Advisory Board

Dr. Sami Pelkonen is the Executive Vice President of Green Hydrogen, Renewable Fuels, and P2X division at ANDRITZ. Under Sami’s leadership the division is responsible for the entire value chain from technology, fabrication, engineering, delivery and service. Sami holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Dortmund and master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Technology in Helsinki. Prior to joining ANDRITZ, he spent 25 years at thyssenkrupp, where he led several business units, including Chemical Plants and Electrolysis and Polymers, and served as CEO of the thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers joint venture (now thyssenkrupp nucera).

Rory O’Neill is an industrialist with extensive interests spanning energy, mining, shipping, and technology investing. Since 2015, Rory has been at the forefront of developing proofs of concept for Decentralised Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) on blockchain, a commitment to integrating advanced technologies with traditional industries. He also co-founded the Kaspa Industrial Initiative for blockchain technology. Rory is the founder of several pioneering energy companies interconnecting power grids via HVDC interconnections and utility-scale energy storage.

Beyond the energy sector, Rory has a strong interest in emerging plasmonic optical technology. In philanthropy, he co-founded OpenBook, an initiative providing free educational materials with personalised learning pathways.

Rory’s career began in the natural gas industry. 20 years ago he established a competitive industrial and commercial gas trading company and later ventured into marine engineering and shipping to support offshore wind power grids. His contributions extend to various utility and network infrastructure projects in electricity, gas, and telecommunications.

Dr. Jan Frederik Braun is the Head of Hydrogen Cooperation for the MENA Region at Fraunhofer ISE. In this function, Jan has managed and contributed Fraunhofer’s co-authorship of the national hydrogen strategy of the United Arab Emirates. Jan is also the co-editor and co-author of the book “The Hydrogen Economy and Saudi Arabia” (2024), which was published by Routledge in April 2024. Jan previously worked as a Research Fellow at the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). He also researched climate and energy policy as a Strategic Energy Analyst at The Hague Center for Strategic Studies (HCSS), for the Dutch Ministry of Environment, and at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels. Jan holds an M.A. in International Relations from Durham University and a Doctorate of Economics and Social Sciences (magna cum laude) from Osnabrück University.

Dr. Sami Pelkonen is the Executive Vice President of Green Hydrogen, Renewable Fuels, and P2X division at ANDRITZ. Under Sami’s leadership the division is responsible for the entire value chain from technology, fabrication, engineering, delivery and service. Sami holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Dortmund and master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Technology in Helsinki. Prior to joining ANDRITZ, he spent 25 years at thyssenkrupp, where he led several business units, including Chemical Plants and Electrolysis and Polymers, and served as CEO of the thyssenkrupp Uhde Chlorine Engineers joint venture (now thyssenkrupp nucera.

Carolina Lopez-Rocha is an international lawyer with over 10 years of experience reforming policies and regulations to boost investments in the energy sector. Ms. Lopez-Rocha joined the World Bank in 2016 and has developed instruments to finance green hydrogen, energy efficiency, and renewable power. Ms. Lopez-Rocha also collaborated with the OECD and the Inter-American Bank to attract private investors in the energy sector to Eastern European and Latin American & Caribbean countries. Before joining the World Bank, she was the Legal Officer at the Mexican-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where she led negotiations between the Mexican Government and transnational enterprises to advance trade and investment, and she also developed Public-Private Partnership projects (PPP) for infrastructure projects. She previously collaborated with the UN Office of Human Rights in Mexico, where she implemented human rights programs to protect vulnerable groups. She received her LLM in International Legal Studies from NYU Law School.

Florian Merz is currently Associate Director of Business Development (Europe) at Masdar.

Mr. Merz has more than 25 years experience in a wide range of hydrogen-relevant markets, spanning energy and energy transition, chemicals, metals, automotive, aerospace, mechanical and plant engineering, and PE/VC.

Building on his significant experience and expertise in clean energy and hydrogen, his brief at Masdar is to drive business development in Europe for the PtX-value chain, from renewable power via green hydrogen and its derivatives, to off-takers for their energy needs and decarbonization.

Until recently, Mr. Merz was a Director for UAE Industries at Mubadala Investment Company, where he has been engaged across several positions over the past 16 years focusing globally on growth and build-up of new businesses, investment sectors and ecosystems.

Before joining Mubadala, Mr. Merz drove strategy and organizational effectiveness at BMW Group and established the global after-sales business for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Prior to that, he was a Project Leader for The Boston Consulting Group focusing worldwide on strategy, operational effectiveness, and the foundation of new businesses.

Mr. Merz qualified as a Mechanical Engineer from the Technical University of Munich.

Cornelius Matthes, Chief Executive Officer, Dii Desert Energy and the MENA Hydrogen Alliance

Shaping the future of renewable energies | Investor in emission free technologies

As the CEO at Dii Desert Energy, Cornelius made its mission to drive the energy transition forward and pioneer the field of energy from the desert, leading the world to 100% renewables!

Cornelius is a well-respected leader and investor in the renewable energy industry and built several successful clean energy businesses and start-ups within Middle East and Africa. He has extensive board level experience from 10 years in Deutsche Bank (among others, youngest board member in Deutsche Bank Italy Group) and several leading renewable energy organizations and associations via pro bono work as well as different startup companies.

By building the international shareholder and partner network of Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative), he was at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution in North Africa and the Middle East. A keen entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets with recognitions such as “Solar Pioneer 2015” for the Middle East or the Visionary CleanTech Influencer of The Year 2022 by World Cleantech Awards. He is lecturing at several universities including St. Gallen and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He holds an MBA (Dipl. Kaufmann) from University of Passau, and speaks German, English, Italian, French and Russian.

His experience ranges from M&A transactions, asset management, developing utility scale renewable energy projects (including mid-market with private PPAs), pay-as-you-go solar to energy efficiency, including ESCO projects and new business models. Some of the projects and companies were executed in challenging settings or countries. He has led sizable organizations both in startup environments and blue-chip companies and has raised funds from angel investments to USD 100m+ projects with institutional investors.

“I am glad to be able to work in renewable energy which is also my passion – we can genuinely make an impact with many different things and help people, to make our planet a better place. Having new challenges every day is fantastic and many more mountains to be climbed!”

Executive management and boards of a variety of companies in emission-free technologies, as well as investment funds, seek his advice.

Paul van Son has been active for more than 40 years in various supervisory boards, executive and operations management positions in the international (emission- free) energy, grid infrastructure and gas business.

Based in Munich (Germany) and Dubai (UAE), he is the founding CEO of Dii Desert Energy, originally ‘Desertec Industry Initiative (2009)’. This international group of companies aims at paving the way for countries in North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) to become an emission free energy ‘Powerhouse” for their own benefit and, ultimately, for exporting green energy into the global markets (Desertec 3.0). Since 2021, Paul is acting President of Dii Desert Energy.

Between 2015 and 2019, Paul acted as the MENA Country Chairman for innogy SE – a leading company in the field of renewables, grids and retail of power and gas, with annual turn-over of over 40 bln€ and over 23 mln power and gas customers. During this time, he has led the Management Teams of Innogy and Dii Desert Energy in the MENA region. Paul reported to the Chairman of innogy’s Executive Management Board. Among others he was innogy’s Envoy on hydrogen.

Mr. van Son is the founder (1999) and honorary President of the European Federation of Energy Traders (Energy Traders Europe – Energy Traders Europe). He is Chairman of the Energy4All Foundation (Home – Energy4all), a non-profit organization promoting decentralized energy systems in Africa.

He graduated as MSc of electrical engineering at the Technical University Delft (1978) and Corporate Governance at Nyenrode University, Netherlands (2008).

Paul is the co-author of the ground-breaking book on “Emission Free Energy from the Deserts” (2020), Paul van Son & Thomas Isenburg, Smart Books, The Hague.

Laurence Boisramé is Bureau Veritas Global Director for Hydrogen & Carbon Capture, Use and Storage (CCUS). She is responsible for developing Bureau Veritas services to address the needs of players all along the value chain, from production to transport, distribution and end-uses of hydrogen and derivatives, including but not limited to certification of production assets, testing and certification of equipment, design review, technical advisory, risk assessment, and testing of molecules. In her global role, Laurence pays a particular attention to position Bureau Veritas as a trusted partner to ensure a true energy transition, including safe, reliable, and sustainable hydrogen production and transport, as well as safe, measured, and verified carbon capture and storage.

With more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector, Laurence has held senior executive positions in business strategy and business development. Since the last 8 years, she has been involved in the hydrogen and carbon management economy and has led ENGIE, her former company, engagement to this sector.

Laurence is graduated from NEOMA Business School in France and HEC Montreal in Canada.

Matthijs is a strategy manager at ACT Group, where he focuses on developing and building out the company’s tech-enabled decarbonization offering. He also leads ACT’s strategic initiatives in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) region, driving the company’s expansion and ensuring the successful implementation of innovative sustainability solutions. Matthijs is dedicated to finding opportunities to help clients reduce Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions across the value chain, reflecting his dedication to innovation and corporate sustainability. His work underscores a deep commitment to environmental advancements within renewable energy and carbon markets.

Samir Rachidi is the Director General of IRESEN. With his team, they are developing research projects and demonstration activities focusing on PtX, green chemistry, energy storage, concentrated solar (CSP) and hybridization of solar and bioenergy.

Prior to his current position, Samir served as an R&D program manager at MASEN. His role consisted in catalyzing national R&D efforts in the solar energy field, building international R&D project partnerships and collaborations in the area of solar applications, as well as helping in defining strategic R&D orientation to help unleash a Moroccan industrial potential in the solar sector in the future. Previously, he held a position as an R&D Engineer in a start-up company named “RespInnovation”, in Sophia-Antipolis, France.

Samir achieved in 2011 a PhD in the field of Hydrogen PEM Fuel Cells, carried out in collaboration between the CEA of Grenoble and the CNRS institute of “Pprime” in Poitiers, both in France. Samir holds a double degree – Master of Science & Engineering – in Chemical Environmental and Energy Engineering, obtained from Saint-Etienne School of Mines and Jean-Monet University in 2008.

In addition, Samir is also lecturing at the “University Mohammed VI Polytechnic – UM6P” and the “Centrale Casablanca” Engineering School. He has been also recently elected as the General Secretary of the Moroccan Cluster of Green Hydrogen, and he is also leading the green hydrogen task force of the “Green Economy Commission”, within CGEM Morocco.

Dr. Günther Schullerer Joined MT Aerospace in 2001 as a research engineer in the analysis department.

In 2013, Schullerer was appointed as Director of Engineering. In this role, he was in charge of the maturation of the company’s technology portfolio, including the development of the Ariane 6 work share, relevant carbon fibre composite- and innovative additive manufacturing technologies. Additionally, he initiated enhanced digitalisation strategies for engineering and core manufacturing processes.

In 2019, Schullerer started the transformation of space proven hydrogen competences to alternative mobility solutions. Since 2021, MTU Aero Engines and MT Aerospace are jointly developing a complete liquid hydrogen fuel system for commercial aviation.

Guenther is passionate and committed to driving innovation and technological progress. He is a strong advocate for collaboration and teamwork and believes that these are essential for success in any field.

Andrew Cullen is the Global Head of Business Development at ACX (AirCarbon Exchange), with over 15 years of experience in commodities. He began his career as a broker, later building a business development team at FIS before leading the met coal business in Singapore. At S&P, he managed Asia Exchange Relationships, collaborating with major exchanges like CME and SGX to launch new products and increase liquidity. His passion for carbon markets grew during this time. At ACX, Andrew has been instrumental in expanding the exchange to over 300 members and helped secured the “Best Exchange” award for three consecutive years.

Raimondo Giavi is Vice President Hydrogen for the Industrial & Energy Technology business of Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR), responsible for building the hydrogen business for the company since 2019, when he joined the company.

He has 30+ years of cross-functional experience matured internationally across the energy, industrial and automotive sectors within technology companies, where he managed complex portfolios of rotating machinery, valves, control systems and related services. His experience also include private equity, evaluating and acquiring businesses in various industrial spaces.

Raimondo holds a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Padua, Italy, an MBA and a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Colorado and a post-graduate diploma in digital business from MIT and Columbia University.

Marek brings in over twenty years of wide, international perspective in business development and key client management across the energy industry. He has started his career in trade/investment and government affairs in the USA and Canada followed by the recent twelve years of leading major energy projects across the energy sector. He was an early adopter of energy transition actively participating in activities and programs as a part of 2009 COP meeting in Copenhagen followed by 2010 Inter American Bank Program Annual Meeting in Canada.

As a Director of Business Development, Low Carbon Energy at Worley, Germany office he focuses on growing company’s presence as the major technology integrator, engineering provider and execution go-to industry leader in energy-, and decarbonization solutions across Europe. He has been following German companies and investors globally in their low carbon investment pursuits.

Over the years Mr. Drywa has led many major business development initiatives as well as has been global key client manager for key clients such as ExxonMobil, RWE, TC Energy, Enbridge, SOCAR and many others.

He is fluent in English, Polish and German and currently resides in Munich.

With over 10 years of experience in corporate entrepreneurship, Niklas has a broad expertise in innovation, venture building, and partnerships. As Senior Innovation Manager at E.ON Group Innovation GmbH, he leads efforts to create new business ventures and impactful partnerships with startups. One of his current key initiatives focuses on liquid hydrogen-based maritime powertrain systems. Prior to joining E.ON, he worked in the automotive and lubricant industry, where he held various roles in sales and strategic business development. He drove business growth initiatives and led market expansion efforts across different regions. In addition to his corporate roles, Niklas has also taught entrepreneurship at FH Aachen University and played a key role in establishing a startup center and mentoring early-stage companies. He holds a PhD in Corporate Entrepreneurship from RWTH Aachen.

Matthias Rudloff is the co-founder and current CEO of AMBARtec AG in Dresden. He holds a degree in energy and process engineering and has extensive experience in the energy sector, having worked with major municipal utilities and start-ups, primarily in project and business development roles.

Frank Wouters has been leading renewable energy projects, transactions, and technology development for more than 30 years and played a lead role in the development of renewable energy projects all over the world. He served as Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) from 2012 to 2014.

Mr. Wouters has served on the board of energy companies in Europe, Asia, the US and Africa and currently serves as:

• Chairman of the MENA Hydrogen Alliance, Dubai Chairman of the Dii Advisory Board, Dubai

• Director of the EU MED-GEM Network, Brussels

• Fellow, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines, Denver

• Chairman of the Benelux Business Council Abu Dhabi

• Chairman of the HyET Group Advisory Board, The Netherlands

• Non-Executive Board Director of Gore Street Capital, London

Frank has authored several books on renewable energy and green hydrogen and lives in Abu Dhabi. He has a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University.

Mr. Nabil Nachi is Head of MEA CV New Business at Hyundai Motor Company. He moved last year from Germany to the Hyundai Regional headquarters in Dubai. He is responsible for business development of Hydrogen vehicles and hydrogen solutions for the MEA region.

Before that he was at the Hyundai Europe Technical Center leading the Commercial Vehicle R&D team. He took care about the engineering of the Hyundai Hydrogen Trucks in Switzerland and Germany. He contributed to building up the Swiss Hydrogen Ecosystem.

Before joining Hyundai Mr. Nachi worked for 18 years for Mercedes Benz Trucks.

His mission for the next years is to deploy hydrogen powered mobility and solutions in the Middle East and Africa.

Mr. Nachi is a hydrogen expert. He studied Mechanical Engineering in Germany, absolved an MBA and was born in Tunisia.

Thorsten Bomm is currently working for NEOM’s energy and water utility ENOWA as a Portfolio Management and Market Design Director. He plays a key role in creating and managing a market for energy commodities while also prioritizing environmental sustainability. In addition to facilitating the buying and selling of energy, Thorsten actively works to offset or neutralize the emissions associated with these transactions, contributing to NEOM’s efforts to achieve a decarbonized future.

Thorsten has more than 30 years’ experience in the energy sector, mainly in the retail and commodity trading area. He has worked for big (and smaller) European Utilities like RWE, Innogy or E.ON.

Thorsten is married, has 2 grown-up children and has been living in NEOM, Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia, for more than two and a half years.

Alexander Sarac is a partner in the Riyadh office of Addleshaw Goddard. Alexander advises on energy and infrastructure transactions mainly in Africa and the Middle East. His clients include developers, industry, governments, financial institutions and regional and international development banks. Alexander works with clients to meet their decarbonization goals and his expertise includes project development and financing, advice in relation regulatory frameworks in the energy transition, renewables projects, and trading of energy commodities (including carbon and emissions trading), in an international trading and investment context.Alexander recently moved to Riyadh after living and working in Dubai for eight years. Alexander has been supporting Dii as external legal counsel for many years and is a member of both the MENA Hydrogen Alliance Advisory Board and the Dii Advisory Board.

Camille de Peretti is a French author and translator. She has published nine novels and has been translated into several languages. Her latest book, published in 2023, L’Inconnue du portrait, narrates the story of a painting by Gustav Klimt that had been lost, repainted, stolen and found in a trash bag in 2019. The novel has been awarded five literary prizes.

She gives lectures to share her passion for art and literature.

Ronald Grasman is currently serving as Vice President Global Fuel Cooperation at Hyundai Motor Company and Head of Hyundai HTWO Europe. Since 2020 he has been heading European fuel cell business development at HMC and representing Hyundai in the management board of the International Hydrogen Council. Ronald is a senior automotive industry executive with R&D and market experience in Europe, North America and Asia.

Since 2007 he has been focusing on the transition to electric mobility with battery and fuel cell electric vehicles and on creating partnerships to accelerate electric / hydrogen infrastructure development. Before joining Hyundai, Ronald was responsible at Mercedes-Benz for the development of a holistic e-mobility eco system for electric vans. This was preceded by nearly 10 years of market development work for fuel cell and battery electric vehicles which included heading the North American fuel cell operations between 2013 an 2016. His academic background are a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and an MBA from the European School of Business at Reutlingen University (ESB).

Former head of cabinet of EVP of the European Commission Timmermans’. Currently – amongst others – chair of the Supervisory board pf Gasunie and special advisor to the Egypt Mega Hydrogen Project.’

Diederik Samsom was born on July 10, 1971. He studied physics at Delft Technical University before working as a Greenpeace activist and campaigner on energy and Climate. Samsom entered politics in 2003, serving as a member of the House of Representatives until 2016. During his tenure, he focused on energy and environmental issues, advocating for renewable energy and climate change mitigation. In 2012, Samsom became the leader of the Dutch Labour Party, leading the party in the national elections and into a coalition government later that year.

Between 2017 and 2019 Samsom worked as a consultant in both public and private sector, helping create the Dutch Climate Agreement and providing strategic advice for investors and energy companies. In 2019 he became chief of staff to Executive Vice President Timmermans in the European Commission. He was instrumental in the design and implementation of the European Green Deal as well as other hallmark European policies, such as the Recovey and Resilience Fund to recover the European economies after COVID and the RePowerEU-plan to make Europe independent from Russian gas after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Throughout his career, Samsom has remained dedicated to addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development, making significant contributions to both Dutch and European politics.

Sami Kamel is the CEO of Dutco Cleantech which is part of the Dutco Group (www.dutco.com), a diversified, Dubai-based, family-owned global engineering & investment conglomerate. At Dutco Cleantech, Sami is driving origination & development of projects focused on Green Hydrogen & derivatives incl. Green Ammonia, eSAF & eGasoline, Renewables & other climate-focused investments. Prior to Dutco Group, Sami held the position of Managing Director & Global Head for Market Development at GE Energy (General Electric Co.) for twelve years. Sami sits on the Advisory Board for Top Management of Airbus Group in Toulouse, France, where he advises on topics related to Future of Air Mobility, SAF/Hydrogen, & Aviation industry’s technology disruptions. Sami holds BA in Economics from American University in Cairo, Egypt, and Master & PhD in Energy Economics from Colorado School of Mines, CO, USA.

Mr. Amrane has been appointed by His Majesty the King Mohamed VI as Chief Executive Officer of Ithmar Capital in February 2019. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Amrane was Deputy CEO of the national agency in charge of deploying Morocco’s renewable energy strategy.

Mr. Amrane’s previous experience in the economic and financial fields, as well as his engineering expertise, allowed him to oversee all operations throughout the investment value chain from development to legal engineering, partnerships and project financing.

In 2022, Mr. Amrane has become Chair of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF). He also, in the same year, was designated Chair of the Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF), a multilateral platform initiated by Ithmar Capital.

Mr. Amrane has been elected President of the Cluster ENR, a Climate Innovation Center that brings together 200 companies and institutions with several achievements in the fields of renewable energy and green technologies.

Thanks to his expertise in ESG driven companies, as well as his involvement in organizations focused in the energy transition areas, Mr. Amrane was appointed by the European Commission as a member of the High Level Expert Group on scaling up sustainable finance in low and middle income countries launched in September 2022.

From 2006 to 2010, Mr. Amrane was Managing Director in the banking industry in Morocco. Prior to that, Mr. Amrane held various positions in the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance. He was a Public Finance Inspector, Head of the Debt Restructuring Service at the Treasury Division, and then Head of Credit within the same division.

Mr. Amrane holds a dual degree in engineering, from Hassan II Institute of Agronomy, and in Finance, from the General Inspectorate of Finances and the Association of Investment Management & Research (certification).

Ad van Wijk is Emeritus Professor Future Energy Systems at TU Delft, the Netherlands. He is guest professor at KWR Water Research Institute to develop and implement the research program Energy and Water. He is the architect of the EU hydrogen strategy and advisor to governments and companies. He is member of the advisory board of Energiefonds Overijssel, DII Desert Energy, Cranmore Partners, Greentech Egypt, HyET Group, senior vice president at Circel8.energy and chairman of INNAX supervisory board.

Van Wijk has studied physics and did his Ph-D on Wind Energy and Electricity Production at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He worked as an Researcher and Associate Professor, between 1983 and 1997 in the Department of Science, Technology and Society at Utrecht University In 1984, van Wijk founded the company Ecofys, which eventually grew into Econcern. Econcern developed many new sustainable energy products, services and projects. Examples include the 120 MW offshore wind farm Princess Amalia in the North Sea, several multi-MW solar farms in Spain, a solar cell manufacturing plant Solland and a bio-methanol plant in the Netherlands.

Since 2011 van Wijk is appointed as part time professor Future Energy Systems at TU Delft. His research focus on the energy systems of the future. Especially he does research on hydrogen energy systems and has realized ‘’the Green Village’’ at the TU Delft campus.

Van Wijk achieved many important prizes for excellent entrepreneurship. Amongst others he was Dutch entrepreneur of the year in 2007 and Dutch top-executive in 2008. Van Wijk was honored by KWR, by appointing him Honorary Fellow in 2018. In December 2022 van Wijk received the EM Innovation Award from the NWBA, Dutch Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association. In 2023 he got a life time achievement award from the International Cleantech Business Club.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Lyb4tk1aA At his valedictory address in October 2023 he was awarded with the hydrogen gold medal by MissieH2. In June 2024 he got a global solar leader award at the SNEC in Shanghai, from the organizations GGEIC, Global Solar Council, NEIAAP and APVIA.

Van Wijk has published many books, scientific articles and reports that can be downloaded from his website www.profadvanwijk.com Hydrogen related books and reports are depicted below. Follow Ad van Wijk at LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/advanwijk/ or via his website.

Daniel Schwappach is head of Sustainable Energy Systems for Middle East and Africa of Siemens Energy based in Abu Dhabi since October 2022. In his previous job he was head of consulting solutions for energy system design and the development of digital applications for the hydrogen and PtX business of Siemens Energy. He has more than 13 years of experience in the power generation and hydrogen business in the areas of new plant business and services with various national and international positions in project management, sales, business development, product and solutions development. He holds a diploma degree in mechanical engineering and a master of business administration from the Steinbeis University Berlin. Daniel is a PhD student at the University of Bamberg at the department of General Psychology and Methodology with a focus on green hydrogen ecosystems.

Ute Collier is Deputy Director of the Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre at the International Renewable Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi. She is responsible for IRENA’s work on policy, markets and finance for the energy transition. This covers policies and finance for scaling up end-use decarbonisation, green hydrogen, sustainable bioenergy, renewables in the power sector, as well as energy access. She also co-leads IRENA’s annual flagship publication, the World Energy Transitions Outlook. Prior to joining IRENA in May 2021, she was Head of Energy at Practical Action, leading the development organisation’s work on renewable energy solutions in energy access settings. Previously, she worked at the International Energy Agency and the UK’s Climate Change Committee, as well as a number of public sector and non-governmental organisations earlier in her career.

Dr. Abdullah Sulaiman Al-Abri is the Vice President for Sustainability at SOHAR Port and Freezone, leading the organization’s sustainability initiatives since May 2024. With a distinguished background as an international consultant in energy, technology, and investment, he has represented Oman at the IEA and OECD, playing a key role in advancing the country’s hydrogen economy and energy transition strategies. At SOHAR, Dr. Abdullah is focused on developing international trade corridors for new energies and clean hydrogen, leveraging his strategic insight and extensive professional network.

Dr. Abdullah holds a Ph.D. in Reservoir Engineering from Curtin University of Technology and has held pivotal roles, including Energy Renewal Director at PDO and Consultant at the IEA. Passionate about mentoring and continuous learning, he is committed to influencing energy trade and policy dialogues while driving sustainable development at SOHAR Port and Freezone.

Alicia Eastman is Co-Host of cult favorite podcast ‘Everything About Hydrogen’. She is also the Co-founder and Board Director of leading green fuels company, InterContinental Energy (“ICE”) for over ten years and ICE President until Spring 2024.

Alicia focused on early funding and GCC projects. Upon securing land, permits and blue chip investment in both ICE and the project consortia, as well as operating partners in two 25GW+ upstream wind/solar and downstream hydrogen/ammonia projects with bp and Shell, Alicia helped to develop hydrogen/ammonia policy, regulations, certification, external relations with industry regulators and trade groups as well as different UN bodies to establish best-in-class practices for renewable hydrogen companies and countries. She is honored to sit on the McKinsey & Company Sustainability Advisory Council, and to be named hydrogen expert by the UNECE, leading the ammonia pathway.

For 25 years, she was a founding GP of institutionally backed APC Fund II and the Mongolia Opportunities Fund and led global strategy, outsourcing, and acquisitions of biotech, pharma and specialty chemicals at Elan Biopharmaceuticals as well as Vice President of Prudential Asia Infrastructure Mezzanine Capital Fund. She was a Founding Principal at NetFuel Ventures (acquired by UChicago) and has held international strategy and investment positions at Gemini, Lend Lease, and AirTouch International (Vodafone).

Alicia holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Alicia is a frequent speaker at green hydrogen, sustainability, shipping, and ammonia conferences and contributor to industry events and publications including Financial Times, Bloomberg, UNIDO, COP, Desertec, WTO, Reuters, Sustainable Energy Council, McKinsey, Climate Council, CleanTech Business Club, DeCarb Connect, the Economist, WEF, Argus, IRENA, Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Getting to Zero Coalition Policy task force, Global Maritime Forum, S&P Global Platts, and World Hydrogen Leaders.

She is also on the Board of multiple charities targeting poverty, education, healthcare, nutrition, and green energy solutions for war-torn and natural disaster victims as well as generally impoverished young women seeking higher education.

Dr Ghazi Osman has more than 25 years’ experience in business executive management, business strategic, Oil & Gas (Renewable Energy), Contract Management, Project Management and Project Planning.

Dr Ghazi has obtained a PHD degree in project management from the University of Reading in United Kingdom, a Master degree in Civil Engineering and Construction Management from the University of Herriot Watt in Edinburgh and a Bachelor degree from the University of Khartoum.

Dr Ghazi is amongst the pioneer certified Project Management Professionals (PMP) in Saudi Arabia, is a Certified Cost Engineer (CCE) and Six Sigma practitioner and has written many academic and technical papers. Ghazi is also a frequent speaker and presenter at professional conferences in Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Region, and the UK.

Over the past 16 years Ghazi has held many positions at AlGihaz from Vice President-Planning Manager, Deputy CEO for the Group and more recently, he was promoted to the CEO Al Gihaz Holding- Energy. Besides his executive responsibilities, Ghazi represents AlGihaz Holding as a board member for numerous companies in Saudi Arabia and abroad.

Gottfried Steiner is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Central European Gas Hub AG (CEGH), located in Vienna, Austria.

With an annual trading volume of around 633 TWh of natural gas, CEGH is one of the most important natural gas trading platforms in Continental Europe. CEGH operates the Virtual Trading Point of the Market Area East of Austria. Gottfried Steiner is the Managing Director of EEX CEGH Gas Exchange Services GmbH (ECG). ECG enables the trading of EEX CEGH gas exchange products in Austria and in the Czech Republic. In 2022, ECG achieved a total trading volume of 476 TWh at the Austrian and Czech Gas Exchange Markets.

CEGH developed the CEGH GreenGas Platform and the CEGH GreenHydrogen Index to support the energy transformation with the development of cross-border trading of Biomethane and the development of a Green Hydrogen market.

Franz Helm is Managing Director of VERBUND Green Hydrogen GmbH, which was founded in June 2023. He has held management positions in the hydrogen division of VERBUND AG since May 1, 2022. In his current role, he is responsible for the development and implementation of the hydrogen strategy of Austria’s leading energy company.

The engineering graduate has been working successfully in various management positions in the European energy industry for almost 20 years. His field of expertise is based on experience in the areas of natural gas markets, marketing & sales, trading as well as business and market development.

After studying Production and Management at Steyr University of Applied Sciences, Franz Helm began his professional career in 2006 as Key Account Manager at EconGas (gas trading subsidiary of OMV, EVN, Wien Energie and Energie Burgenland). Six years later, he joined the Sales and Business Development division of WINGAS, a European natural gas supplier and former joint venture of BASF and Gazprom. After seven years in the international sales business and the development of new sales markets he took over responsibility for all activities in Austria as Head of Unit Austria.

Paddy Padmanathan was the President and CEO of ACWA Power, a company he led from a startup in 2005 to March 2023 when he stepped down, a company employing 4000 people operating in 13 countries, a world-leading developer, investor and operator of power generation and water-desalination assets and now constructing the world’s first at scale green hydrogen complex, a portfolio valued in excess of $75 billion which is also listed on the Tadawul with a market cap of US50+ billion.

With his considerable experience in energy transition and in addressing the rapidly emerging potable water supply challenge the world is facing, Paddy has now embarked on a carrer as an investor and Director or as an advisor to several technology, construction and development ventures including Xlinks Ltd, Zhero BV, Desolenator BV, DataVolt Ltd and Besix Ltd.

Having graduated as a Civil Engineer in 1979, Paddy first embarked on an international career over the first 24 years of his professional life planning and constructing civil infrastructure in 16 developing countries as a design engineer, a construction engineer and a business leader.

The Directorate for SDG Innovation and Economic Transformation, responsible for the development of innovative services in areas of agro-industry, sustainability standards, fair production, and climate-improving technologies, the development of innovative technical cooperation concepts, and the identification of new sources of finance and new partnerships.

Until March 2022, Beger served as Executive Director for Germany at the World Bank Group. From 2013-2021, he served as Director General in Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. From 2000-2013, he held several leadership positions in the German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. From 1995-2000, he served as Head of Division for Agriculture at the German Embassy in Moscow, Russia.

Beger holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universitaet in Bonn, Germany.

Nicole Vermeulen is Chief Industrial Officer at Hy24. After obtaining her engineering and business degrees, she has spent the majority of her nearly 20-year career in various parts of the energy sector, including wind, solar, and oil & gas. In the past decade she worked for Shell, in leading positions for large-scale (unconventional) projects from early-stage development until execution and operations, as well as DD for M&A deals and integration. In the last few years, she was part of the hydrogen team and led the supply chain function for the large green hydrogen projects. Nicole leverages her industrial knowledge and experience to support the deployment of Hy24’s portfolio and leads the asset management, as well as investments for Hy24’s new initiative focused on hydrogen equipment and technologies.

Mag. Dr. Michael STRUGL MBA is the Chairman of the Managing Board of VERBUND AG, Austria´s leading electricity company and one of the largest electricity generators from hydro power in Europe, since January 2021. Prior to his appointment as Chairman, he served as the Deputy Chairman of the Managing Board of VERBUND AG from January 2019 to December 2020. His department includes corporate strategy, energy economy and business management, strategic human resources management, corporate innovation and new business, marketing and communication, as well as the operative divisions trading and sales (until 02/24: hydrogen). Additionally, Dr. Strugl holds the position of President of Austria´s Energy Industry representative body, Austria´s Energy (Oesterreichs Energie) since June 2020 as well as the position of President of the World Energy Council Austria since October 2020 and the office as President of the JKU (Johannes Kepler University) Alumni Club since January 2022. In March 2023, he was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the University Council of JKU. From 2013 until 2017, Michael Strugl was appointed as State Minister of Upper Austria for economic affairs. In April 2017, Dr. Strugl was additionally promoted as Vice-Governor of Upper Austria. As a member of the government, his field of responsibilities included economics, labor, research, science, energy, tourism, regional development, shareholdings, European affairs, elections and sports, which was the so-called location-department. He served as Vice-Governor of Upper Austria until December 2018. In 2010, Michael Strugl founded Academia Superior, an Upper Austrian think tank and mandated his presidency to the current Vice-Governor of Upper Austria in 2019.

Senior expert on energy transition and innovation in power systems. Recent fields of activities: Sector Coupling, Hydrogen and EV impact on power grids, Electrification of Industrial processes and Built Environment, Interconnections and Global Grids, Flexibility & Resilience studies, Energy Scenarios and Projects’ Economic Assessments, European Innovation Roadmaps. Engagement in Terna Group: International Operations within Strategy, Planning and Despatching Dept; previously in international business development, interconnection projects, investment planning, technical innovation deployment, electricity market set-up and evolution. Previously engaged 10 years in ENI, Italian major in Oil & Gas sector, engaged in strategic development, investment appraisal, international operations, merging&acquisitions.Currently roles in International Organisations: CIGRE, Dii Desert Energy, IEC, IEA, WEF, ENTSO-E, MedTSO, ETIP SNET, ISGAN.

Frank Yu is Global Vice President of Power to X business of Envision Group. He is responsible for Envision’s zero carbon gas and hydrogen energy business. Prior to Envision. Yu worked for Air Products in China as VP and General Manager of Hydrogen Energy Business. Mr Yu has a bachelor degree of Chemical Equipment and Machinery from Nanjing Chemical University and MBA from Maastricht School of Management and Nanjing University.

As a passionate supporter of new technologies and transformation, Olaf most recently served as President and CEO or Osrman AG from 2015 to 2021.

Olaf adds a braid range of experience to INNIO Group based on his previous work in the plant technology, automotive and semiconductor industries, He was the CEO of the Exyte AG, Thyssenkrupp Technologies AG, and Thyssenkrupp Elevator AG -and was the CFO for Carl Zeiss AG. He started his career at IBM in 1988.

Olaf has a master’s degree in business administration and doctorate in economics from Technical University of Berlin, Germany.

Carl Richers has been leading INNIO’s Jenbacher product management and strategic marketing since 2019. Product Management defines the requirements for our future products and manages cross-functional project development. Marketing analyzes market developments, other industry players, and new business areas.

In his role, Carl is responsible for allocating the development budget, positioning the Jenbacher products, and defining the Jenbacher strategy.

He joined GE’s Distributed Power business in 2015 as senior product manager for Series 6. Prior to that, he worked as a consultant and project manager at the Boston Consulting Group in Hamburg and as a new product introduction (NPI) program manager at Caterpillar, where he managed cross-functional development projects for diesel and dual-fuel engines.

Carl has a degree in industrial engineering from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He also studied at the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña in Barcelona.

Dr. Li Yalou, doctoral supervisor, serving currently as deputy director of state grid simulation center in China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI), secretary General of National Short-circuit Current Calculation Standard Committee, senior member of IEEE, senior member of China Society of Electrical Engineering.

He has engaged to the research on power system analysis method and software developing over twenty years. He had successfully fulfilled several key research projects funded by Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) or State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). He had published 133 thesis and 8 monographs, authorized over 40 invention patents. He won national scientific and technological advance first award for one time, provincial or industry science and technology awards 13 times.

Markus Mitteregger started working for RAG in 1991, he held positions in the drilling, planning and operational management departments. From 1998 onwards, he was responsible for the commercialization of the storage business and was appointed member of RAG’s executive board in 2003 and has been CEO since 2008.

Under his leadership, the company was able to make important forward-looking decisions. With a focus on energy storage and driving forward a number of key developments in the field of green gas such as hydrogen, he has been shaping the future of the company for two decades now.

Markus Mitteregger holds a master degree in petroleum engineering from the Mining University Leoben, Austria and graduated from California State University as Executive Master of Business Administration.

Reda Hamedoun is Executive Vice President Power-to-X & Strategy at Nareva and Vice President of the Green H2 Cluster. He was previously an Executive Director at Attijariwafa bank, heading North Africa (excl. Morocco) and Asia banking assets and operations, and an advisor to the President of Al Mada. Prior to this, he was heading the China infrastructure portfolio at the World Bank (Washington, DC and Beijing), where he led transactions and supervised projects on Sustainable Infrastructure, Logistics, Green and Urban Transport in the states of Hefei, Anhui, Gansu and Hubei (Wuhan). Before joining the World Bank, Reda Hamedoun was a member of the Royal Cabinet of the King of Morocco (Rabat), with contributions in economic and infrastructure policy. He holds a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard University (2005) and a Masters in Management from HEC Paris (2002). He is a board member of the General Confederation of Moroccan Companies (CGEM), Nareva Enel Green Power Morocco (NEGPM – 850 MW), Nareva International and Morocco’s Green H2 Cluster.

Thorsten Herdan holds a German degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has been appointed CEO of HIF EMEA in May 2022; the world’s leading producer of electricity-based renewable fuels, with the goal of becoming the first international industrial-scale eFuels provider for transportation, aviation, marine, off-road applications and the chemical industry.

Previously, he was Director General for energy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Between June 2017 and June 2022, he concurrently served as Chairman of the supervisory board of the state asset management fund for financing nuclear waste management (KENFO).

Before, he held the positions of Managing Director in the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Managing Director of the Research Association for Combustion Engines (FVV), Secretary General of the International Council of Combustion Engines (CIMAC) as well as Secretary General of the European Turbine Manufacturers Association (EU Turbines) and Managing Director of the German Engineering Federations’ Energy Forum, which is in charge of developing the association’s energy policy.

Furthermore, Thorsten Herdan served on the Board of the European Association of Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturers (EUROMOT), on the Board and the Supervisory Board of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) as Vice-President of the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation, as well as he served on the Supervisory Board of 50 Hertz and on the Supervisory Board of the German company for plant- and reactor safety (GRS).

Andrès Isaza is the Chief Commercial Officer of Smartenergy. He has extensive experience as an international sales and marketing manager in the energy sector. Passionate about technology, markets, people and the environment, he gathered his expertise while working over the last 26 years in global and local roles in Europe, Asia and America, in the energy sector, building an understanding of customer needs, multicultural environments, while developing markets, defining and operating new businesses and organisations. Prior to joining Smartenergy he held various senior management positions such as Global Head of Marketing & Sales for power products and systems divisions at ABB, Chief Commercial Officer for the renewable energy sector at General Electric and Chief Sales Officer of Gravotech.

Ebubekir Koyuncu is the Chief Executive Officer of Air Products Qudra. Air Products Qudra is the development and investment company of Air Products in the Middle East with having Qudra Energy as the joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Vision Invest. Air Products Qudra is bringing world-leading technologies and global capabilities in Industrial Gases, Low-Carbon Hydrogen, and CCUS with leading the Energy transition and supporting countries to achieve their industrial and net-zero targets. Ebubekir brings nearly 20 years of experience in developing, executing, and operating large-scale Air Separation Units, Hydrogen Production Facilities, and Gasification Projects. Before joining Air Products, Ebubekir was Executive Director at Praxair, and prior to that, held several senior management roles in Linde Engineering Middle East heading the Middle East Region. Ebubekir is also the Chairman of the Energy Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce Saudi Arabia.

Ebubekir holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a diploma in Business Administration and Business Law from the University of Siegen, Germany.

Education: ESSEC (Grande Ecole – Management Master) and INSEAD (Executive Education)

Amir Sharifi is the Chief Investment Officer of Hy24, a joint venture between FiveT Hydrogen and Ardian, which is today the world’s largest investment manager dedicated to investing in the entire value chain of clean hydrogen, from upstream to downstream applications, thus ambitioning to scale up the clean hydrogen economy. Hy24 manages the first-of-its-kind Fund: ‘The Clean H2 Infra Fund’ which is today up and running with €2 billion of allocations. Amir initiated Hy24 as Energy Transition Lead of Ardian, a world-leading private investment house ($150bn of Assets Under Management).

Amir seats at the board of Enagàs Renovable, the joint platform of Hy24 and Enagàs for clean hydrogen development in Spanish speaking countries.

Amir has 20 years of investment and energy experience of which 15 years with Ardian where he participated to develop a renewable energy platform of 7.5GW capacity by 2021, as well as strategic energy transportation/storage infrastructures in Europe.

Amongst other roles within Ardian, Amir also created the Ardian foundation to promote social mobility around the world by supporting deserving youth through scholarships, cultural activities and mentoring, and headed Ardian’s corporate development group.

He started his career as a strategy consultant specialised on utilities and market due diligences.

Amir also published a piano album and co-authored an essay on oriental spirituality.

Jan Haizmann started his career at a law firm, specializing on European competition law and industry regulation in telecoms and energy. In 1999, Jan Haizmann moved to London working as regulatory manager for US American trading houses focusing on industry regulation applicable to the power and gas trading sector Dr Haizmann was involved in major competition and antitrust. Subsequently, Jan Haizmann gained commercial experience as gas origination manager (trader) at Glencore Energy in London from 2002 to 2005.

Since January 2005, Dr. Haizmann has been an independent consultant to the energy trading industry. He has been advising Tier-One clients on legal and regulatory aspects of energy trading as managing director of Correggio Consulting. Dr. Haizmann was appointed expert in several arbitration proceedings helping dispute resolution in complex gas and power transactions. He has been managing gas business set ups for new entrants into the European wholesale markets for multiple years.

In 2017, Dr Haizmann conceptually invented CorreggioNET, an interactive compliance platform for physical power and gas trading participants. CorreggioNET enables wholesale market traders to monitor and manage regulatory change applicable to physical trading across multiple geographies. Since its launch in 2018, CorreggioNET service has become a unique industry solution for regulatory change management.

The European Commission entrusted Jan Haizmann with technical assistance project management in the field of preparing natural gas trading in Turkey (2014/16) and enabling commodity markets in Ukraine (since 20187ongoing).

In parallel to his consulting activities, Mr. Haizmann had different executive functions within the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET) until 2023. Until his exit in April 2023, Jan Haizmann was member of the EFET Board of Directors, managed the Legal Committee, and had various executive functions over his 19 years tenure.

In 2019, Resource Platform appointed Dr Haizmann to manage the standardisation of PPA-contracts enabling the uptake of RES generation. Dr Haizmann co-ordinated the work for a first pan-European PPA contract launched by Resource and EFET.

In April 2023, Jan Haizmann accepted the role as CEO, managing ZETA (“Zero Emissions Trading Alliance”), a new industry initiative looking at creating liquid markets for zero emission products and respective certificates, enabling the creating of a liquid wholesale market in the MENA-region, and beyond. MENA is aiming at creating the right market conditions for low emissions commodities such as green H2, green fuels and green certificates in the MENA-region.

Mr Haizmann graduated in law with honours at the universities in Freiburg (Germany), London (UK) and Brussels (Belgium). He resides in Brussels and Dubai.

Contact: j.haizmann@correggio-consulting.eu

Dan Feldman is a partner at King & Spalding. His practice focuses on energy across the value chain, including low-carbon energy (renewables, hydrogen and its derivatives, carbon capture and storage, battery systems and green industry), oil and gas (upstream, midstream and downstream) power, infrastructure and mining megaprojects around the world. In the hydrogen sector Dan has represented many key corporations, government entities and institutions globally, including NEOM, JERA, Chevron, Woodside, EverWind, ADNOC, Fortescue Future Industries, Uniper, Globeleq and more. He has been recognized by Chambers Global, Legal500, Who’s Who Legal and Law360 as a leading lawyer. Most recently, Dan was named a Law360 2022 MVP for Project Finance (one of five in the world) and advised on Project Finance International’s “Green Deal of the Year” in 2022 and IJGlobal’s “Deal of the Year” in 2021.

Mission: Electrify everything (that can be electrified) with renewable energy.

Bruce Douglas has 25 years’ international experience in the promotion of renewable energy and electrification. He is currently CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance – the single voice for wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, long duration energy storage and green hydrogen industries at an international level.

Previously he has held the following positions: Director of Communications and Business at Eurelectric, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe, Coordinator of the RE-Source Platform, Founding Chairman of the Global Solar Council (GSC), Chief Operating Officer at WindEurope, Founding Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Managing Director of FLiDAR, an offshore wind company.

He has also held the following non-executive positions:

• Member of RE100 Advisory committee
• Member of EnergyTag Advisory Committtee
• Chairman, IRENA Business and Investor Group
• Member of IEA Renewable Industry Advisory Board
• Expert-Member of the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network
• Member of the Clean Energy Ministerial Multilateral Solar and Wind Working Group
• Member of the Intersolar Europe Conference Committee

He has a Master degree in renewable energy systems technology and is fluent in English and French.

Born in 1981; holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Institute of Technology at Linköping University, Sweden.

Background:

Nadja Håkansson, dedicated to foster the green transformation by strengthening thyssenkrupp Uhdes capabilities to reduce CO2 emissions for its customers, is a strong supporter for inclusion and diversity.

She has been Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp Uhde since May 1, 2024. Beforehand, she was Senior Vice President Region Africa for Siemens Energy, and responsible for the company’s overall portfolio development in the African market. Nadja has held various management positions at Siemens and Siemens Energy and looks back on over 18 years of national and international experience in the areas of supply chain management, operations, sales and corporate management.

About thyssenkrupp Uhde:

thyssenkrupp Uhde combines unique technological expertise and decades of global experience in the engineering, procurement, construction and service of chemical plants. We develop innovative processes and products for a more sustainable future and thus contribute to the long-term success of our customers in almost all areas of the chemical industry. Our portfolio includes leading technologies for the production of base chemicals, fertilizers and polymers as well as complete value-chains for green hydrogen and sustainable chemicals. www.thyssenkrupp-uhde.com

Joachim is the Global Senior Vice President for Power and New Energy across Worley. He is an experienced senior leader with demonstrable success in managing regional teams and driving large capital projects. Joachim has more than 25 years of experience within the resources and energy industries, spanning all phases of project development from concept development to detailed design, construction and operation. He also has experience working in diverse teams across Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America.

Joachim was Managing Director and Senior Vice President for Northern Latin America, achieving significant year on year revenue growth, Director of Integration, leading the integration of an acquisition in China, and Managing Consultant for Power and New Energy for the EMEA and Americas region.

Joachim’s technical and commercial expertise includes P&L responsibility and ownership, strategy development and implementation, business development, change and turnaround management across multiple sectors, including power, renewables, low-carbon hydrogen, hydrocarbons, mining, and infrastructure.

Joachim is a Mechanical Engineer with an MBA from IMD.

Dr. Nazikkol brings over two decades of distinguished leadership and transformative vision to thyssenkrupp. Since joining the company in 1996, his trajectory has been marked by his commitment to innovation and operational excellence.

In 2010, Dr. Nazikkol assumed the role of Vice President at thyssenkrupp Elevator, where he spearheaded strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing the global Service Business. He transitioned to CEO positions for thyssenkrupp AG and thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions in Türkiye, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific region from 2013, driving sustainable growth across diverse markets. Since 2020, Dr. Nazikkol is CEO of thyssenkrupp’s Regional Platform Asia, Pacific & Africa.

In addition to his regional role, Dr. Nazikkol was appointed Chief Transformation Officer in August 2023, overseeing thyssenkrupp’s global performance program “APEX”. In October 2023, he became Member of the Board (Chief Strategy Officer) of thyssenkrupp’s Decarbon Technologies segment.

Dr. Nazikkol’s academic background includes a Diploma and PhD in Chemistry from the University of Münster in Germany, complemented by an Executive Master in Business Administration from Hogeschool Zeeland in the Netherlands.

Petra has long-standing experience in managing international technical cooperation programmes and networks for inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Her technical expertise covers a wide range of environment and energy related topics, including, sustainable energy, green hydrogen, resource efficiency, circular economy and green chemistry. She has worked with governments, private sector, NGOs and academia in more than 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe.

In her current position at UNIDO, she heads the development and negotiations of innovative climate and technology partnerships and related technical cooperation programme, including carbon markets.  She designed and manages UNIDO’s Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry.

She studied economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and environmental management at the University of London.

Before joining the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in 2020, HE Eng Sharif Salim Al Olama held several leading techno commercial positions in ADNOC, including Senior Vice President – overseeing upstream strategy, portfolio planning, and performance management, Head of ADNOC’s Executive Office, Senior Vice President of Onshore Gas Assets, Vice President of ADNOC’s Southeast Fields Operations, and Vice President of Engineering and Projects.

HE Eng Al Olama’s extensive experience, especially in the oil and gas and energy industry, includes strategical planning, engineering, project management, performance management, investment, and operations.

HE Eng Al Olama received his bachelor’s and MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado in Denver, USA.

Thomas Brostrom serves as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) at ACWA Power, leading the company’s investment development strategy and driving its ambitious global growth plan to optimise value and profitability for shareholders.

As a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in the renewable energy sector, Brostrom has honed his expertise in managing growth through acquisitions, divestments, and organic expansion, all supported by a robust financial background.

Prior to joining ACWA Power, he held the position of Executive Vice President for Renewable Generation at Shell Plc in London, where he oversaw the global renewable generation business. Additionally, he served as President of Orsted’s North American division, a prominent global offshore wind power firm.

Brostrom has actively contributed to the boards of various renewables-led organizations, including the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), The Massachusetts Business Roundtable, and RenewableUK.

He holds a Master of Science in Finance & International Business from Aarhus School of Business and is recognized as a chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified by the esteemed CFA Institute.

Reda Hamedoun is Executive Vice President Power-to-X & Strategy at Nareva and Vice President of the Green H2 Cluster. He was previously an Executive Director at Attijariwafa bank, heading North Africa (excl. Morocco) and Asia banking assets and operations, and an advisor to the President of Al Mada. Prior to this, he was heading the China infrastructure portfolio at the World Bank (Washington, DC and Beijing), where he led transactions and supervised projects on Sustainable Infrastructure, Logistics, Green and Urban Transport in the states of Hefei, Anhui, Gansu and Hubei (Wuhan). Before joining the World Bank, Reda Hamedoun was a member of the Royal Cabinet of the King of Morocco (Rabat), with contributions in economic and infrastructure policy. He holds a Masters of Public Policy from Harvard University (2005) and a Masters in Management from HEC Paris (2002).

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, is an economist with more than 30 years of experience in international finance and development. In February 2022, Dr. Mohieldin was appointed by the Egyptian Government as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), with aims at enhancing the communication between the Egyptian presidency of COP27 and businesses, the private sector and, international funding institutions working in climate change-related fields. Since February 2020, Dr. Mohieldin has been the United Nations Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Development Agenda.

He is the former Minister of Investment of Egypt from 2004-2010, and most recently, served as the World Bank Group Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations and Partnerships. His professional experience extends into the academic arena as a Professor of Economics and Finance at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University and as a Visiting Professor at several renowned Universities in Egypt, Korea, the UAE, the UK and the USA.

Dr. Mohieldin holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Warwick, United Kingdom; a Master’s in Economics and Social Policy Analysis from the University of York, United Kingdom; a Diploma of Development Economics from the University of Warwick; and a B.Sc. in Economics from Cairo University.

Hannah Reeve is a Programme Director for World Hydrogen Leaders, an organisation at the forefront of accelerating the transition to clean hydrogen through promoting networking and learning across the global hydrogen ecosystem. Launched in 2020 by green energy veteran Green Power Global, it runs events all over the world, and is the world’s only all-inclusive hydrogen information and networking platform. Prior to joining WHL, Hannah held senior content roles at Kisaco Research, and global events organisation IQPC. She is passionate about sustainability, and is excited to be working in the vital energy transformation space.

Driss has over a decade of experience in renewable power project development across the Middle East Africa and Asia, including 10 years with ACWA Power.

In his previous roles, Driss was responsible for the development and closing of a portfolio of renewable projects totalling over 3 GW and representing over 7 billion USD in capital investments. These projects spanned various technologies, including concentrated solar, solar PV, energy storage and wind power.

Driss possesses expertise in early-stage development, tendering, technical optimization, commercial structuring, partnerships, major contracts negotiation, acquisition, and greenfield limited recourse project financing of utility-scale energy projects.

Driss originated the green hydrogen business within ACWA Power, leading to the inception of the NEOM Green Hydrogen Project, for which he led the development activities from feasibility stage all the way to Financial Close.

Driss holds degrees from Ecole Polytechnique in Palaiseau, France, and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Reid Larson, Vice President of Global Decarbonization, has been with Chart Industries since 2011 with experience in sales, engineered systems, product engineering, product management, applications development, and strategic project management. Much of his time at Chart has been spent focused on products and opportunities for the Hydrogen and LNG market, including developing new products for emerging alternative fuel vehicles, as well as hydrogen infrastructure for fuel cell vehicles and related end uses.

As Acting Green Hydrogen Officer, Mohammad Abdelqader El-Ramahi is responsible for the establishment and development of Masdar’s new green hydrogen business. This will contribute to the positioning of the UAE as a global green hydrogen production and export hub.

The green hydrogen business at Masdar is actively developing cutting-edge programs that will be a significant pillar of the energy transition. It has signed a number of agreements since 2021, including a US$5 billion strategic alliance with ENGIE to drive UAE’s green hydrogen economy and plans to develop 4 GW capacity green hydrogen plants in Egypt.

Among other highlights, Masdar is exploring the production of sustainable aviation fuels in the UAE using solar-to-green hydrogen and waste gasification, in tandem with bp, ADNOC, Etihad and Tadweer. In addition, Masdar is developing a 2 GW capacity integrated offshore wind and green hydrogen project in Azerbaijan.

El Ramahi holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. He is also a Chartered Engineer, Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Water and Environmental Manager from CIWEM UK, with equivalency to MSc degree in Engineering UK.

Naveed Tariq is Chief Executive Officer of World Climate Central Limited. With over 20 years of experience across more than 15 countries, Naveed has consistently delivered value to his customers. Having worked in diverse technology and service sectors, including IT, communication, satellite, and energy industries, Naveed brings a unique perspective in executing growth, creating sustainable business models, and scaling businesses. He is skilled in infrastructure deployment, product lifecycle management, and business development. Before Naveed became the CEO of World Climate Central, he has worked as Vice President for Corporate Strategy & Innovation Operations and Managing Director of E.ON Israel. He balances creative and conventional approaches, enabling organizations to respond to various opportunities and challenges in an agile manner. He holds an MBA in Finance and has a keen interest in forming new paths.

Rumaitha Al Busaidi is an Omani scientist and environmental advocate working on sustainable solutions to climate change. Her 2021 TED talk examining women as the key to our climate future has garnered more than a million views. Rumaitha currently serves as Business Development Manager at Hydrom, the orchestrator of green hydrogen development in Oman. She is also an executive board director of the only environmental NGO in the country, Environment Society of Oman, and actively works with the Omani government on sustainable diversification and energy transition strategies. Internationally, she has advised the Biden administration on developing a climate resilience standard for US foreign aid, the government of Greenland on creating a framework for sustainable tourism in Greenland, and the Arab League on empowering Arab youth in climate change negotiations spaces. Her work in climate change has been recognized by the United Nations, the EU, and NATO to name a few. Rumaitha most recently named in Reuters’s climate hot list and subsequently was recognized in their ‘Top 25 Women in Climate Change’ list.

Hailing from Muscat, Rumaitha is a member of the first-ever Arab Youth Council on Climate Change. She is also the co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Davos Lab, where she co-authored the youth recovery plan featuring policy recommendations from over 2 million young people across the globe. Rumaitha holds degrees from Harvard and Oxford, and is coined as the first female soccer analyst in the Arab World and the youngest Omani to step foot on the South Pole.

Mr. Ayoub HIRT hold Engineering Diploma from Grenoble (France) in Chemistry and Processes / Industrial Process Engineering in 2013 and carried out a Master of Business at Alpes University. In 2012 Mr.HIRT started contributing in R&D projects : COMPHOSOL2 (Fluid Mechanics) with Institute of Analytical Sciences LYON, Athanor 3.0 (ICT & Waste recovery) with E.D.F. LA TRONCHE and CATHIMINY (PEM -FuelCell) with C.E.A. _GRENOBLE.

In 2015, Mr Hirt joind ENGIE in Paris as Operating Engineer, involved in a new project to reduce 20.000 tons of CO2 on a power plant by the integration of Bioenergy.

Mr.Hirt worked in Germany as Project Manager at Berkefeld/VWS in Celle, developing new technologies and projects in the field of energy, water treatment, food, chemical and refining industry until 2018, then he turned back to Paris to work as Manager, Development department with Eurovent Certification.

Today Mr. Hirt is Head of Green Chemistry, Bioenergy, and Agritech Department at IRESEN (Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies). He joined the institute since end of 2018 and contributed to set up new partnerships with potential stakeholders in Power-to-X field (Green Hydrogen and Applications), and development of studies and projects (National Hydrogen Roadmap, Green Ammonia & Hydrogen Pilot, Cluster Green Hydrogen …) also with his background in energy, water, and environment field he carried out technical-economic and feasibility studies, and coordinate progress of R&D pilot projects in smart agriculture and green chemistry applications.

Laura Phillips serves as the Chief of Staff for Black & Veatch’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa business leading strategy and supporting all aspects of the business. Laura has spent most of her 28-year career at Black & Veatch. She has led teams in winning proposals with robust execution plans to support clients in Europe, Middle East and Africa in reaching their goals. Previous to that Laura was leading combined cycle power generation projects with global teams, ranging from feasibility studies to detailed design and engineering through construction and commissioning in the US, Europe, and Asia. Laura has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Missouri University of Science & Technology and is a licensed professional engineer.

Abdulaziz Al Shidhani has more than 20 years of experience in the energy and water sectors. He is currently leading, as Managing Director, the Hydrogen Oman Company SPC (Hydrom), a company launched in 2022 as the central and independent entity orchestrating national interests in the green hydrogen sector.

Before joining Hydrom, Abdulaziz served the Ministry of Energy and Minerals as Director General for Renewable Energy and Hydrogen. During his mandate, he led the crafting and implementation of Oman’s Green Hydrogen Strategy, announced in October 2022, and the Oman Energy Transition Policy and Strategy. He also chaired the Alternative Energy Working group as part of the Omani – US strategic dialogue, the Omani – German Energy Dialogue, and other national and regional committees and taskforces.

From 2016 to 2020 he served as a member of the board of the Oman Power and Water company, and since 2020 he has also served the board of the Oman Environmental Services Company (Beah) as Deputy Chairman.

From 2013 to 2022, Abdulaziz worked for the Public Authority for Electricity and Water and for the Oman Water and Wastewater Services Company (OWWSC). He held multiple positions in OWWSC, including Chief Operations Officer for the water sector and Chief Projects Officer. During his time working in the water sector, Abdulaziz was engaged in national and regional assignments such as contributing to the formulation of Oman Vision 2040, as part of the Committee for Strategies alignment and national priorities, and participating in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) unified water strategy. He additionally contributed to multiple strategic discussions on electricity and water policy making and took part in strategic projects such as the water sector restructuring and the electricity market privatization.

After graduation from university, Abdulaziz started his career as an electrical engineer for Mazoon Electricity Company, thereafter, reached a leadership position as Manager of Planning and Regulatory Affairs. During his tenure in the power sector, Abdulaziz contributed to the growth of Mazoon Electricity Company, formulating sector policies and regulations and leading multiple specialized task forces.

Al Shidhani graduated from Sultan Qaboos University with a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering in 2003 and obtained an MBA in 2012. He, as well, was among the first cohort of the National Leadership and Competitiveness Program organized by the Royal Court of Diwan for government officials. As part of his education, Abdulaziz attended various leadership programs from 2012 to 2015 at IMD in Switzerland.

Yusuf Macun is a global leader in energy and infrastructure finance focus on EMEA. Throughout his 25-year career he has closed in excess 40 transactions, in emerging and developed markets.

Founded by Yusuf in 2016, Cranmore Partners has supported the financing of the strategic infrastructure developments and investments. Now, Cranmore achieves significant league table positions as the winner of the Financial Adviser of the Year 2020 for MENA by IJ Global. Cranmore is also at the forefront of energy transition, and the development of the clean hydrogen industry.

As an advocate for sustainability, Cranmore Partners was the first member of the private sector platform of the World Green Energy Organization. Cranmore also supports NYU Abu Dhabi’s Water Research Center, and is the Scholarship Partner for NYUAD’s CITIES Research Center.

Prior to launching Cranmore Partners, Yusuf held senior positions with the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company – TAQA, and HSBC.

Hussein has over 20 years of experience ranging from consulting, strategic planning, business development, and project execution, having previously worked for Deloitte, Hess, Abu Dhabi Basic Industries Corporation, and AlNowais Investments.

At AMEA Power, Hussein heads up the Business Development department and is in charge of identifying and evaluating the company’s early-stage investments in the renewable energy sector across Africa and the Middle East. He also oversees the Green Hydrogen department. Hussein is dedicated towards shaping a sustainable, cleaner, and brighter future for generations to come.

Andrès Isaza is the Chief Commercial Officer of Smartenergy. He has extensive experience as an international sales and marketing manager in the energy sector. Passionate about technology, markets, people and the environment, he gathered his expertise while working over the last 26 years in global and local roles in Europe, Asia and America, in the energy sector, building an understanding of customer needs, multicultural environments, while developing markets, defining and operating new businesses and organisations. Prior to joining Smartenergy he held various senior management positions such as Global Head of Marketing & Sales for power products and systems divisions at ABB, Chief Commercial Officer for the renewable energy sector at General Electric and Chief Sales Officer of Gravotech.

Paul van Son has been active for more than 40 years in various supervisory boards, executive and operations management positions in the international (emission- free) energy, grid infrastructure and gas business.

Based in Munich (Germany) and Dubai (UAE), he is the founding CEO of Dii Desert Energy, originally ‘Desertec Industry Initiative (2009)’. This international group of companies aims at paving the way for countries in North Africa and the Middle East (MENA) to become an emission free energy ‘Powerhouse” for their own benefit and, ultimately, for exporting green energy into the global markets (Desertec 3.0). Since 2021, Paul is acting President of Dii Desert Energy.

Between 2015 and 2019, Paul acted as the MENA Country Chairman for innogy SE – a leading company in the field of renewables, grids and retail of power and gas, with annual turn-over of over 40 bln€ and over 23 mln power and gas customers. During this time, he has led the Management Teams of Innogy and Dii Desert Energy in the MENA region. Paul reported to the Chairman of innogy’s Executive Management Board. Among others he was innogy’s Envoy on hydrogen.

Mr. van Son is the founder (1999) and honorary President of the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET). He is Chairman of the Energy4All Foundation (Home – Energy4all), a non-profit organization promoting decentralized energy systems in Africa.

He graduated as MSc of electrical engineering at the Technical University Delft (1978) and Corporate Governance at Nyenrode University, Netherlands (2008).

Paul is the co-author of the ground-breaking book on “Emission Free Energy from the Deserts” (2020), Paul van Son & Thomas Isenburg, Smart Books, The Hague.

Cornelius is a well-respected leader and investor in the renewable energy industry and built several successful clean energy businesses and start-ups within Middle East and Africa. He has extensive board level experience from 10 years in Deutsche Bank (among others, youngest board member in Deutsche Bank Italy Group) and several leading renewable energy organizations and associations via pro bono work as well as different startup companies.

By building the international shareholder and partner network of Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative), he was at the forefront of the renewable energy revolution in North Africa and the Middle East. A keen entrepreneur and investor in emerging markets with recognitions such as “Solar Pioneer 2015” for the Middle East or the Visionary CleanTech Influencer of The Year 2022 by World Cleantech Awards. He is lecturing at several universities including St. Gallen and is a regular speaker at international conferences. He holds an MBA (Dipl. Kaufmann) from University of Passau, and speaks German, English, Italian, French and Russian.

His experience ranges from M&A transactions, asset management, developing utility scale renewable energy projects (including mid-market with private PPAs), pay-as-you-go solar to energy efficiency, including ESCO projects and new business models. Some of the projects and companies were executed in challenging settings or countries. He has led sizable organizations both in startup environments and blue-chip companies and has raised funds from angel investments to USD 100m+ projects with institutional investors.

“I am glad to be able to work in renewable energy which is also my passion – we can genuinely make an impact with many different things and help people, to make our planet a better place. Having new challenges every day is fantastic and many more mountains to be climbed!”

Executive management and boards of a variety of companies in emission-free technologies, as well as investment funds, seek his advice.

Mr. Nachi is Head of MEA New Business at Hyundai Motor Company. He moved beginning of this year from Germany to the Hyundai Regional headquarters in Dubai. He is responsible for business development of Hydrogen powered commercial vehicles.

Before that he was at the Hyundai Europe Technical Center leading the Commercial Vehicle R&D team. He took care about the engineering of the Hyundai Hydrogen Trucks in Switzerland and Germany. He contributed to building up the Swiss Hydrogen Ecosystem.

Before joining Hyundai Mr. Nachi worked for 18 years for Mercedes Benz Trucks. His mission for the next years is to deploy hydrogen powered mobility in the Middle East and Africa.

Mr. Nachi is a hydrogen mobility expert. He studied Mechanical Engineering in Germany, absolved an MBA and was born in Tunisia.

Luis has more than 11 years of experience in renewable energy, energy and resource efficiency at an international level. He is currently an Industrial Development Officer at the Climate Technologies and Partnerships division at UNIDO and is coordinating the technical cooperation pillar of the Global Programme. Luis holds Bachelor’s degree on Chemical engineering and master’s degree in business administration from Universidad Centro Americana Jose Simeon Cañas.

Alexander Sarac is a partner in the Riyadh office of Addleshaw Goddard. Alexander advises on energy and infrastructure transactions mainly in Africa and the Middle East. His clients include developers, industry, governments, financial institutions and regional and international development banks. Alexander works with clients to meet their decarbonization goals and his expertise includes project development and financing, advice in relation regulatory frameworks in the energy transition, renewables projects, and trading of energy commodities (including carbon and emissions trading), in an international trading and investment context.

Alexander recently moved to Riyadh after living and working in Dubai for eight years. Alexander has been supporting Dii as external legal counsel for many years and is a member of both the MENA Hydrogen Alliance Advisory Board and the Dii Advisory Board.

Tony Nieman is Head of Middle East of InterContinental Energy. He oversees the company’s group activities in the Middle East and manages partnerships to support long term growth strategy and implementation of the projects. Tony brings over 30 years of experience spanning technical and commercial positions in the energy industry where he was involved in the establishment, implementation, as well as the governance of joint ventures with industrial partners and government entities for major projects in the Middle East. Prior to joining InterContinental Energy, Tony spent 27 years at Shell where 19 years was based in the Middle East. He had held several board positions and served as a Shell representative in the major Middle Eastern joint ventures. Tony holds an MSc in Mining Engineering from Delft University, Netherlands and an MBA from Warwick University, UK. He is also an accredited Chartered European Engineer.

Gankhuyag Dagva holds the position of Chief Infrastructure Officer at Newcom Group, where he oversees strategy and business development in the energy and infrastructure sector. With over 15 years of executive-level experience, particularly in the energy and infrastructure domain, Gankhuyag has played a vital role in advancing Mongolia’s renewable energy sector. Notably, Gankhuyag has held key positions within Newcom Group’s energy sector, such as Project Director for Clean Energy, Mongolia’s pioneering 50MW wind farm, and CEO of Clean Energy Asia, the second 50MW wind farm developed by Newcom. Additionally, he served as the Deputy Project Director for the “Power Siberia II” initiative. Gankhuyag’s instrumental contributions have been fundamental in establishing the foundation for Mongolia’s renewable energy sector, effectively starting from ground zero.

He holds a PhD in Economics from Nagoya University, Japan.

M. Tarik Hamane is the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Masen. Masen is the central player of renewable energies in Morocco. The group is in charge of the development of renewable energy projects to achieve the country’s objective of securing 52% of the electricity mix from renewable sources by 2030.

Previously, M. Hamane was the Vice President in charge of Hydrogen Development activities at TOTAL Eren (the strong arm of the TOTAL-Energies Group, specialized in renewable energies and green hydrogen). He led numerous green hydrogen projects worldwide; with a flit of more than 60 GW of Electrolyze Capacity Projects in Morocco, Egypt, Mauritania, Tunisia, Chili, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Australia. He was responsible of the whole development process, starting from renewable production to the final product (Green H2, Ammonia, compressed H2, Methanol). He was also in charge of securing purchase contracts with offtakers (mainly in Europe “Germany, Austria, Netherland” and Asia “Japan and South Korea”). M. Hamane also held the position of General Manager of TOTAL Eren’s North Africa Subsidiaries.

Before that, Tarik Hamane was Managing Director of Development and member of the Executive Committee of Masen, where he was in charge of the development of Masen’s projects and activities in Morocco and Africa.

Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of Power Generation Projects and Programs at ONEE (Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable) in Morocco. He also worked for Suez Group and for the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in France and at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Geneva holding different senior positions.

Over the last 18 years, Tarik Hamane has successfully led the development and supervised the construction of several large-scale conventional and renewable power generation and infrastructure projects (wind, solar, gas/thermal, ports and storage) comprising of over 4.8 GW in power, under different frameworks (PPP, IPP and EPC). He was directly responsible for the development and implementation of more than 40% of all Moroccan Power Generation Capacity.

Tarik Hamane is an engineer in Electrical Engineering and Automation, he holds a master’s degree in Industrial Information Systems and an MBA.

Lew Evans is the CEO and founder of Nexus Resilience Group, an agile systems integrator and strategic advisory group focused on accelerating the transition to a Circular Economy. Nexus operates as a force multiplier by integrating innovative climate and fintech technologies with local expertise to enhance Water, Energy and Food security in resource constrained regions. A native of South Africa and former US Marine officer, Lew has led cross-functional, cross-cultural teams in complex environs in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Nicole Vermeulen is Chief Industrial Officer at Hy24. After obtaining her engineering and business degrees, she has spent the majority of her nearly 20-year career in various parts of the energy sector, including wind, solar, and oil & gas. In the past decade she worked for Shell, in leading positions for large-scale (unconventional) projects from early-stage development until execution and operations, as well as DD for M&A deals and integration. In the last few years, she was part of the hydrogen team and led the supply chain function for the large green hydrogen projects. Nicole leverages her industrial knowledge and experience to support the deployment of Hy24’s portfolio and leads the asset management, as well as investments for Hy24’s new initiative focused on hydrogen equipment and technologies.

Education: ESSEC (Grande Ecole – Management Master) and INSEAD (Executive Education)

Amir Sharifi is the Chief Investment Officer of Hy24, a joint venture between FiveT Hydrogen and Ardian, which is today the world’s largest investment manager dedicated to investing in the entire value chain of clean hydrogen, from upstream to downstream applications, thus ambitioning to scale up the clean hydrogen economy. Hy24 manages the first-of-its-kind Fund: ‘The Clean H2 Infra Fund’ which is today up and running with €2 billion of allocations. Amir initiated Hy24 as Energy Transition Lead of Ardian, a world-leading private investment house ($150bn of Assets Under Management).

Amir seats at the board of Enagàs Renovable, the joint platform of Hy24 and Enagàs for clean hydrogen development in Spanish speaking countries.

Amir has 20 years of investment and energy experience of which 15 years with Ardian where he participated to develop a renewable energy platform of 7.5GW capacity by 2021, as well as strategic energy transportation/storage infrastructures in Europe.

Amongst other roles within Ardian, Amir also created the Ardian foundation to promote social mobility around the world by supporting deserving youth through scholarships, cultural activities and mentoring, and headed Ardian’s corporate development group.

He started his career as a strategy consultant specialised on utilities and market due diligences.

Amir also published a piano album and co-authored an essay on oriental spirituality.

Education:

2001 -2005, B.A in Physics and Electric Technology, Central
University of Nationality, China

Experience:

2005- 2007, GSM NPI Engineer, Datang Telecom Group

2007- 2015, Huawei Technology Co LTD, GSM/CDMA NPI Engineer, Technical Solution Manager, Account

Director(Vodafone), Technical Director(Ghana Office), Managing

Director (Abuja Office), VP West Africa Region etc.

2015- 2021, President, Global Sales and Marketing, Jinluo Water
Co LTD.

2022 till now, Managing Director , Middle East and Africa Region, Envision Group

Francois Dao has been working in Middle East and Africa for the last 20 years in the utilities sector with large international groups like Suez, Acciona and Schneider Electric.

Francois is today in charge of EDF Renewables portfolio in Middle East and Africa totalling over 4,000 MW of solar and wind energies. With teams present in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and France, his responsibilities range from business development through
construction, operation & maintenance and assets management.

He has an extensive experience in power generation and distribution, water treatment as well as seawater desalination. He holds a Master’s degree in electrical engineering from Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité, France.

Ahmed, a Bahraini National, is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GCC Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), in charge of the 400kV super-grid backbone interconnecting the six national grids of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait comprising around 120 GW of installed capacity. He has been with GCCIA for 16 years.

He has over 30 years of experience in power systems, electric grids and infrastructure operation and planning, previously working as CEO of Sintegro International, and earlier as Manager of System Operations in the Ministry of Electricity & Water Bahrain.

Ahmed holds M.Sc. in Electrical Power Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland in 1999, B.Sc. in Electrical Power Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin – USA in 1986, and MBA from DePaul University USA in 2003.

He is Steering Board Member and former President of Very Large Grid Operators Organization (GO15), , Board member and Technical Committee Chairman of GCC Cigre, Board Member of the Association of Power Exchanges (APEx), and Board Member of InfraCorp Co.

He has authored / co-authored more than 30 papers in the field of power systems and electricity markets and policies for GCC power sector and the Arab region.

Mission: Electrify everything (that can be electrified) with renewable energy.

#RenewablesNow

#3xRenewables

Bruce Douglas has 25 years’ international experience in the promotion of renewable energy and electrification. He is currently CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance – the single voice for wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, long duration energy storage and green hydrogen industries at an international level.

Previously he has held the following positions: Director of Communications and Business at Eurelectric, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe, Coordinator of the RE-Source Platform, Founding Chairman of the Global Solar Council (GSC), Chief Operating Officer at WindEurope, Founding Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Managing Director of FLiDAR, an offshore wind company.

He has also held the following non-executive positions:

• Member of RE100 Advisory committee
• Member of EnergyTag Advisory Committtee
• Chairman, IRENA Business and Investor Group
• Member of IEA Renewable Industry Advisory Board
• Expert-Member of the EU-GCC Clean Energy Network
• Member of the Clean Energy Ministerial Multilateral Solar and Wind Working Group
• Member of the Intersolar Europe Conference Committee

He has a Master degree in renewable energy systems technology and is fluent in English and French.

Thomas has been an expert in hydrogen technology for over 25 years and has developed two generations of hydrogen vehicles with combustion engines at BMW His career has included leading BMW’s fuel cell technology research department and moving to California in 2006 to lead North America’s H 2 vehicle and filling station program.

In 2015, Thomas established the award winning H2 engine start-up KEYOU, before founding water stuff sun and developing the unique technology of SFEERS.

Dr. Qiang Guo, senior engineer at professor level, is currently Executive Vice President of China Electric Power Research Institute. He has engaged for long in research on power system planning, operation, and simulation analysis technology. He is also executive deputy director of State Key Laboratory for Power Grid Safety, Fellow of Chinese Society of Electrical Engineering (CSEE), Member of Power System Study Committee and Group Leader of Power System Modeling and Simulation of CSEE, Member of Electrical Machinery Study Committee and Group Leader of Synchronous Condenser of CSEE, Member of National Technical Standardization Committee on Short Circuit Current Calculation, and China Study Committee Member of CIGRE SC C1 (Power System and Economy).

Ramy is an established Business leader within the energy industry assuming senior leadership roles in PLC environments with accountability for strategy, M&A, Asset management, fund raising and commercial operations. He has led large and complex businesses globally with multi-billion dollar developments in the extractives, infrastructure and energy business. Ramy was most recently the group Head of Commercial for Tullow Oil PLC and held previous positions ast BG Group and Wood Mackenzie.

Eng. Sherif Magdy El Gabaly, founder and Chairman of Enara Group, a renewable energy and investment platform catering to the regions’ clean-tech space. Founded in 2014, Enara Group has had a pioneering role in the development of the Egyptian renewable energy sector, developing landmark projects across the agricultural, commercial and industrial sector.

Eng. Sherif El-Gabaly holds a mechanical engineering degree, an MBA from IE Business School and various professional certificates from institutions such as the London Business School and Rottman School of Management.

In his capacity as Chairman of the Egyptian Junior Businessmen Association, Eng. Sherif El Gabaly has led a private sector renewable energy program whereby he established the Egyptian Renewable Energy Association (currently known as the Benban Solar Association). The Association liaised with Governmental stakeholders towards the establishment of the Feed-in-Tariff program, ultimately realizing USD 2bn of foreign direct investment. These investments were channeled towards building the largest Solar Park in Africa (Benban), of which Enara has developed, serviced and structured approximately 700MW of installed capacity corresponding to USD 1bn of mobilized investments.

Supported by his experience in the fertilizer sector, as well as being a renowned pubic figure in the Egyptian energy sector, Eng. Sherif has proven his capabilities to establish an entity providing full-fledged solutions when it comes to clean-tech, energy efficiency and preserving the environment and raising the necessary financing for their implementation.

Founded in 2014, Enara Group in an integrated infrastructure investment platform. Through its various purpose-built subsidiaries, it is specialized in originating, financing, investing in, developing and operating renewable energy and utility assets in Egypt and Africa. The Group has also a venture capital arm, Libra Capital, designed to be an early-stage investment partner for clean-tech ventures, and raising the necessary equity and debt financing, and well as green facilities from international and national financial institutions, necessary for the implementation of new and renewable energy projects; as well as securing green loans and facilities from local and international financial institutions. Additionally, Libra Capital has partnered with the Egyptian Stock Exchange Holding Company and the Agricultural Bank of Egypt to establish Libra Carbon, the first carbon offset development platform in Egypt with the aim of structuring climate finance to low-carbon projects across Egypt and Africa.

With its proven success in Africa’s largest solar park, Benban, and with 320MWac of capacity co-developed, 250 MWac serviced and USD 200m of investments mobilized, Enara has a proven track record across the entire renewable energy development and utility value chain, and is well placed to the sector’s growth across Africa. Accordingly, Enara is establishing a strong foothold in various African countries to implement renewable energy projects that will provide not only a sustainable solution, but an economical and practical solution to overcome current transmission disturbances and grid limitations in the continent which will benefit such countries both socially and economically.

Baatarmunkh Boldbaatar, the CEO of Newcom Group, is driving the company’s growth with a blend of innovative strategies and an unwavering commitment to excellence. His leadership journey has been shaped by his extensive management experience in airline operations, providing him with unique insights.

Boldbaatar currently leads a seasoned team with 20 years of renewable experience in developing Mongolia’s renewable energy industry. He is pushing the boundaries of this evolving field, drawing from the invaluable wisdom of Newcom’s founders, who have themselves contributed significantly to the development of various sectors, including telecommunications, energy, civil aviation and more in Mongolia.

Alex Hewitt is a founding partner of CWP Global. He is an engineer by degree, an entrepreneur, and a keen surfer. With over three decades of experience built from spectacular successes across five continents and the odd humiliating failure, he is dedicated today to developing green energy projects at oil and gas scale, advocating for the importance of concrete and timely action to meet the needs of the energy transition head on and with urgency.

During his long career, Alex has been involved in the delivery of major power and water infrastructure across Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa. In his work in sustainability, he has led the development of the largest renewable energy platform in Australia, as well as a significant European wind energy portfolio. He is now focused on the development of CWP’s 170 GW+ portfolio of ultra-large-scale green hydrogen projects across the globe.

Alicia Eastman is the President of InterContinental Energy, a green fuels developer/investor focused on 25GW+ integrated upstream wind and solar, midstream hydrogen, and downstream ammonia projects located in coastal deserts of Australia and the Middle East.

Before co-founding ICE in 2014; Alicia led investment and strategy in global markets for 20 years, raising and managing private equity funds, market entry and finance for multinational companies, and institutional investors across Australasia including the Middle East.

She has focused on infrastructure, project finance, renewable energy, specialty chemicals/pharma, technology, and telecom. She was a founding partner of multiple growth private equity funds and a project finance advisor in the Persian Gulf. Alicia led international strategy and acquisitions at Elan Biopharmaceuticals and was Vice President of Prudential Asia Infrastructure Mezzanine Capital Fund.

Alicia holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Alicia currently sits on the Steering Committee of Hydrogen Council, the Advisory Board of SEC Hydrogen, the Board of Directors for the Ammonia Energy Association and represents ICE as member of Dii Desertec and Global Maritime Forum’s Getting to Zero Coalition. She is also a Board Director of multiple charities focused on poverty and education for children in developing or war torn countries and is a frequent speaker and moderator and roundtable chair at green hydrogen, ammonia, and sustainability events.

After graduating from high school, Miguel Ángel López Borrego (*1965) studied business administration at the Mannheim University of Cooperative Education from 1984 to 1987. From 1998 to 2000, López also completed a global MBA program at the universities of Toronto (Canada), Erftstadt (Germany), Linz (Austria) and Shanghai (China).

The Spaniard began his professional career in 1987 as a controller at VDO AG. He was subsequently CFO of VDO Instrumentos in Spain and of the worldwide VDO Instrument Division from 1991. Within the Siemens Group, López was CFO of various business units of Siemens AG from 2001 – including the Industry Automation Division from 2008, the Digital Factory Division from 2014 and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy from 2017. In the years from 2018 to 2022, he was President & CEO of Siemens in Spain. During this period, he also performed the role of Non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors at Siemens Gamesa. From 2022 to May 2023, he held the position of Chairman of the Board of NORMA, an automotive and industrial supplier. Since June 2023 he has been CEO of thyssenkrupp AG.

Ebubekir Koyuncu is the Chief Executive Officer of Air Products Qudra. Air Products Qudra is the development and investment company of Air Products in the Middle East with having Qudra Energy as the joint venture partner, a subsidiary of Vision Invest. Air Products Qudra is bringing world-leading technologies and global capabilities in Industrial Gases, Low-Carbon Hydrogen, and CCUS with leading the Energy transition and supporting countries to achieve their industrial and net-zero targets. Ebubekir brings nearly 20 years of experience in developing, executing, and operating large-scale Air Separation Units, Hydrogen Production Facilities, and Gasification Projects. Before joining Air Products, Ebubekir was Executive Director at Praxair, and prior to that, held several senior management roles in Linde Engineering Middle East heading the Middle East Region. Ebubekir is also the Chairman of the Energy Committee at the American Chamber of Commerce Saudi Arabia.

Ebubekir holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and a diploma in Business Administration and Business Law from the University of Siegen, Germany.

Emile Hoogsteden is an entrepreneurial executive with experience of over thirty years in developing global business partnerships in commercial shipping, ports, and the logistics industry. He will lead SOHAR Port into the next stage of expansion, robust business growth and energy transition towards becoming a fully integrated industrial port and logistics hub.

Results-driven with a focus on global trading and shipping lanes, the industry veteran will aim to accomplish SOHAR Port and Freezone’s potential as an engine for economic diversification, sustainability, and investment to meet Oman’s development goals. He boasts a strong track-record in the Senior Management Teams at P&O Nedlloyd B.V, APM Terminals International B.V and most recently the Port of Rotterdam where he was Vice President Commercial.

In conjucntion with a commmercially-orientated mindset, as well as experience in dealing with international governmental authorities, Emile also possesses considerable expertise in defining and executing Commercial Digitilization strategies. During his career, Emile has been i.a. Member of the Board of the Sohar Industrial Port Company, Sohar International Development Company, Rotterdam Port Promotion Council, International Logistics Promotion Council, Greenport Venlo and Blocklab (Rotterdam Blockchain Fieldlab).

Emile holds a Master’s degree of Corporate Law from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and a host of diplomas in management and leadership.

Peter Terium is leading the Energy, Water and Food sector of NEOM, one of the Gigaprojects of Saudi Arabia under the Vision 2030. In NEOM he is building an Energy System 100 % based on Renewable Energy and a sustainable water and food system. The production and export of green hydrogen will become one of the core activities for NEON’s energy sector.

As CEO of innogy SE from 2016 till 2017, Peter embodied the transition of the energy industry. A Dutch top executive with a strong pan-European background transforming the German DAX listed company RWE (50 BB Euro turnover, > 60.000 employees). Moving away from its business model of capital intensive energy generation by creating a new company, innogy, operating in the as yet unknown world of energy management.

When innogy was founded it immediately became Germany’s most valuable energy Company. It is an innovative and excellent branded company which is well prepared for the challenges of the decentralized and digitized modern energy market.

He was CEO of RWE AG from 2012 to 2016 and from 2009 to 2011, he was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Essent, the leading Dutch energy utility acquired by RWE in 2009.

His career spans 15 years of experience in the energy industry.

Petra has long-standing experience in managing international technical cooperation programmes and networks for inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Her technical expertise covers a wide range of environment and energy related topics, including, green hydrogen, renewable energy, bioenergy, resource efficiency, circular economy and green chemistry. She has worked with governments, private sector, NGOs and academia in more than 40 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe.

In her current position at UNIDO, she heads the development and negotiations of innovative climate and technology partnerships and related technical cooperation programme. She designed and manages UNIDO’s Global Programme for Green Hydrogen in Industry.

She studied economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and environmental management at the University of London.

Thorsten Herdan holds a German degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has been appointed CEO of HIF EMEA in May 2022; the world’s leading producer of electricity-based renewable fuels, with the goal of becoming the first international industrial-scale eFuels provider for transportation, aviation, marine, off-road applications and the chemical industry.

Previously, he was Director General for energy at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Between June 2017 and June 2022, he concurrently served as Chairman of the supervisory board of the state asset management fund for financing nuclear waste management.

Before, he held the positions of Managing Director in the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Managing Director of the Research Association for Combustion Engines (FVV), Secretary General of the International Council of Combustion Engines (CIMAC) as well as Secretary General of the European Turbine Manufacturers Association (EU Turbines) and Managing Director of the German Engineering Federations’ Energy Forum, which is in charge of developing the association’s energy policy.

Furthermore, Thorsten Herdan served on the Board of the European Association of Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturers (EUROMOT), on the Board and the Supervisory Board of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) as Vice-President of the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation, as well as he served on the Supervisory Board of 50 Hertz and on the Supervisory Board of the German company for plant- and reactor safety (GRS).

Thomas Altmann is the EVP for Innovation and New Technology at ACWA Power. He is a leading expert in Energy and Desalination, having worked in technical and managerial roles in this field for over 30 years. As a global specialist, Thomas held EVP and MD positions at ILF Consulting in Germany with responsibility for Energy & Desalination across international markets. He also served as VP at Bechtel in the Power Generation business unit with global responsibility for Desalination out of their UK and US offices.

Thomas has also served as elected Director on the board of the International Desalination Association (IDA) and the European Desalination Society (EDS). He is also a member of the IDA Global R+D Committee and MIT Technology Review Global Panel. Thomas holds a degree in chemical engineering and was granted patents in the field of desalination and brine mining.

Senior expert on energy transition and innovation in power systems.

Recent fields of activities: Sector Coupling, Hydrogen and EV impact on power grids, Electrification of Industrial processes and Built Environment, Interconnections and Global Grids, Flexibility & Resilience studies, Energy Scenarios and Projects’ Economic Assessments, European Innovation Roadmaps.

Engagement in Terna Group: International Operations within Strategy, Planning and Despatching Dept; previously in international business development, interconnection projects, investment planning, technical innovation deployment, electricity market set-up and evolution.

Previously engaged 10 years in ENI, Italian major in Oil & Gas sector, engaged in strategic development, investment appraisal, international operations, merging&acquisitions.

Currently roles in International Organisations: CIGRE, Dii Desert Energy, IEC, IEA, WEF, ENTSO-E, MedTSO, ETIP SNET, ISGAN.

A global industrialist and business strategist, Hussain Al Nowais has over 35 years of experience in investing, developing and managing businesses in the Middle East, Africa and Asia across multiple sectors including banking, finance, heavy industries, chemicals, energy, infrastructure, hospitality and real estate.
Hussain Al Nowais is the Chairman of AlNowais Investments where he spearheads the firm’s strategy of global expansion, investment, and strategic project development across the firm’s target sectors.

He is also the Chairman of AMEA Power, a developer, owner, and operator of renewable power projects in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, he is also the Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), UAE’s leading domestic bank. In addition, Hussain Al Nowais is a Board Member in Rotana Hotels & Real Estate Investments; He is also a member of the Family Business Council-Gulf, Asia Business Council, World Economic Forum in Davos. Additionally, he is a member of Al Fanar philanthropy impact investment and acts as a board trustee. He was one of the founding members of Sandooq Al Watan, a national philanthropist and Investment organization that provides Emiratis with guidance and funding for social impact project with focus on technology and health care.

Until recently, and for the last 14 years, he was the Chairman of Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development, a non-profit social impact fund. He spent over 12 years as the Chairman of Waha Capital, a publicly listed investment company on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange, He also spent 10 years as a Chairman of SENAAT, an Industrial holding company. In addition, he was the Chairman of MENA Infrastructure Fund, the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), and National Petroleum Services (NPS).

He served as a Board Member of the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development for three years; he was also on the board of Abu Dhabi Aviation, Abu Dhabi Ports Company, the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Al Dhafra Insurance Company and was an advisory board member of the Khalifa University for Science & Technology.

A UAE national and born in Abu Dhabi, Hussain Al Nowais holds a B.S. in Business finance from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon in June 1979, and has attended various Executive Management programs at INSEAD in France and at London Business School.

Dr Malcolm Cook holds a degree and doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He was then awarded a 2 year NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship for fundamental research in catalysts at the Technical University of Munich, Germany.

After joining industry, Malcolm lead the research & development for coatings for ChlorAlkali & water electrolysis before moving into technical service, commissioning, sales and business development.

He now heads up the Business Development and Sales team for thyssenkrupp Uhde & nucera across all of their technologies in the Middle East & Turkey and has been in the GCC for the past 14 years.

Dan Feldman is a partner at King & Spalding. His practice focuses on energy across the value chain, including low-carbon energy (renewables, hydrogen and its derivatives, carbon capture and storage, battery systems and green industry), oil and gas (upstream, midstream and downstream) power, infrastructure and mining megaprojects around the world. In the hydrogen sector Dan has represented many key corporations, government entities and institutions globally, including NEOM, JERA, Chevron, Woodside, EverWind, ADNOC, Fortescue Future Industries, Uniper, Globeleq and more. He has been recognized by Chambers Global, Legal500, Who’s Who Legal and Law360 as a leading lawyer. Most recently, Dan was named a Law360 2022 MVP for Project Finance (one of five in the world) and advised on Project Finance International’s “Green Deal of the Year” in 2022 and IJGlobal’s “Deal of the Year” in 2021.

Frank Wouters has been leading renewable energy projects, transactions, and technology development for more than 30 years and played a lead role in the development of renewable energy projects all over the world.

He served as Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) from 2012 to 2014.

Mr. Wouters has served on the board of energy companies in Europe, Asia, the US and Africa and currently serves as:

• Senior Vice President New Energy at Reliance Industries
• Co-President of the Long Duration Energy Storage Council
• Fellow, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines
• Chairman of the MENA Hydrogen Alliance
• Chairman of the Dii Advisory Board
• Executive Committee Member of the Ammonia Energy Association
• Non-Executive Board Director of Gore Street Capital, London, and
• Non-Executive Board Director of Vast Solar in Australia.

Frank has authored several books on renewable energy and green hydrogen and lives in Abu Dhabi. He has a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University.

Ad van Wijk is part-time Professor Future Energy Systems at TU Delft, the Netherlands. He is guest professor at KWR Water Research Institute to develop and implement the research program Energy and Water. He is special advisor to Hydrogen Europe, representing European industry, national associations and research centers to develop European hydrogen policies with the EU commission. And he holds several advisory and supervisory board positions.

Van Wijk has studied physics and did his Ph-D on Wind Energy and Electricity Production at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. He worked as an Researcher and Associate Professor, between 1983 and 1997 in the Department of Science, Technology and Society at Utrecht University

In 1984, van Wijk founded the company Ecofys, which eventually grew into Econcern. Econcern developed many new sustainable energy products, services and projects. Examples include the 120 MW offshore wind farm Princess Amalia in the North Sea, several multi-MW solar farms in Spain, a solar cell manufacturing plant Solland and a bio-methanol plant in the Netherlands.

Since 2011 van Wijk is appointed as professor Future Energy Systems at TU Delft. His research focus on the energy systems of the future. Especially he will do research on hydrogen energy systems and fuel cell cars and has realized ‘‘the Green Village’’ at the TU Delft campus.

Van Wijk achieved many important prizes for excellent entrepreneurship. Amongst others he was Dutch entrepreneur of the year in 2007 and Dutch top-executive in 2008. Van Wijk was honored by KWR, by appointing him Honorary Fellow in 2018. In 2022 van Wijk received the EM Innovation Award from the NWBA, Dutch Hydrogen and Fuel Celll Association. And in 2023 he got a life time achievement award from the International Cleantech Business Club. World Lifetime Achievements Award for Prof.Dr. Ad van Wijk

Van Wijk has published many books, scientific articles and reports that can be downloaded from his website A sustainable energy supply for everyone – Blog of Prof. dr. Ad van Wijk (TUDelft) Hydrogen related books and articles are depicted below. Follow Ad van Wijk at twitter @advanwijk or via his website.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis has been working at Hydrogen Europe since 2016. He currently holds the position of CEO of the association. He previously covered roles in the planning department of the Foreign Office of Germany, at Infineon Technologies and was Member of the European Parliament (2004-2014) inter alia in the ITRE Committee (Industry, Technology, Research and Energy) where he could contribute to lay the cornerstone for the first and the second Joint Undertaking on hydrogen and fuel cells. He was awarded Hydrogen Person of the Year at the World Hydrogen Awards 2022, “as a major player promoting hydrogen in Europe and world-wide, accelerating collaboration and industry development”.

Jorgo was born in Duisburg, Germany. He holds German and Greek nationality, and a degree in political science from the University of Bonn.

Harry Boyd-Carpenter is the Managing Director, Climate Strategy and Delivery at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He took up this role in April 2021.

Mr Boyd-Carpenter is responsible for coordinating the EBRD’s work across the green economy and climate agendas, with the overall goal of meeting the Bank’s commitment to achieve a green finance ratio of over 50 per cent of annual investments by 2025. He leads a team that drives climate and green financing, policy and analysis across all economic sectors and financing instruments, as well as representing the EBRD in climate forums.

Mr Boyd-Carpenter is a British national and joined the EBRD in 2005 in the Office of the General Counsel. In 2008 he transferred to the then Power and Energy Utilities team in Banking, before becoming Director, Head of Energy EMEA in 2017 where he led the Bank’s investment activities in the energy sector in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

Before joining the EBRD Mr Boyd-Carpenter was an Associate in the project finance team at Allen and Overy LLP and also worked for the European Agency for Reconstruction in Pristina. He is a graduate of the University of Oxford.

Prof. Dr. Christopher Hebling studied Physics and worked for like ten years in the field of Silicon Photovoltaics before he became Director of the Hydrogen Technologies Division at ISE with a staff of about 150 scientists, engineers, and students today. Among his manyfold affiliations he is the spokesperson of the Fraunhofer Hydrogen Network (36 institutes) and Board Member of the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence ‘Integrated Energy Systems’. Next to his close involvement in national hydrogen strategy developments he is member of the Expert committee for the Transformation of the Automobile Industry of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Furthermore, he is the Co-Chair of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, and he is involved in international stakeholder processes and advisory boards of international hydrogen and fuel cell conferences. He published more than 150 journal and conference papers and is Honorary Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. The Hydrogen Technologies Division conducts research in low temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis and fuel cell systems, as well as in thermochemical catalysis and process developments of hydrogen to synthetic fuels and chemicals (PtX).

• Extensive record in international business development in renewable energy: Solar, Wind, Hydrogen. Technology – Economics – People
• International experience: worked in energy projects in more than 20 countries in Europe, Americas, Africa and Asia
• Expert at the Gas Industry Advisory Committee, East Mediterranean Gas Forum
• Steering Committee Chairman of the 25 GW Green Hydrogen Project GEO, Oman
• Advisory Board Member of the MENA-Fuels Project for the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Germany, analysing Middle East and North Africa for the supply of green hydrogen based synthetic fuels up to the year 2050.
• Co-Author of the publication “How to make Green Hydrogen economic?” (Hermes, Witte et. al., Sep. 2020)
• 2014-2021, Vattenfall: Project Governance Officer for renewable energy; steering investment decisions and project developments. Responsible for the policy and decision frame-work for all renewable projects, wind, solar, hydrogen.
• 2011-2013, Head of Business Development, Biomass, Vattenfall
• 2007-2010, Head of the “Vattenfall Carbon Fund”, financing renewable energy projects for emissions reduction in Asia, East Europe, and Latin America.
• 2000-2007, Head of Energy Economics, Tractebel Engineering (Lahmeyer International GmbH), responsible for the management and financial turnaround of two energy & water companies, financed by World Bank.
• PhD in energy economics (Dr.-Ing.), MSc (Dipl.-Ing.) in mechanical engineering
• Business fluent in English, native language: German, fluent in French and Spanish

Vatche Kourkejian is a Senior Partner in Roland Berger’s Middle East office. He leads the firm’s regional Energy practice and advises government and private sector clients in topics related to the energy transition, including clean energies integration, hydrogen economy, manufacturing localization and human capability buildup.

Since joining the firm in 2007, he has primarily worked with clients in the Middle Eastern energy and energy-intensive industrial sectors. He has been advising regional governments and state institutions on enabling and expanding the industrial base, as well as large corporations on adjusting their business model to changing market conditions due the ongoing energy transition and digital disruptions.

Naheed Memon is the CEO of Oracle Power, an energy developer listed on the London stock market, active in multiple jurisdictions across the world.

Naheed also serves as an Advisor to the President of Suriname, for investments and special projects. She also advises a Toronto listed blue carbon vehicle, working on mangrove projects globally. She has worked in Merrill Lynch in London for clients in MENA region. Naheed sits on the board of public companies in London in the oil and gas sector as well as in Pakistan as an independent director. She is also a director in her family-owned businesses ranging from textiles to construction.

Naheed served as Chairman of the Board of Investment as State Minister for Government of Sindh for a number of years. She is an adjunct faculty of Economics at Pakistan’s largest business school, IBA for the last two decades.

Naheed holds an MBA from Imperial College, London, a degree in Computer Science from University of Karachi, and an MSc in Economics from Birkbeck College, London.

Nadim Chaudhry founded Green Power Global in 2003 to address the climate emergency by creating commercially focused events aimed at accelerating the climate tech markets. Over 2 decades the self-funded business has addressed multiple markets from Carbon Markets, Biofuels, Biogas, Solar, Wind, Offshore Wind, Geothermal and now Clean Hydrogen.

The Green Power team are proud to have brought together over 60,000 thought leaders, governments, financiers and solution providers to connect, exchange, spread best practice and get clean infrastructure built at over 500 events in 40+ countries.When not working Nadim is found vociferously supporting the English rugby team and trying to keep his wine habit under control in North West Italy.

Pascal Baylocq, 55, has a PhD in Mechanics and a bachelor degree in Economics. He started his career at Total in 1994 where he worked in the Exploration & Production Division (as Reservoir Engineer, Drilling Engineer, Internal Auditor and Offshore Installation Manager). He joined GEOSTOCK in 2007 as Deputy CEO and was appointed CEO in 2017.

Dr. Jauad El Kharraz is the Executive Director of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), an intergovernmental organization with diplomatic status based in Cairo with 17 Arab countries onboard. Dr. El Kharraz took his office on October 2021 bringing over 20 years of experience in various sustainable energy fields including energy policies, wind and solar technologies, and green hydrogen in addition to water management, desalination, water-energy-food-climate nexus, climate change, and environment.

As the Executive Director, Dr. El Kharraz undertakes the strategic management of RCREEE. He leads RCREEE Secretariat in implementing its strategy aiming to enable and increase the adoption of renewable energies and energy efficiency practices in RCREEE 17 member states. With the region’s great potential, rapid sustainable energy market changes, Dr. El Kharraz is entrusted with tailoring innovative initiatives to deepen Arab-Arab cooperation in sustainable energy fields & to boost our member states’ efforts towards energy transition.

Prior to joining RCREEE, Dr. El Kharraz held the position of Director of Research at the Middle East Desalination Research Center in Oman (2015-2020). Previously, he served as a senior expert, advisor, and evaluator for several international institutions (e.g., European Commission, UN-ESCWA, PRIMA Foundation, EU-GCC Clean Energy Technology Network, KAS-REMENA, Ocean Oasis, COMSTECH Scientific Advisory Council, ENSUS/UM6P University, EMME-CCI Task Force/Cyprus Institute, “French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation”) and member of board of the European Desalination Society, AgreeMed and WEFE4Med Nexus projects and Jovesolides Association (Spain). He is also member of the International Desalination Association, the Mediterranean Water Institute, and Oman Energy Majlis.

He brings over 20 years of experience in various sustainability fields including energy and water policies, desalination, water-energy-food nexus, green hydrogen, climate change. Dr. El Kharraz sustainability career officially started in 1998 as a researcher at the Global Change Unit -University of Valencia. Through his journey, he coordinated, prepared, and contributed to an important portfolio of international programs/projects of millions of euros such as FP5-FP7, H2020, ENPI CBC Med, INCO MED, INCO NGOs, SMAP, LIFE, PRIMA. He carried out projects for national and international donors such as GIZ, SIDA, IsDB, TRC/Oman and USAID apart from private sector companies.

Dr. El Kharraz is a founding member of Nice hub (France) – Global Shapers Community (World Economic Forum), aiming to push young talents from Nice city to develop projects of development for their local community.

He chaired and contributed to the development of an important number of scientific papers, policy briefs, policies, training & mentorship activities, lectures, awards ceremonies, and events (e.g., World Economic Forum, World Water Forum, World Science Forum, World Urban Forum, Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, MENA Europe Future Energy Dialogue, World Hydrogen Summit, Planetary Security Initiative, Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue Conference, International Higher Education Conference, COP26, COP27, etc.) in more than 55 countries.

Dr. El Kharraz is a national of Morocco and France, and a graduate of the University of Abdelmalek Essaadi. Dr. El Kharraz obtained his MSc and PhD degrees in Physics from the Department of Earth Physics and Thermodynamics, University of Valencia, Spain, and a diploma in enterprises management and strategies from SKEMA Business School, France. He is a fluent French, Arabic, Spanish and English speaker.

Jan Haizmann started his career at a law firm, specializing on European competition law and industry regulation in telecoms and energy. In 1999, Jan Haizmann moved to London working as regulatory manager for US American trading houses focusing on industry regulation applicable to the power and gas trading sector Dr Haizmann was involved in major competition and antitrust. Subsequently, Jan Haizmann gained commercial experience as gas origination manager (trader) at Glencore Energy in London from 2002 to 2005.

Since January 2005, Dr. Haizmann has been an independent consultant to the energy trading industry. He has been advising Tier-One clients on legal and regulatory aspects of energy trading as managing director of Correggio Consulting. Dr. Haizmann was appointed expert in several arbitration proceedings helping dispute resolution in complex gas and power transactions. He has been managing gas business set ups for new entrants into the European wholesale markets for multiple years.

In 2017, Dr Haizmann conceptually invented CorreggioNET, an interactive compliance platform for physical power and gas trading participants. CorreggioNET enables wholesale market traders to monitor and manage regulatory change applicable to physical trading across multiple geographies. Since its launch in 2018, CorreggioNET service has become a unique industry solution for regulatory change management.

The European Commission entrusted Jan Haizmann with technical assistance project management in the field of preparing natural gas trading in Turkey (2014/16) and enabling commodity markets in Ukraine (since 20187ongoing).

In parallel to his consulting activities, Mr. Haizmann had different executive functions within the European Federation of Energy Traders (EFET) until 2023. Until his exit in April 2023, Jan Haizmann was member of the EFET Board of Directors, managed the Legal Committee, and had various executive functions over his 19 years tenure.

In 2019, Resource Platform appointed Dr Haizmann to manage the standardisation of PPA-contracts enabling the uptake of RES generation. Dr Haizmann co-ordinated the work for a first pan-European PPA contract launched by Resource and EFET.

In April 2023, Jan Haizmann accepted the role as CEO, managing ZETA (“Zero Emissions Trading Alliance”), a new industry initiative looking at creating liquid markets for zero emission products and respective certificates, enabling the creating of a liquid wholesale market in the MENA-region, and beyond. MENA is aiming at creating the right market conditions for low emissions commodities such as green H2, green fuels and green certificates in the MENA-region.

Mr Haizmann graduated in law with honours at the universities in Freiburg (Germany), London (UK) and Brussels (Belgium). He resides in Brussels and Dubai.

Contact: j.haizmann@correggio-consulting.eu

Paul Baan started in 2021 as CEO of Proton Ventures. Paul has proven to be a visionary executive within the energy sector through his longstanding career with several leadership positions amongst others at Ørsted and EON. Paul has an entrepreneurial mindset and a proven track record in growing, transforming and leading businesses in the energy transition related industries

Frank Yu is Global Vice President of Power to X business of Envision Group. He is responsible for Envision’s zero carbon gas and hydrogen energy business. Prior to Envision，Mr. Yu worked for Air Products in China as VP and General Manager of Hydrogen Energy Business. Mr Yu has a bachelor degree of Chemical Equipment and Machinery from Nanjing Chemical University and MBA from Maastricht School of Management and Nanjing University.