Meet the ESCA Team

With over four decades of international experience in subsea cable systems, infrastructure operations and business development, I am a seasoned professional known for combining strong technical acumen with strategic management expertise. I hold both a Certificate and a Diploma in Management from the UK’s Open University, bringing a well-rounded, structured approach to leadership, stakeholder engagement and commercial execution.

I currently serve as a Network Operations Engineer (Subsea Infrastructure) at Meta, where I support the development and operations of the 2Africa subsea cable system. My role involves end-to-end lifecycle oversight, including vendor management, cable protection and maintenance coordination both for subsea and fronthaul network across multiple regions.

Previously, I held a number of senior roles at Global Marine Systems Ltd, including Head of Maintenance for the Americas, Europe and Africa. There, I successfully extended and expanded high-value maintenance agreements such as ACMA and NAZ - generating over $100M in recurring revenue and ensuring service continuity for critical global infrastructure over many decades, including the COVID19 outbreaks. My work has also involved pioneering cable repair and jointing strategies for offshore wind, helping shape maintenance frameworks for both telecom and the growing power cable sector.

Over the years, I have built a reputation for my active involvement in key international and national subsea trade bodies, including the ICPC, ESCA and NASCA. As a long-standing industry advocate, I have led discussions on cable protection, stakeholder engagement and regulatory affairs. My recent appointment as Meta’s No. 2 representative on the ICPC Executive Committee reflects this ongoing commitment.

Internationally mobile, I have lived and worked across multiple continents, gaining valuable insight into global business cultures. I am especially passionate about power safety, quality delivery, transparent communication, customer service and team development and I thrive on the challenges associated with operating in the evolving subsea industry and the complex operating landscapes resulting from an increasingly crowded seabed.

Peter has worked in the telecommunications industry for over twenty years and is currently Principal Engineer for the Virgin Media core fibre optic network part of the Liberty Global Group, which includes Submarine Cables. An Incorporated Engineer and Member of Institution of Engineering Technology, Peter also sits on the British Standards Committee for Optical radiation safety and laser equipment. He is also the Vice Chairman of ESCA.

Courtney has worked in the offshore wind industry for 12 years and is currently Fisheries Engagement Manager for EDF. Previously, Courtney worked as Commercial Fisheries Manager for Ørsted across their UK portfolio responsible for managing the relationship between Ørsted and commercial fisheries stakeholders. Courtney sits on a number of industry working groups in relation to fisheries and offshore wind. Prior to working for Ørsted Courtney worked as an environmental consultant undertaking environmental impact assessments, pre and post construction environmental surveys and fisheries liaison.

Alex is the Senior Permit & DTS Manager at Pelagian. He has worked within the subsea telecommunications industry for 9 years initially starting in 2015 with route engineering and managing desk top studies for key clients. This role entailed good global coverage with particular focus in Asia, the Middle-East and Europe. Alex’s next role was the Permitting Manager for Global Marine, primarily responsible for all permits and licenses associated with the subsea cable installation and maintenance fleet from Europe and Africa on the Eastern Atlantic, to the Caribbean and South America on the Western Atlantic. To the present day, Alex now works within the consultancy sector at Pelagian supporting and managing the permit process for a variety of projects worldwide. Alex also supports and co-chairs the Technical and Regulatory Subgroup (TRSG) within ESCA.

Anja has been involved with the German renewable industry for the past 17 years, and with the power cables for German’s offshore wind industry since its inception nine years ago. As a geoscientist she completed a PhD in physics specialised in renewable energies, within the field of energy meteorology – the branch of meteorology which deals with energy resources that make sun and wind generation viable. Anja joined Germany’s newly formed Transpower TSO GmbH at the time of the first commercial wind farm and export power cable - into what has now become TenneT Offshore GmbH, the TSO that provides grid connections to all windfarms in the German Bight. After dealing with project development and permits for offshore grid connections she moved to TenneT’s installation and construction department. In her present position she works as a project manager for offshore power cable installations and is responsible for TenneT’s UXO strategy.

Matt Marchant is Principal Engineer, Submarine Engineering at Vodafone Group. He joined Vodafone in January 2022, having previously worked at BT Group since 2015.

Matt is responsible for the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Vodafone’s portfolio of submarine cable systems, which covers a range of ownership types including wholly owned systems and systems owned in consortium arrangements. Matt’s primary objective is to ensure Vodafone’s systems are operated and maintained throughout their life, from build through to decommissioning, in a way which is consistent with current technological, operational and commercial best practice. Matt is Vodafone’s lead representative on a number of system working groups and O&M subcommittees, is Chair of the 2Africa OMWG and the EIG O&MSC, and is also a member of the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement (ACMA) Contract Management Group and Management Committee.

Prior to joining Vodafone, Matt worked within BT’s Subsea Centre of Excellence unit. Matt joined the subsea industry in 2016 as a Higher Apprentice within the cable landing station operations team. In 2019, he completed his apprenticeship and moved to a more senior role as Subsea Solution Design & Engineering Manager. Within this role, Matt held responsibility for a range of subsea engineering activities ranging from the onshore management of marine repairs, through to new system acceptance and commissioning activities.

Matt holds a BSc (Hons) in Information and Communication Technology from Staffordshire University, and is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Matthew is a Senior Project Engineer and subsea cable specialist with over 12 years of experience in offshore power and telecommunications cable systems. He has led and advised on numerous HVDC maintenance and repair programmes across Europe and Oceania, including fault response, repair preparedness, permitting, and offshore execution. Matthew currently advises on interconnector maintenance for National Grid Ventures and provides technical leadership on repair preparedness, burial risk, and asset integrity. His background combines deep technical expertise in subsea operations with practical experience delivering complex, multi‑jurisdictional cable repair campaigns in challenging marine environments.

Craig is a master mariner with over 30 years’ experience in the marine sector. The majority of his seagoing career was spent working on Subsea cable vessels. During a short tenure as a Salvage Officer for the MoD, he attained a Masters degree in Maritime law. In 2009 he joined Briggs Marine to deliver Subsea cable Repairs & Replacements on distribution, transmission and renewable energy infrastructure. Craig is also a board member of the Association of Diving Contractors, promoting safety and standards throughout the UK diving industry.

Chris is a master mariner with 30 years in the submarine cable industry. With 10 years experience commanding cable ships and managing marine operations together with extensive work in the design, development, planning and delivery of cable projects, Chris now provides advisory, expert and marine warranty services as CEO of Red Penguin. In recent years he has worked extensively across the industry on a range of major infrastructure projects to identify and control risk and to improve project outcomes.

Martyn has worked in the telecommunications industry for over 30 years. Starting out at Cable & Wireless Marine as a commercial manager covering Asia, he then worked in various roles for major international companies. These included Level 3, Singtel, Global Crossing and Vodacom. He has now come full circle and joined Global Marine in 2014 with responsibility for the operational performance of submarine cable maintenance agreements in the Atlantic and Pacific.

Based in the United Kingdom, Michael has over a decade of experience in the telecommunications industry, with a background spanning program and project management, shipboard representation, depot operations, and cable recovery and recycling. He currently serves as Vice President of Business Development at Mertech Marine and Director of Business Development at Pioneer Consulting.

At Mertech, Michael leads global cable acquisition and commercial strategy, advancing sustainable recovery initiatives. At Pioneer, he supports clients worldwide with expertise in project execution, turnkey solutions, and liaison with submarine cable system suppliers.

Chloe is the Senior Permit Manager at Pelagian and has worked in the industry since 2018, after she qualified as a marine biologist. Her first role was in marine surveying, before finding her niche in subsea cable permitting at Global Marine. Chloe is experienced in managing permitting projects associated with the survey, installation and maintenance of subsea cables worldwide. Having previously been responsible for permitting related to GMSL’s vessels, Chloe now works within consultancy at Pelagian where she plays a crucial role in managing permitting complexities and de-risking subsea cable operations.

In 2024, Chloe founded the Next Generation Working Group within ESCA, which she Chaired for 2 years. Now, Chloe Co-Chairs the Technical and Regulatory Subgroup (TRSG).

Frankie Targett is a Principal Submarine Cable Engineer at Vodafone Group, specialising in the global operations and maintenance of international telecom submarine cable systems. Joining Vodafone in 2020, she has built a strong reputation for leading repair operations inclusive of geopolitically sensitive and environmentally challenging regions. Her first hand experience restoring critical infrastructure under adverse conditions directly reinforces ESCA’s mission of safeguarding subsea networks.

Frankie plays a prominent role in European and global system management. She chairs the Operations Working Group for the 6,500 km Amitie cable system, serves on the Contract Management Group of the Mediterranean Cable Maintenance Agreement (MECMA), and contributes to multiple O&M consortiums spanning the US, Europe, Africa and Asia.

She brings expertise in quality assurance, auditing, and standards compliance. She holds a BEng (Hons) in Engineering Physics, is currently pursuing an MSc in Maintenance Engineering & Asset Management, and is a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET).

Sophie is based in Denmark and has more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, including 15 years specialising in offshore wind. In her current role as Consents Manager at Ørsted, she is responsible for a number of operational offshore wind farms in the UK.

Her responsibilities include overseeing environmental monitoring programmes for operational assets and ensuring that all required marine licences are in place and compliant, covering activities such as cable repair and replacement. She works closely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to deliver these programmes effectively, and also collaborates with colleagues across Ørsted’s global portfolio.

Prior to this role, Sophie was involved in the development and consenting of both offshore and onshore wind farms. She holds a BSc in Geography from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London, and an MSc in Sustainable Energy Planning and Management from Aalborg University in Denmark.

Ana is a Marine Maintenance Manager with greater than 20 years’ service in maintenance. Ana’s carrier started in TEMASA (Telefonica affiliate) under Maintenance Department, over the years Ana developed her carrier within SubCom as Charting and Documentation Specialist, Quality and Environmental as Internal Auditor, since 2010 when she was promoted to Marine Maintenance Manager for the Atlantic where managed and implement marine private maintenance agreement in the Atlantic (APMA) as well as Marine Related Services contracts with other relevant customers as primary interface for the customer and responsible to ensure all necessary system and contract requirements are executed by the organization to ensure first class wet maintenance services. In 2021 she moved to Alcatel Submarine Networks to continue developing marine private maintenance agreement on the commercial side of it.

Ana is certified as International Business Secretary at Mary Ward College, Madrid as well as initiate degree studies as technical architecture, civil engineer and law.

Rachel Archer is an Assistant Project Manager in Marine Maintenance at ASN, supporting subsea cable repair operations in the Asia Pacific region as part of the APMMSA. Before that, she spent six years working in permitting, helping customers navigate complex regulations across international jurisdictions. She managed permits on a number of systems including Equiano, Bifrost and 2Africa. She has a background in Environmental Science and is especially interested in the crossover between marine infrastructure, the environment, and global connectivity. Rachel’s work has given her plenty of experience working with customers, government agencies, and international teams. Outside of her role, she is a member of the Institute of Environmental Science and volunteers as a Marine Mammal Surveyor and STEM Ambassador. Rachel is co-chair of the Next Gen Subgroup (NGSG) within ESCA.

Eleanor is a Project Engineer with Red Penguin Marine having started with the company in 2020, originally on placement. Since this time her role has included attending offshore operations as Client’s Representative, management of global office-based projects, attendance on site for project activities and reporting and providing technical input / research alongside the use of Geographical Information Systems for various projects. Professional attendance on cable repairs, cable route surveys and site visits for cable landing selection has given her a good understanding of the application of Health and Safety in the marine environment. Previous experience in her commercial role has further strengthened understanding of the need for adherence to contract requirements.

Outside of her role, she is an Army Reservist under The Royal Artillery's Gunner Artillery Command Systems, responsible for ensuring communication networks remain operational and supporting the detection and engagement of enemy targets. She is an associate within the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and Co-Chair of the NextGen Subgroup (NGSG) within ESCA.

Clive has worked in the submarine cable industry for over 40 years and is currently the Company Director and Secretary of ESCA as well as the Secretary of the Atlantic Cable Maintenance Agreement (ACMA). He also works from a financial analysis perspective on the SAT-3/WASC/SAFE and EASSy cable systems and is the Website Administrator for the North America Zone Agreement (NAZ). Clive previously worked for BT for over 30 years within the subsea operations and maintenance team, dealing with subsea cable maintenance agreement, operational and related financial aspects. In 2011 he set up his own independent business working within the subsea industry from both a UK and international perspective.

John is the Liaison Officer for ESCA, working to raise the profile of subsea cables with key stakeholders in Europe, engaging with Government departments, conservation bodies, other industry groups, and effectively liaising on all subsea cable related topics. John has worked in the submarine cable industry for 13 years, starting in marine planning, and then in permitting and consenting both for new installation projects and cable maintenance worldwide - within telecommunications, power, renewables and subsea cables relating to Oil & Gas. He was previously the chairman of the ESCA Technical and Regulatory Subgroup (TRSG) with good knowledge of international law and the regulatory and legislative frameworks for subsea cables.

Claire is ESCA’s Engagement Director, working to increase awareness, improve communications and support ongoing liaison activities of ESCA with external stakeholders across Europe.

Claire has worked in the marine sector since 2012. Prior to her role at ESCA Claire worked for The Crown Estate over a range of marine portfolios, including telecommunication cables and offshore wind development.

Dorthe is the European Policy Officer for ESCA. In this role, Dorthe supports ESCA’s work in monitoring and analysing European policy and regulatory developments affecting subsea cable infrastructure. She covers cable protection, legislative, environmental, maritime, and marine spatial planning initiatives across the EU and wider Europe.

Dorthe also supports ESCA’s engagement with EU institutions, national regulators, and relevant stakeholders.

Dorthe brings a wealth of experience within offshore wind farm development and subsea cable infrastructure. She has worked with the entire project life cycle, with a focus on early development until construction, working with permitting and planning, environmental requirements, pre-investigation surveys, handover to construction and operation and maintenance surveys. In addition, she has focused on UXO Risk Management Strategy and pushing the industry towards a more reasonable risk mitigation level by increasing and sharing knowledge through industry collaborations and research projects in roles as technical authority and subject matter expert.

Neil is a partner at CMS in London where he practises competition, commercial and regulatory law. He is a member of the CMS subsea cables practice group. He is the legal adviser to ESCA (and was the adviser to its predecessors, Subsea Cables UK and UK CPC). Neil prepared the constitutional documents of ESCA and also wrote and maintains the competition law guidelines that are found on the ESCA website. Neil attends each plenary meeting to update members on legal developments and also to ensure the plenaries are conducted in full compliance with the competition law guidelines. Having been involved in the subsea cables industry for nearly twenty years he understands the legal and commercial issues affecting members’ businesses.