Sustainable energy expert joins Trust board

Fast growing Yorkshire-based sustainable heating manufacturer Trust Electric Heating has appointed former National Energy Foundation chief executive Dr Kerry Mashford OBE to the board as non-executive chair to support the company’s next growth phase.

Established in 2014, Garforth-based Trust Electric Heating has built a track record in the domestic heating and student accommodation sectors through the design and manufacture of radiators and thermostatic controls that help users control energy usage and costs.

The family-owned business secured investment in 2017 from Clipper Logistics executive chairman Steve Parkin’s Knaresborough Investments to support continued growth. Now, as the company prepares to launch a series of products to support energy efficiency in commercial buildings, the team has welcomed Dr Kerry Mashford OBE to chair the board and lead the business into its next chapter.

Kerry Mashford is a Chartered mechanical engineer who has worked for many years in sustainable manufacturing and construction, energy transition and the circular economy.

As well as roles at Unilever and Arup, she is a former chief executive of the National Energy Foundation; led the Building Performance Evaluation programme at the UK’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK; and was a member of its Transforming Construction advisory group.

Kerry recently led and co-authored BS 40101, a new British Standard on Building Performance Evaluation of buildings in-use, and she serves on several BSI committees and groups.

She is also non-executive director of the Active Building Centre Ltd, the Ecology Building Society and the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership. She was awarded an OBE in 2017.

Trust Electric Heating managing director Fiona Conor said: “Our business has grown significantly over the last nine years, and we have built a national reputation as a domestic heating provider of choice.

“Through a focus on continual innovation, we have expanded our product range beyond a domestic heating portfolio into heating systems and controls that help commercial housing providers and building designers deliver energy efficient buildings.

“To help us capitalise on the opportunities these new products present and step up to the next level, we’re looking for input, support and governance from someone who understands our industry as well as the sustainable building agenda, energy system transition, technology and innovation.

“I am thrilled to say that Kerry brings all of these attributes and more. Her knowledge and experience will be invaluable at board level, and she will also be a fantastic sounding board for our product development team.”

Kerry Mashford said: “This role brings together a lot of threads from my career and the team at Trust has a great innovation mindset: one of the many things that attracted me to the business. The combination of manufacturing and innovation in a business that is focused on sustainability and operates with a predominantly UK supply chain ticks a lot of boxes for me.

“In addition, their links with academia through research projects with the University of Huddersfield are a superb fit with my own background and experience. I’m looking forward to helping the team continue to grow the business, expand their product portfolio, and break through barriers that will see their technology better reflected in the SAP calculations that underpin the EPC rating system and grant-aided building improvement programmes.”

Source: Yorkshire Business Daily

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