Christopher Cavanagh is acting director of the New Product & Service Development group at National Grid and is responsible for implementing a process for the development of new electric and gas technologies for customers to support the National Grid’s goals. Mr. Cavanagh has twenty years experience in product development at National Grid and its predecessor companies. Mr. Cavanagh previously managed research programs in the areas of alternative fuel vehicles, advanced heating & cooling and distributed generation, including fuel cells. Mr. Cavanagh was a senior engineer with the New York architect-engineering firm, Gibbs & Hill. Mr. Cavanagh is a licensed professional engineer and a Member of the American Society of Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning Engineers. Mr. Cavanagh holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Cooper Union, an MS from Polytechnic University and an MBA from Dowling College. Mr. Cavanagh resides in Hazlet, NJ where he recently served as Chairman of the Planning Board and an Environmental Commissioner. Mr. Cavanagh is also the head state judge for the structure problem in the annual international Odyssey if the Mind competition for school age children.
Ian Welch
Ian Welch is the Strategy Manager or Research & Development with National Grid in the UK. He is responsible for establishing Research & Development Strategy and accompanying programs for electric and gas transmission businesses to deliver future solutions which will: 1.) achieve National Grids 2020 and 2050 carbon emissions targets 2) connect new / renewable energy sources and 3) ensure reliable and optimized/efficient use of assets. Mr. Welch has over 30 years experience with National Grid and its predecessors. Mr. Welch has held positions as a Electrotechnical Manager in Asset design / policy with electricity Transmission & Distribution and has been a Substations Manager as well as a performance manager at the UK National gas Control Center. Mr. Welch was responsible for the successful design & commissioning of 2,000 MW HDVC interconnector and the roll-out of new program of SVC Reactive Compensation at 400kV.