The board of the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult has appointed Ronnie Bonnar as its new chair, taking over from Colin Hood with effect from 8 December.
Bonnar (pictured) joined the Catapult’s board as a non-executive director in 2018 and has been the senior independent director since October 2020.
Hood steps down after nine years as chair, having previously been instrumental in making the case for the creation of a Catapult centre headquartered in Glasgow and focused on driving innovation in offshore renewables and seizing its economic growth potential in the UK.
Bonnar said: “Under Colin’s leadership, ORE Catapult has grown from a great idea when offshore renewable energy was in its infancy, to an internationally recognised leader of innovation in an industry at the heart of the drive to Net Zero.
“It is a privilege to take up the position of Chair at such a critical time, and I greatly look forward to working with the rest of the board and the management team to continue to deliver real advantage to the UK, not only in enabling delivery of clean, green, low-cost energy, but in the creation of huge economic growth and many thousands of jobs throughout the country.”
Hood said: “No-one could have predicted a decade ago that offshore wind would evolve so rapidly into being the cornerstone of the UK’s future energy system.
“That transformation has been driven through innovation and I am proud that ORE Catapult has played a significant part in that transformation, ensuring the UK continues to lead the world in the development of technology for offshore renewable energy.”
ORE Catapult chief executive Andrew Jamieson said: “I want to thank Colin for his outstanding leadership and guidance, from the set up of the Catapult and through its formative years and growth into the high impact business that it has become.
“In Ronnie, we are fortunate to have another inspirational leader with extensive experience to steer us through our future ambitious growth plans.”