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Our People

Celtic Renewables Ltd is an innovative start-up company formed to commercialise a process for producing a superior next generation biofuel and other high value sustainable products, from the by-products of biological industries.

Management

martin tangney

Prof. Martin Tangney OBE

Founder and President

An international award-winning innovator, Prof. Martin Tangney OBE established the first biofuel …

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Mark Simmers

Chief Executive Officer

Mark is an entrepreneurial leader and commercialisation specialist with almost 30 years of international experience …

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John Stevenson

Managing Director

John is a Chartered Project Professional with over 30 years of international experience leading the design, development and delivery …

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Claire Treacy

Chief Financial Officer

Claire is an experienced finance leader with a proven track record in providing strong governance in periods of significant corporate …

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The Team

Jim Purves

Compliance & Operations Director

Jim has 30 years of international experience in operations and engineering management working for small, innovative companies…

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Denise Devenny

Manufacturing Director

Denise joined Celtic Renewables in Sept 2018. She is a production leader with almost 20 years of practical operational experience. Her previous …

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Dr Eve Bird

Dr Eve Bird

Research and Innovation Director

Dr Eve Bird is an industrial biotechnologist who heads up research and innovation at Celtic Renewables. Eve has worked in…

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Duncan McLachlan

Commercial Manager

Duncan is a chemical engineer by background and brings over 15 years of international commercial experience to the Celtic Renewables team …

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Sharon Foley

Financial Controller

Sharon is an accountant with over 20 years of experience in both industry and accounting practice, working on both…

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Jim Small

Senior Projects Manager

Jim has gained more than 30 years of engineering management experience. He has a strong practical knowledge …

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Daniel Borisewitz

Senior Process Engineer

Daniel is a Process Engineer with 12 years’ experience working in the sustainable development and energy sectors… 

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Julie Watson

Dr Julie Hawkins

Senior Process Microbiology Specialist

A microbiologist by training, Julie is an expert in bacteria known as solventogenic clostridia…

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Craig King

Compliance Specialist

Craig joined Celtic Renewables from William Grant & Sons, where he worked internationally including time in the USA, Canada, Ireland …

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David Stewart

Project Engineer

David was the first person to join Celtic Renewables after the Covid-19 lockdown.  An experienced and motivated Project Engineer, he brings over 20 years…

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Kenneth Leiper

Dr Kenneth Leiper

Fermentation Specialist

Kenneth is a biochemist with over 20 years’ experience of research, development and quality control in the brewing, distilling and renewable chemicals sectors…

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Dr Leslie Howarth

Applied Chemist

Les is a chemist with over 30 years’ experience of research, development and process improvement in a wide range of industrial applications…

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Brodie Campbell-McRae

Process Engineer

Brodie joined Celtic Renewables immediately after finishing his Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University …

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Dr Ellen Cross

Applied Microbiologist

Ellen is a neuroscientist by training, with a PhD in integrative neuroscience from Cardiff University, she has been involved in a wide range of projects and has…

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Lee-Anne Mills

Project Support Engineer

Lee-Anne is an experienced Project Controls Specialist from the Oil & Gas and Ship Building industries and has worked on projects ranging from the installation of wellheads…

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Sarah Allen

Sarah Allan

Project Support Engineer

Sarah is experienced in the financial services sector. During her 35 years in FS she worked with a Blue Chip company for 24 years in the Distribution industry…

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Anna Hyde

Anna Hyde

Events Administrator

Anna was involved in the founding team and has been with Celtic Renewables since it began back in 2011, serving a diversity of roles as the company evolved…

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Susana Woitzik

Marketing Assistant

Susana joined Celtic Renewables through the Saltire Scholar Internship Programme before starting her final year of studying Marketing and Business …

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ekko

Ekko

Medical Alert Dog / Chief Morale Officer

Ekko started out as a street dog in Romania and moved to Scotland in 2017 where he studied Obedience. Ekko went on to advanced …

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Caledon Green Biorefinery Team

John Quail

Plant Manager

John is a chartered Chemical Engineer with 20 years of manufacturing experience, having held a variety of roles from design and engineering through to…

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Ashleigh Baillie

Technical Operator

Ashleigh joined Celtic Renewables Technical operation team in January of 2021. Ashleigh has a degree in microbiology and biotechnology from Edinburgh Napier university…

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Conchi Lopez

Technical Operator

Conchi is a Chemical Engineer with expertise in Renewable Energy Solutions. During her degree she studied primarily in Spain, where she became well versed in…

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Dominic Ralston

Tecnical Operator

Dominic joined Celtic Renewables at the beginning of 2021 and is part of the first ever Technical Operator team responsible for the running of the Caledon Green demonstrator…

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Kyle Stevenson

Process Operator

Kyle is a time served vehicle builder with experience with both automotive industry and whisky industry. He has spent time within manufacturing and supply chain…

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Sarah Rowbotham

Process Operator

Sarah is an Analytical Technician with over 15 years experience in fermentation process control, QC analysis and membrane technology.  She also has a strong…

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Nikolina Zhelyazkova

Technical Operator

Nikki initially studied Microbiology and Biotechnology at Edinburgh Napier University, where her passion for bacteria began, working on projects ranging from bacterial…

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Steven McKeown

Technical Operator

Steven studied Applied Biosciences and Zoology and has held technical roles within the food and medical laboratory testing industries, as well as an international…

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William Maclean

Process Operator

William started his career in the Royal Navy as a marine engineer. In his time in the Navy William worked on type 23  frigates to minesweepers….

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Garry Mitchell

Process Operator

Garry is a time served vehicle mechanic, he also has over 20 years of experience working intensively in various manufacturing technician roles within the chemical industry…

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Callum Watson

Callum Watson

Process Operator

Callum joins Celtic Renewables following several years working in a range of industries from oil & gas, water & utilities, to more recently chemical process manufacturing…

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martin tangney

Prof. Martin Tangney OBE

Founder and President

An international award winning innovator, Professor Martin Tangney OBE established the first biofuel centre in the UK and made global headlines for his process for producing biobutanol, a sustainable advanced biofuel and renewable chemical, from the by-products of the malt Whisky industry – a process he is commercialising as the Founder of Celtic Renewables. A microbiologist by training, Martin brings decades of experience to the company as an expert in biotechnology and sustainability. As a recognised thought leader in his field (and a TEDx speaker in Hong Kong), Martin has featured on TV stations all over the world and in publications from National Geographic to Time Magazine, focusing worldwide media attention onto innovation in sustainability in Scotland. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded an honorary OBE in the 2018 New Year’s Honours list – one of the very few Irish citizens to receive the accolade.

Did you know?

Martin appears regularly in the media as a scientist and entrepreneur, but his first TV appearance was as a guitar player on Irish station RTE when he was just 15…a very long time ago!

Mark Simmers

Chief Executive Officer

Mark is an entrepreneurial leader and commercialisation specialist with almost 30 years of international experience in sales, marketing and business development. Mark graduated from Bristol University in Economics and Accounting and started out his career with the IMG in London commercialising and managing global professional golf events. In 2011 Mark graduated from the highly prestigious Saltire Foundation Global Entrepreneurial Fellowship Programme, which included a fast-track MBA programme at Babson College, Boston, USA. Mark helped to co-found Celtic Renewables in late 2011, and has been the company’s CEO since its inception leading the growth of the company and securing over £30m of investment finance to fund that growth and the construction of the company’s first bio-refinery. Mark has won numerous investment pitching and business presentation awards on behalf of Celtic Renewables, and has built a strong and dynamic team at the company.

Did you know?

Mark’s Great-Grandmother was a five-time Wimbledon Ladies Singles Champion, and won 2 Olympic Gold Medals in Paris (1900), becoming the first British woman to win an individual Olympic title

John Stevenson

Managing Director

John is a Chartered Project Professional with over 30 years of international experience leading the design, development and delivery of major capital process and construction projects. He has completed an impressive portfolio of projects across a number of sectors including the petrochemical, water, energy and whisk(e)y sectors, including leading the delivery of the ground- breaking and iconic Tullamore Distillery in Ireland. John has used this experience to lead the scale-up of our novel process from its origins in the lab to deliver our first bio-refinery at Caledon Green in Grangemouth and assumed the role of Managing Director in early 2020.

Did you know?

John is an active Trustee of the Falkirk Homeless Project Charity and a Director of Thera (Scotland) and is kept extra busy in his new role as a grandad !

Claire Treacy

Chief Financial Officer

Claire is an experienced finance leader with a proven track record in providing strong governance in periods of significant corporate change.  She has over 25 years of finance and funding experience in organisations ranging from owner managed businesses to listed corporations.  She brings together a unique blend of commercial thinking with specialist understanding of technical areas such as tax and risk management.   Claire graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in Economics and Mathematics and started out her career with KPMG.  In 2005 Claire moved into industry where she has worked within global businesses where she has financed, structured and managed large real estate portfolios and prepared businesses for acquisition or disposal.  Claire is Board Member and Risk Committee Chair of Social Investment Scotland, a leading impact investor in charities, social enterprises and purpose driven businesses.

Did you know?

Claire is an enthusiastic hill runner/walker – though her in-run chats and frequent photo stops will keep her well away from any podiums!

Jim Purves

Compliance & Operations Director

Jim has 30 years of international experience in operations and engineering management working for small, innovative companies bringing new technologies to market. An engineer by training, he has developed products, built manufacturing facilities and managed operations in the UK, USA and SE Asia. Jim directed operations for a leading commercial laboratory in the USA and more recently managed university-based innovation programmes providing applied research, technology development and commercialisation services, before joining Celtic Renewables. Jim leads the Compliance and Operations team at Celtic Renewables, delivering the shared systems and processes required for effective operations and ensuring the company meets its commitment to environmental sustainability, protecting health and safety and compliance with legal and statutory obligations.

Did you know?

Jim spent much of his early career in California but is happy to be back home in Scotland where he prefers the weather! The same is not true of his daughter.

Denise Devenny

Manufacturing Director

Denise joined Celtic Renewables in Sept 2018. She is a production leader with almost 20 years of practical operational experience. Her previous experience is mainly within the Scotch and Irish whisk(e)y distilling industry where she covered all aspects of this process across a number of different sites. A scientist by background, she is a practical leader who also has a strong background in compliance and management systems. She has previous experience of transforming a greenfield site into a fully operational manufacturing site. Denise has a personal interest in, and experience of, developing and continually improving a desired culture within a new site and the ongoing development of a newly formed team.

Did you know?

Since leaving Glasgow in 2001, Denise has lived in 7 different towns/cities within the UK and Ireland and still visits them all. She loves travelling and is currently aiming to visit 2 new places every year!

Dr Eve Bird

Dr Eve Bird

Research and Innovation Director

Dr Eve Bird is an industrial biotechnologist who heads up research and innovation at Celtic Renewables. Eve has worked in the Biobased Chemicals Industry for over a decade and is an international expert in the industrial ABE fermentation process, where her work ranges from genomes to bioreactors. Eve has risen to the top of her field and leads a highly skilled multi-disciplinary innovation team behind the world’s first ABE facility run on sustainable distillery by-products. An award winning and passionate scientist, Eve has been invited to present her research and share her expertise on the global stage, from Helsinki to Hong Kong.

Did you know?

Apart from being an award winning scientist, Eve is a fully qualified dog trainer who has dealt with everything from attack dogs to medical alert dogs

Duncan McLachlan

Commercial Manager

Duncan is a chemical engineer by background and brings over 15 years of international commercial experience to the Celtic Renewables team. His previous experience is predominantly in the downstream oil sector where he worked in a number of roles including feedstock procurement, product trading and sales. Through these roles Duncan has developed a strong commercial focus and understanding of commercial risk as well as having experience of building a sales team from the ground up.

Did you know?

A few years ago Duncan decided at relatively short notice to compete in the London to Brighton ultra-marathon. However, due to his poor map reading skills he ended up covering 69 miles rather than the actual 59 mile course and completed the race in darkness over the South Down Hills!

Sharon Foley

Financial Controller

Sharon is an accountant with over 20 years of experience in both industry and accounting practice, working on both internal and external audits. After a short secondment from practice, she moved into the whisky industry for 13 years playing a crucial role in developing the company’s systems and controls, subsequently growing the accounting team after the company was acquired by a large drinks group.
Sharon will utilise these skills in her role with Celtic Renewables to assist the company with its growth going forward.

Did you know?

Sharon’s nickname is Judith Chalmers as she likes to travel, her favourite places are Cyprus for some sun and New York for shopping. If she can she likes to squeeze in a trip away to visit family and is hoping to attend concerts abroad soon.

Jim Small

Senior Projects Manager

Jim has gained more than 30 years of engineering management experience. He has a strong practical knowledge and has professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Having started his career within an operational and production background, he developed into the field of Project Management delivering key projects for Public and Private Sector Clients. Spending the last 10 years leading a national Design and Project Management Consultancy, his role as the Senior Project Manager within Celtic Renewables will be key to the construction and development of the site operations.

Did you know?

Jim loves Winter Sports; a keen skier, he has ski jumped over a car.

Daniel Borisewitz

Senior Process Engineer

Daniel is a Process Engineer with 12 years’ experience working in the sustainable development and energy sectors. A passionate believer in low carbon development he has worked in a broad range of roles including project delivery, process design, technical team leader, technical development support and policy development. The experience he has gained has provided him with a detailed understanding of the requirements for successful delivery at each stage of the project development cycle.

Did you know?

Daniel is a keen cook which must be a genetic thing as his Dad used to have his own cooking programme on Grampian TV in the late 70’s early 80’s

Julie Watson

Dr Julie Hawkins

Senior Process Microbiology Specialist

A microbiologist by training, Julie is an expert in bacteria known as solventogenic clostridia – the organisms that underpin Celtic Renewables’ process. Before joining Celtic Renewables Julie spent her career working in an academic institution, but her focus has always been business-led with an emphasis on sustainability. Julie carried out her PhD in an industrial programme with biobutanol pioneers Green Biologics and she was part of the team that established the first centre in the UK to develop sustainable biofuel – the Biofuel Research Centre (BfRC). As the senior scientist in the BfRC Julie has supported hundreds of companies across Scotland, including Celtic Renewables, to develop innovative ways of converting wastes and residues into higher value products through a variety of collaborative R&D programmes. Julie brings a unique combination of industry knowledge and scientific expertise to the Celtic Renewables research and innovation team.

Did you know?

A genetic test revealed Julie has the genetic muscle composition common in elite power athletes. However, Julie has yet to discover what this genetic muscle composition can actually do!

Craig King

Compliance Specialist

Craig joined Celtic Renewables from William Grant & Sons, where he worked internationally including time in the USA, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. He worked in several operational support roles including Quality, Food Safety and Feed safety – while supporting the businesses management systems inc. H&S, Environmental and Asset Management. From this, Craig has previous experience working within the fermentation and distillation sector.

Craig started his career working within several laboratories and supported teaching and research specialising in forensic and analytical chemistry. He then moved on to working within the public analyst sector responsible for completing the regulatory/legislative chemical and microbiological inspections.

Did you know?

In his mid 20's, Craig went to over 100 concerts in one year!

David Stewart

Project Engineer

David was the first person to join Celtic Renewables after the Covid-19 lockdown.  An experienced and motivated Project Engineer, he brings over 20 years of project design and management experience to the team.  His background in engineering design and construction, has provided him with experience throughout the full project lifecycle.  David has a proven track record in delivering a wide ranging portfolio of projects within the Oil and Gas, petrochemical, defence and pharmaceutical sectors.

Did you know?

When he was at school David was the 100 meter champion for the county…he also says he had hair back then !

Kenneth Leiper

Dr Kenneth Leiper

Fermentation Specialist

Kenneth is a biochemist with over 20 years’ experience of research, development and quality control in the brewing, distilling and renewable chemicals sectors. Kenneth was a researcher on the whisky co-products to biofuel Proof of Concept project at Edinburgh Napier that led to the establishment of Celtic Renewables. His current role is to lead laboratory and pilot-scale work covering optimisation of the ABE fermentation process as the company moves towards full-scale production. The main areas of focus in this role are the assessment of novel raw materials, testing of enzymes, monitoring of fermentation performance, production of animal feed and the responsible disposal of effluent. Kenneth is a keen scientific writer and has published several original research papers and book chapters.

Did you know?

Kenneth enjoys outdoor conservation work and volunteers with a number of environmental organisations

Dr Leslie Howarth

Applied Chemist

Les is a chemist with over 30 years’ experience of research, development and process improvement in a wide range of industrial applications. Les has worked with colloids, clays, dental cement, aluminium, ink, coatings, fabrics, soda-lime, oxygen “candles” for submarines, fuel fraud detection and food starch in England, Scotland and the USA before joining Celtic Renewables. During his career he has also developed skills in statistics, patent analysis and knowledge management. His current role is to assist in commissioning and troubleshooting Caledon Green whilst networking with the activities of all Celtic Renewables teams. When Caledon Green is in production, he will also develop its products to add further value to the organisation. and investigate the rheological control of the carbohydrate raw materials.

Did you know?

Les enjoys brewing his own beers and has written a book (currently in its 3rd edition) that provides recipe information for thousands of commercial and historical beers.

Brodie Campbell-McRae

Graduate Process Engineer

Brodie joined Celtic Renewables immediately after finishing his Master’s in Chemical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Brodie received several awards in engineering design and techno-economics. While at Celtic Renewables, Brodie has undertaken the development, design, and delivery of various work packages; particularly solvent recovery and fermentation scale-up. Brodie works closely with senior members of our team to identify value engineering improvement opportunities and this key integration in the senior team has ensured that the inevitable growth in experience and knowledge will remain within the company, breeding the kind of valuable expertise that only develops over time.

Did you know?

Brodie’s dream is to retire to the Swiss alps and make cheese! He is also proud to have, without a doubt, the most recognisably Scottish name imaginable.

Dr Ellen Cross

Technical Laboratory Analyst

Ellen is a neuroscientist by training, with a PhD in integrative neuroscience from Cardiff University, she has been involved in a wide range of projects and has contributed to several academic papers. Ellen enjoys taking on new challenges and joined Celtic Renewables in January 2021 as a microbiology technician where she brings a new perspective and new skills to Celtic Renewables research and innovation team.

Did you know?

Ellen is an avid Dungeons and Dragons player and DM who started a ladies D&D group and ran a year long campaign from start to finish totally from scratch, which any rollplay fans can tell you is quite a feat… of schedule juggling.

Lee-Anne Mills

Project Support Engineer

Lee-Anne is an experienced Project Controls Specialist from the Oil & Gas and Ship Building industries and has worked on projects ranging from the installation of wellheads on the ocean floor to construction of the two largest ships ever built in the UK. She adds financial and analytical skills from early career experience in Financial Services to provide a unique skillset that enables her to drive the project controls function whilst maintaining relationships with the various stakeholders both internal and external to the business. Lee-Anne is a key part of the Compliance and Operations Team at Celtic Renewables leading and supporting various functions such as Project Controls, Procurement, Compliance, Information Management and IT.

Did you know?

Although Lee-Anne comes across as shy and reserved she is a keen Karaoke participant

Sarah Allen

Sarah Allan

Project Support Engineer

Sarah is experienced in the financial services sector. During her 35 years in FS she worked with a Blue Chip company for 24 years in the Distribution industry and latterly, a multinational company in the payments industry. During this time she has worked in a variety of roles within finance. Sarah’s experience with both finance and administration will compliment the Celtic Renewables journey.

Did you know?

Sarah as 2 grown up children that still live at home! She has 2 horses, 3 dogs and a cat and loves being outdoors and keeping busy.

Anna Hyde

Anna Hyde

Events Administrator

Anna was involved in the founding team and has been with Celtic Renewables since it began back in 2011, serving a diversity of roles as the company evolved. Along with providing part-time general administrative and development support, Anna organises networking and conference events for Celtic Renewables. Anna has hosted visiting international media and trade missions, as well as Government Ministerial delegations from across Europe, the US, China, Japan and India. A trademark and highly popular feature at these events is her whisky tastings, which she has also held in countries across Europe, as well as in the US and Canada, promoting Celtic Renewables as a global brand.

Did you know?

Anna speaks Danish, which is useful in Scotland if you want to have a private conversation in public…if you can find anyone else who speaks Danish.

Susana Woitzik

Marketing Intern

Susana joined Celtic Renewables through the Saltire Scholar Internship Programme before starting her final year of studying Marketing and Business at Abertay University.
She has previous experience working as a marketing intern for a sustainable travel company and as a marketing mentor for high school pupils.
Sustainability is a great passion of hers, which is why she is currently taking part in a summer course about Inequality and Climate Change.

Did you know?

Susana is originally from Germany and moved to Scotland on her own at 17.

ekko

Ekko

Medical Alert Dog / Chief Morale Officer

Ekko started out as a street dog in Romania and moved to Scotland in 2017 where he studied Obedience. Ekko went on to advanced training and obtained his qualifications to become a registered Medical Alert Dog specialised in narcolepsy sleep attack detection. Ekko is a valued member of Celtic Renewables and has participated in many international conference appearances.

Did you know?

Ekko loves cheese and has trained many humans to provide him with it !

John Quail

Plant Manager

John is a chartered Chemical Engineer with 20 years of manufacturing experience, having held a variety of roles from design and engineering through to continuous improvement and operations management. He has a broad experience across a range of industries, including sugar, yeast, FMCG, bakery, and animal feed, and has worked extensively in several overseas countries. With a passion for sustainability, leading and developing teams, and process improvement, John is extremely proud to be part of Celtic Renewables and contributing towards a sustainable environment for future generations.

Did you know?

John’s initial career ambition was to become a vet, but after he fainted during a surgical operation whilst on work experience as a 16 year old, he quickly decided that engineering was a much safer bet!

Ashleigh Baillie

Technical Operator

Ashleigh joined Celtic Renewables Technical operation team in January of 2021. Ashleigh has a degree in microbiology and biotechnology from Edinburgh Napier university. Since graduating after initial microbiological roles she specialized in technology transfer scaling up from academic to commercial use. She has also experience in quality control, customer care, contamination control, verification & validation and has keen interest in knowledge transfer and training.

Did you know?

Ashleigh likes to grow and maintain rare plants in her spare time. She is also a member of the British cactus and succulent society.

Conchi Lopez

Technical Operator

Conchi is a Chemical Engineer with expertise in Renewable Energy Solutions. During her degree she studied primarily in Spain, where she became well versed in the design and operation of bio-plants and refineries. Afterwards, as recognition of her academic achievements, she was awarded two Erasmus grants at universities in the UK. There Conchi collaborated in different projects such as the design of a biocide wound release dressing for the NHS and the supported metal catalysis of alkynols, providing her with proficiency in GLP. Since finishing university Conchi has worked for a multinational pharmaceutical company where she became experienced in GMP and aseptic techniques. This background and her passion for sustainability will allow Conchi to make a valuable contribution to the Celtic Renewables team.

Did you know?

Conchi is passionate about Scotland and Scottish history, so much so that she worked as a tour guide in Edinburgh for two years.

Dominic Ralston

Technical Operator

Dominic joined Celtic Renewables at the beginning of 2021 and is part of the first ever Technical Operator team responsible for the running of the Caledon Green demonstrator plant. Dominic has a degree in Applied Bioscience and from this brings a broad knowledge of different scientific disciplines and techniques. Since graduating he has gained years of experience in Process Control and Analytical Lab positions within the food manufacturing industry.

Did you know?

Dominic also has a Diploma in Graphic Design, which allowed him to pick up some freelance jobs to pay his bar tab whilst at University.

Kyle Stevenson

Process Operator

Kyle is a time served vehicle builder with experience with both automotive industry and whisky industry. He has spent time within manufacturing and supply chain across his career with experience in hands on assembly, customs, HMRC, material scheduling and involvement in multiple projects.  Kyle is currently halfway through a Mechanical Engineering Honours Degree with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

Did you know?

Kyle is a keen angler and the youngest member at CRL.

Sarah Rowbotham

Technical Operator

Sarah is an Analytical Technician with over 15 years’ experience in fermentation process control, QC analysis and membrane technology.  She also has a strong background in Manufacturing and Safety.  Sarah has experience working with a start-up company and will bring valuable input to Celtic Renewables. Sarah joined Celtic Renewables as one of the first Technical Operators at our Caledon Green site in January 2021. 

Did you know?

Sarah has served three years in the Armed Forces and is a mean shot. She can double up as security on a nightshift.

Nikolina Zhelyazkova

Technical Operator

Nikki initially studied Microbiology and Biotechnology at Edinburgh Napier University, where her passion for bacteria began, working on projects ranging from bacterial sequencing with the MinION to isolating microbes in search of novel antimicrobials. Afterwards, she further developed her interest in bacteria by undertaking an infection biology master’s degree with a specialization in bacteriology. Her masters project worked with Clostridium difficile to investigate how infections may be suppressed by the healthy microbiota. After graduating, in order to experience other aspects of bacteriology, Nikki volunteered her time in the NHS Meningococcal testing laboratory in Glasgow. During this time, she further developed her passion about sustainability and environmentalisms, which led to her joining the Celtic Renewables team.

Did you know?

Nikki and her family have a long tradition of fermenting foods, starting as early as the 1920s

Steven McKeown

Technical Operator

Steven studied Applied Biosciences and Zoology, and has held technical roles within the food and medical laboratory testing industries, as well as an international placement in Armenia as an academic researcher.
Steven is extremely passionate about sustainability, and has always wanted to be part of a business that is making a significant contribution to the environment.
Outside of work, Steven enjoys keeping fit by cycling, CrossFit and hill-walking.

Did you know?

Steven enjoys developing his creative side through painting.

William Maclean

Process Operator

William started his career in the Royal Navy as a marine engineer. In his time in the Navy William worked on type 23 frigates to minesweepers. Whilst travelling the world he operated and maintained a variety of different equipment in several departments such as Propulsion, fuel transfer systems, sewage treatment plants etc. William was also part of the Ships fire and damage control Team and counter narcotics boarding team, which has given him great experience working safely in fast paced and stressful environments. Since leaving William has serviced and maintained CHP units across Scotland and most recently operated and maintained a logistics platform. In his time there he was a key player in making sure the plant operation met its targets for its customers and client.

Did you know?

Despite having had fears of the sea and heights William has sailed oceans and performed aerobatics in planes.

Garry Mitchell

Process Operator

Garry is a time served vehicle mechanic who also has over 20 years of experience working intensively in various manufacturing technician roles within the chemical industry, covering 4 years of process control laboratory technician and 2 years of managerial experience as a production leader. Garry brings with him a passion for innovation along with a green belt lean six sigma qualification. He is always looking for improvements to benefit the business results in productivity and efficiency.

Did you know?

Garry was a keen footballer, played senior, junior and amateur and was called up twice for Scotland.

Callum Watson

Callum Watson

Process Operator

Callum joins Celtic Renewables following several years working in a range of industries from oil & gas, water & utilities, to more recently chemical process manufacturing. Such positions have led Callum to work throughout the UK and across Europe acquiring a variety of qualifications and training. He is an enthusiastic individual with a positive outlook on life.

Did you know?

Callum has a passion for football having played pro-youth in his younger days. He is a dedicated ‘Falkirk Bairn’ and die-hard Man United supporter!

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