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Summit 2015 Speakers
We are working on curating a list of speakers for Summit 2015. Is is sure to include the most sought-after thinkers in clean energy – leaders creating disruptive technologies, policies and business models to help shape out energy system for the future. Stay tuned for a full list of speakers coming soon.
Summit 2014 Speakers and Guests
Sherife AbdelMessih
Chief Executive Officer
Future Energy Corporation
Sherife AbdelMessih is the CEO of Future Energy Corporation (FEC), the leading company serving the renewable energy industry in the MENA region. Initially, Sherife built FEC as a Research & Development startup designing disruptive solar energy technologies catered for MENA, and then grew it into a renewable energy company with project development, consulting and R&D divisions. He further grew the company's business outside MENA, into the Americas, Europe and Asia. Through a European holding company, majority owned by FEC; Sherife pioneered the business model for developing solar power projects with attractive financial returns without the need for any government incentives or subsidies. He was also a consultant on the development of the first solar power plant in the Middle East, and an advisor to multiple self-made billionaires on power and renewable energy investments. In 2010 he was selected by Yahoo! as one of the top ten social entrepreneurs in Egypt and the youngest on the list. In 2012 he was profiled by Arabian Business magazine on their list of the 500 most influential people in the Middle East. Sherife holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he was endowed with an Onsi Sawiris full scholarship.
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany
Director of Sustainability
Dr Nawal Al-Hosany is the Director of Sustainability at Masdar. In this role she leads a team responsible for developing Masdar's sustainability standards & policies and sustainability auditing, monitoring and reporting. With a successful track record, on January 2012, Dr Al-Hosany assumed the role of Director of Zayed Future Energy. Earlier in 2011, Dr Al-Hosany was appointed Sherpa to the UN Secretary General High Level Group for "The Sustainable Energy For all" initiative to support the appointed Principle, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar.
Jill C. Anderson
Vice President Public & Regulatory Affiairs and Chief of Staff
New York Power Authority
Jill Anderson is Vice President Public & Regulatory Affairs and also Chief of Staff to the New York Power Authority's (NYPA) President and Chief Executive Officer. She is a member of NYPA's Executive Management Committee. Jill is responsible for Corporate Communications, Community & Government Affairs, Legislative & Regulatory Affairs, Energy Policy, and Sustainability. As Chief of Staff, Jill supports day-to-day operations of the utility and manages high-priority tasks that cut across business units at NYPA. Previously Jill served as Director of Supply Acquisition & Renewable Energy for NYPA, responsible for power supply projects including land-based and offshore wind, biomass, solar, and other renewable sources. Prior to joining NYPA, Jill was the Project Office Manager for Hess Corporation, leading projects in the areas of refining, offshore oil and gas production, corporate risk, electricity expense reduction, biofuel strategy, solar power generation, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. Jill worked for Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) prior to joining Hess.
Lee Bailey
Managing Director and Co-Managing Partner
US Renewables Group
Mr. Bailey is a Managing Director of US Renewables Group ("USRG"), a Los Angeles based private equity fund that invests in renewable energy and clean fuel companies. At USRG, Mr. Bailey is actively involved in the management of the firm, has led investments in companies in the geothermal, concentrated solar and wind areas, is a member of the Board of Directors for several USRG portfolio companies and has led USRG's efforts to invest in emerging markets. Prior to joining USRG, Mr. Bailey was a partner with Rustic Canyon Partners where he focused on investing in energy-based companies. He has over 25 years of operating experience in technology-based companies, fund management and government service, primarily in the areas of energy and IT. Prior to joining Rustic Canyon, Mr. Bailey was the founding director of a $60 million joint U.S.-Israeli government fund. Mr. Bailey also served as the White House Director for International Science and Technoloy Commercialization Programs from 1995 to 1997, where he represented the U.S. government in promoting its strategy of privatization and commercialization of technology developed in emerging markets such as Russia, Egypt, Israel and South Africa.
Right Honourable Gregory Barker MP
Minister of State
Department of Energy & Climate Change, UK
The RT. Hon Gregory Barker MP has been Minister of State for Energy & Climate Change since May 2010. He has extensive experience on energy and climate issues. Before entering Government, he was Shadow Environment Minister from 2008-2010 and a member of the House of Commons Environment Audit Select Committee from 2001-2006. He was a major contributor to David Cameron's green policies whilst in opposition and in 2008 he played a key role on behalf of the Conservative Party in supporting the Climate Change Act. Greg Barker entered Parliament (as the Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle) in 2001, and was an Opposition Whip from 2003-2005. Before his Parliamentary career, he spent 15 years in business and finance in London and Moscow. He graduated from the University of London in 1987, and completed a Corporate Finance Programme at London Business School in 1992. During his time as Minister, Greg Barker has overseen the development and implementation of a number of Coalition Government policies to encourage jobs, growth and innovation in the green economy and to protect vulnerable consumers, and has taken an active role in international climate negotiations since 2010.
Jim Barry
Managing Director
BlackRock Infrastructure Investment Group
Jim Barry, Managing Director, is Head of BlackRock Infrastructure Investment Group and in that role is Chief Investment Officer of the Renewable Power Group, and Head of the Infra Debt Group, within BlackRock Alternative Investors (BAI). Prior to joining BlackRock in 2011, Mr. Barry was Chief Executive of NTR. He led the transformation of NTR from its origins as an Irish toll road developer, through its period as a broad-based Irish utility, into a leading international developer in renewable power and sustainable waste management. During his tenure, Mr. Barry was a director or Chairman of NTR's key subsidiaries, including Wind Capital Group, Greenstar, Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc., Bioverda, Stirling Energy Systems Inc., Tessera Solar, and Airtricity.
Mathias Becker
Chief Executive Officer
Renova Energy
Carlos Mathias Aloysius Becker Neto graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade Federal do Paraná and completed his MBA at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He worked at Volvo Trucks (1995 to 1997) Renault Cars (1997 to 2000), McKinsey & Company (2000-2002), Fidelity Investments (2003). In 2004 he returned to work at McKinsey & Company, where he reached the position of partner in 2011, left the company on 20 January 2012, date of his tenure as CEO of Renova Energy, a position he currently holds.
Doug Berven
Vice President of Corporate Affairs
Doug Berven joined POET in March 2003 and has served the organization in several roles since then. In his current role as Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Berven promotes the corporate objectives of POET, the importance of agriculture, and the benefits of ethanol domestically and internationally. Berven sits on 12 of POET's ethanol plant Boards of Directors, BIO's Industrial and Environmental Section of Governing Board, and serves on the Board of ACORE. Berven also manages strategic corporate relations for POET, promotes state, regional and national policy objectives for the industry, and is a recognized authority on ethanol, renewable energy and agriculture. Prior to joining POET, Berven held various roles in banking, real estate development and medical consulting
Charles Blanchard
Head of Gas Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Charlie oversees quantitative research into gas and NGL markets at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. He has developed models to predict drilling activity and rig movements, coal plant retirements and the energy intensity of several heavy industrial processes. Prior to Bloomberg, Charlie covered Russian equities at Troika Dialog (now a Sberbank subsidiary). He holds a Master's in Economics from Columbia University and a Bachelor's from Dickinson College.
Harry Boyle
Head of Applied Research
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Harry Boyle, Lead Strategic Consultant at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, specialises in energy-sector economic, financial and strategic applied research. Recent projects have addressed how to drive institutional investor capital into alternative energy and transport system forecasts. He has recently been cited in The Economist, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and New York Times. Harry holds a Masters' degree in Modern History from the University of St Andrews.
Dita Bronicki
Chief Executive Officer
Ormat Technologies
Mrs. Dita Bronicki is the co-founder, together with her husband, Mr. Lucien Y. Bronicki, of the Ormat Group of Companies (1965 – Present) and has worked in the power industry since 1965. Mrs. Bronicki is a member of the Board of Directors and the CEO of Ormat Technologies, Inc., and various of its subsidiaries. Ormat Technologies, Inc., a NYSE listed company (symbol ORA), its parent, engaged in the geothermal and recovered energy power business.
Peter C. Brun
Senior Fellow and MD of the SETI Alliance
International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
Peter C. Brun holds a M.Sc. in Political Science from Copenhagen University and a degree in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School. He has worked with public and regulatory affairs his entire carrier, both in the public and private sector in North America, the European Union, Japan and Australia. From 2006 to 2013, he was head of global government relations in Vestas Wind Systems. Peter C. Brun has held a wide number of trusted board positions in the renewables trade associations at national, regional and international level. In March 2013 he joined the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva with the specific task of managing the alliance of the Sustainable Energy Trade Initiatives (SETI-alliance). Brun is also a senior fellow at the ICTSD.
Nathaniel Bullard
Director of Content
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Nathaniel is Director of Content at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the clean energy and carbon markets division of Bloomberg LP. He is responsible for executive-level engagements across sectors and geographies. As an analyst, his specialties are solar energy and new market mechanisms which extend the reach and effectiveness of clean energy. He is based in Hong Kong. Nathaniel is an expert of record for clean energy trends, and has been cited in The Economist, The New York Times, Technology Review, and Scientific American. He has also appeared on National Public Radio and has contributed as well to Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg.com's Sustainability channel.
Tom Carnac
Carbon Disclosure Project, North America
Tom serves as President for CDP North America and has responsibility for strategy and delivery across the range of CDP programs in the United States and Canada. Based in New York, he is also an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative and a Board member of both the Association of Climate Change Officers and international development NGO Worldview Impact. Prior to his current position, position he held various other posts at CDP in London since joining in 2007, including Head of Cities and Innovation Director. Before CDP he worked on corporate sustainability with Dyson and Honda Formula 1. Tom holds a BSc (Hons) in Environment and Economics from the University of Bath and an MSc from Schumacher College in Devon, England.
Jenny Chase
Head of Solar Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Jenny Chase launched the Solar Insight Service in early 2006 and has led it ever since. The Service covers demand, supply, price, technology, investment and trends for photovoltaic and solar thermal electricity generation, and has analysts on three continents with backup from BNEF's international resources. Jenny holds a BA in Physical Sciences and an MSci in Physics from the University of Cambridge, England.
Lilian Cléa Rodrigues Alves
Research Analyst
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Lilian Alves is a Research Analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Based in São Paulo, she oversees investment and market trends in Latin American and Caribbean renewable energy markets, with a special focus on the wind and solar sectors. She is the co-author of Climatescope, an index and report that assesses the environment for clean energy investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lilian holds a BA in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College.
Dr Virginia Corless
Science and Development Manager
Sahara Forest Project
Dr. Virginia Corless received her B.Sc. in Physics from MIT (2005) and a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge (2009) as a Marshall Scholar. She transitioned from astrophysics to the energy sector while a AAAS fellow at the U.S. Senate Committee for Energy and Natural Resources. Now, Dr. Corless is the Science & Development Manager for The Sahara Forest Project, a Norwegian start-up that develops technologies to generate food, freshwater, and clean energy in desert environments. She has worked in the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, has won awards for her work in theater and writing, and is the author of multiple scientific articles and professional publications. Dr. Corless specializes in working at the boundaries of scientific research, technology development, and public policy in the global sustainability sector.
Christopher M. Crane
President and Chief Executive Officer
Exelon Corporation
Christopher M. Crane is President and CEO of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation, the nation's leading competitive energy provider. He oversees a family of companies representing more than 35,000 megawatts of owned generating capacity and 6.6 million electric and natural gas delivery customers. Prior to his current position, Crane served as President and COO of Exelon. He joined Exelon in 1998 and was named Chief Nuclear Officer in 2004. Crane has held positions of increasing responsibility in the nuclear industry for 30 years. Crane is a member of the executive committee of the Edison Electric Institute and the board of directors of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. He is also Vice Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Institute.
Claire Curry
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Claire Curry is an Associate at Bloomberg New Enery Finance. She analyses the next-generation biofuels and biochemicals markets globally, with a focus on technologies, production costs, investment flow and capacities. She has been at BNEF for two and a half years, previously completing a Masters in Sustainable Energy Futures at Imperial College London. Claire also holds a BSc in Chemistry from Durham University.
Agnes Dasewicz
Private Capital Group for Africa, US Agency for International Development
Agnes Dasewicz serves as Director of the Private Capital Group for Africa within the Africa Bureau of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Having worked in development finance institutions for over 15 years, Ms. Dasewicz has an extensive financial pedigree and knowledge of private equity investments in emerging markets. She is the founder of, and was the Chief Operating Officer of the Grassroots Business Fund, an impact investing fund targeting Base of the Pyramid (BoP) entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). She was also a Program Manager at the International Finance Corporation and worked at their Small Enterprise Assistance Fund (SEAF). Ms. Dasewicz holds an MBA from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.
Bill Devereaux
Vice President of Industry Strategy, Utilities Global Business Unit
Bill studied Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Florida. He has over 25 years of experience in the Utilities industry delivering large scale programs and managing operations for Customer Service, AMI, Distribution Operations and Information Technology. Bill was a partner in the Accenture Utilities practice delivering large scale business and IT programs and architecting and managing outsourced services. Additionally, Bill led work in Texas to restructure utilities for the competitive market. In 2009, Bill joined Pacific Gas & Electric to lead the AMI program responsible for the deployment, technology, and operations of North America's largest AMI deployment. In 2011, Bill joined Oracle Utilities as Vice President of Industry Strategy helping to define how Oracle supports the rapidly changing Utilities industry. In 2013 Bill was promoted to Vice President Strategy and Alliances.
Dan Doctoroff
President & Chief Executive Officer
Bloomberg L.P.
Daniel L. Doctoroff is President and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberg L.P., the leading provider of financial information. Mr. Doctoroff joined Bloomberg L.P. in January 2008 as President of the Company and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in August 2011. Mr. Doctoroff has led the Company through the financial crisis, achieving record results each year. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Mr. Doctoroff was Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding for the City of New York. Mr. Doctoroff led one of the city's most dramatic economic resurgences, spearheading the effort to revive New York after the attacks of 9/11 through a five-borough economic development strategy which included the most ambitious land-use transformation in the city's modern history; the largest affordable housing program ever launched by an American city; and the creation of PlaNYC, New York's pathbreaking sustainability plan.
John Edson
John Edson is president of LUNAR, a global design and development firm in its 30th year of creating stand out physical and digital products and experiences for clients including Apple, HP, Oral-B, Abbott, Illumina, Siemens, Philips and Bosch. He is the author of Design Like Apple, (Wiley, 2012), and Lecturer in design at Stanford University. His latest pursuit is building LUNAR's Insights and Strategy offering, turning the designer's approach toward challenges that face business leaders. In addition, John is a frequent contributor to Fast Company.
Tony Fadell
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Nest Labs
Tony Fadell is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nest Labs. The Nest Learning Thermostat remembers the temperatures you like and programs itself to help you save up to 20% on heating and cooling bills. Nest turns itself down when you're away, customizes itself to your system, and shows how much energy you've used. You can control Nest from anywhere using your smartphone, tablet or computer. Prior to Nest, Tony served as SVP of Apple's iPod division, reporting to Steve Jobs. He was responsible for creating the first 18 generations of the iPod and the first three generations of the iPhone.
Brindusa Fidanza
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
The Ground_Up Project
Brindusa Fidanza is the Founder and CEO of The Ground_Up Project – a global digital network that aggregates information about small and medium size projects with an environmental impact, using social media and big data approaches to understand and track project and environmental impact. Previously, Brindusa was Associate Director, Deputy Head Climate Change Initiatives at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. She was a facilitator of the Task Force on Low-Carbon Prosperity that reported to the UK G20 presidency in 2009. Previously, Brindusa worked in corporate affairs for the international private sector and in governmental capacity building in the think tank and international organizations.
Gil Forer
Global Leader, Global Cleantech Center
Gil oversees the strategic development, implementation and management of EY's Global Cleantech Center around the world. Under his leadership, Cleantech has expanded significantly and helped EY to strengthen its global leadership position serving cleantech companies, renewable energy developers, corporations and governments. Gil is also responsible for building and managing EY's relationships with leading entrepreneurs, investors and other key stakeholders in the cleantech marketplace. In his cleantech leadership role, Gil works closely with the other EY global industry centers, such as Power & Utilities and Automotive, and with the Climate Change and Sustainability Services team. He also leads the development of cleantech related research, thought leadership and strategic events as well as the global business relationships with Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
Kazuo Furukawa
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Kazuo Furukawa is chairman of NEDO, Japan's largest public research and development management organization. His role is to guide the organisation towards achieving its twin missions of developing new energy and environmental technologies while increasing Japan's industrial competitiveness. Prior to NEDO, Mr. Furukawa worked for Hitachi serving as President and CEO of the diversified industrial conglomerate from 2006 until 2009. He has also served as the President of Information Processing Society of Japan and Vice Chairman of Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation).
Angelina Galiteva
Member of the Board of Governors
California Independent System Operator Corporation
Angelina M. Galiteva currently serves on the Board of Governors for the California Independent System Operator Corporation, she is also Chairperson of the World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE) and a Principal of New Energy Options, Inc. (NEOptions). In addition, Ms. Galiteva is a founding member of Renewable Energy 100, a non profit dedicated to advancing Renewable Energy Solutions for the energy and transportation sectors. Ms. Galiteva specializes in formalizing strategic direction for renewable energy, new technology development and overall sustainable policy programs for public and private entities. Angelina Galiteva has unique industry experience working on a global scale and has successfully managed to bring key multi-stakeholder partnerships together in order to effectively implement green energy programs and initiatives for a variety of products and applications.
Tomas Garcia
Head of Market Development & Strategy, EMEA & LATAM
Tomás García is the Head of Market Development & Strategy EMEA & LATAM at SunEdison since September 2011. In this function, he leads the definition of new business models for solar PV energy to compete in electricity markets. Also, he strategically guides the expansion of different business units to new markets or future services. Additionally, he coordinates the development of go-to-market strategies for countries in the EMEA & LATAM region. Before joining SunEdison, Tomás spent 3 years as Market Strategy Manager Europe at First Solar, a leading solar module manufacturer. Prior to that, he worked 4 years as Strategy Consultant at Monitor Group, a global strategy consultancy. Before that, he was a Research Scientist at Lucent Technologies and CIEMAT, a top national laboratory in Spain.
Andy Geissbuehler
Vice President & General Manager
ALSTOM Renewable Power - Wind, North America
Based in Richmond Virginia, Andy Geissbuehler is in charge of Alstom Renewable Power's Wind Business in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The business is growing its fleet of large rotor 3 MW range onshore wind turbines and maintains a global industrial base which includes a nacelle assembly facility in Amarillo, Texas. Recently, Alstom secured its first commercial offshore project in the US, applying the direct drive 6 MW Haliade with the 150m rotor. Facilitated by a localized R&D group, Alstom is actively participating at the forefront of U.S. onshore & offshore wind initiatives, collaborating with industrial, academic and governmental partners. Andy Geissbuehler has been in the global power generation business for more than twenty years, responsible for a wide range of power generation products & services, holding positions in general management, project execution, global sourcing, engineering, service and construction.
Logan Goldie-Scot
Analyst, Energy Smart Technologies
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Logan is an analyst on the Energy Smart Technologies team at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, focused on energy storage. Previously, he was the Lead Analyst for the Middle East and North Africa, responsible for market analysis of the region including policy and regulation; economic and technology assessments; market sizing and market drivers. He was predominantly focused on the wind and solar sectors. He is also very involved in communicating this research to clients and to the broader public, at events, seminars or in the media etc and regularly presents at conferences. He has also been involved in a number of cross sector consultancy assignments. Recent projects include the organization of the Project Village, at the World Future Energy Summit, and the running of the Zayed Future Energy Prize. He has previously worked at the Next Century Foundation which is a nonprofit political think tank where he was the senior editor for the MENA region. He holds an MA (Hons) from Edinburgh University in Arabic.
Jeffrey Grybowski
Chief Executive Officer
Deepwater Wind
Mr. Grybowski is the Chief Executive Officer of Deepwater Wind, where he manages the company's portfolio of offshore wind and transmission projects. He has been intimately involved in the development of Deepwater Wind's path-breaking Block Island Wind Farm since its inception in 2008. Mr. Grybowski has been at the forefront of shaping the federal and state policies supporting offshore wind in the US, including playing key roles in the development of federal rules governing the leasing and permitting of offshore wind and transmission projects, federal tax policies supporting renewables, and policies at the state level throughout the northeast for offshore wind, transmission, and renewables. Mr. Grybowski previously served as Chief of Staff to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island. Prior to that he practiced corporate law at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder in Providence, Rhode Island and at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York, New York.
Arno Harris
CEO and Chairman
Recurrent Energy
Arno Harris is CEO of Recurrent Energy, one of North America's leading solar project development companies with 2GW of solar projects in development and a more than 880MW portfolio contracted with utilities. He is a Board Chair of Solar Energy Industry Association and a Board Member of Advanced Energy Economy. Arno is a passionate advocate for solutions to climate change through the intersection of business and public policy. He has spent the last 10 years working in the solar industry to help solar make the transition to mainstream energy markets. For his entrepreneurial success and contribution to the solar industry, Arno was recognized with the Rising Star Award at the 2011 Platts Global Energy Awards and was named 2013 Most Admired CEO by the San Francisco Business Times. Arno is board chair of the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) and serves on the board of Advanced Energy Economy.
Seb Henbest
Head of Cross-Sector Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Seb is Manager of Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Cross-sector Analysis group, responsible for long-term market forecasts and the firm's energy systems research. From 2008 to 2012 he was Australia Country Manager for BNEF, overseeing all clean energy and carbon market analysis, and the development of the Australia business. Seb writes extensively on carbon market and clean energy economics and policy and presents regularly at industry conferences and events. He is quoted widely in print media in Australia and has appeared as an expert commentator on the ABC, Sky News, ABC Radio, and Bloomberg TV.
Andrew Hoffman
Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise
Andrew J. Hoffman is Director of the Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. He holds the Holcim (US) Professorship in Sustainable Enterprise with joint appointments at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School of Natural Resources & Environment. Professor Hoffman's research focuses on the processes by which environmental issues both emerge and evolve as social, political and managerial issues. He has published over one hundred articles/book chapters and eleven books, which have been translated into five languages. Among his list of honors, he has been awarded the Maggie Award, JMI Breaking the Frame Award, Connecticut Book Award, the Aldo Leopold Fellowship, the Aspen Environmental Fellowship, the Manos Page Prize, the Aspen Institute Faculty Pioneer Award, the Rachel Carson Book Prize and the Klegerman Award. He has served on research committees for the National Academies of Science, the Johnson Foundation, the Climate Group, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development and the Environmental Defense Fund. Andy serves on advisory boards for ecoAmerica, Next Era Renewable Energy Trust, SustainAbility, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the Center for Environmental Innovation and the Stanford Social Innovation Review. He earned a joint PhD in Management and Civil & Environmental Engineering at MIT.
John L. Hopkins
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
NuScale Power
Before joining NuScale, John L. Hopkins served as group president for Fluor Corporation where he led the company's Corporate Development and New Ventures Group. In this role, Hopkins led Fluor's Corporate Sales Board, account management activities, new ventures/emerging markets, government relations and corporate affairs. From 2005 to 2009, Hopkins headed Fluor's Government Group (FGG). Hopkins joined Fluor in 1988, and held a variety of senior management, sales and operations roles around the world. Those positions included group president of Fluor Global Services; president and chief executive officer of TradeMC, LLC, the capital goods sourcing venture jointly owned by Fluor and IBM; group president of Corporate Sales & Marketing, Corporate Development and Project Finance; president of Chemicals & Life Sciences; and president of Chemicals, Composites and Textiles. Active in a variety of professional and civic organizations, Hopkins served as the senior executive member of both the Fluor Netherlands and Fluor United Kingdom board of directors, and as chairman of the board for Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, LLC. He is currently a director of the Business Council for International Understanding and also serves on the executive board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Jeff Immelt
General Electric
Jeffrey R. Immelt is the ninth chairman of GE, a post he has held since September 7, 2001. Mr. Immelt has held several global leadership positions since coming to GE in 1982, including roles in GE's Plastics, Appliances, and Healthcare businesses. In 1989 he became an officer of GE and joined the GE Capital Board in 1997. A couple years later, in 2000, Mr. Immelt was appointed president and chief executive officer. Mr. Immelt has been named one of the "World's Best CEOs" three times by Barron's, and since he began serving as chief executive officer, GE has been named "America's Most Admired Company" in a poll conducted by Fortune magazine and one of "The World's Most Respected Companies" in polls by Barron's and the Financial Times.
Dave Jones
Vice President and General Manager of Energy & Environmental Solutions
Dave Jones is the Vice President and General Manager of Energy & Environmental Solutions for Honeywell. An energy services pioneer, Honeywell helps customers reduce energy costs and risk, and increase reliability — providing technology and services that range from standard conversation measures to advanced microgrids. The companies has completed more than 5,000 guaranteed energy projects around the world, work that will deliver more than $5 billion in savings. Dave oversees sales, engineering and operations for the team that delivers these projects. He has held numerous management and leadership roles at Honeywell, and has decades of energy and utility experience. Prior to joining the company, he spent nine years at National Grid, where he was responsible for demand-side management, and energy contracts for commercial and industrial users.
Wandee Khunchornyakong
Chief Executive Officer
Miss Wandee Khunchornyakong is currently Chairwoman and CEO of SPCG Public Company Limited, the Leading Solar Farm Developer in Thailand and ASEAN. Moreover, she is the President of Solar Power Company Limited and Managing Director of 36 projects. It is also one of the largest steel roof manufacturers in Thailand and is looking to boost its business by selling solar rooftops. She has over 30 years of experience in the solar industry in Thailand and in ASEAN and was named by Forbes as one of Asia's top 50 plus 15 up and the most Power Business Women last year. By 2014, SPCG will have a total generating capacity of nearly 250 megawatts made up of 36 projects and the total project value is over US$ 800 million.
Susan Kish
Head of Cross Platform Initiatives
Susan is the Head of Cross Initiatives at Bloomberg, leading a portfolio of strategic projects and building connections across the firm. Previously, Susan was the director of knowledge services at Bloomberg New Energy Finance and executive producer of the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit. Susan was both founder and chief executive officer of independent think-tank First Tuesday Zurich, established to support the development of knowledge sharing in sustainable energy, information technology and financial services. Forums, workshops and awards run by First Tuesday were attended by 23,000 people. Following its 2006 acquisition by global professional online network XING, Susan became XING's head of network and community practice. Susan is also the co-founder and host of the annual European Energy Venture Fair in Zurich. Prior to her entrepreneurial career, Susan spent 14 years in a variety of executive positions at UBS including global functional head of structured finance based in Zurich, plus executive positions in New York where Susan was responsible for the bank's entry into new financial products and markets.
Wolfram Krause
Head of Strategic Market Intelligence
Sarah Lawan
Special Liaison Officer
New Partnership for Africa's Development
Sarah Lawan is the Special Liaison Officer of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD/NPCA) in New York. In this capacity, she facilitates relations between the United Nations system, US-based partners and the NEPAD/NPCA Headquarters located in Midrand, South Africa. Mrs. Lawan started her collaboration with the technical body of the African Union by working towards strengthening an African Voice in international negotiations. She served as the Sherpa of Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, NEPAD CEO, for the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Today, she is engaged in the formulation of the African Common Position with regards to the Post-2015 development agenda and the articulation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Jessica Lennard
Director of Energy Public Affairs
Edelman London
Previously a capital markets solicitor with City firm Linklaters LLP, Jessica entered politics in 2008 working on energy policy and communications on the staff of Greg Barker MP (now Minister for Energy and Climate Change). She was a member of the Shadow Energy and Climate Change team and managed the Conservative Party's highly successful 'Climate Campaign' out of Conservative Campaign Headquarters. Jessica remains an active member of the Conservative Party (for whom she campaigned in the 2010 General Election), and is also a founding member of the Conservative Environment Network. She currently heads up energy public affairs at the London office of Edelman, the world's largest communications agency. Her experience spans the full spectrum of energy interests, from upstream natural resources and traditional generation, to clean tech, renewables and energy efficiency. In 2013, Jessica and her colleagues won BusinessGreen's 'Green PR Agency of the Year' and Corporate Comms Magazine's 'Best Public Affairs Campaign of the Year'.
Alex Liftman
Global Environmental Executive
Bank of America
As Global Environmental Executive for Bank of America, Liftman is responsible for the bank's environmental business activities, operations initiatives, public and corporate policy, philanthropic and other investments, marketing and corporate affairs. In this role, Liftman serves as the primary steward of the company's ten-year, $20 billion environmental business initiative to address global climate change and demands on natural resources. Since the inception of the commitment in 2007, Bank of America has lent, invested, underwritten and advised on more than $17 billion against the $20 billion, putting the company ahead of its ten-year plan. Liftman and members of the Global Environmental team work closely with the company's business lines to create and execute integrated programs to support this initiative including the development and commercial implementation of low carbon energy solutions. Previously, Liftman managed communications strategy and served on the leadership teams of several of Bank of America's lines of business, including Global Wealth & Investment Management, Small Business Banking/Business Banking, Card Services and Corporate Social Responsibility. In this latter role, Liftman was instrumental in launching the $20 billion environmental commitment in 2007.
Amory Lovins
Co-Founder & Chief Scientist
Rocky Mountain Institute
Physicist Amory B. Lovins — ex-Oxford don, honorary architect, Swedish engineering academician — has written 500 papers and 31 books, taught at ten universities, redesigned numerous buildings, vehicles, and factories, and advised industry for 40+ years in 50+ countries. A National Petroleum Council member, he advises the Chief of Naval Operations. He received the "Alternative Nobel," Blue Planet, Volvo, Zayed, Onassis, Nissan, Shingo, and Mitchell Prizes, MacArthur and Ashoka Fellowships, 12 honorary doctorates, and the Heinz, Lindbergh, National Design, and World Technology Awards. 'Time' named him one of the world's 100 most influential people; 'Foreign Policy', one of 100 top global thinkers.
Philippe Marchand
Director of Biotechnologies, Renewable Energy Division
Philippe Marchand is Director of Biotechnologies for the Renewable Energy Division of TOTAL, the French Oil Major ; he is a graduate from Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (Paris, France) and from Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal (Canada) ; he joined TOTAL in 1979 and has held various positions in the Refining Division, in process engineering and optimization, in France and in Africa, in supply, finance and economics management in Normandy Refinery (France), in supply and refining general management in the UK, in overall coordination of refining activities in the Americas, in Corporate Planning, coordinating the biofuels strategy for the TOTAL Group; in his previous position, he led the biofuels development activities in the Renewable Energy Division .
Cheryl Martin
Acting Director, Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E)
United States Department of Energy
Dr. Cheryl Martin is the Acting Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) at the United States Department of Energy and is responsible for oversight of the Agency. Additionally, Dr. Martin leads ARPA-E's Technology-to-Market program, which helps breakthrough energy technologies succeed in the marketplace. Prior to joining ARPA-E, Dr. Martin was an Executive in Residence with the venture capital firm, Kleiner Perkins. Dr. Martin also spent 20 years with Rohm and Haas Company, starting her career as a Senior Scientist for the company's Plastics Additives business. In 2000, Dr. Martin was named Director of Investor Relations and later became Director of Financial Planning. Dr. Martin was named General Manager of the company's Adhesives and Sealants business in North America in 2007 and elected a Corporate Vice President. Most recently, she was the General Manager for the Paint and Coatings Materials business in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Jeff McDermott
Managing Partner
Greentech Capital Advisors
Jeff McDermott is the Founder and Managing Partner of Greentech Capital Advisors, a global specialist firm which executes mergers and acquisitions, raises capital through private placements, and provides general advisory services for Sustainable Infrastructure companies and projects. Jeff has 30 years of extensive transaction valuation, negotiation, and structuring experience and strong relationships with large global companies and private equity investors. Prior to founding GCA, Jeff was the Joint Global Head of Investment Banking at UBS.
Edward McGinnis
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation
Office of Nuclear Energy, United States Department of Energy
Mr. McGinnis is responsible for the Department of Energy's international civilian nuclear energy activities, including international nuclear energy research, development and demonstration cooperation, international framework and partnership development, international nuclear energy policy, and other international civilian nuclear energy-related activities carried out by the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy. As part of these responsibilities, Mr. McGinnis serves as Steering Group Chairman of the International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation that consists of more than 60 countries and serves as the Departmental Representative to the U.S. Trade and Promotion Coordination Committee on civil nuclear energy matters. Within the Office of Nuclear Energy, Mr. McGinnis has also served as a Vice Chairman and Principal U.S. Representative to the Generation IV International Forum and was responsible for US domestic nuclear fuel assurance matters, including technical oversight activities regarding the United States Enrichment Corporation, uranium inventory management matters, as well as US nuclear energy security matters.
Carrie McKellogg
Chief of the Access to Basic Services and Green Growth Unit
IDB Multilateral Investment Fund
Carrie McKellogg joined the IDB's Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) in 2011 as the Chief of the Access to Basic Services and Green Growth Unit, which includes the MIF's Environment and Clean Energy programs. Before joining the MIF, she spent more than ten years as an economist at the U.S. Treasury, including as the Director of the Treasury's Western Hemisphere Office, with responsibility for managing Treasury's engagement on economic policy with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. She holds a Master's Degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and undergraduate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley.
Bill McKibben
Author, educator, environmentalist
Bill McKibben is an author and environmentalist. His 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change, and has appeared in 24 languages. He is founder of 350.org, the first planet-wide, grassroots climate change movement. The Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he was the 2013 winner of the Gandhi Prize and the Thomas Merton Prize, and holds honorary degrees from 18 colleges and universities; Foreign Policy named him to their inaugural list of the world's 100 most important global thinkers, and the Boston Globe said he was "probably America's most important environmentalist." A former staff writer for the New Yorker, he writes frequently a wide variety of publications around the world, including the New York Review of Books, National Geographic, and Rolling Stone.
Dr. Ernest Moniz
Secretary of Energy
US Department of Energy
As United States Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz is tasked with implementing critical Department of Energy missions in support of President Obama's goals of growing the economy, enhancing security and protecting the environment. This encompasses advancing the President's all-of-the-above energy strategy, maintaining the nuclear deterrent and reducing the nuclear danger, promoting American leadership in science and clean energy technology innovation, cleaning up the legacy of the cold war, and strengthening management and performance. Prior to his appointment, Dr. Moniz was the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was a faculty member since 1973. At MIT, he headed the Department of Physics and the Bates Linear Accelerator Center. Most recently, Dr. Moniz served as the founding Director of the MIT Energy Initiative and of the MIT Laboratory for Energy and the Environment and was a leader of multidisciplinary technology and policy studies on the future of nuclear power, coal, nuclear fuel cycles, natural gas and solar energy in a low-carbon world.
Jesse Moore
Chief Executive Officer
Jesse is based in Nairobi and is responsible for the day to day running of the M-KOPA Solar business. He has been working in Kenya for over a decade, previously as the Director of the GSM Association Development Fund and as a consultant to Vodafone and Safaricom on the roll out of M-PESA. Jesse holds an MBA from Oxford University.
Aaron Morrow
Director of renewable energy development
Dar Solar
Mr. Morrow is an independent development consultant specializing in renewable and distributed energy projects. He currently serves as the director of renewable energy development for Dar Solar and as a technical advisor to the Saudi Arabian Solar Industry Association (SASIA). In addition to his roles in the GCC, Mr. Morrow assists his clients to commercialize new technologies; develop solar, wind, and combined heat and power projects; and finance renewable energy projects. Mr. Morrow has been developing distributed energy projects for over 15 years and his development experience includes distributed wind, solar, and CHP projects in North America, Europe, and MENA.
Jim Mullin
Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Solar Products
Applied Materials
Jim Mullin is Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Solar Products for Applied Materials. Over his 18-year career with Varian Semiconductor and Applied, he has served in a number of Operations and Technical management positions with increasing levels of responsibility; including, Vice President and General Manager of Implant products, Vice President of Global Customer Operations and Vice President of Global Manufacturing. Under Jim's leadership, these groups have delivered 3X market share and revenue, 30% lower manufacturing costs and cycle time, and earned the industry's prestigious VLSI 5-star rating for Customer Satisfaction. He began his career in the United States Navy earning promotions through the officer ranks and achieving certification as a Naval Nuclear Engineer. Jim holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering fromBostonUniversity.
Shivanand Nimbargi
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Green Infra
Within three years of taking over as Managing Director and CEO of Green Infra in 2011, Shivanand Nimbargi has helped it become a major independent power producer in the country. Statistically, Green Infra has more than doubled its operational capacity to 407 MW currently, with another 100 Mw under construction and 600 MW capacity in the pipeline. Under his aegis Green Infra has attained several accolades. That includes a prestigious award by MNRE for early commissioning of the NSM Phase 1 Batch 2 Solar Project, Winner for Best Renewable IPP by Power Line in 2012. Shiv started his career with Babcock and Wilcox where he commissioned large utility Boilers. From Babcock he moved to Alstom, where he held leadership roles in Sales, Project Management, Procurement and Six Sigma. As Managing Director he set up Turbines and HRGS Business in India and also turned around the Boiler Business from loss making into one of the leading business lines for Alstom. Before leaving Alstom he held the position of Regional Vice President for India and South Asia.
Robert O'Connor
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Robert O'Connor is a corporate partner with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and primarily focuses on the representation of technology enterprises, with an emphasis on those in the energy, mobility, social media, consumer, and sustainability sectors, in raising capital through private and public debt and equity financings, including their initial public offerings. Bob's practice also includes advising companies in connection with a broad range of mergers and acquisitions and other strategic transactions. In addition, he advises many leading venture capital and private equity firms in connection with their portfolio company investments and advises investment banks in connection with initial public offerings and other capital markets transactions. Bob currently is a member of the firm's Policy Committee.
Ambassador Carlos Pascual
Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs
US State Department
Ambassador Carlos Pascual is the State Department's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs. Secretary Clinton appointed Ambassador Pascual to this position, effective May 18, 2011. In this capacity, he advises the Secretary on energy issues, ensuring that energy security is advanced at all levels of U.S. foreign policy. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Pascual served as the United States Ambassador to Mexico (2009-2011) and was Vice President and Director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution (2003-2009). During his extensive career in public service, Ambassador Pascual has held positions in the Department of State, the National Security Council (NSC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He served as Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the U.S. Department of State, where he led and organized U.S. government planning to help stabilize and reconstruct societies in transition from conflict or civil strife.
Brad Pietras
Vice President, Technology
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Brad Pietras is the Vice President, Technology for Lockheed Martin Corporate Engineering and Technology where he is responsible for multiple domestic and international research and development initiatives. He began his career in 1989 at GE Astro Space as the lead mechanical integration and test engineer for Landsat and went on to join Lockheed Martin Radar Systems' Advanced Programs unit in 1996, managing missile-defense research and development for both the US and NATO. In 2003, Mr. Pietras moved from Tech Ops to Business Development where he held increasing levels of responsibility in domestic and international business development, including strategic planning and Congressional relations. In 2006, Mr. Pietras moved back to Tech Ops as the Director of Advanced Technology for LM Mission Systems and Sensors with responsibility for research and development programs across the eight lines of business whose combined revenues exceeded $4B annually.
Nicole Poindexter
Senior Director of Global Business Development
As Senior Director of Global Business Development, Ms. Poindexter leads Opower's partnering strategies. In her role, Ms. Poindexter has negotiated global partnerships with leading systems integrators and energy efficiency program implementers, has negotiated a partnership with Honeywell to launch next-generation programmable thermostats as well as an innovative energy efficiency portfolio offering, and has negotiated partnerships to support product extensions into the commercial smart grid engagement market. Prior to joining Opower, Ms. Poindexter was a Portfolio Manager and Director of Investments for the New York City Investment Fund, a venture capital fund founded by Henry Kravis to invest in technology companies in New York City; Senior Policy Advisor for the Mayor's office in the City of New York under the Bloomberg Administration leading economic development in Harlem and the Bronx; and the Vice President of Alliances and Content at GreenBeat 2009, where she created and managed the GreenBeat 2009′s Innovation Competition. She received her BA from Yale University in Political Science and an MBA with Distinction from Harvard University.
Bob Powell
SunEdison North America
As President of SunEdison North America, Bob Powell oversees the North American solar business. Bob complements the SunEdison team with extensive experience in the financing, development, deployment, and operations of solar energy solutions. Prior to joining SunEdison, he was Senior VP and CFO of NRG Solar, a solar IPP with more than 2 gigawatts of solar projects in operation, where he was instrumental in creating the NRG Yield Vehicle. He also served as President and CEO of Solar Power Partners whom he sold to NRG. He was CFO of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and a Partner with both PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Arthur Andersen.
John Reese
Downstream Policy & Advocacy Manager, Americas
John E. Reese is Downstream Policy &Advocacy Manager, Americas with Shell Oil Products US. In that role, he manages Shell's participation in US and Canadian regulatory issues that affect Shell's downstream business, including fuels regulatory initiatives at the national and local levels. Prior to joining Shell in 2002, Mr. Reese spent ten years as an attorney with the American Petroleum Institute (API) in Washington, DC, where he concentrated on fuels issues. While at API, Mr. Reese participated in legislative activities, rulemakings, and litigation concerning reformulated gasoline, low sulfur gasoline and diesel, mobile source air toxics, oxygenates, and numerous state fuels issues. Mr. Reese has a law degree from Catholic University, a Master of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary, and a Bachelor of Science degree from George Mason University. Mr. Reese resides in Houston, Texas.
James Rogers
Former Chairman of the Board
Duke Energy
Jim Rogers is the former chairman of the board for Duke Energy. Prior to being elected chairman in January 2007, he also served as Duke Energy's president and CEO from April 2006 until his retirement on July 1, 2013. Rogers served as a CEO in the utility industry for 25 years. Over that period, he delivered an average total shareholder return of more than 12 percent per year by focusing on sustainable growth and executing a series of well-timed mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. In 2013, Rogers was awarded the Edison Electric Institute's Distinguished Leadership Award by his industry peers in recognition of his 25 years of service and exemplary contributions to the electric utility industry. In addition, the Alliance to Save Energy honored Rogers with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jonas Rooze
Associate, European Power Service
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Jonas is Associate in the European team, analysing the implications of strong social, technological and policy changes for Europe's power system – particularly surrounding the issue of renewables integration. Jonas built out the team's power demand and policy analysis, keeping on top of the changing tides in both those areas. He joined BNEF from the sustainable energy consultancy Carbon Descent where he advised UK local government on strategies for achieving carbon emissions reduction targets. Jonas holds a first-in-class MSc from Imperial College London in Sustainable Energy Futures, and a Master's in Mechanical Engineering from Cambridge University
Thomas Rowlands-Rees
Head of Energy Smart Technology Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Tom manages Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Energy Smart Technologies (EST) team. The EST team provides analysis of developments in smart grid, energy storage, energy efficiency and electric vehicles and an integrated view on how these relate to the broader evolution of the energy industry. Within the team he is responsible for coverage on energy efficiency.
Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP
First Minister of Scotland
Alex Salmond was born in Linlithgow in 1954. He attended Linlithgow Academy before studying at St Andrews University, where he graduated with a joint honours MA in Economics and History. In 1978 he entered the Government Economic Service as an Assistant Economist in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. In 1980 he joined the Royal Bank of Scotland where he worked for seven years: first as an Assistant Economist before being appointed Energy Economist in 1982 and, from 1984, Royal Bank Economist. Mr Salmond is now a visiting Professor of Economics at Strathclyde University. He was first elected as MP for Banff and Buchan in 1987 and was elected as National Convener for the Scottish National Party in 1990. He served as leader of the opposition in the Scottish Parliament when he was elected MSP for Banff and Buchan Constituency in 1999. He stood down as SNP National Convener in 2000 and left the Scottish Parliament in 2001. He was re-elected as Leader of the SNP in 2004 and elected as MSP for the Gordon constituency in May 2007. He became the first ever SNP First Minister of Scotland on May 16, 2007. He won the Aberdeenshire East constituency at the May 5, 2011, election when the SNP won a majority of seats of in the Scottish Parliament and MSPs re-elected him unopposed for a second term as FM on May 18.
Carmelo Scalone
Executive Director, Business Development and Member of the Executive Committee
EDF Energies Nouvelles
Carmelo Scalone has been working in the renewable industry for 13 years, and 8 years in grid and power plant automation. Since 2014, he is Executive Director of Business Development and Member of the Executive Committee at EDF Energies Nouvelles (Paris), the renewable energy subsidy of Electricité de France, the French Utility. Prior to EDF Energies Nouvelles, he was Executive Director Business Development at EDP Renewables for 6 years, and before that, Development Director for the Mediterranean Region at Gamesa. After graduation, his first experience was at ABB during 8 years. Mr Scalone now leads a team of senior developers in charge of renewable energy projects (wind, hydro, solar, biomass, biogas, biofuels etc …) in various countries where EDF Energies Nouvelles is developing projects.
Christophe Schilling
Chief Executive Officer
Christophe founded Genomatica in 1998. Since being named CEO in May 2009, he has led Genomatica to widespread recognition as a leader in industrial biotech, with a commercialized first process, top-tier licensees, strong investors – and an unrivaled string of awards for engineering (Kirkpatrick), science (EPA Presidential Green Chemistry), industry leadership (voted #1 Hottest three years in a row by Biofuels Digest), and company culture (The Scientist as a Best Place to Work). Christophe frequently speaks on industry trends at major conferences, and serves as a member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Biotechnology.
Mikell Schultheis
Principal Engineer and Team Lead for Sustainable Package Design
Mikell Schultheis is currently a Principal Engineer and the Team Lead for Sustainable Package Design at The Coca-Cola Company in their R&D function. He has been engaged in packaging, package research and development, and package sustainability for over 35 years with a focus on packaging materials. He currently leads Coca-Cola's R&D efforts on the Company's PlantBottle renewable plastic packaging material program to develop a 100% renewable PET material. Earlier in his career at The Coca-Cola Company, he led work on programs to investigate PEN and PLA materials for different applications. He has been engaged with package sustainability programs since the early 90's, creating and implementing strategies for development of recycling technologies and other programs to drive overall technical performance and sustainability of The Company's packaging.
Jigar Shah
Chief Executive Officer
Jigar Shah Consulting
Jigar Shah grew up in Sterling, Illinois, a rural town of about 15,000 due west of Chicago. From that unassuming beginning, Shah became the person who unlocked a multi-billion dollar worldwide solar industry with a business model innovation, not a new technology. This model created SunEdison, the largest solar services company worldwide. SunEdison did not start from a dream; it started when Jigar read a science book as a teenager and learned how solar worked. From that day he asked, "why can't this be everywhere?" It drove him to do something about it. Through SunEdison, Jigar discovered he could make positive change through business and financial model innovation in many industries. Today, as CEO of Jigar Shah Consulting, he works with global companies in a multitude of industries to deploy existing clean energy solutions fueled by new business models. After SunEdison was sold in 2009, Jigar was appointed the first CEO of the Carbon War Room — the global organization founded by Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Unite to help entrepreneurs address climate change.
Colin Smart
Section Manager, Commercial Customer Solutions
Con Edison
Colin Smart is Con Edison's Section Manager – Commercial Customer Solutions. In this role Colin has responsibility for the development and deployment of energy efficiency, demand management and demand response programs focusing on commercial and industrial customers. During his eight years with Con Edison Colin's work has involved complex projects ranging from metering infrastructure issues to targeted network solutions to benchmarking Con Edison's financial management processes. Prior to joining Con Edison, Colin spent over a decade managing consulting teams and working with Fortune 500 companies in regard to a range of energy and telecommunications matters in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Colin focused particularly on customer issues relevant to the transition stages of energy market deregulation. Colin holds a Masters in Business and Technology (MBT) and a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He is also an Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Certified Energy Manager (CEM). In 2013 Colin completed his term as the Vice-Chair of the Association of Demand Response and Smart Grid (ADS).
Francesco Starace
Enel Green Power
Mr. Starace has been President of Enel Green Power since the company's inception in 2008 and, subsequently, appointed as Chief Executive Officer in September 2010, leading EGP to its Initial Public Offering (IPO) in November 2010. Previously in Enel, he headed the area of the Business Power within the Generation&Energy Management Division since it was created, then he was named Managing Director of a new constituted Division (The Market Division, end of 2005).
Achim Steiner
UNEP Executive Director and Under-Secretary General
United Nations
Achim Steiner is Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. From March 2009 to May 2011, he was also Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). Before joining UNEP, Mr. Steiner served as Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 2001 to 2006, and prior to that as Secretary General of the World Commission on Dams. His professional career has included assignments with governmental, non-governmental and international organizations in different parts of the world including India, Pakistan, Germany, Zimbabwe, USA, Vietnam, South Africa, Switzerland and Kenya. He worked both at grassroots level as well as at the highest levels of international policy-making to address the interface between environmental sustainability, social equity and economic development. Mr. Steiner serves on a number of advisory councils and boards including as the International Vice Chair of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). His work has been recognized for a number of awards such as the Tallberg Foundation's Award for Principled Pragmatism. In 2009 His Serene Highness, Prince Albert of Monaco conferred upon Mr. Steiner the decoration of Officer of the Order of Saint Charles. Mr. Steiner, a German and Brazilian national, was born in Brazil in 1961. His educational background includes a BA from the University of Oxford as well as an MA from the University of London with specialization in development economics and policy. He also studied at the German Development Institute in Berlin as well as the Harvard Business School.
Laurence Tubiana
Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)
Laurence Tubiana is founder of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) in Paris. She is professor and director of the Sustainable Development Center at Sciences Po Paris. She is also a visiting professor at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Since September 2012, she serves as co-chair of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)'s Leadership Council and co-chairs the SDSN working group on Deep Decarbonization Pathways. She is also president of the the Board of Governors of the French Development Agency.
Eric Usher
Manager of Seed Capital Programmes
United Nations Environment Programme
Eric Usher currently heads the Finance Unit within the Energy Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme that focuses on public-private instruments for financing climate infrastructure and new approaches to delivering cleaner energy services in regions without access. An example UNEP programme is the Seed Capital Assistance Facility, a joint undertaking with the Asian and African Development Banks aimed at increasing early stage investment activity in the clean energy sector. During 2011 Eric worked for the UNFCCC climate change secretariat in the setting up of the Green Climate Fund and its Private Sector Facility. During 2012 efforts focused on setting up the Frankfurt School UNEP Collaborating Centre on Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance. Eric is a Lead Editor of the annual Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment report and co-author of a number of studies examining the role of public and private finance in climate mitigation. He was Lead Author for finance for both the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and the Global Energy Assessment.
Richenda Van Leeuwen
Executive Director, Energy and Climate, Energy Access Initiative
United Nations Foundation
Richenda Van Leeuwen is Executive Director, Energy Access Initiative leading the UN Foundation's work on energy access and its engagement with the UN's Sustainable Energy for All Initiative. She founded and leads UNF's Energy Access Practitioner Network, www.energyaccess.org a rapidly growing 1,200 member global network of private companies and public sector organizations which was launched in 2011 to catalyze market-led solutions for energy access in developing countries. Working closely with the Sustainable Energy for All initiative, it focuses particularly on the contribution of clean micro-grid and off-grid approaches to providing energy services for off-grid areas of the world, and developing the financing and policy solutions as well as the partnerships necessary to support sustainable growth in the sector.
Ben Warren
Head of Environmental Finance
Ernst & Young
Ben is head of Environmental Finance at Ernst & Young, with global responsibility for Transaction Advisory Services provided to the Cleantech sector. Ernst & Young advises Governments on renewable energy, waste and water procurement and infrastructure programmes, and provides project finance and mergers and acquisitions advice to investors and project sponsors. The team that Ben leads have won multiple awards including Infrastructure Journal award for Renewable Energy Financial Advisor of the year 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 and the Environmental Finance European Renewable Energy advisors of the year 2009 and 2011. Ben has 15 years experience of advising clients on funding solutions and corporate finance, across EMEIA, the US and Asia. Ben is author of Ernst & Young's Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices (RECAI), and has published a large number of articles covering all aspects of Renewable Energy and Environmental Finance. Ben has a BA in accounting and law, and is ACMA qualified.
Jeff Weiss
Co-Chairman and Managing Director
Distributed Sun
Jeff Weiss co-founded Distributed Sun in 2009 and is Co-Chairman and Managing Director. He leads capital formation and is active in business development, strategy and governance. Jeff participates and speaks regularly at industry and leadership forums. An early digital media and commerce entrepreneur, Jeff has led companies in renewable energy, cyber and physical security, intelligence and corporate fraud mitigation, mission preparedness and training, software development, and transformational management. Companies include Picture Network In'tl (sold to Kodak in 1997), CDx (Certificate of Deposit Exchange), Vista ($100MM network services firm),TSG($10MMstrategic intelligence firm),and ASAP Ventures (strategy, advisory & angel investing). Jeff graduated from Cornell University and The Wharton School (University of Pa). He is Washington Leadership Chairman of Business Executives for National Security (BENS); is an active alumni leader at Cornell; is Director of Washington Hebrew Congregation; is past Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute's Socrates Society and founding director of Shenandoah National Park Trust.
Louise Wilson
Abundance Generation
Louise Wilson is one of the 3 co-founders of Abundance Generation, the first crowd funding platform to become regulated in the UK in 2011 and the only one with a focus on renewable energy. Prior to Abundance, she ran EMEA Equity Capital Markets at UBS Investment Bank, leaving in July 2008 to pursue her desire to contribute to a sector she views as essential to a sustainable future. Abundance addresses two market failures in financial services – the lack of interesting attractive investments for the retail customer and the lack of funding for small infrastructure projects. Louise is combining her capital market experience with the efficiencies allowed by an online world to address both.
Ron Wyden
US Senator
Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella
Special Representative of the Secretary General, Sustainable Energy For All, and Chief Executive Officer, Sustainable Energy for All Initiative
United Nations
Kandeh K. Yumkella holds the rank of Under Secretary-General in the United Nations and is Chairman of UN-Energy, the coordination body of United Nations agencies dealing with energy related issues. As Special Representative & CEO, Mr. Yumkella will seek to mobilize action toward a sustainable energy future and accelerate the implementation of the Secretary-General's initiative as well as engaging with the leadership of relevant stakeholders in government, businesses, academia and civil society at the highest level to advocate for and promote sustainable energy for all. From 2005 to 2013 he was the Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). From 1994 to 1995 he was Minister for Trade, Industry and State Enterprises of Sierra Leone. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Illinois, a M.Sc. Agricultural Economics, Cornell University; and a B.Sc. in General Agriculture, from Njala University College, Sierra Leone.
Felix Zhang
Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director
Envision Energy
Felix oversees the company's key issues like capital raising, optimal capital structure, company's finance, internal control, asset management and treasury functions as well as managing company's international business strategy/development. Felix also served as partner in Artesian Capital Management Asia, the chief of alternative investments in Banco Comercial Portuguese in London, conducting extensive investment analysis and management on alternative investment companies and products; Felix also worked for Ansbacher Alternative Investments, CIBC, Morgan Stanley International. Felix graduated from University of Wisconsin, USA with Bsc in applied mathematics, computer science and management information system. Felix received a master of business administration in Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, a master of finance in London Business School, a master of international management in University of St. Thomas. Additionally, Felix is a chartered financial analyst (CFA) registered with FSA in UK as investment manager.
Alejandro Agag
Chief Executive Officer
Formula E Holdings
Alejandro Agag is Chief Executive Officer of Formula E Holdings – a new FIA-backed global motor racing series, which is championing the use of cars powered solely by electricity, set to begin in September 2014. With over a decade of motorsports experience and years of shaping global and social issues as a politician – as personal assistant to Spain's Prime Minister and the youngest Spanish Member of European Parliament -, Agag is determined to revolutionize the world of clean mobility on the racetrack, city streets and consumer markets.
Dr. Anas Alhajji
Chief Economist
NGP Energy Capital Management
Dr. Alhajji is chief economist at NGP Energy Capital Management, Irving, TX, and its affiliate Natural Gas Partners. His work focuses on oil, natural gas, LNG, and other energy markets. He is a noted author and a regular contributor to national and international publications and academic journals with more than 800 papers, articles, and columns to his credit. His articles have appeared in numerous countries and in more than 10 languages. His work is cited in more than 25 books. He served as a professor of economics at Ohio Northern University where he held the George Patton Chair of Business and Economics. Before joining Ohio Northern, Alhajji worked at two universities that are strongly affiliated with the energy industry, the University of Oklahoma and the Colorado School of Mines. Alhajji is also a contributing editor for one of the industry's premier publications, World Oil magazine and serves on the editorial board of several energy publications. He has been quoted in all major newspapers and magazines in the U.S. including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, LA Times, Business Week, and Forbes. He is also the moderator of the Oil, Gas, Energy Law Forum (OGEL).
Mikael J. Backman
Director, Market Development - Americas
Mikael has two decades of experience from the energy industry, specializing in the field of power generation and electricity market development. Mikael has been involved in the development, design, delivery and sale of power generation assets throughout the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East. Currently, Mikael is Director of Market Development for Wärtsilä's Power Plants division and is responsible for power market analysis and development, strategic positioning and government and industry relations. Mikael holds a B.Sc. (Eng.) degree in Energy Technology and an MBA in finance.
Kristin Barbato
Deputy Commissioner, Chief Energy Management Officer
New York City
Kristin Barbato was appointed to Deputy Commissioner / Chief Energy Management Officer for New York City in March 2013. Her team manages energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as well as emerging technologies and building performance for the City's 4000+ facilities in support of PlaNYC, New York City's long term sustainability plan. In addition to these responsibilities, her team is also responsible for the City's energy supply procurement and management of the energy utility budget which is about $800M per year. Before this appointment, she was Director of Business Development in New York for Veolia Energy. In this role, she developed strategies for efficient and sustainable energy solutions including cogeneration projects and their operations. Before joining Veolia Energy, Ms. Barbato worked at Con Edison for nine years in various departments including Strategic Planning, Customer Operations, Energy Efficiency, and Information Technology. Currently, she also serves on the Cornell University Alumni Advisory Board for Sustainability and is a founding board member of the New York Association for Energy Economics.
Rob Barnett
Senior Energy Economist
Bloomberg Government
Rob Barnett, a Senior Energy Economist with Bloomberg Government, specializes in energy-sector economics, environmental policy and strategy, and EPA regulations. Before joining Bloomberg, he was an associate director of climate change and clean energy at IHS Cambridge Energy Research Associates, where he led the firm's environmental and energy analysis. Barnett holds a master's degree in economics from Boston University and undergraduate and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Clemson University.
Morgan Bazilian
Deputy Director
Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA)
Morgan Bazilian has over two decades of experience in the energy sector – and is regarded as a leading expert in international policy. His work has ranged from fiscal policy, to systems analysis, to infrastructure investment, to market regulation and governance in all areas of energy policy from upstream oil and gas to the operation of power systems.
Leonardo Beltran
Deputy Secretary for Planning and Energy Transition
Secretariat of Energy Mexico
Mr. Beltran was appointed Deputy Secretary for Planning and Energy Transition on December 10, 2012 by the President of the Mexico. Deputy Secretary Beltran holds a Masters in Public Administration in International Development from Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Science in Economics by the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), and studied Law at the Faculty of Law of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). In 2010, he was appointed Director-General for Information and Energy Studies at SENER, where he participated in the National System of Science and Technology and collaborated in the information system of technology and scientific research of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), as well as in the development of the Special Program of Science and Technology. He also coordinated the inter-sectorial working group on Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS) and a working group for the development of a Sustainable Buildings' Mexican Standard. He was responsible for the organization of the Energy Efficiency and Access Forum held in Mexico City on September 2010.
Catherine P. Bessant
Global Technology & Operations Executive and Environmental Program Chairperson
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
CATHERINE P. BESSANT is Global Technology & Operations executive at Bank of America and a member of the company's executive management team. She is responsible for delivering end-to-end technology and operating services across the company through a team of nearly 100,000 employees and contractors worldwide. Bessant also chairs Bank of America's Environmental Program, a position she has held since 2011. She oversees the company's current 10-year, $50 billion environmental business initiative to help support clean energy and reduce demands on natural resources through lower-carbon lending, investment and financing solutions. The current goal succeeds a 10-year, $20 billion environmental business initiative that was announced in 2007 and surpassed in 2012, more than four years ahead of schedule. She also oversees the company's efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its own operations.
Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P.
Michael R. Bloomberg was the 108th Mayor of the City of New York. He began his career in 1966 at Salomon Brothers, and after being let go from the firm in 1981, he began Bloomberg LP, a global media company. As his company grew, Michael Bloomberg started directing more of his attention to philanthropy. He has sat on the boards of numerous nonprofit institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, where he helped build the Bloomberg School of Public Health into one of the world's leading institutions of public health research and training. In 2001 he ran for mayor of the City of New York and, in a major upset, won the election. In 2010, he was elected Chair of the C40 Climate Leadership Group, a network of large cities from around the world committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate-related actions locally that will help address climate change globally.
Ted Brandt
Chief Executive Officer & Board Member
Marathon Capital
Ted Brandt co-founded Marathon Capital in 1999 and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and a Marathon Board Member. Marathon Capital is a Chicago based investment banking boutique focused on the global Energy and Infrastructure markets. Power Finance & Risk recently named Marathon Capital "Best Renewable Asset M&A Advisor" in the 10th Annual Power Finance Deals and Firms Awards. Prior to Marathon Capital, Mr. Brandt held various senior management positions within large non-bank finance and leasing companies including: GE Capital, Dana Commercial Credit, and Transamerica. During this 15-year period Mr. Brandt had start-up responsibility for leasing units, hands-on turnaround assignments, and opportunities to create and execute a variety of manufacturer vendor programs. During this time, Mr. Brandt also actively worked on the buying and selling of specialty commercial finance units. At Marathon Capital, he spends the majority of his time working with his colleagues to deliver the Firm's M&A and capital raising services to their Clients and their Boards.
Lord John Browne
Managing Director and Managing Partner
Riverstone Holdings
Lord Browne joined BP in 1966 as a university apprentice. In 1989, he became Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BP Exploration based in London. In September 1991, he joined the Board of The British Petroleum Company plc. as a Managing Director. He was appointed Group Chief Executive on 10 June 1995. Following the merger of BP and Amoco, he became Group Chief Executive of the combined group on 31 December 1998 until 1 May 2007. Having held a variety of non-executive board positions, he is now a Partner of Riverstone Holdings LLC, and the UK Government's Lead Non-Executive Board member. His memoirs Beyond Business were published in February 2010, and his book Seven Elements that have Changed the World was published in April 2013.
Suzanne Buchta
Managing Director, Debt Capital Markets
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Suzanne Buchta is a Managing Director in Debt Capital Markets and a 14-year veteran of the firm. As Global Co-Head of Green Bonds and Market Linked Notes, Suzanne's team works across industry lines to advise Capital Markets clients on these types of product specific financings. Suzanne has been active in advising issuers and consulting investors on Green Bonds since 2010. Her team brought the first retail Green Bonds in 2011, held extensive dialogues with Green Bonds investors around the globe, and helped to garner mandates for and place with Green investors key Green Bond issuances. Suzanne co-authored with Citibank a White Paper on the Framework for Green Bonds, published in September 2013. This paper has formed the basis for the "Principles on Green Bonds" published today and expected to become a market standard guidance paper for transparency and disclosure.
Carol Cala
Vice President of Energy, Environment, Safety and Health
Lockheed Martin
Carol Cala is the Corporate Vice President of Energy, Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) for Lockheed Martin Corporation. Carol oversees the ESH organization and Chairs the ESH Leadership Council that sets ESH corporate policies and direction. She evaluates the Corporation's ESH performance and provides leadership in establishing initiatives to improve corporate-wide performance; this includes Lockheed Martin positions on emerging regulatory and legislative ESH issues, and the Corporation's interface with public stakeholders on ESH issues. Previously, Ms. Cala was the Vice President of Quality Assurance at Hasbro, Inc. She was responsible for leading the regulatory compliance, product safety and reliability processes for the Girls, Boys, and Preschool categories of the Hasbro toy portfolio. Additionally, Carol was responsible for Quality Standards Management, New Product Development Support, Chemistry Lab Management and Product Environmental Sustainability. Ms. Cala has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Chemistry and a Master's of Science degree in Professional Studies: Environment and Business Management from Rochester Institute of Technology and has completed Executive Development programs at Smith College and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
John Cavalier
Chairman of the Board
Hudson Clean Energy
Mr. Cavalier is Chairman of the Board of Hudson. Mr. Cavalier was formerly Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse's Investment Banking division, Chairman of the Energy Group and Head of Credit Suisse's Global Renewable Energy efforts. Under Mr. Cavalier's leadership, the Renewables Energy Group has become Wall Street's leading Finance and Advisory Group to the Alternative Energy space. The Group has played a principal role in the initial public offerings of SunPower, Suntech, REC, Cosan, First Solar, EnerNOC, Iberdrola and financings for Airtricity, FPL Wind, Hawkeye, and many other major solar, wind and biofuel companies.
Albert Cheung
Head of Product Management & Marketing
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Albert is Head of Product Management & Marketing at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, with overall responsibility for product strategy and development. Albert joined Bloomberg New Energy Finance in 2009 to build the Energy Smart Technologies research practice, which he led for five years. Albert has previously worked at Booz & Co. and studied for his BA and MEng in Electrical & Information Engineering at Cambridge University and MIT.
Sharath Coorg
Manager, Acquisitions & Project Finance
ACWA Power
Sharath's background is in acquisitions and financing of power and water desalination projects in emerging markets covering conventional and renewable energy projects. He has worked with leading project developers on acquisitions, divestments and project-level debt financing. At ACWA Power, Sharath was involved in the acquisition of Shuweihat 1 project in Abu Dhabi and greenfield IWPPs tenders in the GCC, the 100MW Solar PV project at Makkah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, acquisition of a waste-to-energy project in the Czech Republic, and acquisition of a CSP equipment manufacturer in Germany. Prior to joining ACWA Power, Sharath worked with SunEdison Energy where he was involved in securing financing for utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects in India and South Africa. He has an MBA from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Bachelor of Technology (Mechanical Engineering) from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Rob Cormie
Group Operations Director
Green Investment Bank
Rob was a founding partner of Edinburgh Advisers LLP, a renewable energy advisory firm. He has a long track record of advising and lending in the energy sector and more specifically the wind and waste sectors. Earlier roles include being a board member of Quayle Munro plc, where he built a significant renewable energy advisory business; a partner of KPMG where he led the energy corporate finance team; CIBC World Markets, the Canadian Investment Bank; and Commerzbank AG.
Jon Creyts
Managing Director
Rocky Mountain Institute
Jon Creyts is a Managing Director at Rocky Mountain Institute, where he leads research and collaboration activities across all of RMI's major practice areas with a special focus on Disruptive Innovation. He is a principal author of RMI's recent report, The Economics of Grid Defection: When and Where Distributed Solar Plus Storage Competes with Traditional Utility Service, examining the implications of these two technological trends on the electricity system. He is also the founding Director of RMI's China Program, where he is working with diverse partners on an ambitious program to "reinvent fire" for China using energy efficiency and renewables. Jon brings over 20 years of strategy, operations, and design experience to resource issues at the interface of markets and technology. Prior to joining RMI, Jon was a partner with McKinsey and Company where he helped found McKinsey's Sustainability Practice and served energy, technology, and industrial clients extensively on issues related to operations, capital productivity, sustainability, and growth.
Anna Czajkowska
Head of European Policy Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Anna Czajkowska has been working on BNEF's policy analysis for over five years, focusing on regulatory developments driving investments to the clean energy sector in Europe. Based in London, she currently leads crossteam efforts to provide a policy-specific service to the company's clients. She is also a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 5th Assessment Report (AR5). She holds a Master's degree in Development Management from the London School of Economics.
Bruce Davis
Abundance Generation
Bruce Davis is an anthropologist with many years experience working on alternative finance and financial reform. He is cofounder of Abundance Generation, an FCA regulated investment platform which allows people to invest directly in renewable energy projects in the UK. Bruce was also one of the founding members of the team that created Zopa.com and is Visiting Research Fellow at the Bauman Institute, Leeds University and a Fellow of the RSA. He is a regular writer and speaker on the idea of democratising finance.
Michel Di Capua
Head of North America Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Michel Di Capua is Head of North America Analysis for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, based in New York City. In his current capacity he oversees an analyst team focused on research and analysis into clean energy. This includes the production of in-depth reports and development of dedicated carbon, REC, and renewable energy forecasting models. Michel's previous professional experience includes solar energy project development with Tata Power in India and strategy consulting for the telecom industry.
Gina Domanig
Managing Partner
Emerald Technology Ventures
Based in our Zurich office, Gina Domanig is the Managing Partner of Emerald Technology Ventures. In 2000 she founded Emerald as the first independent cleantech venture capital fund in Europe. Gina currently serves on the boards of SDC Materials, TaKaDu and GeoDigital. Previously, she also represented Emerald as a director at Agraquest (acquired by Bayer in 2012) and inge watertechnologies (acquired by BASF in 2011). Gina has over 25 years of international business experience including banking, M&A, strategic development, and venture capital. Prior to starting Emerald, she was senior vice president at Sulzer, a Swiss multinational, responsible for strategic planning and M&A. Gina holds MBA degrees from Thunderbird in Arizona and ESADE in Barcelona and is fluent in English, German and Spanish.
Ira Ehrenpreis
A leader in the venture capital industry and the energy/cleantech sector
Ira Ehrenpreis is a recognized leader in both the venture capital industry and the Energy/Cleantech sector, and in 2007, was named one of the "Top 50 Most Influential Men Under 45." In the venture community, Ira has served on the Board and Executive Committee of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and on the Board of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists (WAVC). He served as Chairman of the 2010 NVCA Annual Meeting. Ira also serves as the Co-Chairman of the VCNetwork, the largest and most active California venture capital organization. In the Energy/Cleantech sector, Ira has served on several industry Boards, including the Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Advisory Committee (ERAC), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Advisory Council, the 2014 World Energy Innovation Forum (Chairman), the Clean-Tech Investor Summit (Conference Chairman in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013), Cleantech Venture Network (Past Chairman of Advisory Board), ACORE (American Council on Renewable Energy), Energy Investors Forum (Past Conference Chairman), Energy Venture Fair, and California Climate Change Advisory Board. Ira received his JD/MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Law School, where he was an Associate Editor of Stanford Law Review. He holds a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude.
Luis Farias
Senior Vice President, Energy and Sustainability
Luis Farias is a Mexican national, born in 1954. He holds a BCs in Physics from Monterrey Tech, and a PhD from Imperial College, University of London. He worked for 10 years in the steel industry in Process Metallurgy Research and Technology Planning. Luis joined CEMEX in 1991 where he founded the Energy Department and currently serves as Senior Vice President for Energy and Sustainability. During these years he has overseen the development of CEMEX Energy Strategy comprising intensive use of alternative fuels in cement kilns, as well as renewable power. He has overseen development for US 1.7 billion in energy projects in the course of his CEMEX tenure. Luis also serves as President of CESPEDES, the Sustainability Commission of the Private Sector Council in Mexico.
Theodore Forbath
Vice President, Strategy
Theo is the Global VP of frog's Innovation Strategy Group (ISG). Under Theo's leadership, frog's ISG Team assists clients in developing profitable product strategies, innovative business models, and successful go-to-market strategies that enable frog's clients to compete on a global scale. Theo's articles have appeared in HBR, IEEE and Rotman Business Management Journals. Theo has spoken at TEDx, Mobile World Congress, and served on the World Economic Forum's ICT Advisory Board for five years.
Maryse Francois-Xausa
Senior VP, Global R&D, Alstom Renewable Power and VP Global R&D and Product Management
Alstom Hydro
Maryse Francois-Xausa was appointed Senior Vice President of R&D for Renewable Power in 2013. In her role as a member of the Renewable Power Executive Committee, Maryse directs development of Alstom's R&D strategy for a portfolio of hydro, ocean, solar, geothermal, biomass and wind technologies. Her focus is to achieve strategic businesses objectives through synergy and collaboration between Alstom businesses as well as alliances and external strategic partnerships. Business R&D / Innovation leaders in Renewable Power businesses report to Maryse.
Chris Gadomski
Head of Nuclear Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Chris Gadomski directs the firm's nuclear research team in forecasting global investment in new build, innovative technologies and decommissioning. As a business development consultant, Chris spent 25 years working with multinational firms, UNDP, World Bank, US DOE, and the UNDP/GEF on energy and environment projects. Gadomski joined the faculty at New York University's Center for Global Affairs in 2005 where he teaches graduate courses on energy.
Dr. Paula A. Gant
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Oil and Natural Gas
Office of Fossil Energy, US Department of Energy
Dr. Paula Gant is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil and Natural Gas in the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy. As Deputy Assistant Secretary, Dr. Gant administers domestic and international oil and gas programs, including policy analysis, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) import and export authorization. Dr. Gant's work at DOE is focused on realizing the promise presented by America's abundant natural gas and oil resources which hinges on prudent production, environmental stewardship and efficient use. The Department of Energy's research efforts seek to deploy the best available science, analysis and technologies to ensure a more secure energy future by leveraging our domestic natural gas and oil resources and protecting our air, land, and communities. Dr. Gant previously worked for the American Gas Association and Duke Energy. She has also served on the faculties of Louisiana State University and the University of Louisville.
Jeff Gates
Managing Director - Commercial Transmission
Duke Energy
Jeff Gates is Managing Director for Duke Energy Commercial Transmission, which develops, owns, and operates electric transmission facilities throughout North America. In this role, he is responsible for successful execution of transmission project development, from project structuring and regulatory approval through construction, primarily in the western United States. In addition, Jeff had primary project development responsibility for the Notrees Battery Storage Project, a 36-megawatt storage system being installed adjacent to one of Duke Energy's wind farms in west Texas. He was named to his current position in November 2011. Prior to this, he was Managing Director of commercial strategy and planning for Duke Energy. In this role, he had responsibility for the strategic planning process and analyzes strategic initiatives for Duke Energy's Commercial Businesses organization, including market entry strategies for business expansion and new business models for emerging technologies such as smart grid, utility scale storage, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Previously, Jeff served as manager of corporate strategic initiatives for Duke Energy.
Ajay K. Goel
Chief Executive Officer
Tata Power Solar
Ajay is responsible for driving the overall growth and development of Tata Power Solar (TPS) after Tata Power acquired the 50% stake from BP Solar in 2012. His focus is to accelerate the core mission of "Enabling Solar Everywhere" in three areas: cost leadership in manufacturing, rapid growth in solar projects and a slate of affordable new products for the off grid and grid-constrained markets. Prior to Tata Power Solar, Ajay spent 20 years in USA, where his last role was with MEMC/SunEdison as Vice President. In this role, he helped scale the SunEdison solar business globally to 10x in less than three years by setting strategy, improving operations and driving strategic investments. Before his stint at MEMC/SunEdison, Ajay led business development with Brightsource Energy, the world's leading solar thermal company. Ajay has over 20 years of in-depth experience in developing new products, ramping operations in new geographies, leading finance and strategy and establishing strategic partnerships. Ajay is committed to enabling solar everywhere and bringing the power of Sun to people in the most efficient and cost effective ways.
Alfred Griffin
NY Green Bank
Alfred Griffin is President of the New York Green Bank ("NY Green Bank"). NY Green Bank is a $1 billion initiative introduced by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in 2013 to mobilize greater private sector capital in New York's rapidly growing clean energy markets, to enhance New York's competitiveness for clean energy businesses, and to make the state's energy systems more resilient and reliable. Mr. Griffin brings 25 years of experience in banking and finance to NY Green Bank. He is an industry leader in developing innovative solutions in support of the financing of renewable energy generation and energy efficiency projects. In his role with NY Green Bank, Mr. Griffin will oversee partnerships with private sector capital providers to address market barriers currently limiting private investment in attractive renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Prior to joining NY Green Bank, Mr. Griffin specialized in structured finance with roles in corporate and investment banking, capital markets and risk management at Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Mr. Griffin is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he earned his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees, and currently serves on the Board of Visitors. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Katherine Hamilton
38 North Solutions
Katherine Hamilton is a principal at 38 North Solutions, a public policy firm focused on clean energy and innovation. Katherine served as President of the GridWise Alliance, advocating for nearly $5 billion in funding for smart grid projects in the Recovery Act. Prior to that role, Katherine was a policy advisor for Good Energies, Inc., a private investment company with a portfolio in clean energy technologies of nearly $6 billion. She co-directed the American Bioenergy Association, working with the states of Maryland and New Jersey to develop renewable portfolio standards. At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Katherine led buildings research and then managed government relations in Washington, DC. Katherine spent a decade at Virginia Power, designing overhead and underground electrical systems for commercial and residential developments. Katherine studied electrical engineering at Northern Virginia Community College and holds degrees from Cornell University and the Sorbonne. Katherine is part of The Energy Gang podcast through Greentech Media.
Connie Hedegaard
European Commissioner for Climate Action
European Commission
Connie Hedegaard has been European Commissioner for Climate Action in the European Commission since 2010. In 2009, she hosted the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009 while she was the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy. She was a cabinet member under Anders Fogh Rasmussen III and Lars Løkke Rasmussen as the Danish Minister for the Environment. She is a member of the Conservative People's Party (DKF), and was a member of parliament (Folketing) from 1984 to 1990. She was also elected a member of the Folketing in the 2005 Danish parliamentary election. Prior to becoming a minister, she worked as a journalist at DR, the Danish national broadcaster.
Stephanie Hill
Vice President & General Manager, Information Systems & Global Solutions Civil Business
Lockheed Martin
Stephanie C. Hill is the vice president & general manager of Lockheed Martin's Information Systems & Global Solutions Civil business that serves various nondefense U.S. government agencies, international governments and regulated commercial industries. Ms. Hill leads approximately 9,200 employees who are responsible for a wide array of information technology systems and services in areas such as information and cyber security, finance, transportation, citizen protection, energy, health care and space exploration. Since joining Lockheed Martin in 1987 as a software engineer, Ms. Hill has held positions of increasing responsibility. In addition to serving as vice president of Corporate Internal Audit, she also served as vice president and general manager of the Electronic Systems-Mission Systems & Sensors, Baltimore site. In this role, she managed a diverse portfolio that included Army and Navy launching systems, Coast Guard air and surface systems, Army persistent threat detection systems, laser and sensor systems and ship automation.
Wendolyn Holland
Holland Consulting
Wendolyn Holland is Director of Holland Consulting, LLC, which assists firms in the advanced and renewable energy industry achieve their business goals and cross the commercialization valley of death, as well as interface with federal and state agencies. She served as Senior Advisor for Commercialization in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy from 2008 through 2011. Holland served in 2012 as Director for Strategic Development and Technical Partnerships at Savannah River National Lab, which serves DOE's Office of Environmental Management. Prior to federal service, she worked with clean energy and water start-up firms as either an owner or consultant. She responded to the terrorist attacks of 2001 by joining Global Options, a Washington, D.C. security, investigations, and counter-terrorism start-up, later serving as Vice President.
Bert Hunter
Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer
CT Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority
As Chief Investment Officer for CT Clean Energy Finance & Investment Authority, Bert Hunter leads the development of new and innovative financing programs. His mission is to attract and deploy private capital for clean energy to Connecticut. He and his team are focused on introducing an "open access" on (utility) bill repayment program to link homeowners seeking to reduce their energy spend or "go solar" with multiple financial institutions offering long term loans at low, affordable rates. The team is also sourcing tens of millions of dollars needed for energy efficiency retrofits for state and local government buildings. Before joining CEFIA, Bert was VP Finance and CFO of Spectrum Capital, a US/UK investment bank focused on global commercial aircraft finance and investment in US electric power generation.
Keith Johnson
Senior Reporter
Foreign Policy
Keith Johnson began writing for The Wall Street Journal in 1998, while based in Spain. He covered Spanish politics, Islamist and Basque terrorism, energy, airlines and tourism, with the odd foray into bullfighting, the Olympics, and post-war Iraq. From 2008 to early 2010, he created and ran the WSJ blog "Environmental Capital," which offered daily analysis of energy and environmental issues. From 2010 to 2012 he covered Homeland Security, counter-terrorism, and foreign affairs while based in Washington. Finally, he covered energy and the environment, including domestic energy policies and environmental regulations. In late 2013, Johnson began covering the geopolitics of energy for Foreign Policy magazine, focusing on the tectonic shift in energy production and consumption and how that affects international relations. Over the past fifteen years, he has reported from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Born in Atlanta, Mr. Johnson received a double B.A. in History and Spanish and an M.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Georgia. He currently resides near Washington, D.C. with his wife and sons.
Dr Daniel Kammen
Class of 1935 Distinguished Professor of Energy
University of California, Berkeley
Dr. Kammen is the Class of 1935 Distinguished Professor of Energy at the University of California, Berkeley, with parallel appointments in the Energy and Resources Group, the Goldman School of Public Policy, and the department of Nuclear Engineering. He was appointed the first Environment and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA) Fellow by Secretary of State Hilary R. Clinton in April 2010. Kammen is the founding director of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL), Co-Director of the Berkeley Institute of the Environment, and Director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center. He has founded or is on the board of over 10 companies, and has served the State of California and US federal government in expert and advisory capacities.
Michael Kintner-Meyer
Staff Scientist
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Dr. Michael Kintner-Meyer, is Staff Scientist at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. He is the Laboratory's lead for energy storage grid analysis and electrification of transportation. Michael received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington and a MS from the University of Aachen, Germany.
Marcin Korolec
Secretary of State, Government Plenipotentiary for Climate Policy
MInistry of the Environment, Poland
Marcin Korolec, Secretary of State, Government Plenipotentiary for Climate Policy at the Ministry of the Environment. President of COP19. Lawyer, long-standing government administration worker and negotiator. Minister of the Environment 2011-2013. Between 2005 and 2011 Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy, responsible for co-operation within the EU (energy, the single European market, competitiveness, trade policy and climate change). Within the environmental policy, he's been promoting policies aiming at balancing the needs of environment and economy in order to combine environmental protection with economic growth.
Rachel Kyte
Vice President
World Bank Group
Rachel Kyte is World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change. She oversees work on climate change adaptation, mitigation, climate finance, and disaster risk and resilience across the institutions of the World Bank Group, including IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA. The climate group is focused on ensuring that all Bank Group operations integrate climate change and take into account the opportunities that inclusive green growth presents. The group is also an advocate for global climate action. Ms. Kyte previously served as World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development and was the International Finance Corporation Vice President for Business Advisory Services and a member of IFC's management team. She is professor of practice in sustainable development at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She holds a master's degree in international relations from Tufts University, and a bachelor's degree in history and politics from the University of London.
Mike Lawn
Power and Gas Application Specialist
Mike is responsible for making sure that Bloomberg's legion of power and gas users are making the most of the power and natural gas functionality available to them, for representing Bloomberg to this community and for acting as a subject matter expert on power and gas within Bloomberg and to the wider energy community. Prior to taking this role Mike was head of the Power and Gas services for Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). He launched the BNEF European Power Service and the BNEF Natural Gas service and completed research on the response of power markets to high levels or renewable penetration. Before joining Bloomberg Mike was Director of Power Research for Citadel Investment Group in Chicago where he and his team delivered complex models and analysis to support the power trading desk. Mike has had a varied career working as a management consultant for Accenture and prior to that held a number of roles as a Mechanical Engineer. Mike holds an MPA in Energy Policy and Economics from the School of International and Public Affairs at University, New York and a BA in Mechanical Engineering from Cambridge University, United Kingdom.
Michael Liebreich
Founder and Advisory Board Chairman
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Michael Liebreich is the Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the leading provider of research for decision-makers in the clean energy, water, carbon and power markets. Bloomberg New Energy Finance has close to 200 staff working out of 11 offices around the world. Michael founded the company in 2004 and acted as Chairman and Chief Executive until its acquisition by Bloomberg in 2009. Michael is a board member for the UN Secretary General's High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Energy for All, a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on the New Energy Architecture and Founding Chairman for Finance for Resilience (FiRe). He is a former member of the advisory board of the Clinton Global Initiative's Energy, Accenture's Global Energy Board and Climate Change working group, and of the selection panel for the Zayed Future Energy Prize. Michael is a member of the selection panel for the World Economic Forum Technology Pioneers and chairman of the selection committee for the Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers. He is on the advisory panel for the INSEAD Energy Club and acts as visiting professor at London's Imperial College Energy Futures Lab. Prior to founding New Energy Finance, Michael was an entrepreneur, venture capitalist and media executive. In the 1990s he acted as Deputy Managing Director of Associated Press Television and Founding Director of Sports News Television, and then as UK Managing Director of Groupe Arnault's technology investment activities. He also spent five years in the London office of McKinsey & Company. Michael is a three-time finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. Michael graduated in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, winning the Riccardo Prize for Thermodynamics. He earned his MBA from Harvard, where he was a Harkness Fellow and Baker Scholar. Michael was a member of the British Ski Team at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games. He is also Chairman of St. Mark's Hospital Foundation, a medical charity.
Philippe Lorec
Head of International Financings/Funds and Markets
Prime Minister Office, France
Mr Philippe Lorec is the Head of International Financings/Funds and Markets in the Prime Minister Office (DIMED). Before he was the Deputy Director General for Energy and Climate in the Ministry of Ecology Energy Sustainable Development and Town planning between 2007 and 2013. He was in charge of the international affairs and governmental negotiations and the Project Manager of the Mediterranean Solar Plan. His previous positions were Diplomatic Adviser (2005-2006) in the cabinet of two Ministries of Industry (Mr Devedjian and Loos), adviser to the chairman of the Direction of international and economic affairs (2004-2005). Before he was program Manager to the French minister of Defense. Mr Philippe Lorec is professor in international relations in Sorbonne and Science Po, Paris. Born in 1967, Philippe Lorec is special engineer from the "Corps de l'Armement" and holds a PhD in Microelectronics (Jussieu, Paris).
Joan MacNaughton
Executive Chair
World Energy Trilemma for the World Energy Council
Joan MacNaughton has been an influential figure in energy and climate policy in a variety of roles. Joan is Executive chair of the annual assessment of countries' energy policies for the World Energy Council, the 'Trilemma'. She is an Honorary Fellow and Past President of the Energy Institute, a member of the International Advisory Board of the Energy Institute of University College London; a trustee of The Climate Group and Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Energy Academy of Europe. In 2012 she was Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Policy Dialogue of the CDM. She has served on the Board of Governors, Argonne Laboratory at the University of Chicago where she chaired the Budget Committee; the Boards of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), the International Emission Trading Association (IETA), and the Policy, Regulatory and Legal Steering Group of GCCSI, and for six years was a Non Executive Director of a FTSE 250 company. She is a Companion of the Order of the Bath and is now a Fellow of IETA. From 2007 to 2013 she was Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, and has lectured at the LSE, UCL and many other institutions.
Roger Martella
Partner, Environmental Practice Group
Sidley Austin LLP
ROGER MARTELLA is a partner in the Environmental Practice Group at Sidley Austin LLP. He rejoined Sidley Austin LLP after serving as the General Counsel of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, concluding 10 years of litigating and handling complex environmental and natural resource matters at the Department of Justice and EPA. Mr. Martella counsels approximately 40 of the world's leading conventional and renewable energy, industrial, transportation, agricultural, forestry, and technology companies on bet-the-company environmental issues, regulatory matters, and litigation including transitioning to an era of legal controls addressing greenhouse gas emissions, increasingly stringent pollutant controls, alternative and clean energy, hydraulic fracturing, and sustainability both in the United States and abroad.
Marc Matsuura
Smart Grid Program Manager
Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii
Marc Matsuura is currently the Smart Grid Program Manager, Hawaii Natural Energy Institute (HNEI), a research unit of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Since its establishment in 1974, the Institute has supported the development and utilization of sustainable energy resources in the State of Hawaii. HNEI employs over 80 research professionals from both academia and industry, who bring unique expertise in a broad range of focus areas including, Biomass, Bio-Renewable Resources, Biotechnology, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells, Grid Systems, Hydrogen, Ocean Resources, wind and solar power, and Transportation. Prior to joining HNEI in 2013, Marc was with the Hawaiian Electric Company for 21 years and held positions there in the areas of T&D Engineering, T&D Standards and Technical Services, System Operations, Transmission Planning, Smart Grid, and System Integration. Marc is a licensed professional engineer in Hawaii and holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Hawaiʻi.
Professor Sir Jim McDonald
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
University of Strathclyde
Professor Sir Jim McDonald joined Strathclyde University in 1984 following 7 years in the power industry and was appointed to the Rolls-Royce Chair in Electrical Power Systems in 1993. He became Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde in March 2009. He chairs two of the pan-Scotland research pools in Engineering and Energy. He sits on the Scottish Enterprise Board and the UKTI Energy Excellence Board. He co-chairs – with the First Minister – the Energy Advisory Board. He is Chairman of the Independent Glasgow Economic Leadership Board and the Board of the Glasgow Science Centre. He is Vice-President of the UK's Institution of Engineering and Technology and is a Non-Executive Director of the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult Board.
Yvonne A. McIntyre
Vice President, Federal Government Affairs
Calpine Corporation
Yvonne McIntyre is responsible for developing, managing and implementing federal legislative and regulatory strategies for the Company. She works with Congress, the Administration, and regulatory agencies on a number of issues, with a particular focus on energy and environmental issues. Ms. McIntyre has worked in the field of government relations for 19 years and in the power industry for 25 years. Prior to Calpine, Ms. McIntyre worked in various capacities for Mirant Corporation, Kansas City Power and Light, and DTE Energy. She has worked extensively on issues relating to national energy policy, climate change, the Clean Air Act, tax and other issues relating to renewable energy technologies. Ms. McIntyre began her professional career with Detroit Edison as an electrical engineer working in power plants and distribution systems service centers.
Colin McKerracher
Senior Analyst
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Colin McKerracher is a senior analyst covering the global smart grid industry at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Colin writes extensively on the topics of home energy management, smart metering, demand response and the ways in which data is transforming utility operations. Colin holds degrees from the London School of Economics and the Sauder School of Business at UBC. He is based in London, UK.
Victoria Mills
Managing Director, Corporate Partnerships Program
EDF Climate Corps
Victoria Mills leads EDF Climate Corps, an innovative fellowship program that has helped hundreds of organizations cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions through improved energy management. Since the program's launch in 2008, EDF Climate Corps fellows have identified over a billion dollars in energy savings for leading companies, cities, universities, government entities and nonprofit organizations. Victoria has over 15 years of experience working with market-leading companies to create environmental improvements that make business sense. At EDF, she has led corporate partnerships in the consumer products, transportation, information technology and paper and packaging sectors.
Adam Monroe
Regional President of the Americas
Adam Monroe serves as Regional President of the Americas for Novozymes, a world leader in bioinnovation, and leading manufacturer of enzymes, microorganisms and biopharmaceutical ingredients. He is located at the company's regional headquarters in Franklinton, North Carolina. In addition to heading management teams for the Americas, Monroe is responsible for advancing business development and leading public affairs activities for the region. With more than 20 years of experience in the industrial biotechnology industry, Monroe is a leading voice on sustainability, bioenergy and the bio-based economy. Monroe currently serves as Chair of the Biotechnology Industry Organization's Industrial & Environmental Board and on the corporate advisory council as a founding member of The Sustainability Consortium. He also serves on the boards of North Carolina Biosciences Organization, North Carolina Biofuels Center, the North Carolina Business Committee for Education and the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Foundation. Monroe received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arkansas.
Jon Moore
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Jon has over 20 years' experience of building professional service firms in the financial services industry, serving clients across the US, Europe and Asia. Prior to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Jon's career started with a decade at J P Morgan, supporting their Commodities business and Accenture within their Financial Services practice, including two years helping build the Asian Financial Services practice. This was followed by a decade where Jon was co-founder then CEO of a business consulting firm, m.a.partners, which provided services to the global capital markets community. Jon has a B Eng (Hons) in Electronic Engineering from Nottingham University and has attended professional development classes at Harvard and NYU.
Richard Muller
Professor of Physics, Author
University of California at Berkeley
Richard Muller is a professor of physics at the University of California at Berkeley, and scientific director of Berkeley Earth, a nonprofit that studies climate change. His research has been in nuclear physics, astrophysics, applied physics and climate. Two projects he founded led to Nobel Prizes for the scientists he hired to continue them. He has been a consultant to the US Government on national security for four decades. His work in recent years has focused on climate change, energy independence, alternative energy, and high-tech innovation. He and his daughter, Elizabeth Muller, founded Berkeley Earth, a think-tank that re-analyzed the thermometer data that forms the foundation of our concerns about global warming. He is the author of numerous op eds (he is widely known as the "converted skeptic"), and his books include "Physics for Future Presidents" and "Energy for Future Presidents".
Tim Newell
Vice President of Financial Products
Tim Newell is leading a new SolarCity initiative to provide a broad range of investors – including individuals – with access to innovative financial products backed by SolarCity's growing pool of solar assets. Mr. Newell joined SolarCity's management team in December 2013 following SolarCity's acquisition of Common Assets, a financial technology company where Mr. Newell had been a founder and CEO. As CEO of Common Assets, Mr. Newell led the development of a financial platform designed to allow a wide array of individual and institutional investors to participate in financing renewable energy projects. Between 2009 and 2013, Mr. Newell also served as a Senior Advisor for US Renewables Group, a private equity firm focused on investments in renewable energy companies that was the founding investor in Common Assets. Prior to his investment career, Mr. Newell served in a number of positions in the U.S. government, most recently as Deputy Director for Policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under the Clinton Administration. Mr. Newell received a BA in Economics from Brown University.
Hege Marie Norheim
Senior Vice President Corporate Sustainability Unit
Hege Marie Norheim worked for several years as advisor for the Norwegian Prime Minister's Office. In 2000 she was state secretary to the Prime Minister and in 2001 state secretary to the Minister of Finance. She joined Norsk Hydro in 2002 as Director of Communication for the oil and gas division, and later Partner Operated Licenses. In 2005 Hege Marie Norheim was elected as the first female vice president in the Word Petroleum Congress executive committee, a position she held until 2007. When Norsk Hydro merged with Statoil she took over the responsibility for business development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf in the new company. In 2009 began to lead Statoil's corporate initiative on arctic and sub-arctic business development activities. In June 2010 Hege was appointed head of Statoil's Climate unit, where she set the strategic agenda for Statoil's climate ambitions and actions. In January 2013, Hege was appointed S, and is now responsible for driving the company's social and environmental strategy and performance.
Steve O'Rourke
Senior VP, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff
Steve O'Rourke joined SunEdison in October 2010 as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and was most recently appointed Chief of Staff. Prior to joining SunEdison, Steve served as Managing Director at Deutsche Bank Securities where he was responsible for the company's clean energy and semiconductor capital-equipment equity research practice. Prior to Deutsche Bank, he held management and leadership positions with Piper Jaffray, Robertson Stephens, Everdream Corporation, and Applied Materials, Inc. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, and did graduate work in Nuclear Engineering with the US Navy.
Nancy E. Pfund
Founder and Managing Partner
DBL Investors
Nancy E. Pfund is Founder and Managing Partner of DBL Investors, a venture capital firm located in San Francisco, whose goal is to combine top-tier financial returns with meaningful social, economic and environmental returns in the regions and sectors in which it invests. As a leading player in the growing field of "impact investing", DBL has helped to reveal the power of venture capital to promote social change and environmental improvement, and Ms. Pfund writes and speaks frequently on this topic. Ms. Pfund currently sponsors or sits on the board of directors of several companies, including; SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY) on both the audit and compensation committees, BrightSource Energy, Primus Power, Eco.logic Brands, EcoScraps, OPx Biotechnologies, Powergenix and, prior to their public offerings, Tesla Motors and Pandora Media. Prior to founding DBL, Ms. Pfund was a Managing Director in Venture Capital at JPMorgan, having started her investment career at Hambrecht & Quist in 1984. Previously, Ms. Pfund worked at Intel Corporation, the State of California, Stanford University and the Sierra Club.
Jonathan Plowe
Managing Director, Cross Asset Solutions & Strategies
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Jonathan Plowe is a managing director in the Cross Asset Solutions & Strategies Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, responsible for coordinating across the bank's Global Banking & Markets platform to develop, originate and distribute funding and investment structures for all client segments, with emphasis on new business initiatives, corporate strategies, and new energy & infrastructure solutions. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch in 1997, Plowe was an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom, focusing on structured finance, mergers & acquisitions, and financial products. Plowe holds a J.D. degree from The George Washington University Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University.
Julian Poulter
Executive Director
Asset Owners Disclosure Project
Julian is the Executive Director of the Asset Owners Disclosure Project (AODP), publishers of the world's only Global Climate Index for asset owners and the world's leading independent body for climate disclosure by the world's largest institutional investors. He is also a director of the Climate Institute of Australia, a GRI stakeholder council member, chair of the GRI Investment working group and sits on the advisory boards of several global climate finance initiatives. Before entering the not-for-profit sector in 2007, Julian had a long career in business and finance. He was Chief Executive Officer of two consulting and software companies and has held many senior executive in large organisations. He has managed large projects and operations in many diverse industries including investment, finance, oil and gas, manufacturing, venture capital, energy, distribution, retail and information technology,
Ernst Rauch
Munich Re Corporate Climate Centre
Ernst Rauch studied at the Institute for General and Applied Geophysics at the University of Munich from 1981 to 1986. After having spent two years as a research assistant (1986-1988), he joined the staff of Munich Re's Geo Risks Research Department in June 1988. His work initially focused on earthquake risk analysis and the development of earthquake simulation models. Since the early 1990s his area of responsibility shifted increasingly to the analysis and modelling of meteorological risks. After becoming section leader in 2000, he was appointed head of the Meteorological Risks Department at Munich Re in April 2004. On 1 April 2008, Mr. Rauch became head of the newly established Munich Re strategy unit Corporate Climate Centre (CCC). The CCC also serves as a central entry and coordinating point to Munich Re on renewable energies. In 2009, Ernst Rauch assumed overall responsibility for the Dii GmbH (Desertec Industrial Initiative) www.dii-eumena.com) project office during the founding phase, and today represents Munich Re as a shareholder in Dii.
Kate Richard
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Warwick Energy Group
Ms. Richard is the founder and CEO of Warwick Energy Group, an Oklahoma City-based oil & natural gas company with over 5,000 wells in 13 states. She founded the company in 2010 and is one of the youngest CEOs in the oil and gas industry of a company with half a billion invested to date. Since 2010, she has been an adviser to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's Ministry of Mines on energy development and transparency, working in concert with the Aspen Institute's Market Building Initiative and the Institute for State Effectiveness. She serves on the board of Abraxas Petroleum (NASDAQ: 'AXAS') and on the Advisory Council of MicroVest Capital Management, the first microfinance private investment firm in the US.
Sam Roots
Lead Analyst, Applied Research
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Since joining BNEF in 2011, Sam has delivered bespoke research for a wide range of clients, drawing from in-house content, economic models and expert interviews. In his capacity as a technology and design enthusiast, he also works with the New Energy Pioneers awards and oversees BNEF's role supporting the Zayed Future Energy Prize. He holds a master's in materials science from Oxford University and sings with the London Philharmonic Choir.
Juliana Rotich
Co-founder and Executive Director
Juliana Rotich is co-founder and executive director of Ushahidi, a nonprofit tech company that develops free and open-source software for information collection, interactive mapping and data curation. Ushahidi builds tools for democratizing information, increasing transparency and lowering the barriers for individuals to share their stories. Through Crowdmap.com, Swiftly.org and accompanying mobile applications, Ushahidi is making crowdsourcing tools available and useful. Their latest product is BRCK, a tool for resilient connectivity — anywhere. Rotich is also a founder of iHub, a Nairobi tech space, vector for investors and VCs and incubator. She is a TED Senior Fellow and serves on the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Information Communications Technology. She co-founded Mobisoko, a mobile marketplace for language and location relevant apps in Africa. She was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011 by The World Economic Forum.
Claes Rytoft
Chief Technology Officer
Claes Rytoft is Chief Technology Officer of ABB Ltd, a global leader in power and automation technologies with 145'000 people and operations in more than 100 countries. Prior to his current assignment he held management roles in Asea Sweden and ABB's Swedish and Swiss operations, including Global Technology Manager for several business units and Chief Technology Officer for the Power Systems Division. He holds a Master of Science (M. Sc.) in Electrical Engineering from Lund University in Sweden.
David Sandalow
Inaugural Fellow
Columbia University's new Center on Global Energy Policy
David Sandalow is the Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's new Center on Global Energy Policy and a senior adviser to Garten Rothkopf LLC. From Spring 2009–Spring 2013, Mr. Sandalow served in senior positions at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), including Under Secretary of Energy (Acting) and Assistant Secretary for Policy & International Affairs. Mr. Sandalow is the author of Freedom from Oil (McGraw-Hill, 2008) and editor of Plug-In Electric Vehicles: What Role for Washington? (Brookings Press, 2009). He has written widely on energy and environment policy, including op-eds in the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times and other publications.
Harris Schaer
Senior Project Manager
New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)
Harris Schaer is a Senior Project Manager with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). His primary focus is design and implementation of next generation incentive programs targeting market transformation and deployment of energy efficiency and peak demand management in New York City's built environment. Mr. Schaer has lectured on the topic of energy efficiency in commercial buildings at Columbia University, served on the Urban Green Council Building Resiliency Task Force and currently sits on the Board of the New York Energy Consumers Council. Prior to his role at NYSERDA, Mr. Schaer received a BA in Physics from the University of Chicago and visited Iceland as a Fulbright Scholar where he advanced efforts dedicated to transitioning Iceland's transportation sector to hydrogen produced from locally abundant renewable resources. Mr. Schaer was awarded an MS in Solid-State Physics from the University of Iceland for his thesis on hydrogen storage.
Stephen Schneider
Chief Solutions Architect and Director of Technology Integration
Leidos Engineering
Stephen Schneider is a Chief Solutions Architect and Director of Technology Integration at Leidos Engineering. As Chief Solution Architect, Mr. Schneider leads Leidos' Microgrid business campaign and oversees its strategic direction, business model, technical development, market consortium formation and third party financing components. As Director of Technology Integration, Mr. Schneider is responsible for leveraging and combining energy, health and national security technologies found across the Leidos organization into new adjacent business models. Prior to joining Leidos, Mr. Schneider was the Lockheed Martin Principal Electrical Engineering Subject Matter Expert for evaluating new energy, sustainability and water technologies. In addition, Mr. Schneider has 19 years' experience in the Investor Owned utility business through Constellation Energy/Baltimore Gas & Electric.
Ashish Sethia
Head of APAC Gas & Power Analysis and Head of India Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Ashish Sethia, APAC Lead–Gas & Power Markets & India Country Manager with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, analyses demand-supply fundamentals, asset valuations and policy developments in the natural gas, power and renewable energy markets. Previously, he was part of Logica's global specialist group on smart grids and emissions management solutions. Ashish also headed up the commercial operations of one of India's largest power distribution companies. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, he has a first class degree in Electronics & Communications Engineering and a MBA in Finance.
Dennis She
President and Chief Executive Officer
ET Solar
Dennis She has been ET Solar's President and Chief Executive Officer since March 2010. Between 2006 and 2010, Mr. She was a Vice President and Chief Sales Officer of ET Solar. Prior to joining us, Mr. She served as the Marketing and Brand Manager of China Sunergy Co., Ltd. from 2004 to 2006. Mr. She served as the Assistant to General Manager at Shangmao Investment Group in 2004. Mr. She received his bachelor's degree at Chinese literature and his executive MBA degree at Nanjing University in 2003 and 2011, respectively.
Anil Srivastava
Director & Member of the Board
Oak Ridge Energy Technologies, Inc.
Mr. Srivastava's corporate experience spans across US, Asia and Europe. Starting as an Engineer in HP (1984-1993) through to a Regional Director; a Managing Director in AT&T/ Lucent Technologies (1994-2003); and an Executive Vice President in Alcatel (Oct. 2003 – Sept. 2008). From January 2009 to December 2011, Mr. Srivastava was the Chief Executive Officer of AREVA Renewables, reporting to the Chairman of the Executive Board, a wholly-owned subsidiary of AREVA SA, which is the largest Nuclear Engineering Company in the world. He was also a Member of the Executive Committee of AREVA Group, and was recruited to develop its diversification plan into the Renewable Energies industry. Since spring of 2012, Mr. Srivastava has been pursuing an entrepreneurial career. From June 2012 to October 2013, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Wind Kraft Union GmbH, one of the largest Offshore Wind Park Development Company in Germany. Most recently, Mr. Srivastava is engaged as an Executive Partner with Climate Holdings, BV (Nov. 2013 to present), a holding entity for operating companies in the Energy business. Mr. Srivastava has a Master's in Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India and received an Executive MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Martha Stein-Sochas
Senior Private Sector Specialist
Climate Investment Funds
Martha Stein-Sochas, is the Senior Private Sector Specialist at the Climate Investment Funds Administrative unit at the World Bank. She has an extensive background in working with the public and private sectors from her career with the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). During her time with AFD she worked both at PROPARCO, AFD's private sector subsidiary, and at AFD itself developing innovative financing mechanisms for debt, equity and guarantee transactions. She also has regional experience particularly in Sub Saharan Africa where she served as regional Director for East Africa (1999-2002), Deputy Director for the Africa Department (2007-2008), and in Asia, as Director for Asia from 2008-2011. Before joining the CIF, Martha spent a year at Conservation International as Senior Vice President for the Center for Environment and Peace, CI's policy division at their headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
Peter Sweatman
Chief Executive
Climate Strategy & Partners
Peter Sweatman is the Chief Executive of Climate Strategy & Partners (www.climatestrategy.com), a strategic consultant in Clean Energy, Clean Technology, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Strategies. For 5 years directly prior to this Peter was Managing Director responsible for Iberia and Latin America for Climate Change Capital, one of the world's leading specialist fund manager and advisors in the low carbon economy. Peter holds a Masters degree in Engineering and Management Studies from Cambridge University. In 1991, he joined JPMorgan in Corporate Finance where he spent 9 years responsible for client business mainly in debt capital markets for Iberia and Latin America from London and then New York. In 2000, Peter became a social entrepreneur joining with other ex-bankers to found and run three NGOs : Charity Technology Trust (www.ctt.org), New Philanthropy Capital and Catalyst Climate Change Trust.
Simon Upton
Environment Director
Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD)
Simon Upton is the Environment Director at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD). The Environment Directorate is responsible for Environmental Performance Reviews of Member Countries, the economic analysis of policy instruments used to improve environmental outcomes and a wide range of work related to water, biodiversity, climate and chemicals. He has played a key role in the development of the OECD's Green Growth Strategy. Mr Upton is a New Zealander, a Rhodes Scholar and former Member of Parliament. He was Minister for Environment and Science & Technology during the 1990s. He chaired the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in 1999. He has chaired the Round Table on Sustainable Development at the OECD since 1998 and took over his current role as Environment Director in 2010. Mr Upton is a member of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment & Development (CCICED).
Maria van der Hoeven
Executive Director
International Energy Agency
Maria van der Hoeven took over as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) on 1 September 2011. Ms. Van der Hoeven has steered the IEA during a period of exceptional change in the global energy landscape. While the original IEA mandate of energy security remains at the core of the agency's mission, the IEA has been challenged by rapidly shifting supply/demand balances for oil as well as other major fuels, affecting its members' interests and also those within the wider global energy economy. Ms. Van der Hoeven is taking the initiative to address the challenges of global energy governance in the face of changing worldwide requirements. She is determined to strengthen the Agency's role, enabling it to take the lead in the transition to a secure and sustainable energy future. One of her overarching priorities is implementing a new global engagement strategy to further build and formalise cooperation with the major emerging energy players of the 21st century. Another is expanding modern energy services to the 1.3 billion people worldwide who currently lack them. In recognition of the IEA's efforts to address the crisis of energy poverty, Ms. Van der Hoeven has been invited to serve on the Advisory Board to the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative. Previously, Ms. Van der Hoeven served as Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands from February 2007 to October 2010, during which time she demonstrated leadership on energy policy at the national, regional and global levels.
Jacob Ward
Program Manager for Analysis
Vehicle Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy
Jacob Ward serves as the Program Manager for Analysis in the Vehicle Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. His work includes vehicle and energy efficiency market analysis, technology forecasting, macroeconomic benefit estimation, and the public dissemination of vehicle technology information. He received the Secretary's Appreciation Award in 2010 for his work interpreting the long-term benefits of Recovery Act projects. Jake joined the DOE in 2008 as a Presidential Management Fellow after earning a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, where he focused on Environmental and Regulatory Policy and International Policy and Development. He also holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and BAs in Latin American Studies and the Plan II Honors interdisciplinary liberal arts program from the University of Texas at Austin.
Brian Warshay
Lead Analyst, North America Energy Smart Technologies
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Brian leads BNEF's North American Energy Smart Technologies coverage. Since 2011 he has researched smart grids, microgrids, reliability, demand response and energy storage. Brian received his MSc at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Prior to Masdar, Brian worked over three years as an environmental consultant focusing on solid waste programmes. He completed a B.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering Technology at Cornell University.
Governor Christine Todd Whitman
Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy Coalition)
Governor Christine Todd Whitman has served as Co-Chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy Coalition) since the Coalition was formed in 2006. As Co-Chair, Governor Whitman connects with policy-makers, business associations, scholars and community leaders to discuss the benefits of nuclear energy and promote a diverse energy portfolio. Governor Whitman's work with CASEnergy Coalition helps to foster a fact-based public dialogue about nuclear energy, a critical part of CASEnergy Coalition's mission to support the increased use of nuclear power to ensure an affordable, clean and safe supply of electricity. Gov. Whitman served as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2001 to 2003. She was the 50th Governor of New Jersey, serving from 1994 until 2001. Since leaving the EPA, Governor Whitman has served as President of The Whitman Strategy Group, a consulting firm specializing in energy and environmental issues.
Justin Wu
Head of Wind Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Justin Wu is Head of Wind Analysis, leading a global team responsible for producing and communicating analysis on the economics, policy, and strategic dynamics of the wind industry. He is a also specialist in Chinese energy policy and US-China clean energy trade issues. Justin has been quoted extensively in international media and has testified before the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on competitiveness and collaboration between the US and China on clean energy.
William Young
Summit Program Director
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
William is Programme Director for the BNEF Summit and a member of the BNEF Product Management team where he has overall responsibility for Data & R&D strategy and planning. He joined BNEF in 2004 and in 2007 pioneered the launch and development of the firm's Wind Insight service which he lead for four years. He is a founding member of the Conservative Environment Network and studied Modern History at Oxford University.
Alejandro Zamorano
Head of Advanced Transport Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
As the Head of Advanced Transport Analysis at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Alejandro conducts research and analysis related to transport markets globally, focusing on advanced fuels — biofuels, natural gas and hydrogen –, refuelling infrastructure deployment and new vehicle technologies. Alejandro holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Purdue University, a Graduate Diploma in Capital Markets from Universidad Externado of Colombia and a Master of International Energy Management and Policy from Columbia University.
Ethan Zindler
Head of Policy Analysis
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Ethan is Head of Americas and Head of Policy Analysis with responsibility for managing coverage of key policy developments globally impacting renewables, biofuels, and energy efficiency. Ethan's particular area of expertise is US clean energy policy and he has testified on clean energy issues before the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee as well as the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Ethan previously served in the Clinton White House.