special remit to raise the company's overall market profile.

Mark Howell - Business Development Manager

Mark has nearly 20 years experience of the energy industry, having worked in both consultancy and the utility sector.

He spent nine years as a project engineer working on combined heat and power (CHP) feasibility modelling and assessment, including several high profile PFI contracts in the educational and healthcare sectors. In the late 1990s he moved to a top five utility company, working firstly as construction manager for a major University energy scheme, and then in business development with responsibility for the development of a CHP initiative for a London borough.

As operations manager for a heat and power company he then gained an insight into running a power business, from customer services through to the energy trading of gas, electricity and LECs. Now as Vital Energi's business development manager, Mark is utilising this exceptional knowledge and operational experience to develop projects in biomass, CHP, tri-generation, and district heating and cooling.