Pershing Wrapped 2024
We’re reaching the end of another successful year a Pershing which has seen a growth in the team and project success across the board. This year as well as submitting two DCOs, the project number has now increased to 29 live projects. The team growth has also seen the development of new systems including Clockify and the new and improved PERfect. We’ve also managed to fit in some fun including skiing in Morzine, abseiling in the Peaks and sailing in the Solent.
At the end of 2023 the leadership team highlighted some of the key goals they hoped to achieve in 2024.
Goal 1 – Sustainable Growth
Pershing have grown from 20 live projects to 29 live projects this year and in the past few months have achieved two DCO submissions.
Goal 2 – Develop team as project leaders
The team has continued to grow and Pershing is now a team of 21 with 6 new members joining in 2024 – Emily Budd, Flora Passfield, Matt Marshall, Andy Roach, Matt Waddicor, Steve Wilkinson. Most of the team are now part of the project collaboration program, with the aim of sharing project leadership to use a combination of expertise to move projects forward in a faster and more efficient manner.
Goal 3 – Innovation growth
This year Pershing have grown across multiple renewable sectors, including nuclear and hydrogen which will continue to develop in 2025.
Ski Trip to Morzine
Highlight - Matt Olney
The ski trip this year was a refreshing change of pace from the office environment, offering everyone a chance to get to know one another and spend some quality downtime together. The highlight for me was getting on the slopes after 14 years and re-learning skiing! Getting to know everyone on a personal level and sharing some great evenings together made all the falls worth it.
New Office Space
Pershing have taken on an office space in Holborn in 2024. This means that every Tuesday we have the opportunity to work together in person and try all the local cuisine.
Peak District
Highlight - Emily Budd
Since we are a remote team, Pershing organises a PerWAY Weekend a couple of times a year to bring everyone together. This year, we gathered in the Peak District, where one of the days was dedicated to a series of team competitions. These ranged from the more extreme—like abseiling down a cliff (special shoutout to Camelia!)—to the more ridiculous, such as pretending to be sheep while blindfolded, with another teammate acting as a sheepdog to herd us. The highlight for me, though, has to be James’s unforgettable fall in the Peak District’s rather muddy/ slippery terrain. He was leading our team in a race to be the fastest at tackling a life-sized cat’s cradle as part of the challenge. You certainly can’t fault his dedication to the team and willingness to spend the rest of the day with a back coated in mud! I’m already looking forward to seeing what next year’s brings.
Renewable UK Regatta 2024
Highlight - Daniel Boyd
Over the course of two days in September, Pershing Consultants, supported by key clients and partners, participated in the Renewables UK Regatta hosted at Port Solent. Day 1 was practice day. Our motley crew gathered at Port Solent at 08:30, found our boat, and met our skipper. The first order of the day was to familiarise everyone with the boat (thankfully, we had some able crew members who knew what they were doing, including our own MD, James Pateman, who was particularly skilled at directing us from the helm). We had a good day on the water, learning how to tack and jibe, and discovering what a sheet is (a rope, for the uninitiated). Once we had been drilled into a well-oiled sailing machine, we went for drinks with the other boat teams, followed by dinner.
Day 2 was race day. Due to availability, we had some team substitutions, which slightly upset our well-oiled machine, but we were determined not to let that get in our way. What did get in our way was the weather. It was too windy (apparently, we are not an America's Cup team), so we only managed one race. Waiting for the right weather did allow for some good conversations on board and planning for how we can work together to achieve net-zero, so it wasn’t a complete wash-out (wind-out?). We are all looking forward to the same challenge in 2025.
Christmas!
We all had a great time at the Pershing Christmas Do! We wish James well as he couldn’t make it and hope he recovers soon!
We are very happy to welcome all the new team members who have joined Pershing in 2024 and continue to support those who have been with us for longer. Some of the team have shared their thoughts on the year with Pershing:
Highlights of the year:
“Since joining Pershing I’ve gotten to meet and work with amazing people, whether it’s client side or on the supply chain side.” Bryony Stocking
“For me, it would be easy to choose the Away Weekend (inc. hot tub chit-chat) as the highlight of the year, and it's certainly on the shortlist. Others include making electricity (literally) at the All Energy Conference in Glasgow.” Stephen Wilkinson
Perks of Pershing:
“While the flexibility in how we work is a fantastic perk, for me, the most valuable aspect is the people—both within Pershing and the teams we collaborate with on various projects. Even though I’ve only been at Pershing for a few months, I’ve already had the chance to meet and work with some truly brilliant individuals. Their passion and ambition align with our shared goal of contributing to the overarching mission of achieving net zero. This can be so important as the projects, while enjoyable, can sometimes be quite intense. Having a strong project team that I can both learn from and share a laugh with, along with the constant support of my Pershing colleagues, makes all the difference.” Emily Budd
“What I love the most is our agreed passion to drive the Net Zero agenda.” Bryony Stocking
“The opportunity to find out that I work with a pianist, a saxophonist, an alpine hiker, a new Dad, several skiers, a dancer, a serious cyclist, and a Karaoke Queen.” Stephen Wilkinson
Hopes for next year:
“To continue building my skills and knowledge in the renewable energy field and support my teams and clients in maximising the opportunities created by currently evolving policies—whether related to the environment, communities. One thing I hope to achieve that will help underpin this development is achieving my IEMA chartership – (Bryony – here’s me holding myself publicly accountable!)” Emily Budd
“I’m looking forward next year to driving my projects to DCO submission (or close to in some cases) and building the relationships with the Core Team to design and build projects that not only deliver clean, green energy but come with a range of community benefits including biodiversity net gain, implementation of new Rights of Way, deployment of jobs and skills initiatives or community funds.” Bryony Stocking
“For next year, I'm hoping to find out who else I work with. Also, can we adopt the brown spaniel at the office in Holborn?” Stephen Wilkinson
Looking forward to 2025, what are Pershing’s goals for next year?
Continue to pursue opportunities in new sectors to help lead us towards net zero.
Build our brand name and maintain our ethics and core values.
Grow our number of trusted suppliers and generate strong relationships with them.
Keep working together as a team and support each other.
Thank you to the whole Pershing team for your hard work this year and look forward to working together in a successful 2025.