John is the Interdisciplinary Director for Energy Transition and Professor in Geoscience and Energy Transition in the School of Geosciences at the University of Aberdeen, a post he took on in March 2022. He is the academic director of the UK’s GeoNetZero Centre of Doctoral Training (CDT), a £22M partnership consisting of 12 Universities and 8 company sponsors that has seen 130 PhDs graduate, all of whom have secured employment in a relevant discipline. His research interests focus upon the role of geoscience in the energy transition and use of technologies, methods and data in providing the best solutions and outcomes to deliver low-carbon net zero goals.
John is the Chair of the National Energy Skills Accelerator (NESA), a collaboration between Aberdeen University, RGU, North-East Scotland College, Skills Development Scotland, and Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) Ltd. (2022-23), which secured a £1M award from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund to up-skill and re-skill workers for a career in renewable energy. Before taking up an academic career, John worked in industry with Shell and has also undertaken industrial fellowships with BP in Glasgow and Nork Hydro in Bergen, when at The University of Edinburgh. Prior to joining Aberdeen John co- lead Heriot-Watt University’s efforts to establish the Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology and was their Chief Scientist.
John is a member of the UK Energy Minister’s Subsurface Task Force and also populated the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC), the leading independent advisory board for Scottish Government between 2018-22. John was President of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) in 2011-12, an EAGE Board Member for 3 years and was awarded their Alfred Wegener Prize in 2016. He also has received the Lyell Medal from the Geological Society, the Silver Medal from their Energy Group and been a Distinguished Lecturer for AAPG.
An unusual fact is that John was an international soccer referee, who officiated in international (FIFA and UEFA) football and the Scottish Premier League between 1994-2008.
