Meet Evident's new CTO, Jason Slatcher

Evident’s new Chief Technology Officer, Jason Slatcher, joins Evident having spent his career developing tech solutions for some of the UK’s biggest and most complex organisations, including Lloyds Banking Group, the NHS and the Post Office.

By the end of 2023, Evident expects to grow to over 100 employees.

In this interview, Jason discusses why he decided to join Evident, and what he’s hoping to help build in the certification space.

Could you tell us a little bit about your career up to now?

I am a total geek, a technologist at heart.

I am a rare case in IT, having risen through the ranks to land leadership roles. I started my career as a developer writing code for use on mainframes. I progressed taking on different issues and have been fortunate to have worked on some of the UK’s most complex challenges. I was the architect for the Post Office Card Account, a programme designed to reduce financial exclusion. We were able to help over 7 million people on the first rung of financial inclusion.

I have also worked for the NHS to help them automate services. Though now we couldn’t imagine a world without being able to book appointments online or having your records in a digital data base, this was absolutely ground-breaking at the time.

I worked in Germany for Allianz, one of the worlds largest insurance companies, and created the International Client. This helped simplify operations for the global workforce and enabled customers to get better services through easier-to-use IT.

Whilst at Lloyds Banking Group I was responsible for data and information across the whole range of products and services. I was able to democratise the use of data across the UK’s largest retail bank. This was unlocked for the benefit of all, and enabled customers to get better support at those critical life events.

Why did you choose Evident?

I just love it here!

On the very first call that Ed and I had, I was hooked. Ed described what his vision was, where he was taking the business, what Evident produces, and the future road map of upcoming products. It chimed with my values of making the world greener.

AND I got invited along to the Christmas party, so I got to meet everyone then and how could I not join the team after that!?

What made you interested in energy certification?

I think the thing that got me the most was that this was something that we’re creating of lasting value for our planet. Not only that, we are also creating a compelling reason to invest in clean energy. It is one of our great stumbling blocks, that RECs tackle so effectively.

There are a number of parallels to other experiences I have had in my career. To be able to use those skills on such a nascent industry is wonderful.

What role do you feel like you and Evident have in our transition to Net-Zero?

We are an essential part of certifying the world’s Clean Economy. Without the central registry of certificates that Evident holds on behalf of our planet, we have a fundamental problem.

Evident is central to the delivery of a green, clean solution for the world. Having more products, and a better way of allowing products to integrate across different lifespans of investment and uses of technologies will only benefit the journey we are all on to Net-Zero.

What are you most looking forward to now that you’re working at Evident?

I’m looking forward to growing our team. We will grow in terms of team size and also capability. We will add new skills and welcome new people whilst maintaining our current fabulous culture.

We have some amazing people working at Evident right now, who are so motivated by what we’re doing. I am going to do all I can do to help the team get even better. 

What big changes would you like to see happen in the energy certification space in the next decade?

Easy…Evident to be fully recognised as the international de facto standard for all environmental certification.

The changes that we are going to see as the world accelerates to Net-Zero will be profound. No one knows all the things that are going to have to happen. Being able to deal with uncertainty will help us all deliver better, greener solutions. Our certification is a core component of that journey.

When you think of the journey needed to create a fully certified Clean Economy, what models do you think of that could help win over hearts and minds?

People will have different reasons to want to contribute to the Clean Economy. There will also be a different pace of change for different people.

I look for parallels that should help us. Personally, I went on a journey to having a plant-based diet. I adore the work being done creating accessibility to plant-based diets and reducing our dependence on dairy products.

A couple guys from Sheffield made a recipe book called ‘Bosh!’. Their work has made vegetarian and vegan food more approachable and convenient. It has become the biggest plant-based online channel in the world, viewed by over half a billion people. Thanks to their influence, they have been able to win hearts and minds and lead so many on a journey to a cleaner world.

If you're interested in a role at Evident, you can browse the open vacancies here.