CEO FOUNDER

Ben is an MEng Systems Engineer, multi-award-winning entrepreneur and former C-suite leader at Accenture, where he spent nearly two decades shaping digital, energy and utilities transformation for global clients. A UN and World Economic Forum speaker on energy innovation, he is recognised for operating at the intersection of advanced hardware, digital systems and commercial execution.

Ben founded DRIFT with a clear personal mission: to create renewable energy infrastructure at planet-scale. His systems-thinking approach and track record delivering complex, high-stakes programmes have been the catalyst behind DRIFT’s rapid growth. He continues to be a magnet for top-tier talent, strategic partners and investors.

VESSEL DESIGN

Mike is a Naval Architect with almost a decade of specialized experience spanning marine defense, offshore concept design and scalable R&D ventures. At the intersection of novel propulsion systems and cutting-edge craft architecture, he has shaped major projects from submarine refit to high-speed foiling vessels. At DRIFT Energy, Mike leads the vessel-design team, turning the vision of floating mobile-power plants into real ships and systems. He joined DRIFT in 2022 amid the company’s first-of-its-kind hydrogen-producing vessel programme and has since delivered the design foundations for the next-generation fleet. Mike’s blend of deep marine engineering, start-up agility and bold climate ambition have made him the designer of choice for this new class of ‘net positive shipping’.

CHIEF OF STAFF

Louise Bond is an experienced start-up operator, communications strategist and senior business operator who oversees Investor Relations, Media, Legal and Operations at DRIFT Energy. With more than 15 years’ experience across high-growth ventures and large corporates, she has built a career at the intersection of communications, operational excellence and product management. A confident public spokesperson — including appearances on BBC News — Louise brings strength in narrative shaping, and high-integrity execution.

Previously having held Product Owner responsibility for Tesco Clubcard (+1 million users) she is used to operational discipline, media fluency and strategic judgement has made her a central force in DRIFT’s momentum.

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Tom Fielder is a seasoned commercial leader with deep experience structuring complex industrial deals, scaling global sales teams and driving high-stakes commercial growth in heavy-industries. Prior to joining DRIFT Energy, Tom spent over a decade working with major players (e.g. Petronas) in industrial systems, cultivating relationships, crafting JV / offtake agreements and orchestrating multi-hundred-million-dollar sales pipelines. At DRIFT he leads Commercial Strategy, Partnerships and Customer Deployment — translating the company’s breakthrough technology into offtake agreements and scalable revenue streams.

His expertise in negotiating large-scale energy offtake deals and unlocking long-term revenue models has positioned DRIFT strongly in shipping, island-grid and industrial hydrogen markets.

CFO

Corinne Thompson is a seasoned finance leader and strategic partner who brings deep analytical rigour, commercial insight and operational discipline to her role as Interim CFO at DRIFT Energy Ltd. With a proven track record in scaling high-growth ventures, she has shaped financial strategy, budgeting, investor reporting and governance across international teams and emerging markets. Corinne’s strength lies in integrating financial systems, aligning stakeholders and translating bold technology ambitions into robust business models.

Her focus has been on structuring the financial architecture (SPV Financing) for fleet deployment, enabling transparent investor reporting and strong underlying economics. Readying the business to scale confidently into the next chapter of growth.

VESSEL PROGRAM

Neal Pawson, CEng MRINA, is a highly experienced marine engineer and delivery executive specialising in vessel design, shipbuilding and large-scale offshore platform programmes. With more than 20 years of experience across naval architecture, marine programme management and systems integration, Neal has led major vessel builds, refits and fabrication efforts in complex industrial settings ($30m plus projects). At DRIFT Energy, he oversees the Vessel Programme — from concept and procurement through to yard execution, commissioning and fleet quality assurance.

Neal joined DRIFT to bring shipyard-grade discipline, clear programme governance and industrial-scale delivery capability to the new asset class. His proven track record of managing multidisciplinary teams, interfacing with yards, suppliers and classification societies, and de-risking high-stakes marine programmes has been a key accelerator for DRIFT’s transition from design to production.