Belltown Power Management Team | Belltown Power

OUR TEAM

WE ARE BELLTOWN POWER

The UK Belltown Power management team of development, investment, and operations specialists have collectively worked on over 5GW of renewable energy projects worldwide. Get to know them by clicking on their photos below.

Andy Black

Founder & Director and COO

Ben Thorne

Junior Development Manager

Cathy Bremner

Project Accountant

Cherry Hall

Senior Development Manager

Charles Webster

Legal Counsel

Danielle Scholl

Finance Director

Dan Morgan

Development Manager

Fraser Shepherd

Senior Asset Manager

Hayley Muir

Co-Head of Asset Management

Ilie Bivol

Junior Development Manager

Isaac Sobey

Asset Manager

James Grey

Senior Development Manager

Joel Hutchinson

Head of Development

Lawrence Cox

Development Manager

Louis Kirkup

Junior Development Manager

Matt Olley

Senior Development Manager

Matthew Webb

Portfolio Accountant

Michael Kaplan

Founder & Director

Molly Faloon

UK Offices & CSR Manager

Nhung Tran

Senior Finance Manager

Paul Hewett

CEO

Peter Thomas

Senior Development Manager

Sally Guscott

Co-Head of Asset Management

Simon Smith

System Manager

Steve Hayes

Senior Grid Manager

Tom Hill-Norton

Founder & Director

Tom Roberts

Senior Associate

William Primarolo

Senior Asset Manager

Andy Black

Founder & Director and COO, Belltown Power UK

Andy is Founder, Director and COO of Belltown Power UK and is responsible for all operational aspects of our new UK activities. Andy co-founded Belltown Power in 2013 alongside Mike Kaplan and Tom Hill-Norton.

Andy has over 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry. He started his career working for DNV-GL, the world’s leading independent renewable energy consultancy, where he provided a wide range of technical and project management services across most major markets throughout the world, leading to the successful deployment of over 5GW of installed capacity. In the four years before starting Belltown, Andy set up and ran the Project Development Service Group at DNV-GL providing turnkey and bespoke Project development services to UK developers.

Andy has a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and Management from Birmingham University, UK.

Ben Thorne

Junior Development Manager

Ben is a Junior Development Manager for Belltown Power UK, currently focussed on our Scottish wind and UK solar project pipelines. At Belltown, Ben is leading the screening of wind repowering sites across the UK and supporting the rest of the development team with modelling and automation expertise. While studying at the University of Bristol for an MEng in Engineering Design, Ben specialised in renewable energy.

Cathy Bremner

Project Accountant

Cathy joined Belltown in 2021 as a Project Accountant, and she supports the finance team with the day-to-day financial management of various UK projects as well as Belltown Group.

She has also passed Chartered Financial Analyst level I and been awarded the Investment Management Certificate (both CFA Institute). Prior to joining Belltown, she worked for the Brazilian Stock Exchange in London, where she was jointly responsible for the EMEA business segment and also worked on the development of sustainability initiatives within capital markets. She has an MSc in International Business from University College London, and a BA in Hispanic, Portuguese & Latin American Studies from King’s College London.

Cherry Hall

Senior Development Manager

Cherry is a Senior Development Manager for Belltown Power UK currently focused on utility scale ground mounted solar projects across the UK. She has over 10 years’ experience in the renewable energy industry, particularly in large scale solar development. This began with managing specialist engineering services on site during the construction phase. Most recently she has worked with Landowners and DNO’s to secure land for solar development with connection capacity to the distribution network. Cherry holds an Honours Degree in Business Studies from Sheffield Hallam University and an NVQ Level 7 in Strategic Management and Leadership.

Charles Webster

Legal Counsel

Charles is a corporate lawyer with over 10 years of experience advising on renewable energy projects in the UK and abroad. He has worked in private practice in Australia and the UK, including as part of the corporate legal team at Withers LLP in London for four years. In 2012 Charles became General Counsel of Green Hedge which developed and financed over 20 utility-scale solar farms. Charles joined Belltown as General Counsel in 2016 and manages Belltown’s legal affairs. He is also involved in project development, acquisitions, financings, and disposals, as well as assisting with asset management and investor relations. Charles is dual qualified and admitted as a solicitor in England and Australia. Charles has a B.Laws from the University of Technology in Sydney.

Danielle Scholl

Controller

Dani is responsible for the management of the finance function including accounts, treasury, forecasting, and financial reporting for Belltown and its clients. Prior to Belltown, Dani spent 8 years at John Laing and HCP, the leading provider of infrastructure management services in the UK. At John Laing, Dani was Senior Finance Manager for Renewable Infrastructure. She was responsible for the delivery of all financial services for a portfolio of renewable projects in the UK and Europe, as well as providing support on the acquisition and financing of all John Laing’s Renewable Energy investments. Dani has a degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Cape Town and gained the CIMA qualification at BPP London.

Fraser Shepherd

Senior Asset Manager

Fraser joined Belltown in 2016 soon after graduating from the University of Bristol with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. Fraser has worked on solar, wind, hydro, and battery assets in both performance analysis and asset management role and currently manages one hydro scheme, one solar site, and two Tesla batteries. In addition to his asset management role, Fraser continues to perform in-depth performance analysis such as operational yield estimates and develop analysis tools to provide a greater understanding of asset performance and potential areas for optimization.

Hayley Muir

Co-Head of Asset Management

As a Co-Head of Asset Management , Hayley ensures the smooth operation and optimization of solar, wind, and hydro projects. She has worked within renewable asset management for the past 5 years, developing a thorough understanding of the asset management process, from technical fault mitigation to environmental compliance.

Over the past few years, Hayley has led multiple contract renewal negotiations, insurance claims, and large-scale component repairs. She also has experience in managing project onboarding, the development of asset management systems, and solar fault identification and analysis. Hayley is dedicated to delivering a thorough and reliable service to clients.

Ilie Bivol

Junior Development Manager

Ilie is a Junior Development Manager for Belltown Power UK currently focused on developing out our projects in Wales. He has 3 years of engineering experience in the renewable energy industry, particularly in the development of innovative tidal energy technology with Sustainable Marine Energy from concept design through to construction, installation, and successful operation of full-scale prototypes at sea. Ilie holds an Engineering Doctorate in Offshore Renewable Energy jointly awarded by the Universities of Exeter, Edinburgh, and Strathclyde, and a BSc in Renewable Energy from the University of Exeter.

Isaac Sobey

Asset Manager

Isaac joined Belltown in 2021 and now manages a portfolio of Solar assets, working to control potential risks and optimise asset performance. While specialising in renewable energy during an MEng in Engineering Design at the University of Bristol, Isaac has a background in embedded systems and process improvement in the manufacturing industry. Alongside being a key contact for investors and stakeholders, Isaac continues to develop tools and processes to streamline Belltown's Asset Management systems

James Grey

Senior Development Manager

James is a Senior Development Manager for Belltown Power UK and leads our Welsh development efforts. James joined Belltown in 2016 as an Associate and then Senior Associate in Belltown’s investment team. During that period, James led or supported the successful wind, solar, and storage transactions totaling over 200MW and continues to oversee the new and existing fund and venture investments on behalf of Belltown’s investment partners. Since 2019, James has been responsible for identifying and progressing Belltown’s unsubsidized onshore wind development pipeline in Wales, as well as providing commercial and financing expertise to the wider Belltown Power UK team. Prior to Belltown, James worked for Accenture and has a BA in European Social and Political Studies and an MSc in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment, both from University College London.

Joel Hutchinson

Head of Development, UK

Joel is Head of Development for Belltown Power UK and leads our on the ground development activities in the UK.

Joel joined Belltown in 2014. His initial focus was on the delivery of Belltown’s pipeline of ROC and CfD onshore wind and solar assets, ensuring projects were completed on time, under budget, and met the required quality standards. Since 2019 Joel has been focused on the development of new unsubsidized onshore wind projects, with a particular specialty in managing the community engagement and planning process. Joel has a total of 13 years of experience in the renewables industry, with previous roles including the development of GW-scale offshore wind farms at RWE Innogy and the engineering of biogas energy systems in rural, developing communities in India.

Joel has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Wind Turbine Blade Design and Manufacture, both from the University of Nottingham.

Lawrence Cox

Development Manager

Lawrence is a Development Manager for Belltown Power UK with a focus on our Welsh project pipeline. Lawrence is an engineer with 5 years of experience in the renewable energy sector. Prior to Belltown, he worked for DNV GL in the UK and India, consulting on a wide range of projects. He has worked across the full lifecycle of wind energy projects and previously oversaw the asset management of Belltown’s large operational wind assets. Lawrence is now focused on the development of new unsubsidized onshore wind projects in the UK, with a particular specialty in operational design implications. Lawrence has an MEng in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bristol and is a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Louis Kirkup

Junior Development Manager

Louis is Junior Development Manager for Belltown Power UK and supports the rest of development team across the pipeline of projects in Scotland and Wales. Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with an Meng in Civil Engineering, Louis initially worked as a systems engineer for Hawkeye innovations, before specialising in the renewable energy sector with a role at SunGift Energy where he spent 2 years designing rooftop solar PV, battery and EV charge point systems for residential and commercial clients.

Matt Olley

Senior Development Manager

Matt joined Belltown Power as Senior Development Manager in 2020 and is focused on the development of pipeline projects in Scotland. Having qualified as a Town Planner with a degree and post-graduate diploma in Town and Country Planning from Coventry University Matt initially worked in planning consultancy and the residential development sector before specializing in Energy Infrastructure project management. With experience in the renewables and nuclear sectors, Matt has more than 10 years of experience in the Energy industry, leading on Onshore Wind projects across the UK with a particular interest in planning, community engagement, and community benefit.

Matthew Webb

Portfolio Accountant

Matthew joined Belltown in 2017 as a Portfolio Accountant and is responsible for the day-to-day financial management for UK Investor portfolios, with duties ranging from financial/management reporting to senior debt management. Prior to Belltown, Matthew worked at RBS in their Corporate and Commercial Portfolio Management division shortly after graduating with an Accounting and Finance with Management degree.

Michael Kaplan

Founder & Director

Prior to Belltown, Michael was a partner at Albion Ventures LLP. Between 2009 and 2013 Michael helped to establish Albion as one of the pioneering investors in the UK’s community-scale renewable energy sector. Prior to Albion, Michael worked at The Boston Consulting Group and before that, the Chief Financial Officer of Widevine Technologies, a security software company (sold to Google in 2010). Michael has a BA from the University of Washington and an MBA from INSEAD.

Molly Faloon

UK Offices & CSR Manager

Molly has been with Belltown since 2016 and manages the UK offices and our corporate social responsibility. Molly oversees the administration of our community liaison, educational visits, and the running of all our UK-based offices. Molly previously spent 3 years working in events management and marketing, following her BA in Media and Cultural Studies.

Nhung Tran

Senior Finance Manager

Nhungi is our Senior Finance Manager and is responsible for the delivery of financial services for the UK Investor portfolios. She has been working in the renewable energy sector for over five years and qualified as an ACCA Chartered Accountant within two years. She completed a BA degree in Finance and Accounting, and a MSc degree in Sustainable Energy and Entrepreneurship. Prior to Belltown, Nhungi was a Financial Analyst at Lightsource Renewable Energy, where she was responsible for bank reporting and assessing the financial performance of various renewable energy project portfolios.

Paul Hewett

CEO, Belltown Power UK

Paul is CEO of Belltown Power UK and heads up all of Belltown’s new UK activities. Paul has been at Belltown since its foundation in 2013. He acted initially as an Investment Director leading investments across wind, solar and hydro, then for two years as Managing Director of the group and since 2020 as CEO of Belltown Power UK, fully focussed on developing new projects across the UK and Europe. Paul has built experience across multiple technologies, multiple geographies, and across the full renewable energy project lifecycle. Prior to Belltown, Paul worked at the Boston Consulting Group, primarily in the Private Equity and Energy practice areas. Paul holds an MBA from Berkeley-Haas School of Business, graduating with honors, and an MA in Mathematics from The University of Edinburgh, graduating top of the class.

Peter Thomas

Senior Development Manager

Pete is a Senior Development Manager for Belltown Power UK and leads on all of the technical and construction aspects of our projects. Pete has been with Belltown for 6 years and lead the construction team that delivered Belltown’s portfolio of over 200MW of government-supported wind, solar and hydro in the UK. Since 2019 Pete has been focused on the development of new unsubsidized onshore wind projects in the UK, with a particular specialty in grid access and technical design. Pete has 15 years of experience in the renewable energy industry having previously worked for 9 years at DNV-GL where he provided technical and project management services for wind and solar energy projects in the UK and other major global markets. Pete is a Chartered Engineer and has an MEng in Aerospace Engineering from Liverpool University.

Sally Guscott

Co-Head of Asset Management

Sally is a chartered civil engineer with 7 years of experience in the energy sector. Prior to joining Belltown, as a Senior Engineer at Atkins, she was responsible for the structural asset management of a portfolio of offshore structures, having previously performed technical and project management roles in the nuclear sector. At Belltown, Sally leads a team of asset managers responsible for the effective operation of a 136MW mixed portfolio of onshore wind and ground-mounted solar, representing the investor’s interests in all stakeholder interactions including lender, O&M contractors, insurers, landowners, and off-takers to ensure production is optimized, maximizing return on investment. She also helps to manage health & safety having received her IOSH qualification.

Simon Smith

System Manager

Simon is a Chartered Engineer with expertise in renewable energy analytics and tool development. Prior to joining Belltown, Simon worked at DNV GL leading algorithm development on their wind digital twin service. He has extensive experience in performance analysis, optimization, and energy yield assessments for operational wind and solar projects both in Europe and North America; wind and solar short-term power forecasts; and tidal energy resource assessments. Simon is Belltown’s System Manager, primarily responsible for data collection from renewable power plants, as well as the development of tools and processes to maximize value from this data. Simon has an MEng in Engineering Design from Bristol University.

Steve Hayes

Senior Grid Manager

Steve joined Belltown Power as the Senior Grid Manager in January 2022 and is focused on the grid connection requirements for our unsubsidised Solar, onshore Wind and Storage development pipeline across the UK. Steve has over 30 years of experience in the Electricity Utilities Sector and brings a comprehensive knowledge of Electricity Transmission and Distribution having held several senior roles across Regulatory Business Plan Development, Asset Management, Project Development, Design and Delivery as well as Leading roles in Transmission Infrastructure Development within Join Venture organisations.

Tom Hill-Norton

Founder and Director

Tom has been investing in renewable energy projects since the end of 2006. Prior to Belltown he raised and invested a series of renewable energy funds for Guinness Asset Management and worked with the energy investment team at Actis on renewable energy investments in emerging markets. Prior to 2006, Tom worked in corporate finance (with JP Morgan, Flemings, and Fredericks Michael) and strategy consultancy with The Boston Consulting Group. Tom has an MA (Hons) from The University of Edinburgh and an MBA from INSEAD.

Tom Roberts

Senior Associate

Tom is a Senior Associate in the transaction team having joined Belltown in 2014 as an intern. His role includes origination, valuation, and transaction management through acquisition, financing, and exit. He has now worked on over 2GW of deals across technologies (onshore and offshore wind, solar, storage) and geographies (UK, Europe, and the US). At Belltown, Tom is responsible for financial, market, and regulatory analysis. Prior to Belltown, Tom studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, receiving a BA (Hons) and MSci.

William Primarolo

Senior Asset Manager

At Belltown, Bill manages both Wind and Hydro portfolios, focusing on project performance and optimization whilst providing support to the wider asset management team. This support involves intricate data analysis and technical operational diagnosis to produce concise reports. Since graduating with a degree in Physics from the University of Bristol Bill has engaged in a wide range of science and technology, stretching from photonics to nuclear energy. Now Bill is a key contact for investors and scheme stakeholders, ensuring long-term revenues and high investor satisfaction.

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