Lodestone Energy Announces Key Additions To The Leadership Team

Utility-scale solar company, Lodestone Energy, welcomes three new executive team members to bolster its existing executive team.

Tony Nagel, Peter Apperley and Jake Ighile join CFO Chris Jewell, from Genesis Energy, and Daniel Cunningham, of Canadian developer Greengate, to complete the executive team for Lodestone.

Experienced energy executive, Tony Nagel, will join the senior management team as General Counsel and Company Secretary.

Lodestone Energy Managing Director, Gary Holden, is delighted to welcome Tony to the Lodestone team.

“He has vast experience in the electricity industry and has worked closely with company boards for more than 20 years. Tony's appointment further strengthens our capability to deliver on our ambitious plans," Mr Holden says.

Prior to joining Lodestone, Mr Nagel was a key member of Mercury’s executive (and its predecessor Mighty River Power) in the role of GM Corporate Affairs, with responsibilities including legal, government relations, external communications and company secretary. He was integrally involved in the company's IPO in 2013 and led the company's rebranding from Mighty River Power to Mercury in 2016.

Mr Nagel says, "building large-scale generation projects is the most exciting part of the electricity industry, and Lodestone will be building solar farms on a scale never seen in New Zealand. Lodestone has a really exciting future and I'm very pleased to be part of it."

To bolster the Construction and Engineering side of the business, Lodestone welcomes Peter Apperley and Jack Ighile in preparation to commence its $300 million programme to build five solar farms on the North Island.

Peter Apperley has joined as Lodestone’s General Manager, Engineering. Mr Apperley most recent role was Global Technologies Leader – Renewables at Jacobs Engineering and was responsible as a lead manager for energy projects in New Zealand, Australia, SE Asia, Africa and the Pacific.

Jake Ighile joins Lodestone from US-based, Shell Renewables subsidiary, Silicon Ranch. As Director – Contracts and Procurement, Jake led a team delivering more than 560 MW of utility-scale solar projects through EPC contract services.

"With this skilled group of industry and solar experts Lodestone is well on our way to fulfil our vision of accelerating NZ into the solar era," Mr Holden concludes.

Lodestone Energy is a privately-owned energy company that will develop, own and operate grid-scale solar farms. The company recently announced its plans to construct five initial solar plants on its land holdings in the Far North, Northland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty. The power generation sites will utilise over half a million solar panels and will integrate renewable energy production with farming operations.

© Scoop Media