Our People
People make a business, and we are proud to have some of the leading experts in hydropower in our team. We are based in Perth where we run our operations, maintenance, and management systems for our fleet of hydropower assets. Our technical teams operate out of Dingwall where we have a team of engineers and technicians who provide the expert support required to keep a portfolio of hydropower projects running optimally.
We are run by one of our first employees, Alex Reading and Alex is supported by Ian Cartwright, who has been involved with the business for over ten years.
Alex Reading
CEO
Alex was one of the first employees at Green Highland and has been instrumental in growing the business into one of the UK’s leading hydropower companies. Prior to joining, Alex served for seven years in the British Army. He holds an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering from Newcastle University. He is also Chairman of the British Hydropower Association.
Michael Rendsburg
Green Highland Board Member
After completing his degree in mechatronics at the University of Stuttgart and at the Massey University in New Zealand, Michael Rendsburg held various positions in R&D, supply chain management and manufacturing in the automotive industry and worked for an international strategy consultancy focusing on sustainability, restructuring and lean management.
Since joining the Voith Group in 2014, Michael Rendsburg has held various positions at Voith Paper. Until 2015, he was Manager Strategic Planning in the Executive Board of Voith Paper. After that he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at the Business Line FRS and in 2021, he became President Projects EMEA.
Mr. Rendsburg has been a member of the Management Board of Voith Hydro since 2022. In his role, he is responsible for Operations, Project Management as well as Service and Small Hydro..
Since joining the Voith Group in 2014, Michael Rendsburg has held various positions at Voith Paper. Until 2015, he was Manager Strategic Planning in the Executive Board of Voith Paper. After that he held the position of Chief Operating Officer at the Business Line FRS and in 2021, he became President Projects EMEA.
Mr. Rendsburg has been a member of the Management Board of Voith Hydro since 2022. In his role, he is responsible for Operations, Project Management as well as Service and Small Hydro..
Peter MacLennan
Green Highland Board Member
Peter MacLennan is a member of the Board of Green Highland, representing the majority shareholder Voith Hydro. He is Head of Voith Hydro’s Service and Automation business in North America as well the OPEX Service business globally. With two decades of experience at Voith Hydro, Peter has excelled in senior leadership roles focused on Service, Project Management, and Operations. He holds degrees from Acadia University (B.Sc.) and Dalhousie University (B.Eng.), alongside professional certifications as a registered Project Management Professional (PMP) and Professional Engineer (P.Eng) in Ontario.
Richard Hearnden
O&M Business Development Manager
Richard has over 15 years of experience in the Operations, Maintenance, and heavy
engineering of Large Hydro schemes, he brings a wealth of knowledge to Green Highland
having operated, maintained and improved profitability at some of the UK’s largest
Hydroelectric schemes both in terms of installed capacity and annual production.
His experience extends into the UK power balancing mechanism and trading markets, Hydro
production optimisation, Reservoir operations and management, Pumped Storage
development and operations, Grid and Auxiliary services both at Transmission and
Distribution levels, as well as Blackstart.
Richard is responsible for the development and growth of the Operations and Maintenance
services within Green Highland, the development of the performance analytics to provide
visibility and deliver the very best value from the assets.
He holds an Honours degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Edinburgh and is a
Chartered Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers
Robert Deacon
Operations and Maintenance Manager
Robert Deacon is the Operations and Maintenance manager at Green Highland, he leads a talented and dedicated team of Engineers in the day to day running of 57 hydroelectric schemes. Robert joined Green Highland in 2015 during the construction phase of the schemes, he and the team played a big part in the installation and commissioning of many of the turbines, a learning experience like no other.
From an early age, Robert always had an interest in how machinery works, an interest that led him into engineering. After beginning his career with a diesel engine manufacturer, Robert switched direction to contribute towards a greener future. Like all members of the team, Robert is enthusiastic about renewable energy and in particular, hydro turbines. He can now combine an interest in machinery with a passion for a green future.
Ian Cartwright
Technical Adviser
Ian has made a career in renewable energy delivery including ocean, wind, and hydro energy. Ian built up and sold his family-owned business, J S Cartwright, to Scottish Hydro Contracting, then helped the new owners build it into a multi-million-pound division. He holds an honours degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Heriot Watt University and is a Chartered Engineer.