OWL Speakers

Barry Sheerman MP, Chairman, OWL, WCRAQ

Barry Sheerman is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has served as Huddersfield’s Member of Parliament (MP) since 1979. He is Labour’s longest-continuously serving MP in the current parliament. He was Chair of the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee between 2001 and 2010. He is a keen social enterpriser and has started over fifty social enterprises in his career. Sheerman is currently the chair of the Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality and the President of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

Dewi Lane, Senior Bid Manager, Suez UK

Dewi has 13 years’ experience in the waste industry, 12 working within local authority at Monmouthshire County Council in operational and strategic roles. More recently, he moved into the private sector, working with Suez Recycling and Recovery UK, firstly as a Bid Manager and more recently moving to the position of Senior Bid Manager. With his experience of working on both sides of the procurement table, he provides a good insight into maximising the procurement process for both sides.

Rowland Potter, Managing Director of Executive Consultancy Services

 Rowland is a Transport Consultant, NLP Practitioner, Development Coach and Mentor. He is a 25-year Sober Recovering Alcoholic and a former rough sleeper. 

Rowland was also the former Head of Transport for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and a project management professional with 20-plus years of experience in developing and delivering complex high-value project portfolios. 

He advocates natural empathy for collaboration across multiple organisations for optimum delivery outcomes, helping individuals and teams explore feelings, emotions, and behaviours, and challenging ineffective beliefs and behaviours, replacing them with effective beliefs and behaviours. 

Mick Sweetmore, Head of Fleet and Engineering, Merseyside Police

Mick is a very experienced senior manager currently working in the public sector with over 38 years of involvement in the road transport industry.

He is currently involved with introducing alternative technology vehicles to meet local, national and Government targets.

He is a keen promoter of diversity in the workplace, and his passion is to encourage and promote women in engineering and encouraging a diverse workforce.

Mick is associated with the Institute of Road Transport Engineers (IRTE) at both a local and national level, and he is the current Honorary Secretary of the North West Goods Vehicle Maintenance Advisory and Liaison Committee (NWGVMLC).

Mick is a fully qualified vehicle engineer, having served a recognised apprenticeship in commercial vehicle engineering.

David Hansen, Senior Product Manager, AMCS

David is a software product manager focusing on industrial sustainability through emissions reduction in foundational industries. David has previously worked in quality assurance, consulting, development and product management roles. He specialises in the following: technology, operations research, mathematical modelling, quality assurance, software development management, product management, transport scheduling, mobility, and heavy goods vehicle routing.

Steve Berrow, Founder at Plazoil and Tesla Power Generation 

Steve designed, built and ran the fifth-largest biodiesel plant in the UK, producing 11.5 million litres annually. That refinery based in Wales also made the Biodiesel that ran the Live Earth Concert at Wembley Stadium in 2007—the first 100% carbon-neutral concert of modern times.
Steve has patented a micro ice-making machine 12 inches square and designed a continuous flow endothermic depolymerisation solution, converting waste plastics of all kinds to oil.
Steve’s current patent pending project is regarding the use of hydrogen in traditional combustion engines. The focus is on the conversion of diesel engines to zero emissions.
Steve is a subject specialist in Bio Diesel, Hydrocarbon Fuel, Endothermic Depolymerisation, Micro Refineries, Plasma Generators, Internal Combustion Hydrogen Engines, Zero Carbon Industrial Process Equipment and Business Solutions.

Steve has studied at a master’s degree level in Business & Enterprise Development, and he is proud to have a carbon-negative footprint personally.

Jason Airey, MD, CMS SupaTrak

Jason aims to help customers reduce costs, comply, and increase operational efficiency. As a connected fleet specialist, Jason is proud to lead a team of world-leading engineers designing and manufacturing vehicle telematics systems in the UK.

Jason specialises in making a difference and has been instrumental in setting up the Optimised Waste & Logistics (OWL) and Westminster Commission for Road Air Quality initiatives. These innovation partnerships are helping shape best practices and increase road safety in the waste, transport, and logistics sectors.

Jason has pioneered telematics systems for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), assisting them in increasing first-time fix rates and aiding their customers in managing their fleets more efficiently.