Team

Simon Hodson

Chief Executive Officer

Simon is the Chief Executive Officer of Gridworks. Simon has a wealth of experience making and managing direct investments in developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Prior to Gridworks, Simon held leadership roles at a London based family office and 11 years with IPS (part of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development) based in Paris, as well as establishing investment businesses on the ground in Cyprus and Cuba and worked for CDC Group in his early career. Simon is a Natural Sciences graduate of King's College, London and is a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Camilla Summerskill

Executive Assistant & Operations Manager

Camilla is an Executive Assistant and Operations Manager at Gridworks. She supports Simon and the wider team in daily and corporate operations. Camilla holds an MA in International Politics and a BA in History from Newcastle University. Camilla has previously held roles in the international development sector, most recently working at a leading international health NGO operating in a similar geography to Gridworks, where she acted as Secretariat for the Board of Trustees and Executive teams in a range of operational matters.

Chris Flavin

Director

Chris is a Director at Gridworks*. He has responsibility for developing and managing investments. Chris has extensive international project development and M&A experience which spans Africa, Asia and Europe. Prior to joining Gridworks, Chris spent five years at CDC Group, the final three of which included a focus on transmission & distribution projects and off-grid investments. Chris is a qualified lawyer and spent nine years in private practice advising private equity investors prior to joining CDC Group’s legal team in 2014.

Shaun Githuku

Business Development Manager

Shaun is an Investment Executive at Gridworks.** Shaun joined CDC Group four years ago as part of the Equity Infrastructure team, prior to which he worked at PwC, primarily advising infrastructure clients across East and West Africa. Shaun supported the development of the CDC strategy that underpinned the formation of Gridworks and brings specialist knowledge in electricity transmission and distribution (on and off-grid). Shaun holds an MSc in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Richard Olley

Legal Counsel

Richard is Legal Counsel at Gridworks. His role includes corporate operational matters as well as supporting Gridworks’ investment activities in a legal capacity. Richard previously worked at Clifford Chance LLP specialising in private equity transactions. During his time at Clifford Chance, Richard worked on a number of African infrastructure projects and emerging market transactions, including while on secondment to CDC Group. Richard is a qualified lawyer.

Daire Deeney

Team Assistant

Daire is a Team Assistant at Gridworks. She provides administrative support to the team in their daily and ad hoc operations. Daire studied in Ireland where she obtained a BSc in Marketing and a Master's in Education from Trinity College Dublin. Most recently she has worked as an Economics and Business Teacher in Hertfordshire.

Harriet Melton

Human Resources Advisor

Harriet is the Human Resources Advisor for Gridworks. Harriet's role is to provide generalist HR support covering strategy, OD, recruitment, talent, reward, performance management, policy and HR operations. An HR Consultant for the last 13 years, Harriet has worked with a number of financial services clients. Prior to that she was a HR Vice-President at the investment bank Dresdner Kleinwort. Harriet has an HRM post graduate qualification and an Economic History degree from Exeter University.

Sabri Regragui

Business Development Executive

Sabri is a Business Development Executive at Gridworks. Sabri brings experience in utilities in Africa, financial modelling and investment asset management and valuation. Most recently, Sabri worked for Meridiam on global infrastructure projects with complex analytical needs. Sabri’s earlier career saw him working at SUEZ/LYDEC and ICEA. He also gained specific renewable energy experience from his time at RES and Natixis. Sabri holds a Master’s in General Engineering from Ecole des Mines de Nancy.

Joe Corbett

Technical Director

Joe is the Technical Director at Gridworks. He is an electrical engineer with over 30 years’ global experience in utility management, project delivery and power system design, operation and maintenance. Most recently he worked in Ghana for ESB International as Engineering Technical Advisor. Previous experience includes providing technical assistance for the restructuring of the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company; six years as Head of Engineering, Technology and Innovation at Mainstream Renewable Power; and five years as General Director of Georgia’s National Transmission Utility in Tbilisi.

Ignacio Iribarren

Senior Advisor

Ignacio is a Senior Advisor to Gridworks. Formerly a Principal Investment Officer at the IFC, dedicated to equity transaction in energy and infrastructure. Over his 25 + year career, he has carried out more than US$8bn in direct investments, including extensive global asset management and sector transformation. He was a Principal at a leading Infrastructure Private Equity Fund and worked at AES Corporation where he managed power assets at the CEO and CFO level. He holds a BSc in Civil Engineering from Tulane University and an MBA from George Washington University.

Alice Chapple

Development Impact Advisor

Alice is a Development Impact Advisor for Gridworks. She has worked in international development and impact investment for more than 30 years and works with several funds and companies to help them articulate, measure and maximise their impact. Alice’s other roles include Independent Chair of the CDC Plus Committee; Trustee of the Shell Foundation; and Chair of Investor Watch, which aims to drive more sustainable investment practices. Alice has an MA in Economics from Cambridge University and is a chartered accountant.

Mark Richards

Consultant Financial Director

Mark is a Finance Director and is responsible for all financial matters at Gridworks. He is a chartered accountant with over 20 years’ experience, most recently as CFO for a private investment firm focusing upon Logistics Real Estate and venture capital investments. Prior experience includes roles at KPMG, BNY Mellon and Barclays Capital. Mark has an MEng degree in Civil Engineering from Nottingham University.

Our team of dedicated individuals have a wealth of experience in Africa and the power sector. They are committed to Gridworks’ mission and the opportunities we develop and invest in.