Solar 350 is delighted to announce David Burns’ appointment as our new Chairman. Having been an early investor and independent director of the company in its initial stages, David is taking on the leadership of the board to oversee a critical phase in our expansion. His appointment is another step forwards for Solar 350’s plans for 2015/16, building a senior management team experienced in both developing and financing multiparty renewable energy projects.
David is the right candidate to help us knit together our Chinese solar conglomerates, large infrastructure fund clients, equity/debt providers and local JV partners. His background in large scale industrial engineering, energy and oil gives him a great deal of insight into both the challenges and commercial opportunities for renewable energy. As chairman, his role will be to enhance our status as a central counterparty in renewable energy development and investment projects, leading our corporate governance processes and deal structuring.
David adds “I have been watching the company’s development with interest and am convinced that Nick Dimmock and his team now have the potential to broaden the appeal of solar investment in emerging markets, developing technically proficient and financially sensible projects which will contribute to a sustainable future for our children.”
David is a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers, the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants and holds a Diploma in Company Direction from the Institute of Directors. Educated at Cambridge University, David has occupied a number of senior management positions within the engineering and energy industries. As Project Finance Manager at Shell he designed key parts of the NASDAQ IPO for Knightsbridge Tankers in 1997; created the treasury function as Group Treasurer for the Elenac carve-out from Shell and BASF (1997 to 2000), and was Chief Audit Executive for Basell from 2000 to 2007. His experience of taking companies public and his expertise in blue chip treasury operations means he’s an ideal person to chair Solar 350’s board, working with our new CFO Justin Passfield to lead the Solar 350 expansion plan.
350’s MD Nick Dimmock comments “We now have a senior management team that’s not only capable of developing Solar 350, they’ve got a track record at the highest levels of corporate finance and governance. That’s precisely what a renewable energy developer needs if it’s going to compete within a market that’s increasingly complex and highly regulated. David’s skills and experience will prove invaluable as we bring together the different strands of the business to deliver on our mission: Building renewable energy in the right locations, developing investments that offer excellent returns and reducing global carbon emissions with commercial means.”