In an email this morning, members were informed that Stephen Marcos Jones has been appointed as new CEO of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).

Bringing to a close a rigorous appointment process, Stephen will replace current interim CEO Laurence Brett on 31 January 2022.

Stephen joins following more than a decade in senior leadership roles representing the UK’s energy sector on the global stage.

He joins ACE and sister organisation, the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), after four years at the helm of UKPIA, the trade association for the UK’s downstream fuel sector.

While at UKPIA, Stephen led significant change across this important manufacturing sector, spearheading a cross-industry response on issues such as environmental regulation and promoting the sector’s opportunity to deliver decarbonisation in pursuit of Net Zero, while helping to articulate a vision for a sustainable future for the sector.

He has led on issues such as the energy transition, the role of hydrogen, fuel quality, forging proactive and collaborative relationships with the UK Government and the devolved administrations at ministerial level. Most recently, he has promoted industrial clustering and is a strong advocate of the Government’s levelling up agenda.

Prior to this Stephen held a number of senior leadership positions at OGUK, the representative body for the UK offshore energy industry, where he grew commercial revenues for the association through a robust member engagement and events programme. He also led a campaign to drive efficiency into the industry, through the optimisation of procurement practices across the entire supply chain.

Find out more about his career to date by downloading his biography, or read the blog from chair, Dave Beddell, welcoming Stephen to ACE.

Commenting on his appointment, Stephen Marcos Jones said: “It is already clear to me that our members are critical partners for government and our industry is uniquely placed to turn political ambition into practical reality. I am delighted to have the opportunity to help ACE’s members take a leading role in delivering a sustainable future for us all.

“My aim is to meet at least 100 people in my first 100 days, kicking off an intensive induction programme during which time I will be listening to stakeholders to understand how ACE can continue to provide a compelling proposition, and to prioritise the work of the association to maximise value for its membership.”

Read the blog from ACE chair, Dave Beddell. Follow Stephen on Twitter.