Board Directors
Alasdair Jack - Chair
Al has a background in electrical engineering coupled with expertise in renewable energy and community finance. He has worked in the community shares sector for over 20 years and currently manages investment for the Radical Routes network of housing co-ops, cooperatively run social centres and worker’s co-operatives.
Al lives in a rural housing co-operative in the Forest of Dean where he works a small coppice woodland and keeps bees. He enjoys outdoor pursuits and especially sailing.
Al also holds a PGCE in post compulsory education and has designed and led a number of environmentally focussed courses for college students and adult learning initiatives.
Peter O'Higgins
Peter has over 20 years finance experience. He previously spent 12 years at J.P. Morgan, in both London and New York, before joining fintech startup Revolut as CFO.
He now spends his time helping companies grow either in advisory roles or angel investing.
Peter has a keen interest in renewable energy and was elected to the REFD board in July 2021 and has acted as the society’s treasurer.
Andrew Graham
Andy is a long time supporter of community energy and active member of several co-ops close to his home in the south west of England. He has seen first hand the positive effects of community ownership and its wider benefits in his area. He joined the board of REFD in September 2021 as a members’ representative and has worked diligently in this role while the society has navigated some challenging years. In his day job, he works in aviation but is mindful of the sustainability challenges his industry faces. On his days off, he loves nothing more than some family time and a bike ride followed by a pint in his local (community owned!) pub.
Janine Michael
Janine has lived in the Forest of Dean for more than 20 years and was involved in the development of REFD from the early stages, becoming a board member when Resilient Energy Alvington Court Renewables was originally established as a Community Benefit Society. She served for a number of terms as an elected board director representing members interests and is currently a co-opted member of the board.
Janine has worked in the energy efficiency and sustainable energy sector since the early 1990s. She is currently Deputy Chief Executive at the Centre for Sustainable Energy. Janine has an MSc in Energy Conservation and the Environment from Cranfield University, and a BSc in Maths from the University of Bristol. She is also a non-executive Director and chair of the board for Retrofit West.
Paul Phare
Paul is the Development Manager for Energy4All Ltd. Paul has a degree in manufacturing systems engineering from Bristol University. His final year dissertation studied the feasibility of domestic wind systems. Paul joined the renewable sector in 2003 with Vestas-Celtic, then took an opportunity to work with community groups in Argyll before joining Energy4All in 2008. Paul worked with many communities in Scotland across the range of renewables technologies and at all scales, but particularly with biomass and wind. He is on several co-op boards and associations with community renewables and is one of the sector’s foremost experts in Scotland.
