2018 CFO Awards

14 Acquisition International - 2018 CFO Awards MA180027 Renewable Energy CFO of the Year 2018 - UK Ventient Energy Limited Established in 2017 through the merger of two major onshore wind portfolios, Infinis and Zephyr, when it first began Ventient was among the largest onshore wind companies in the UK. Since its merger, the firm has continued to flourish, and it currently owns a portfolio of 34 wind farms which collectively have over 500 wind turbines, generating enough electricity annually to supply an equivalent 420,000 UK homes. This incredible success would have been impossible without a dedicated team of senior managers, including Katerina, who as CFO, drives the firm’s financial operations. She explores her past experiences which she uses to support Ventient and ensure its ongoing success. “Having graduated from City University in Economics then qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in audit practice in London, I learned the value of understanding all aspects of a business and the importance of due diligence, a skill which included counting anything from widgets to airline parts in warehouses as part of audit stocktakes. Always attracted to the forward- looking, commercial side of a business I moved into Mergers and Acquisitions in the late 1990’s, a field which attracted very few women at the time. As if that was not exciting enough, I joined the then unknown company of Enron, introducing me to the world of power and complex energy forecasting.” “A long career in financial services ensued, from the Bank of New York Mellon, to Willis Insurance during the financial crisis of 2008, as ‘Finance and Operations Director’, before returning to banking at Northern Trust, as Senior Vice President. The latter provided exciting valuation and acquisition work, plus new office expansions into Germany and Saudi Arabia (a then first for any Asset Management company), successfully navigating Ventient Energy is one of the largest generators of onshore wind energy in the UK with a growing portfolio of clean energy assets. Hoping to inspire our readers, winner of one of our prestigious Global CFO Awards Katerina Brown provides us with a fascinating insight into the firm and her own drive towards success. Company: Ventient Energy Limited Contact: Katerina Brown Address: 50 Frederick Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1EX, UK Phone: 0131 243 1380 Web Address: www .ventientenergy.com