Diverse Energy

Trevor Clarke, Executive Chairman
Mr. Clark has 30 years experience running major companies. He started as an engineer with Rolls Royce before moving into the computer industry in its early years, joining P&O in 1974, where he became the Managing Director of P&O Computer Services.

In 1984, Mr. Clark led a management buyout of P&O Computer Services and over the next 13 years, working with venture capitalists, PCL Group became a major provider of Computer Services in the UK and overseas, employing some 750 staff.

In 1997 PCL was sold to MR Group, a major UK listed Information provider, and Mr. Clark joined its main board.

In 2000 Mr. Clark joined AFS, steering the commercial aspects of the company and eventually overseeing the formation and financing of Diverse Energy. He remains an early angel investor.

Dr Alastair Livesey, Managing Director:
Dr. Livesey has over 22 years of business and technical experience in alternative and conventional energy. After completing his PhD and research fellowships at Cambridge University, he joined Shell, where he commercialized the engine and vehicle testing facilities and helped set up Shell Hydrogen. He also acted as the internal consultant on fuel cells and managed Shell’s alternative energy research.

Dr. Livesey next spent seven years in the USA in senior positions at Energy Conversion Devices helping to commercialize its hydrogen storage and fuel cell programs, restructuring the company, and supporting the financing of a $385M expansion of its photovoltaic manufacturing capability.

Dr. Livesey brings a blend of deep scientific knowledge and proven alternative (CleanTech) energy business development skills to the team.

Dr. Mike Rendall, Chief Technology Officer
Dr. Rendall is an expert in fuel cell technologies, fuel reformation, and physical chemistry. Before joining Diverse Energy, he was Chief Chemist and Development Engineer at fuel cell manufacturer Voller Energy PLC, where he led the propane reformer work and its integration into fuel cell systems, including the Voller flagship 2kW Emerald system. He was also a division head at a fuel cell components (MEA) manufacturing company.

Dr. Rendall earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry at Southampton University, where he focused on catalysis and fuel cells. He also completed a Post Doctoral Research Fellowship for General Motors.

Rob Priest, Founder and Development Director
In the late 80’s, Mr. Priest became involved with motor sport and, through his drive for engineering perfection and organizational talent, became chief mechanic for Gulf Racing. He and his team won the sports car World Championship with the McLaren F1-GTR in 1996 and won the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1997.

Following his spell in motor racing, Mr. Priest launched Alternative Fuel Systems Ltd., where he used his practical engineering skills to design and develop a number of fuel cell systems and earned distinction as one of the UK’s “gurus” in the alternative energy market. Mr. Priest’s high profile in alternative energy circles allowed him to raise the funding necessary to develop the PowerCube^®.

Ron Hodkinson, Founder and Chief Scientist
Mr. Hodkinson is a Chartered Electrical Engineer specializing in power electronics and control systems with 30 years experience including designing and building power supplies for telecommunications.

Mr. Hodkinson was Chief Development Engineer at Bonar Brentford Electric Ltd from 1975 to 1984, where he designed low voltage power supply systems for the GPO (later British Telecom). He also invented and developed a liquid sodium heat pump for the Dounreay Nuclear Reactor.

Recognizing the potential for fuel cell technology in telecoms, Mr. Hodkinson set up Fuel Cell Control Ltd with the assistance of a founder of one of the largest cellular network operators in sub-Saharan Africa.  This began a decade-long collaboration, in which Mr. Hodkinson and Mr. Priest developed Diverse Energy’s revolutionary ammonia cracker technology, enabling fuel cells to become practical off-grid electrical generators.