John Loughhead graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College London, where he also spent five years in computational fluid dynamics research.

[4] In 2013, John Loughhead was appointed as the UK's Focal Point contact for China in the area of energy and renewables until January 2015.

[5] Later in 2013 he was appointed chair of an independent science board overseeing a trans-European hydraulic fracturing research project.

[7] He is presently Industrial Professor of Clean Energy at the University of Birmingham, Chair of the Redwheel-Turquoise ClimateTech Investment Committee, a member of University of York Council,[8] and non-executive Director of Carbon Management Canada Ltd[9] in addition to serving on a number of public and private sector advisory boards.

[3] He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath for services to Research and Development in the Energy Sector in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in June 2018.