Meet the Team: Fran McCord | OWC London
At OWC, our teams are constantly expanding into more locations, in expertise, and in sectors of influence. Our people are at the heart of what we do, and we invite you to get to know our team members so you can meet the energy behind change.
Ahead of Global Offshore Wind 2025, for this week’s meet the team, we chat with Principal Project Manager Fran McCord!
Position: Principal Project Manager
Office: London, UK
Hobbies Outside of Work: I have recently started learning to play the guitar. I also enjoy running and looking after my veggie patch. My two young kids also keep me busy!
Can you give us a glimpse into your day-to-day life at OWC?
I am part of the Project Solutions team in OWC and typically my roles involve being seconded to client teams to support technical delivery of their projects, as Engineering Manager or Interface Manager. I also project manage our consultancy projects. Within the last year I have worked on delivering a pre-FEED scope in South Korea, TDD scope of a Chinese WTG supplier, and I am currently full-time on the Green Volt project as Interface Manager.
What inspired you to join your profession?
I knew I wanted to be an engineer when I was in secondary school, but it was after working for a few years in O&G that I decided I wanted to work in renewables, which I find is a more innovative and creative industry. I wanted to be part of the transition to a more green and sustainable way of life.
Can you share with us something exciting you have been working on?
In February I went to China to visit a WTG supplier as part of a due diligence scope for a client. It was really interesting to see the blade and nacelle assembly facilities, and we also visited a generator manufacturing facility. You always learn a lot from seeing the physical components that are often discussed in meetings and reports, so this visit was a great opportunity. The client was also really happy with our support, and our report has helped to instil confidence in the project’s investors.
Looking ahead, what does the future of energy and oceans look like in your region?
The last few years have been challenging for offshore wind and I think the next few years are going to be key in figuring out how the industry moves forward with delivering projects at higher costs. I think there will be a doubling down on value engineering and how projects can be creative to lower costs. There are still a lot of projects in the pipeline, so the future is bright for offshore wind in the UK.
Besides work, what do you enjoy most working within the ABL Group?
The social activities in the London office are always so fun and well-organised (shout out to Claire Wilson and the team for doing an amazing job). I have also attended some really interesting conferences recently, one based around women in renewables and one on decarbonisation in the North Sea – both fantastic events and it was great to be able to represent OWC and ABL Group on a panel at the women in renewables conference.
What are the key factors developers should keep in mind when engaging with Chinese OEMs, and how is the evolving market landscape – including insights from OWC – shaping this discussion at GOW25?
I think schedule is a big item that developers need to focus on when engaging with Chinese OEMs. In my experience, the contract negotiation phase can take a good few months, and ramping up on the technical work can also take a while. For projects with ambitious timelines and where Chinese OEMs are being considered, I think engagement needs to start earlier and the developer should invest in building strong working relationships with the OEM, including trips to China to engage with the team. I have found that this has been well-received on previous projects and is an important step for improving project delivery.
