Joseph Underwood, Senior Governance Services Analyst
On 27th April 2018, Energy UK hosted the fourth Young Energy Professional (YEP) Awards, sponsored by ElectraLink.
This on-going event is a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate the successes of young professionals throughout the energy industry.
Kicking off with a champagne reception, black tie-clad attendees arrived and mingled with acquaintances old and new, in the ballroom of the Hilton Bankside Hotel. Many of our staff, especially the younger generation, were able to attend and had a thoroughly memorable time.
A fantastic three-course meal kept us extremely well-fed, as we witnessed a selection of well-written ceremony speeches. We particularly enjoyed the keynote speech from Tesla, which was not only informative but inspiring, as the Tesla representative elaborated on the company’s inspirational vision to date and how Tesla has expanded from a small business to a household name in the space of just 15 years.
A major highlight for me, and for my colleagues was the host for the evening, British actor, comedian and writer, Robert Llewellyn. Perhaps best known for his long-running role as Kryten in ‘Red Dwarf’, he had an anecdote or two to share! He elaborated on his career to date, which includes being the presenter of a favourite game show of mine, ‘Scrapheap Challenge.’
Interestingly, Robert is a supporter of renewable and sustainable transportation and sources of energy and promotes such things through his YouTube series ‘Fully Charged’. His passion and knowledge of sustainability and engineering was evident, and it was fascinating to hear him share his views and beliefs on such relevant industry topics.
The judge of each category had assessed the nominees and released a shortlist ahead of the ceremony. The winner of each of the eight awards were announced on the night and given the award by a notable figure with experience in that specific award category. As a young professional in the sector, it was intriguing to hear how my peers are impacting the industry and progressing their careers.
Towards the end of the evening, we had the opportunity to share a drink or two with some of the other 200 guests and rub shoulders with prominent figures in attendance. It was surprising how many people were unaware of the size of ElectraLink, which continues to grow but currently has 54 permanent members of staff and many consultants. It is really encouraging to see how many people were keen to learn more and to stay in contact.
Huge congratulations are due to all the deserving award winners. As sponsors of the event, ElectraLink is keen to extend its thanks to the judges and the YEP team at Energy UK for such a well-organised and memorable event. We hope to be along next year!