Mary Wilcox leads Practical Action Consulting’s energy team in researching and delivering energy access consultancy work and, through this, influencing the policies and practice of others engaged in delivering and enabling energy access provision. In this role she has developed an “Africa Strategy for Decentralised Energy Service Delivery” for the UNDP, led and managed UK Department for International Development-funded research on Utilising Electricity Access for Poverty Reduction and supported the Sustainable Energy for All Global Tracking Framework.

Mary has more than 30 years’ experience in leading teams to deliver projects and manage energy businesses. She has degrees in engineering and development studies and has worked in the commercial and NGO sectors in UK, Asia and Africa. Prior to her current role, her responsibilities have included development of a rural mini-grid project in Tanzania; managing a UK power generation business; establishing an energy business in China; managing a 320 Megawatt windfarm project in the UK; and leading teams assessing UK and international energy investments for two of the largest UK energy companies.