Element 2 strengthens executive leadership team

Maria Charash has joined Element 2 as their new Chief Financial Officer. Maria is an experienced CFO in energy industry, having spent 25 years in commercial finance and M&A in top-tier energy companies. Prior to joining Element 2, she led a £2.5bn debt raise for a KKR Infrastructure firm Viridor. Maria held senior finance and M&A roles at Shell, World Fuel Services and Petredec. She started her career with JP Morgan. Highlights of Maria’s career include CFO role at Recircle, an industrial biotechnology company developing sustainable solutions for the world’s rubber waste.

Maria holds a world-leading INSEAD MBA and is a Fellow of ACCA. She is a co-chair of INSEAD UK Energy Club that aims to promote energy transition and awareness amongst alumni. Maria’s track record as non-executive board director and shareholder representative further strengthens her contribution in areas of governance and risk management.

Maria commented on her new role: “I am excited to join Element 2 and support its stellar executive team with their ambitious growth plans. I wanted to continue my career in sustainable energy space, and Element 2’s business model and environmental footprint, offer a perfect opportunity to do so. I hope that my experience in energy, transport and fuel distribution, together with a track record for transactions and fundraising will be valuable additions to Element 2 in achieving our growth and environmental objectives and creating value for our shareholders”.

Tim Harper, CEO, Element 2, said: “Our investors know that the sooner we transition away from diesel, the faster we can remove greenhouse gases from our air. Maria’s combined expertise in energy and financing will be a huge asset as we continue to scale at speed. Our work with both fleet and OEM customers shows that they and their investors are demanding a rapid transition to zero emission vehicles, and we are well positioned to match the growing demand for hydrogen refuelling in the UK.”