MBA alum awarded OBE for digital transformation in UK energy sector

Warwick Business School graduate Nic Granger won an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list for her services to digital transformation in the UK’s offshore energy sector.

The honour recognises her instrumental role in modernising data infrastructure and accelerating the country’s transition to net zero as Chief Information and Financial Officer at the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA).

“It was a little surreal,” Nic said of receiving the letter. “You don’t expect something like that to come through the post.”

Since joining the NSTA in 2016, Nic has led a sweeping overhaul of how geological and technical data is collected, validated, and shared across the energy industry.

Her team’s work culminated in the creation of the National Data Repository (NDR), a digital platform launched in 2019 that now holds more than one petabyte of data on the infrastructure and geology under the North Sea - equivalent to 16 years of high-definition video.

The NDR has become a cornerstone of the UK’s energy transition strategy. It provides open access to subsurface data for academia, government, and the energy industry, enabling better-informed decisions in areas such as offshore wind development and carbon storage.

“Without this data, we simply couldn’t understand the subsurface well enough to ensure there’s an integrated energy sector or assess carbon storage potential,” said Nic.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a critical component of the UK’s net zero ambitions. Granger’s platform supports licensing for CCS projects that could account for up to 10 per cent of the country’s annual emissions. “Carbon storage is the only viable route to net zero,” she said.

Her team also introduced legislation requiring energy operators to submit geological and technical data, which is then automatically validated and made publicly available. More than 160 academic institutions are now registered users of the NDR platform.

Global Online MBA at WBS

Nic’s path to the NSTA was shaped by a diverse career spanning IT, finance, public service, and international government. Originally from Exeter, she began her career in accounting practice and then the NHS before moving to the Falkland Islands in 2007, where she served as Financial Secretary for the government.

“We went for two years and stayed for nine,” she said. “The people, the wildlife - it was a remarkable experience.”

She holds a degree in Business Information Systems, is a qualified chartered accountant, and completed a Global Online MBA at WBS in 2012.

“The MBA helped me think beyond my function and prepared me for a move into the C-suite,” she said.

Beyond her professional role, Nic is committed to voluntary service. She sits on the boards of three charities: the British Computer Society, CAST (Centre for Acceleration of Social Technology), and the Bat Conservation Trust.

Nic’s OBE is a recognition not only of her technical leadership but also of her broader contribution to her support of communities, conservation and her profession.

“It’s a privilege to be part of something that’s helping shape the future of energy in the UK,” she said.