The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP) has strengthened its team with three key appointments to lead the delivery of the Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan (IGP).
Alex MacPhie, Rob Heaton, and Jonathan Bryers have assumed interim roles at OWGP as Industrial Development Strategy Manager, Supply Chain Development Manager, and Investments Manager, respectively. Together, they bring proven leadership and strategic insight, bolstering OWGP’s ability to drive coordinated action across the UK supply chain.
Anil Sayhan, OWGP Programme Director said,
“We are very pleased to welcome Alex, Rob and Jonathan to the OWGP team as we assume the role of IGP Delivery Body.
“The IGP sets out an ambitious, long-term vision for the UK’s offshore wind sector, but it’s the quality of delivery that will determine its success. These interim appointments bring deep industry experience and leadership capabilities to our team at a critical moment.
“With Alex, Jonathan and Rob on board, we’re ready to drive early momentum, foster collaboration, and ensure UK companies are positioned to thrive in the years ahead.”
Alex MacPhie joins OWGP as interim Industrial Development Strategy Manager, drawing on over three decades of experience in manufacturing excellence, marine technologies, and offshore wind cables.
Alex’s key responsibilities will be to engage with key stakeholders to interpret and evolve the IGP. His sector expertise and leadership capabilities will be invaluable in influencing the sector’s strategic direction through the implementation of the IGP.
Commenting on this new position, Alex MacPhie said:
“The Industrial Growth Plan represents one of the most ambitious and coordinated efforts the UK has seen to build a globally competitive offshore wind supply chain. I’m excited to help translate that vision into tangible outcomes, ensuring our strategy not only inspires confidence but also drives real economic impact.”
Also joining the OWGP team is Rob Heaton, who will take up the role of interim Supply Chain Development Manager. Rob will lead the development of a national supply chain aligned with the Industrial Growth Plan. In this role, Rob will work closely with the developers, tier 1 contractors and supply chain companies to accelerate capacity build-up in the UK’s priority markets for growth.
Rob brings 17 years of experience in the offshore wind industry and a total of 22 years across the renewable energy sector. Most recently, Rob was seconded into the West of Orkney ScotWind project tasked with fostering supply chain and local content implementation. Rob was an active member of the SOWEC (SIM), OWIC (Supply Chain & Manufacturing) and IGP (Advisory Group) working groups.
With a background in business development, strategy, and supply chain design and implementation, Rob is uniquely positioned to aid supply chain development projects to achieve the necessary client and investor support.
“The UK’s supply chain has the talent, ambition, and foundations to lead globally. What we need now is sharper coordination and targeted action,” said Rob Heaton.
“We have an extraordinary industrial opportunity on our hands, but we’ll only realise it if we build a supply chain that’s agile, investable, and aligned with future project needs.
“I’m excited to help deliver our sector plan and back UK companies by connecting them to the right partnerships and funding opportunities, creating momentum for others to follow.”
Appointed to the position of Investments Manager on a part-time interim basis is Jonathan Bryers.
Jonathan has over 27 years investment and innovation experience, mainly in the clean energy sector. He has managed investments for the IP Group, Carbon Trust Investments, Coller Capital, and Flemings Investment Management. In addition to his OWGP responsibilities, Jonathan will continue working as a Fund Manager for Guinness Ventures.
As interim Investments Manager, Jonathan will lead the charge in unlocking capital for UK offshore wind supply chain growth, designing and implementing investment processes and coordinating financing strategies for high-impact projects aligned with the IGP.
“The Industrial Growth Plan signals a shift in how we approach supply chain growth, with investment at the core of a more connected, future-ready UK industry,” remarked Jonathan Bryers.
“Unlocking capital at the right time and in the right places will be pivotal to delivering on the ambitions of the Plan. Our focus will be on enabling strategic investments that deliver lasting value, not just for individual projects, but for the entire offshore wind ecosystem.”
These interim leadership roles form a core part of OWGP’s delivery structure for the IGP and are designed to ensure early momentum and focused implementation across key areas to support the next phase of OWGP’s evolution.
For more information about OWGP and its role as the IGP Delivery Body, visit https://owgp.org.uk.
Contact Information
| Media Team |
| media@ore.catapult.org.uk |
Notes to editors
For more information contact:
Rhianna Knight-McGrath, Communications Manager at OWGP, rhianna.knight-mcgrath@owgp.org.uk
About the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership
The Offshore Wind Growth Partnership is the UK’s flagship supply chain growth funding and business support organisation dedicated to offshore wind.
Its mission is to accelerate development of the UK’s offshore wind supply chain.
OWGP has been set up as an independent, not-for-profit organisation to support development of the offshore wind supply chain, helping to generate know-how, economic value, highly skilled jobs, and export income for UK businesses.
In December 2024, it was announced that OWGP is expanding its activities to take on the role of the Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan Delivery Body (“IGP Delivery Body”).
The IGP Delivery Body’s role and objectives are described in the Industrial Growth Plan (published in April 2024), available on the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) website.
For more information, visit: https://owgp.org.uk/