The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) on January 15 announced that it has appointed Stewart Mullin, a former global executive of MHI Vestas, as its first Chief Operating Officer. He will lead the industry association's global operations, including its regional offices for Asia, India, and China. GWEC represents the entire wind energy sector worldwide, with members across the supply chain in over 80 countries.

Mullin has over 10 years of experience in the wind energy sector, primarily in public affairs and brand building. Prior to joining GWEC, he was the Global Director of Public Affairs and Institutional Relations at MHI Vestas, a joint venture between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer Vestas. Before that, he was Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Communication EMEA at Siemens Wind Power.

Ben Backwell, CEO of GWEC, said that Mullin's appointment is intended to help the industry association build its global presence in advance of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in November: “We are thrilled to welcome Stewart on board the GWEC team, given his vast knowledge and track record in the wind sector’s leading companies. He is an experienced wind power professional, and a long-term supporter of GWEC and its work over the years. Stewart’s expertise will be incredibly valuable to consolidate GWEC’s role as the authoritative voice of the global wind industry, to build our network of wind industry stakeholders across the world, and to further establish GWEC’s presence in key emerging markets.”

Mullin said of his new role: “Throughout my career, I have watched GWEC open up countless new market opportunities for both onshore and offshore wind energy across the world. I look forward to using my knowledge and experience from the private sector to reinforce this important work by scaling up our ambitions as an association and industry when it comes to events, institutional partnerships, advocacy, and everything in between.”