Our team

Ian Brooking

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Ian is a serial entrepreneur with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of businesses and sectors. His ability to integrate innovative funding solutions with complex engineering solutions is well suited to the complex world of advanced gasification project development.

Ian takes the lead on identifying new opportunities, working closely with our trusted technology, EPC, O&M and corporate partners. His insight and integrated approach ensure that CoGen remains leader in our field.

Ian Miller

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

With significant experience in the contracting, construction and energy from waste sectors, Ian joined CoGen in 2016, having been Operations Director for MWH Treatment who were the EPC and O&M contractor for our Birmingham and Welland projects; it was Ian who negotiated those contracts with CoGen on behalf of MWH Treatment.

Ian’s experience strengthens the project development and project delivery capabilities of our business. In his role as Chief Operating Officer, Ian oversees the day-to-day operation of the business with particular emphasis on the services provided to our clients.

Gemma Heath

Finance Director

With substantial experience both in the UK and overseas, Gemma qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant in industry before spending 4 years in practice where she further qualified as a Chartered Tax Advisor.

Subsequently returning to industry, she spent time as Financial Controller at a Private Equity backed e-commerce business and then Staffordshire University prior to joining CoGen in July 2020 as Group Financial Controller, and since July 2022, as Finance Director (Interim).

Gemma leads the Finance team and ensures that all operational and statutory obligations are met, in addition to championing continuous system, process and reporting improvements.

Isabella Gaupmann

SENIOR Development Manager

Isabella leads CoGen’s Project Development team to ensure successful development of our project portfolio through to financial close. She was instrumental in the financial closure process of Hooton Bio Power - the first merchant waste/merchant power gasification project in the UK.

Isabella is a results-driven professional with more than 10 years’ experience in operational roles covering environmental services and energy infrastructure development. In previous roles she successfully implemented complex and innovative projects from large-scale solar PV to Advanced Gasification, and is driven to make an impact for sustainable development with a commercial outlook.

David Leedham

General counsel

A former partner at a well-known City firm and a solicitor with over 20 years’ experience principally as a real estate lawyer, David’s experience includes: running large transactions (eg £750m sale and leaseback of over 300 properties + managing several legal and other professional teams); day to day management of large portfolios (eg running a team of lawyers managing 2,000 properties of RBS); acquisition/development/disposal of sites for warehouses, data centres and London offices; optioning land for PV farms.

More recently, David was part of a business creating property-based investment structures in the energy sector which includes helping create the lease funding structure for Ince and others. Over the past few years, David worked as a consultant (non-solicitor) with CoGen advising on new sites.

Kirsten Schlyder

Communications Manager

Kirsten joined CoGen in 2018 as Communications Manager after spending several years at Mitie Group heading up the Internal Comms function.

Kirsten is a skilled corporate communicator, experienced in developing company narrative for Annual Reports and websites, creating internal and external communications campaigns, designing and implementing corporate brand identity strategy and managing corporate sponsorship and community engagement.

At CoGen, Kirsten is responsible for all internal and external communications, brand management, websites and sponsorship. She is a member of CoGen’s ISO 9001 & 14001 Steering Group.