Neil Wilmshurst

Biography

Neil Wilmshurst is vice president and chief nuclear officer for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). He has overall management and technical responsibility for $180 million in annual research. Leadership Wilmshurst has been on a nuclear site in every continent that has a nuclear plant, none more so than in Japan over the past five years. The 2011 Fukushima event created unique technical needs and a demand for unprecedented collaboration in an industry that already practiced superb teamwork. EPRI responded with its Japan-based nuclear tech staff and immediately added more research talent. Wilmshurst hit the road, talking with multi-national stakeholders, creating a global nuclear industry research network to meet the initial needs of the incident and understand the long-range issues for the plants and industry. Wilmshurst reinforced EPRI’s industry role after the event: “Our reputation for reliable performance supporting the industry was paramount. Our focus has always been delivering on our promises; stretching ourselves and providing crucial technical analysis when and where they are needed in the industry. Our unique position and credibility as an independent organization proved during this challenging time we could positively affect the industry as it looked towards the recovery from the Fukushima event.” Professional background Wilmshurst joined EPRI in 2003 as a senior project manager in the Plant Support Engineering program. In 2008, he became director of the Plant Technology department, and was appointed as vice president and CNO in 2010. Before joining EPRI, Wilmshurst worked in a variety of nuclear utility engineering and maintenance roles with AmerGen at Three Mile Island Unit 1 and British Energy at the Sizewell B plant. Prior to joining the civil nuclear program Wilmshurst served for 13 years in the Royal Navy as a nuclear submarine engineer officer. Education Wilmshurst earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, and control engineering from the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon, UK; a Post Graduate Diploma in nuclear reactor technology from the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, UK,; and a master’s degree in defense administration from Cranfield Institute of Technology, Shrivenham, UK. While serving in the Royal Navy he was certified as a naval nuclear plant operator.