From Oil and Gas to Energy Transition Leadership with Donna Sutherland

In this episode of Scale Her Up, I’m joined by Donna Sutherland, founder and Head of Commercial at Veri Energy, Vice President of the Scottish Energy Forum, and a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde University.

Donna shares her remarkable career journey through the energy sector, from starting on the trading floor at Scottish and Southern Energy to leading major commercial and project work in oil and gas, and now helping shape the future of the energy transition through Veri Energy.

We talk about leadership, communication, energy policy, innovation, determination and the importance of protecting jobs, skills and communities as the energy system evolves.

This is a powerful conversation about ambition, problem-solving, backing yourself and using your voice to influence change at the highest levels.

In this episode, we cover:

• What Veri Energy does and why it was created
• How existing energy infrastructure and skills can support the energy transition
• Donna’s journey through utilities, oil and gas and into transition leadership
• Why communication is critical in complex, high-stakes sectors
• The challenge of influencing government and key stakeholders
• Donna’s passion for renewable power and synthetic fuels
• Why she believes Scotland should be at the forefront of energy innovation
• The importance of protecting jobs and communities during transition
• Women in the energy sector and the barriers they still face
• Why women need to stop waiting to be asked and start taking space
• ADHD, focus and using your brain as a strength in leadership

Memorable moments from this episode:

• Donna’s determination to keep progressing an idea even when funding was not initially available
• Her reflections on communication as one of the most important skills in business
• Her honesty about women having to work harder to be heard
• Why she believes Scotland needs engineering-led solutions, not just policy-led ones
• “We don’t need to be asked. We need to just take it.”
• “We need to get back to what we are bloody good at.”