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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, Professor Martin Tangney OBE established the first biofuel centre in the UK …

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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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jim boyd

Jim Boyd

Chief Financial Officer

Jim is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience operating at board level in senior finance roles …

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The Team

Jim Purves

Compliance & Operations Director

Jim has 30 years of international experience in operations and engineering management working …

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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 …

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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 …

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Duncan McLachlan

Commercial Manager

Duncan is a chemical engineer by background and brings over 15 years of international commercial experience…

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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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Anne Marie Greer

Anne-Marie Greer CA

Senior Financial Controller

Anne-Marie is a Chartered Accountant and member of ICAS, having joined in 2008…

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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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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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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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Brodie Campbell-McRae

Graduate Process Engineer

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

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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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Gareth Fenn

Technical Laboratory Analyst

An analytical chemist by trade, Gareth joined Celtic Renewables late in 2020 and dived straight in to his new role in analytical testing. Holding an MSc in Analytical sciences…

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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 training and obtained his qualifications…

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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 !

jim boyd

Jim Boyd

Chief Financial Officer

Jim is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years experience operating at board level in senior finance roles. Prior to joining Celtic Renewables he was finance head at Argent Energy, the multi-site international biofuels division of John Swire & Sons. Jim assisted Swire in secondment roles at Swire Oilfield Services in Aberdeen and was finance lead on the Swire team to acquire Biodiesel Amsterdam. Jim also served on the boards of a number of Swire’s US operations as a non-exec director.

Did you know?

Outside of work Jim volunteers with a number of Scottish non-profit organisations.

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!

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.

Anne Marie Greer

Anne-Marie Greer CA

Senior Financial Controller

Anne-Marie is a Chartered Accountant and member of ICAS, having joined in 2008 after completing training with a mid-tier Scottish firm working across both audit and corporation tax. After qualifying she moved into financial services with a number of FTSE 250 companies. During her 10 years in FS she worked in a variety of roles both within finance and the wider business, before moving into industry and joining a multinational company working in the payments industry. Anne-Marie’s experience with both statutory accounting requirements and commercial focus supporting the business in all financial matters fits well on the journey Celtic Renewables is currently on.

Did you know?

Outside of work Anne-Marie has 2 young children and a horse (known as the 3rd child!), whom she enjoys competing on around the local circuit

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!

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

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

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.

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.

Gareth Fenn

Technical Laboratory Analyst

An analytical chemist by trade, Gareth joined Celtic Renewables late in 2020 and dived straight in to his new role in analytical testing. Holding an MSc in Analytical sciences and a BSc in forensic science from the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen he is also an Associated member of the Royal Society of Chemistry as well as being affiliated with the Chartered Society of Forensic Scientists. Gareth s professional career started in the pharmaceutical industry providing QC for AstraZeneca as well as some experience within Dundee universities Drug Discovery Center. Gareth saw his next opportunity to become part of Celtic as a step towards a cleaner future  

Did you know?

Gareth often gets compared to being a robot by his friends due to his ability to apply pure logic to situations and problems but often prefers the comparison to Mr Spock “Live Long and Prosper”

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 !

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