Joan MacNaughton CB is an influential figure in international energy and climate policy, and has extensive board experience across the commercial, government, academic and not-for-profit sectors. After a career in government culminating as Director General of Energy for the UK, Joan spent five years in a power sector company, where she developed and led its global climate change advocacy. She has wide international experience, including as Chair of the International Energy Agency and of the World Energy Council Trilemma, an annual assessment of countries’ energy policies. Joan sits on several academic advisory boards at energy and climate institutes, and publishes and lectures on energy and climate issues.

She is currently an Advisory Council Member at the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis and at the Grantham Institute. She is an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Sustainability and Operational Risk Committee for Heathrow Airport; a member of the Thames Freeport Governing Board; and a Trustee of the Green Purposes Company. She was Chair of the Climate Group until 2022 and also a founding board member of Powerful Women, a campaigning group that aims to boost the number of female board positions in energy companies in the UK. She is an honorary (or distinguished) fellow of the Clean Growth Leaders Network; Energy Institute; Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils; James Hutton Institute; Institute of Energy Economics of Japan; and the International Emissions Trading Association.