People: LDC; Powwr; Clarke Willmott; Be.EV; Department of Energy Security and Net Zero; Maxwellia

Lizzie Meadowcroft has joined mid-market private equity investor LDC as VCP Director, Operations, Carve Out & Integration.
She joins from Cortus where she was experienced in deal execution and a trusted advisor with over 20 years experience there and before that at KPMG where she was a Partner in their Deal Execution Strategy team.
She brings over 20 years’ experience in delivering complex change programmes, managing risks and enhancing value whilst working collaboratively with management teams to focus not just on the financial and delivery aspects of any change programme but also the softer skills side including employee engagement and culture.
Lizzie Meadowcroft, said: “I have a genuine passion for helping owner managed businesses and this role really allows me to get my sleeves rolled up and work alongside the management teams we back throughout the full length of our partnership. It’s a unique opportunity and I’m looking forward to supporting management teams right across our portfolio, both here in the North West and further afield.”
She supported businesses delivering their strategic priorities and focus on enhancing value from their synergy, integration, separation and operational improvement programmes.
She also has experience across a wide range of sectors (incl. consumer, healthcare/life sciences, telecoms, industrials), and geographies (UK, Europe, North and South America, Africa, Australia).
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Andy Taylor
Energy software provider Powwr has promoted Andy Taylor to head of UK sales, managing a team of 12 and reporting directly to its chief commercial officer Paul Hodnett.
Andy Taylor has over 20 years’ experience in the energy market, working within both brokerage and suppliers. He has also managed a large sales centre in South Africa for Smarter Business, before moving to Powwr in June 2022.
“It is a great time to highlight the fantastic products and services Powwr has available and build upon the incredible success achieved by the team in the past few years,” adds Taylor. “Plus, I am excited to head back to the UK, a place where I had many happy and successful times working with both brokers and suppliers in the past.”
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Michelle Spark
Law firm Clarke Willmott has added Michelle Spark as a partner in the firm’s Manchester planning and environmental team. Michelle has extensive experience in all aspects of planning, highways and compulsory purchase law and has held senior positions in both the private and public sectors.
Sebastian Street – Head of Business Development, Be.EV
EV charging business Be.EV has appointed of Baz (Sebastian) Street as head of business development. He joins from EV charging network Gridserve where he spent more than six years rising to head of origination where he led the sales team.
He is well-known in the EV community and is a familiar face at industry events and brings excellent contacts across the sustainable energy space.
As part of his remit, he will be actively looking for new sites and partnerships to add to Be.EV’s growing roster of relationships.
It is also a key time for the wider sector as Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander launches a consultation with the industry on how to deliver on the manifesto commitment to restore the 2030 phase-out date for new petrol and diesel cars and make the transition to zero emissions vehicles a success.
Be.EV is majority-owned by Octopus Energy Generation, who have pledged £110m of funding.
The CPO also secured £55 million in debt finance from NatWest and KfW-IPEX Bank. The network is well-placed to become the UK’s most trusted and reliable charge point operator.
Baz Street, head of business development, added: “I’m eager to contribute to Be.EV’s mission to expand and enhance electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the UK.
“Joining Be.EV represents a great opportunity for me to be at the forefront of EV charging in helping our customers to love every electric journey.
“The milestones Be.EV reached in 2024 shows the ability to deliver EV charging at scale and we’re aiming to use the existing platform to do much more in the years to come.
“At Be.EV, I hope to leverage my expertise to drive operational excellence, enhance customer experience, and, most importantly, secure and deliver an exceptional pipeline of projects to help Be.EV with its ambitions.”
Asif Ghafoor, CEO of Be.EV, said: “We have worked hard to develop our Sales and site relationships in three years of operations and Baz’s welcome arrival is a step up for the growth of the business.
“Be.EV is now in partnership with a number of key stakeholders such as Decathlon, Northdale Advisory Ltd and Wesleyan Assurance Society and Baz’s years of experience will cement these relationships and give the business access to new partnerships for 2025.
“Baz will be working with the management team to develop and deliver our business plan for the next three years and achieve our goals and ambitions.
“Our push into the geographic south is well underway and Baz will enhance this strategy.”
Paul Addison
Paul Addison has joined the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero as the Director of Policy and External Affairs.
He is a member of the Great British Energy leadership team in the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero.
Responsible for shaping and delivering GBE’s policy agenda and external affairs activity to enable delivery of its mission, he works with senior leaders to build Great British Energy’s reputation as a business that is responsibly accelerating the UK’s energy transition.
Previously, he was a policy adviser to the Opposition Treasury Team in the run up to the General Election, shaping infrastructure, planning and investment policies. He championed the creation of a 10 year national infrastructure strategy and the formation of the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority through his leadership of the Major Capital Projects Review in 2024.
Paul spent a number of years working closely with Juergen Maier at Siemens, and more recently led public policy and engagement for Arup and Yorkshire Building Society.
At Arup he established the Urban Transport Review which advocated for a UK wide National Transport Strategy. He also directed the campaign calling for a new rail link connecting the West Midlands and the North West, ‘Opportunity through Connectivity’ following the announcement of the cancellation of HS2 to Manchester.
In 2021 he was awarded the Freedom of the City of London, and has won several awards for campaigns to create Made Smarter, a government programme supporting small manufacturers to adopt digital technology. He also founded the coalition of Building Society’s that launched UK Savings Week in 2022.
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Candice Brett
Maxwellia, the female founded pioneering consumer healthcare company has appointed Candice Brett as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Colin Greene joins the Board as a Non-Executive Director (NED).
Candice Brett most recently served as Chief Financial Officer and Interim CEO at Manchester’s Faith in Nature, where she led financial strategy and operations. Prior to that she has been Commercial Finance Director at THG, and Finance Director at HMG Paints Ltd. Her comprehensive background in finance and strategic leadership will be instrumental in guiding Maxwellia’s financial growth and operational efficiency.
Colin Greene currently serves as Partner at Praetura Ventures where his team actively supports and advises the founders of Praetura’s portfolio companies, including Maxwellia. With over 30 years’ experience in international senior leadership roles, including COO of Apple Japan, CEO of Apple Korea and executive leadership of Apple’s US Consumer Retail Business, his diverse expertise will support Maxwellia as they continue to expand their market presence.
Anna Maxwell, Founder and CEO of Maxwellia, said: “Their combined expertise and leadership will be instrumental as we accelerate our mission to make medicines more accessible. This is an exciting time for our company, and I am confident that their contributions will drive us to new heights.”
With a follow-on investment from Praetura kickstarting Maxwellia’s current funding round, the company said it is “poised to accelerate its impact” on public health with multiple new brand launches in the pipeline.
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