The Smart Villages Team
Dr Bernie Jones
Managing Director
Bernie has more than 15 years’ experience of working at the interface of technology and international development. He is passionate about creating equality of opportunity, and sustainable impact. He previously worked at the Royal Society, Shaw Trust, UNESCO and British Airways. He is a graduate of the Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh.
Dr Anna Clements
Chief Engineer
Anna has more than 5 years’ experience in energy access and efficiency technologies, community engagement and development in East Africa. She is a champion of environmental sustainability, diversity and community empowerment. She is a graduate of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
Dr Laura Allerston
Head of Business Development
Laura has more than 10 years’ experience in the clean energy industry, with the last 5 focusing on energy access opportunities and international development. She has a particular interest in sustainability and circular solutions. Her degrees were obtained from the Universities of Birmingham and Hull.
Leigh Ingram
Finance Manager
Natasha Wilson
Engineering Project Manager
Natasha is dedicated to crafting impactful solutions grounded in a deep understanding of social contexts and community needs. Armed with an MEng from the University of Cambridge and complementary anthropology and business strategy studies at Harvard, she channels experience from fast-paced technical consulting and a multinational development NGO.
Zoë Slattery
Engineering Project Manager
Zoë brings to the Smart Villages team an enthusiasm for both innovative technology and sustainable development. As a graduate of Cambridge University’s ‘Engineering for Sustainable Development’ MPhil, she has a passion for understanding how engineering can be applied in challenging contexts to create sustainable solutions, and for accurately measuring the impact of such projects.
Frances James
Development Engineer
Frances brings to team an interest in engineering development with communities as an active partner and strong basis in structural engineering, having previously worked for both Arup and Atkins. She is driven by ideas of equality and sustainability and has an interest in WASH projects, having previously worked in this capacity in Zambia, Panama, and in refugee camps in Greece. She holds an MEng in Engineering Design from the University of Bristol.
Osian Rees
Development Engineer
Osian has over 5 years’ experience working in renewable energy development, including solar, wind and wave energy. He is passionate about developing technological solutions to tackle the climate crisis. He is a graduate of the MEng Engineering Design programme at the University of Bristol.
Orianne Breakspear
Assistant Project Manager
Orianne is passionate about creating equality of opportunity through sustainable development. With a Natural Sciences degree from the University of Cambridge, specialising in Psychology and Neuroscience, and a background in software development, she has strong interests in effective community engagement and leveraging technology to drive meaningful impact.
Catherine Gwynne-Evans
Assistant Project Manager
Catherine is dedicated to community engagement and business development and has worked in this field for over five years. She previously worked in green economy development in South Africa, with a particular focus on green finance and energy service delivery. Catherine has a background in economics and most recently she completed an MPhil in planning and sustainable development at the University of Cambridge.
Kirsten Rachman
Assistant Project Manager
Kirsten is committed to creating lasting change in rural communities through effective community engagement and empowerment. With a background in languages, and significant time spent living abroad in the Middle East and Central Asia, she brings novel perspective and a passion for cross-cultural communication.
Advisers
Prof Sir Brian Heap
An originator of the Smart Villages concept and Associate of the Department for Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. Formerly President of the European Academies Science Advisory Council, Master of St Edmund’s College, and Foreign Secretary and Vice-President of the Royal Society.
Dr John Holmes
Co-leader of the original Smart Villages research initiative (2014 – 2017). Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and Environmental Services Consultant.
Dr Terry van Gevelt
Associate Professor of Urban Sustainability and Lee Kong Chian Fellow at the College of Integrative Studies, Singapore Management University.
Interested in joining the team?
We’d love to hear from you – see our current vacancies or get in touch to register your interest.