As well as being a Senior Associate of Forrester Partners, Rick runs PiEnergy Ltd., a consultancy company that specialises in the energy business. He is Non-Executive Chairman of a UK based renewable power company that is developing a consented 250+ MW generation project. He also works as a senior lecturer for a US based management education company and runs energy related courses for them on a worldwide basis.

Until 2003, Rick was located in Boston, and was a member of the senior management team of InterGen, an international power generation company with investments in ten countries. He was Senior Vice President, responsible for Strategy and Planning. Prior to this he worked for the Shell Group, where he held senior positions in a number of Shell's businesses, including Gas & Power, Oil Trading, International Shipping and Coal Marketing. Rick started his career as an electrical engineer working for the South Western Electricity Board. Whilst he is now based in the UK, Rick has lived in the United States, Japan and South Africa. He has First Class Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration

Could you explain your linkage with Forrester Partners?
I first met Michael Naylor, one of the partners in NMHSearch, in 1996 when I was heading Shell's power business. Michael very effectively filled a number of positions in our project development organisation. Since that time we have continued to move in similar business areas, in fact Michael also undertook work for InterGen (the independent power company based in Boston) when I was part of the company's senior management team.

When I returned to the United Kingdom in 2003, Michael introduced me to Hugo Codrington, his partner and the three of us immediately started to discuss a number of interesting projects where we could work together. I found that it was great fun to work with Michael and Hugo as part of the Forrester Partners team, as they are both creative and have enormous energy, just the type of environment I was looking for.

What else are you doing at the moment?
When I returned from the United States in 2003, I used the opportunity to change the direction of my career and decided to pursue a portfolio of interests, rather than working full time for one employer. I now have a number of areas of activity including running courses and lecturing on the international power business, consulting on the energy sector for various companies in Europe and the United States, plus my position as Chairman of an innovative renewable energy company. My role as senior associate with Michael and Hugo compliments this, and I am glad to say that my portfolio of activities provides the varied range of interests and challenges that I was looking for.

Why do you think that Executive Search is so important?
It is critical that a company appoints members of senior management who are not only well qualified to undertake their roles and responsibilities, but also who are able to function well as a team player. This is the area where Forrester Partners plays such a critical role. Using the knowledge and experience of the Forrester Partners team, they have the ability to determine the specific requirements of a senior management position, and using their excellent research capability, are able identify a number of suitable candidates for final selection by the client.

Forrester Partners' strength is that they go the extra distance to ensure that their selected candidates are not only suitable for the job in hand, but that they are a good fit as an integral member of the senior management team and also able to operate effectively within the culture of the company.