I

am delighted to share with you that, following an extensive and detailed process, Stephen Marcos Jones has been appointed as new CEO to the organisation and will join us on 31 January 2022.

Stephen joins us from UKPIA, the trade association for the UK’s downstream fuel sector, where he has been director general since 2017. Prior to this he held a number of directorship and membership roles at OGUK, the representative body for the UK offshore energy industry. Stephen has also worked for the UK Government’s Department for Education as well as leading the communications department of an international membership NGO.

Stephen brings with him 15-years’ experience of working in a membership environment. At both UKPIA and OGUK he significantly grew revenues through a combination of operational assessment, enhanced market branding, and diversified member services. 

During his tenure at UKPIA, Stephen led a number of cross-industry engagement with Government on a range of critical policy areas including EU-exit negotiations, trade tariffs, future skills, and the UK’s transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy – a key component of the Government’s subsequent Energy White Paper published in 2020.

Stephen is a non-executive director for OPITO International, the global, not-for-profit, skills body for the energy industry. He has been a passionate champion of skills, apprenticeships and workforce engagement, and the role of people in delivering the energy transition – vital experience as we, as an industry, tackle skills challenges of our own.

I hope you’ll agree with me that Stephen’s extensive understanding of de-carbonisation, together with his demonstrable track record of representing members at the highest levels to senior policymakers and ministers will be of huge benefit to ACE, and sister organisation EIC Dave Beddell, ACE chair

I hope you’ll agree with me that Stephen’s extensive understanding of de-carbonisation, together with his demonstrable track record of representing members at the highest levels to senior policymakers and ministers will be of huge benefit to ACE, and sister organisation EIC, as we continue to promote the critical role our industry has to play in delivering the Government’s key objectives of economic recovery, levelling up and a Net Zero future. 

Ahead of Stephen’s arrival, interim CEO Laurence Brett, and the senior leadership team, are pulling together a proactive introductory programme. As part of this, Stephen is aiming to meet 100 people in his first 100 days. He will also be joining as many group meetings as possible to help his understanding of ACE, its members, and the industry.

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking you in advance for your ongoing support of ACE and EIC which has been through a period of great change recently. I would also like to thank Laurence Brett for helping to support the senior leadership team through this transitional period as our interim CEO.

I hope you and the other members will join myself and the board in wishing Stephen the very best over the coming weeks and months, and we look forward to welcoming him to the ACE family very soon.

Dave Beddell is the chair of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).

Find out more about Stephen Marcos Jones' appointment. Download his biography and follow him on Twitter.