Juan Alario,
Associate Director, Head of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy DivisionEuropean Investment Bank
Doctorate in Economic Sciences, Grenoble University, option Energy Economics, and Industrial Engineer specialising in ”Energy Techniques”, Barcelona University. Before joining the EIB, Juan Alario worked at the Regional government of Catalonia (Energy Analysis and Planning) and afterwards at the Commission DG Regio as national expert (an energy/regional development programme).
Juan Alario joined the EIB in 1987 as an economist. He was appointed Head of the Energy Division in 1994, then in 1995 became an Economic Advisor, managing first a group of economists responsible for energy and heavy industry, then in 1998 the telecommunications, light industry and services sectors division. Mr Alario became an Advisor in the Evaluation Department in August 2000 and carried out several ex-post evaluations. Since July 2005, he has been in charge of developing the Bank’s energy strategy, and since 1 April 2007 has been Head of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Division.
Dimitris Assimakis,
PartnerNorton Rose
Dimitris is a senior associate in the Corporate Finance Greek law team. His main areas of practice are energy (power and gas), infrastructure projects, clean energy and environment. Dimitris has advised on electricity and gas sector regulatory matters, on power purchase and gas supply contracts, on M&A; transactions, project financing and a number of capital markets and privatisation deals in the energy sector.
Dimitris studied law at the University of Athens, and obtained his masters degree from the Free University (Vrije Universiteit) of Brussels, Belgium. Dimitris is a qualified Greek lawyer with the Athens Bar since 1995 and joined our office in 2007. Before joining NR LLP in Athens, Dimitris worked in the European Parliament and the Commission, as well as in the energy practice of a leading Greek law firm. He is fluent in Greek and English, while he has a good knowledge of French and basic knowledge of Italian.
Dimitris frequently contributes to our own and other publications. Recent publications include IFLR, October 2008 - Guide to Energy and Project Finance “RES Projects Development & Financing in Greece”, PFI Magazine - Annual Publication 2008 / Contributing the Greek section for solar power and wind power regimes, International Comparative Legal Guide Series - Gas Regulation 2007 (Greece), Global Competition Review – Gas Regulation 2006 and 2007 (Greece).
Tina Birbili,
MinisterHellenic Ministry of Environment, Energy & Climate Change
Tina Birbili was born in Athens in 1969. She is a physicist and has graduated the University of Athens, Physics Department (1986-1990). She has attended a Master course at Imperial College, University of London on Environmental Technology (1991-1992) and she has completed her studies with her PhD (1992-1995) on environmental management and economics. She has great experience in coordinating and managing European Union's projects on environment and sustainable development. She has scientific publications in foreign and Greek journals and she has contributions in scientific books. She has been evaluator on European projects on behalf of the EU. She has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister’s Office on integrating environmental issues into external policies. During the Greek Presidency of the European Union, she has been coordinating 24 Working Groups on different themes on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has contributed in the development of a European diplomacy on environment and sustainable development and she has been focal point of the European Diplomacy Network on behalf of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2004 and onwards, she has been advisor to the President of the Panhellenic Socialist Party where she provided coordination and management at the President’s Office, contribution and coordination in the speech-writing team, major contribution in the drafting team of the Party’s Platform for the 2004 and 2007 elections, contribution in the communication strategy team for the elections of 2007. After the elections of October 2009 she was appointed Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change.
Luigi Cabrini,
Director, Department of Sustainable Development of TourismWorld Tourism Organization
Luigi Cabrini (Italy), holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Pisa and has completed postgraduate courses in International Law, History and Economics. From 1978 to 1982 he worked as a journalist and editor in Rome. In 1982 he joined the United Nations assuming increasing responsibilities in cooperation for development and refugees programmes in Mexico, Pakistan, Somalia, Switzerland, Poland and Spain.
Luigi Cabrini joined UNWTO in 2002 as Regional Representative for Europe. Since June 2007 he is the Director of the UNWTO Sustainable Development Department, whose mission is to promote the sustainable development of tourism in line with the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism with special focus on the Millennium Development Goals. The Department undertakes research, develops manuals and provides guidance and training to member States and other tourism stakeholders on sustainable tourism policies and their application to tourism destinations.
Professor Pantelis Capros,
School of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational Technical University of Athens
Prof. P. Capros heads the E3M-Lab. Since 1988, he is Professor of Energy Economics and Operation Research at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of NTUA. He has been the first Chairman of the Regulatory Authority for Energy in Greece (2000-2005), member of the Board of Directors of the Public Power Corporation (1995-2000), visiting Professor at University of Paris Sorbonne for 5 years and researcher at CEA in France (1979-1984). He is a founding member of the European Energy Institute. Prof. Capros holds an engineering degree from NTUA, 3 Master Degrees in Economics, Informatics and Operations Research form ENSAE, University of Dauphine and a Doctorat d’Etat (PhD) in Mathematical Economics from University Pierre et Marie Curie. He has widely published (more than 100 publications) in the areas of Energy Modelling, Macroeconomics, Operations Research and Mathematical Programming. He has built and used a variety of large-scale mathematical models and has more than 20 years of experience in research, consultancy and studies.
Achilles Constantakopoulos,
Managing DirectorTEMES
Stavros Dimas,
Former Commissioner for EnvironmentEU Commission
Stavros C. Dimas has served as EU Commissioner from the Environment from 2004 to 2009. He was previously EU Commission for Employment and Social Affairs and Head of the New Democracy delegation for Employment and Social Affairs. Mr. Dimas has studied law and economics in Greece and the USA and has worked as a lawyer for the World Bank and Sullivan & Cromwell, a Wall Street Law Firm. He has been elected to the Greek Parliament ten consecutive times since 1977 and has held leading posts in Greek politics.
Haris Doukas,
School of Electrical & Computer EngineeringNational Technical University of Athens
Dr. Haris Doukas is a Mechanical Engineer (Aristotle University of Thessalonica, 2003), holding a PhD degree on the decision support systems for the sustainable energy sector’s operation (National Technical University of Athens, 2009). His areas of expertise include energy policy and planning, decision support systems (DSS), renewable and climate policies and strategies, Kyoto GHG emissions reduction Flexible mechanisms. He has been involved in a number of research projects as a project manager/ senior energy expert in the fields of energy policy and modelling, development & administration of DSS and in related lectures and trainings seminars of the National Technical University of Athens and the Technical Chamber of Greece. In the abovementioned fields, he has 40 scientific publications in International Journals with reviewers and many announcements in international conferences, chapters in Books and articles in related magazines.
Recep Tayipp Erdogan,
Prime Minister of Turkey
Dr. Samuel Fankhauser,
Principal Research Fellow, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change & the EnvironmentLondon School of Economics
Sam Fankhauser is a Principal Fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics, and Chief Economist of Globe International, the international legislator forum. He is also a Director at Vivid Economics and a member of the Committee on Climate Change, an independent public body that advises the British government on its greenhouse gas targets. A former Deputy Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Sam served on the 1995, 2001 and 2007 assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He studied economics at the University of Berne and the London School of Economics, and holds a PhD from University College London.
Paal Frisvold,
Bellona Foundation
Professor G. A. Giannopoulos,
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
DirectorHellenic Institute of Transport, National Centre for Research & Technology of Greece
Prof G.A. Giannopoulos is Director of the Hellenic Institute of Transport (of the National Centre for Research and Technological Development of Greece) and professor of Transportation at the Civil Engineering Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. For the last 35 years he has been involved in many research activities in the field of Transport in Greece and the EU, and has been widely known as an expert on a number of Transport fields, especially Transportation Planning, Public Transport, Freight Transport and Intermodality, Information – Communications Technologies applications in the field of Transport (ITS), and Transport policy. Since 1989 he is continuously representing Greece in various EU fora. Today he is chairing the high level Transport Advisory Group of DG MOVE and DG RTD of the Commission of the EU.
He has participated in more than 150 studies and research projects in the field of Transport, in most of them as project manager and he is the author of 150 scientific articles and publications, and 10 books (2 in English, 8 in Greek).
Fiona Harvey,
Environment CorrespondentFinancial Times
Fiona Harvey is the environment correspondent, appointed in 2004.
She covers all environmental issues, including climate change, emissions trading, renewable energy, water, waste, agriculture, fisheries, pollution and environmental regulation.
She has twice won the Foreign Press Association award for Best Environment Story of the year, in 2005 and 2007, and was named Environment Journalist of the Year at the British Environment and Media Awards in 2007. She was named one of the 1,000 most influential people in London by the Evening Standard in 2007.
Previously, she was technology writer, having joined the FT as an IT and telecoms reporter for FT.com in 2000.
Fiona has been a journalist since 1994. Before joining the FT, she was editor of PC Week. She has also written on a freelance basis for Scientific American, the New Scientist and the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Fiona holds a degree in English Literature from Cambridge University.
Anastassios Kallitsantsis,
Board MemberSEV Business Council for Sustainable Development
Anastassios Kallitsantsis was born in Thessaloniki in 1953. He is founding partner and since 2006 Chairman of ELLAKTOR (previous name ELLINIKI TECHNODOMIKI) and active member of the construction industry in Greece since 1976. ELLAKTOR Group of Companies is one of the leading business corporations in Greece, active in the construction, concession, real estate, energy, and waste management sectors, having prominent position in Southeastern Europe and Middle East. Anastassios Kallitsantsis is, also, Chairman of ELTECH ANEMOS SA, Vice-Chairman of ELPEDISON POWER SA, and Managing Director of REDS SA (members of the ELLAKTOR Group of Companies). ELTECH ANEMOS is engaged in the development and operation of wind farms, ELPEDISON POWER is active in the thermal electricity generation sector, and REDS is a real estate development company. He is Member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) since 2005 and Secretary General since 2008. In addition, he is Member of the Board of Directors of SEV Business Council for Sustainable Development since its incorporation (2008). He is a Civil Engineer, graduate of the National Technical University of Athens, and speaks English, French and German. He has a son and a daughter.
Nikolaos Kolyvodiakos,
Head of Energy SectorSiemens AE, Energy Sector, Athens Remove Javier
Nikolaos Kolyvodiakos, Energy Sector Head of Siemens AE (Greece), is a Dipl. electrical engineer of National Technical University of Athens (???), with post graduate studies in Control Systems at ETH Zürich. Mr. Kolyvodiakos started his carrier in 1985 as sales engineer with Landis&Gyr.; In 1995 he was appointed sales manager. In 2001 he became Transmission & Distribution Manager in Siemens AE (Greece), leading the business activities of these divisions in Greece, Albania and FYROM. Since January 2009 he is leading the Energy Sector of Siemens AE, responsible for power generation, transmission and distribution business (products, solutions and services) in the region.
Vassilios Kougionas,
DG RTD, Energy DirectorateEU Commission
Dr. Vassilios Kougionas was born in Kavala, Greece in 1961. He holds a Bachelors degree in Petrochemical Engineering from University of London, a Masters of Science in Advanced Chemical Engineering from University of Bradford, a Masters in Business Administration from Solvay Management School Brussels and in 1990 he got a PhD in Chemical Reaction Engineering from Imperial College, London.
He worked from 1990 to 1993 as a Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College London, from 1993 to 1996 as a Senior Research Engineer at C.N.R.S. Institute of Catalysis in Lyon, France and from 1996 to 1998 as Senior Researcher and Lecturer in National Technical University of Athens.
In 1998 he has joined the European Commission, Directorate General Energy and Transport in Brussels where he worked for six years as a sector leader for framework programme research and development on Conventional Energies from Oil and Gas and Coal. He was responsible for the creation and follow up of the EU-Russia Energy Technology Centre in Moscow and for preparing the membership and participation of the European Commission in the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum initiated by the U.S.
Since 2004 he is working at the European Commission, Directorate General for Research in the Energy Directorate being responsible for research on Carbon Capture and Storage and the associated bilateral international cooperation issues. He is responsible since 2005 for Phase I of the EU-China Memorandum of Understanding on Near Zero Emission Coal (NZEC) which reported successful results in October 2009. NZEC has the longer term ambitious perspective to demonstrate a Zero Emission Power Plant in China. He is the responsible person at the Commission for the European Zero Emission Power (ZEP) Technology Platform.
Spyros Kouvelis,
Deputy MinisterHellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Spyros Kouvelis was born in Athens in 1964. He graduated in Economics from Athens Law School and went on to receive an M.Sc. in Environmental Economics from the University of Reading, in the UK. He took office as Deputy Foreign Minister in October 2009. He was elected as a PASOK MP for the 1st electoral district of Athens on 4 October 2009, and was elected to Parliament for the first time, on PASOK’s State electoral list, in September 2007. During the 2007-2009 legislative sessions, he served as PASOK’s Political Representative for Environment and Physical Planning and he was a member of the following Parliamentary Friendship Groups: Greece-France, Greece-India, Greece-Azerbaijan. He also held the position of Alternate Representative of the Parliamentary Sector of PASOK in charge of matters related to the Ministry of Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works. From May 2007 until his election as MP, he was responsible for the Sustainable Development Plan of the UNEP Mediterranean Action Plan (UNEP/MAP). In 2001, he took on the position of Coordinator for the Mediterranean Wetlands Initiative (MedWet) of the Ramsar Convention. Between 2004 and 2007, he served as President of the Rhodes International Film and Visual Arts Festival – Ecofilms. From 1991 to 1997, he served as head of the Environmental Programs section of the Greek branch of WWF and he was a member of the organisation’s three-member board. He was also member of WWF’s Agricultural and European Policy Office, President of the WWF Mediterranean team and also worked as a councillor at the Fund’s European Policy Office in Brussels.e worked with the Hellenic Center for Marine Research on the implementation of the “Poseidon” Programme. He is fluent in French and English, and has a working knowledge of Italian.
Geraldine Lambe,
Capital Markets & Investment Banking EditorThe Banker
Geraldine Lambe is Markets & Investment Banking Editor. She also manages the magazine's Environment & Resources section, which covers commodities and energy financing, project finance and climate change issues. Before joining The Banker, Geraldine was a freelance financial journalist, contributing to publications such as Financial News, The Sunday Times and The Financial Times. Geraldine began her career as a financial technology journalist, with roles including deputy editor of Banking Technology magazine. Geraldine has a Masters degree in International Relations.
Yusuf Macun,
Director, Power & Utilities, Project and Export Finance, Global Banking and MarketsHSBC Bank plc, London
Yusuf has 12 years experience as a project financier both in the banking sector (Flemings, Lazard, Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund) and as a developer (with Rolls-Royce Power Ventures). Yusuf has a strong experience of advising on IPPs for sponsors and procuring authorities alike, as well as arranging non-recourse debt. In particular, Yusuf has been acting as team leader on HSBC’s following advisory assignments: Zorlu 135MW Rotor Wind IPP Financing – closed June 2009, The 1,320MW coal-fired Safi IPP in Morocco - advisor to ONE (current), The 2,100MW-4,500MW Eskom Baseload IPP - advisor to Eskom (current), Arranger/Underwriter for EdF/Delta’s gas-firedSloe IPP(closed March 2008), The 600MW coal-fired Moatize IPP in Mozambique - advisor to Vale (current), Adviser to WEC of Saudi Arabia for the procurement of the Shuqaiq, Shuaibah Expansion and Ras Azzour IWPPs.
Other landmark transactions where Yusuf has acted as lead originator and team leader for HSBC include, Advisor for A advisory and underwriting for Fred Olsen’s GBP325m windfarm portfolio financing in the UK (Europe Renewables Deal of the Year 2008, PFI and Euromoney) and Underwriting and advisory for Suez and Mubadala’s bid for the development of the Barka 2 IWPP and the acquisition of the Rusail Power Company (Global Deal of the Year 2007, Euromoney)
Yanos Michopoulos,
Vice PresidentVESTAS Wind Systems S/A
Kyriakos Mitsotakis,
Member of Hellenic ParliamentNea Demokratia
Kyriakos Mitsotakis was born in Athens in March 1968. He obtained his bachelor degree in Social Studies, summa cum laude, from Harvard University in 1990, he also earned an MA in International Relations from Stanford University, where he focused on issues surrounding European integration, as well as an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Kyriakos worked in London as a financial analyst with Chase Investment Bank and as a consultant with McKinsey and Company. In 1997 he returned to Greece where he joined Alpha Ventures, the venture capital subsidiary of Alpha Bank, as a senior investment officer. In 1999 Kyriakos joined the National Bank of Greece, the largest Greek financial institution, in order to set up the bank's private equity and venture capital operation. In April 2003 Kyriakos resigned from NBG Venture Capital in order to pursue a career in politics. He was elected to parliament with New Democracy in 2004 and 2007, receiving more votes than any other New Democracy candidate. ?e was elected to parliament for a third time in October 2009. Kyriakos represents the Athens B constituency which encompasses most of the city of Athens. As a representative he has submitted hundreds of parliamentary questions tackling problems facing his constituency, focusing in particular on issues related to the environment and educational policy. Between 2007 and 2009 Kyriakos served as the Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Hellenic Parliament. Under his leadership, the Committee became a focal point for environmental policy by tackling complex issues ranging from adaptation to climate change to forest policy and waste management. Kyriakos is widely acknowledged as the foremost expert within New Democracy on environmental issues and has represented his party to the Bali and Potsdam UN climate change conferences. Kyriakos speaks English, French, and German. He has three children, two girls and a boy.
Evangelos Mytilineos,
Chairman of the Board & CEOMytilineos Holdings
Mr. Mytilineos was born in Athens in 1954 and holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Athens, and a MSc in Economics from the London School of Economics.
He started his professional career in 1978 joining the family business, which was founded in 1908 and represented metal and steel product manufacturers. In 1990 he established Mytilineos Holdings. Through a series of successful acquisitions and long term commercial agreements, Mytilineos Holdings evolved into a leader in the Southeastern Europe Region in the fields of Metallurgy & Mining, Energy, EPC Contracting and Defense. The Group now has a total turnover of over 1.2bn USD and over 2.500 employees.
H.S.H. The Prince Albert II of Monaco,
From a very early age, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince became aware of the fragility of our planet and his desire to take action to preserve it more effectively can be seen in his continually increasing involvement, not only in the Principality of Monaco but also worldwide.
From 1991, either when addressing major international organisations or during his official visits across the five continents, H.S.H. Prince Albert of Monaco began focussing the attention of the communities on the urgent need to take action to preserve the environment.
In his investiture speech on 12th July 2005, the Prince placed the environment at the core of his concerns and called upon his fellow citizens to make Monaco a model country that respects nature. In 2006, H.S.H. Prince Albert II showed the way by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol for the Principality.
In April of the same year, he led an expedition by sledge to the North Pole in order to alert public opinion on global warming. He thus became the first Head of State to reach the North Pole while in office.
In June 2006, the Prince set up his own Foundation dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development, aimed at fostering and developing initiatives and innovative solutions within the areas of climate change and energy, biodiversity and water.
Through this, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince wishes to reinforce his actions in raising public awareness and mobilising the players involved in environmental issues on the one hand and, on the other, to continue his active role with the various nations and international authorities.
On April 22nd 2007 in Singapore, H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince was presented with the Champions of the Earth Award by Mr Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in recognition of his commitment in the field of environmental protection and sustainable development.
In January 2009, Prince Albert II of Monaco undertook a three week expedition in the Antarctic, attained the South Pole and visited 20 scientific bases.
In October 2009, H.S.H the Prince received successively the Teddy Roosevelt medal at the United States Congress and the Roger Revelle prize at the University of California in San Diego. These two distinctions were awarded to him in acknowledgement of his actions towards environmental protection.
Dr. Calliope Panoutsou,
Co-Chair, European Biofuels Technology Platform Working Group on Biomass Resources and Research Fellow for Environmental PolicyImperial College London
Dr Panoutsou is the Vice Chair of the European Biofuels Technology Platform in the working group for biomass availability and supply issues.
Her recent research work within the Bioenergy Group of Imperial College London focuses on biomass supply, economic appraisal of bioenergy chains and market analysis. She has long term research work experience with a variety of energy crops (annuals and perennials) as alternative land uses in the Mediterranean region and with biomass resource assessments with special focus on agriculture.
She also acts as technical consultant to the European Commission, industrial clients and other European and international organisations (OECD, EEA, etc.) regarding biomass supply issues and technoeconomics of bioenergy and biofuels.
Cleon Papadopoulos,
Executive ChairmanTT Hellenic Postbank
Kleanthis (Cleon) Papadopoulos is the executive chairman of the TT Hellenic Postbank, a Greek bank with a very wide client base of over 2 million customers. Mr. Papadopoulos has over 25 years experience in the financial sector, obtained mainly in the City of London. Prior to the TT Hellenic Postbank, Mr. Papadopoulos has held senior positions at UBS, SBC Warburg, Swiss Bank Corporation, SBC O’Connor and Security Pacific among others. Mr. Papadopoulos is a graduate of the University of Bristol (BS, 1984), the London School of Economics (MSc, 1985) and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (MBA, 1991).
George A. Papandreou,
Prime MinisterThe Hellenic Republic
George A. Papandreou holds an M.Sc. in Sociology and Development from LSE, and is a fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs. An MP since 1981, he served in several government posts before becoming Foreign Minister from 1999-2004. An active supporter of the Information Society and the driving force behind the Greek EU Presidency’s e-Vote, in 2003 he was placed among the “25 Who are Changing the World of Internet Politics”. He has received several honours for his commitment to promote peace and democracy, notably his successful campaign, as Foreign Minister, to engineer a rapprochement between Greece and Turkey. As President of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) since January 2004, George A. Papandreou is leading radical reforms of the Greek party political system. He was unanimously elected as President of the Socialist International in January 2006.
Professor Andreas Papandreou,
Founder and ChairmanInstitute for Climate and Energy Security
Andreas A. Papandreou, is an Associate Professor in the Economics Department of the University of Athens. He received his B.Sc. in Economics from the University of London, Queen Mary College and his M.Sc. in Economics from London School of Economics. He became a Doctor of Philosophy at Merton College, Oxford University, in 1990. A. Papandreou has eighteen years of academic experience in various Universities, including University College London and Harvard. His research and published work are mostly in the fields of environmental economics, institutional economics and microeconomics. Among his publications are "Externality and Institutions" (1994) Oxford University Press. He was chairman of the Athens Gas Supply Company and has founded the Institute for Climate and Energy Security.
Dr. Marie-Athena Papathanasiou,
Legal Counsel EMEASunPower
Barrister and International Environmental Lawyer, LL.M, Ph.D. She is a Graduate of Paris 2 Sorbonne University and the London School of Economics. Appointed EMEA Legal Counsel for SunPower Corporation, in February 2010: To manage and supervise the Group's Legal and Corporate Affairs in Europe, Middle East and Africa Other academic, NGO and advisory activities include: Board Member at Ambiente Milano Foundation (non profit Environmental), Member of the Board of Trustees for GEXSI: Global Exchange for Social Investment.
Environmental Policy Program, London School of Economics and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, London. Advisory Board role in the Global Sustainability Challenge, UK, member of the Sustainable Environment Foundation and the International Institute for Energy and Development. Member of Urban Land Institute and member of the ULI Urban Investment Network.
Adviser at Challenge Capital Partners, a private equity firm, on environmental governance and sustainable energy issues. Counsel and Attorney in international cross border transactions involving Energy, Green technologies, renewable energy sources, natural resources and infrastructure in the UK, Europe and Middle-East. Nominated Of Counsel to Athens based energy focused Law firm Kelemenis and Partners Member of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership and the Environment and Energy Study Institute.
Previous appointments include: Adviser to London Hedge Fund Group RAB Capital Plc for origination, fund raising and business development. Adviser to the Board of NEPH, a UK proparty development and investment Group, active in the UK and Europe, Legal Counsel / Aerium Funds, General Counsel / Chelverton Group UK and Europe, Counsel to the Dubai Investment Group in London. Non executive Director, Environmental and governance adviser to ICM, a UK based mining exploration and production company active in South America listed on AIM. Consultant to Trafalgar Capital Advisers and CIM Fund Managers. Adviser for international development to QKT, a corporate finance and management consultancy, in Athens, Greece.
Loukas Papazoglou,
Financial AdvisorMr. Loukas Papazoglou is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Athens International Airport S.A. He has been nominated as Chairman in May 2008. Mr. Papazoglou has served as Special Secretary for Privatisations from 2004 until 2008 and also as General Secretary of the Treasury between November 2007 and June 2008.
He holds an MSc in International Financial Markets from the University of Reading and he is a Business Administration graduate from the Athens University of Economics and Business.
He has long working experience as a business consultant specialized in finance issues and has taken up executive managerial positions in private enterprises. He has also assumed teaching positions on derivatives and risk management at the Athens Technological Institute (TEI).
Angelos Philippides,
Financial Advisor Thorsten Rauch,
Regional Manager for South EuropeAbengoa Solar
Thorsten Rauch was born in 1972 in Mulheim an der Ruhr, Germany. In 1999 he finished his studies as Mechanical Engineer at the technical university RWTH Aachen, Germany. He participated in several research projects, e.g. investigating the fluid dynamics in stator rotor interaction of gas turbines. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as Project Engineer at the research facility Plataforma Solar de Almeria in the south of Spain with DLR, German Aerospace Center. There, he was involved in various research projects on Dish-Stirling Systems, including system improvements of the cavity receiver unit, in the performance comparison in the use of different working fluids and in flow and heat transfer simulations inside the tubular receiver including real flux distribution. From 2006 to 2008 he worked with the Conergy Group as Project Manager for large scale PV plants gaining experience in the construction and connection of over 30 MW PV. Since End of 2008 he works as Project/ Country Manager responsible for the CSP business development in Eu-Med region mainly Italy, Greece and Cyprus.
Simon Reddy,
Executive DirectorC40 Climate Leadership Group
Silvia Rezessy,
Scientific/Technical OfficerEuropean Commission, Joint Research Centre
Silvia Rezessy is a scientific officer at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, where she is involved in various technical aspects of Directive 2006/32/EC on energy end-use efficiency and energy services, such as measurement and verification methods for energy savings, financing for energy efficiency, energy service companies, saving obligations for energy companies and other policy tools for promoting energy efficiency. Previously Silvia was acting as energy efficiency advisor to the International Secretariat of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership and researcher at the Central European University, where she obtained her Doctoral degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy. Her main interests are related to market-based instruments for sustainable energy (white and green certificates, emissions trading), energy performance contracting and energy service companies, and analysis of energy efficiency policies and measures.
John Roberts,
Head of Energy StrategyArup
John Roberts is Head of Energy Strategy at Arup. He has over 25 years experience in the energy sector and has, for the last 5 years has built up an energy strategy capability in Arup advising Government bodies, developers and corporations on how to meet the challenge of climate change. Strategies are developed within the umbrella of a sustainability framework to achieve substantial demand reduction, and to maximise the efficiency of supplying the residual energy required and the use of renewable energy supply. Targets are normally set in relating to carbon reduction. Arup’s experience in carbon reduction programme development is fast growing and now includes major conurbations such as the implementing the Mayor’s Climate Change Action Plan in London and the development of large scale low carbon cities in the Middle East and Chine to advising local communities on sustainable energy projects.
John has developed a particular interest in trey relationship between urban form and energy consumption in buildings, transport and infrastructure. He was responsible for implementing a low carbon energy strategy for the Waterfront Project in Dubai, one of the largest projects in the world where low carbon principles have been adopted.
He sees the focus of carbon reduction as the development of cost-effective solutions which are practical to implement and the area of greatest challenge as the retrofitting of mature cities to lower their emissions.
Simone Ruiz,
European Policy DirectorInternational Emissions Trading Association
Simone Ruiz is European Policy Director at the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) and represents the Geneva-based organization in Brussels. IETA has been the leading voice of the business community on the subject of carbon markets since 2000. IETA's 170 member companies include some of the world's leading corporations, including global leaders in oil, electricity, cement, aluminum, chemical, paper, and other industrial sectors; as well as leading firms in the data verification and certification, brokering and trading, legal, finance, and consulting industries. Previous to that, Simone was working as Economist in the European business federation - BUSINESSEUROPE - on climate and fiscal policy. She started her career at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.
Harry Sachinis,
Chairman & CEOThe Public Gas Corporation, Greece
Mr. Sachinis is the Chairman and CEO of DEPA, the Greek Public Gas Corporation. DEPA imports both pipeline gas and LNG, and distributes it to electricity producers, industrial users and, through a set of three subsidiaries, to retail customers. DEPA is also planning to build regional pipelines to supply Caspian gas to the Balkan and Italian peninsulas.
Most recently he was an Operating Partner for Advent International, one of the world’s leading global private equity firms, where he was responsible for the global information and media space.
Prior to that he was President of The McGraw-Hill Companies’ Business Information Group, comprising Platts, McGraw-Hill Construction, and McGraw-Hill Aerospace & Defense. Under his leadership, the Group became one of the top global business-to-business information and media groups in the world.
Earlier Mr. Sachinis was President of Platts. He built Platts into the world’s largest commodities information services and solutions provider, and led Platts into new areas such as electronic trading. Every day, $20 billion worth of transactions were based on Platts information.
Mr. Sachinis was also Group Vice President of Standard & Poor’s, where he grew key strategic businesses and developed one of them into the largest global financial quote distributor on the Internet.
He holds an engineering degree from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Plutarchos Sakellaris,
Vice PresidentEuropean Investment Bank
Mr. Sakellaris is Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB). His responsibilities on the EIB’s Management Committee include supervising financing operations in Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and South Africa. Mr. Sakellaris is also responsible for the EIB’s activity reflecting its energy policy and the Bank’s Economic and Financial Studies division.
Prior to joining the EIB, Mr. Sakellaris held the positions of Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers at the Hellenic Ministry of Economy and Finance and Professor in the Department of Economics of the Athens University of Economics and Business. He was the Greek representative at the Economic and Financial Committee of the European Union and acted as Deputy at the Eurogroup and ECOFIN Councils, as well as Alternate Governor for Greece at the World Bank. Mr. Sakellaris also served on the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Greece, the Hellenic Public Debt Management Agency, and the Institute for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE).
He taught for eleven years in the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland, USA and has also taught at the University of Ioannina (Greece), Central European University (Budapest), University of Munich and Yale University. He has presented seminars at numerous Universities and international conferences.
His professional experience has also included:
1. Visiting Expert - European Central Bank (ECB): 2001-2003
2. Staff Economist and Consultant - Federal Reserve Board, U.S.A.: 1998-2000
3. Research Associate - U.S. Census Bureau: 1998- 2002
He completed his undergraduate studies at Brandeis University, U.S.A. (B.A. 1986) and his doctoral studies at Yale University, U.S.A. (Ph.D. 1992).
His research is focused on monetary policy, productivity and sources of growth, firm investment in physical capital, the industrial sector and education. His papers have been published in books and in international journals, such as: American Economic Review, Journal of Monetary Economics, Review of Economics and Statistics, International Economic Review, Economic Policy and Oxford Economic Papers.
He was born in Thessaloniki, Greece in 1964. He is married and has three children.
Juan José Sánchez Domínguez,
Energy Advisor, Secretariat of State for Climate ChangeMinistry of the Environment, and Rural and Marine Affairs, Spain
PhD in Industrial Engineering by the Comillas University, Madrid, Spain. Industrial Engineer from the Comillas University.
In May 2008 he was appointed Energy Advisor to the Spanish Secretary of State for Climate Change (Ministry of the Environment, and Rural and Marine Affairs). In this position, he has collaborated in the elaboration of national and international mitigation policies and measures, emissions projections and research projects; he has been involved in international climate change negotiations (mitigation and technology issues; member of the European Task Force on Modelling and Assessment) and other international fora like the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA (Spanish member in the Administrative Committee of IRENA) or the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (member of the leading authors group of the wind and solar Technology Action Plans).
Previously, he worked as researcher/consultant in the energy sector at the Institute for Technological Research (Comillas University, Madrid). His main areas of work were: technical and economic modelling of power sectors, investment analysis in liberalised frameworks, strategies in spot and forward power markets, CO2 markets, regulation of the power sector, development cooperation in energy issues. During that time he was also visiting researcher at the Energy Markets Group of the London Business School.
He has participated in several national and international conferences and specialized courses and workshops, has directed two master thesis and published several papers in national and international journals and conferences. He is member of the Energy without Borders Foundation.
Alberto Seisdedos,
International Business Director for South Europe and North AfricaIberdrola Renovables
Alberto Seisdedos was born in Madrid in 1952, he is a Physicist and he holds an MBA from IESE. He has been working for IBERDROLA Group since 1991, holding various top managerial positions. In 2001 he became President of ENERBRASIL (Energias Renovaveis do Brasil). In 2003 he was appointed International Business Director for South Europe and North Africa of IBERDROLA RENOVABLES. In his capacity, he is coordinating investment, construction and operation of wind farms and other renewable energy projects in the Mediterranean Countries. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Rokas Renewables.
Joseph Stanislaw,
Independent Senior AdvisorDeloitte LLP
Honorary ChairmanMediterranean Sustainable Energy Summit
Joseph A. Stanislaw is founder of the advisory firm The JAStanislaw Group, LLC, specializing in strategic thinking, sustainability, and environmentally sound investment in energy and technology. He is also an Independent Senior Advisor to Deloitte & Touche Energy & Resources practice – a role which includes assisting the firm and its clients in identifying and developing services and strategies in the areas of clean and emerging technologies, sustainable development, climate change, carbon initiatives and innovation. Mr. Stanislaw was one of three founders of Cambridge Energy Research Associates in 1983 and served as managing director for all non-U.S. activity until 1997, when he was named president and chief executive officer, positions he held until the sale of the firm in 2005. Mr. Stanislaw is an adjunct professor in the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Duke University, where he is a Member of the Board of Advisors for the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions. He serves on the Boards of several corporations which share a specific interest in sustainable and carbon neutral development, climate change, and renewable and alternative clean energy technologies. Mr. Stanislaw was a Research Fellow of Clare Hall and lecturer in Economics at Cambridge University, where he was also a member of the Energy Research Group in the University’s Cavendish Laboratory. He was a senior economist at the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development’s International Energy Agency in Paris. Mr. Stanislaw is the co-author, with Daniel Yergin, of The Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy. Now in the second edition, the book has been translated into 13 languages and made into a 6-hour documentary on PBS. He is also the author of “Energy in Flux: The 21st Century’s Greatest Challenge”, currently being used as the basis for a 4-hour PBS Documentary with a focus on the Energy-Climate Change-Sustainability inter-relationship. Mr. Stanislaw has also authored or co-authored numerous reports and published papers on the geopolitics and economics of future energy supply and demand. Mr. Stanislaw received a B.A., cum laude, from Harvard College, a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Edinburgh, and was awarded an M.A. from the University of Cambridge where he was elected a Research Fellow of Clare Hall. He is one of only several people to have been awarded an Honorary Doctorate and Professorship from Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas in Moscow.
Gary Stuggins,
Lead Energy EconomistThe World Bank
Gary has worked at the World Bank for the past 21 years, starting with energy projects in the Middle East. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Gary then turned his attention to Russia’s energy sector where he worked on gas, electricity and energy efficiency projects from 1992-1998. In 1998, he turned his attention to helping EU Accession candidate countries undertake the reforms necessary to enable them to join the EU. Five years later, Gary moved to the Bank’s energy unit responsible for corporate policy for the energy sector. Soon after this move, the Bank was asked to lead in the development of a “Clean Energy Investment Framework” designed to make the transition to a low carbon economy. Gary led the work on the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) mitigation agenda, identifying the technology options, the global incremental cost of decreasing GHG emissions and proposing new financial mechanisms to enable these investments. This work culminated in the initiation of the “Clean Technology Fund” in 2008, in which the donor community pledged $5 billion to fund the incremental cost of low carbon projects in client countries of all International Financial Institutions. In 2008, Gary moved to work in the Bank’s European region to help implement this program, focusing on Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Turkey.
Thanasis Tsantilas,
Energy General DirectorRokas Renewables
Thanasis Tsantilas was born in 1963 in Athens, he is a Mechanical Engineer and he holds an MBA from Henley University. He has been working in ROKAS RENEWABLES since 1989 holding various positions on top management and he is exceptionally experienced in Energy and Electromechanical activities. On 2006 he became Energy General Director while he is the Chairman of all the subsidiary companies of the Wind Energy division. In his role as Energy General Director he is coordinating development, construction and operation of RES plants. He is also Deputy Chairman of the Hellenic Electricity Association (H.EL.AS.) and the Development Association of Electricity Producers (D.A.E.P.).
Zach Veitch,
DirectorDeutsche Bank
Zach Veitch is a director specialising in renewable energy within Deutsche Bank’s Asset Finance & Leasing (AFL) division, a global product group within Deutsche Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking Division. He currently has a brief to further strengthen AFL’s important franchise in financing renewable energy generation projects, to expand the equity co-investment capability, with an initial focus on solar and wind generation, and to help establish a network of institutional co-investors. He works in close partnership with the project finance team of AFL for the debt financing of renewable projects.
Prior to joining Deutsche Bank in May 2008, Zach spent ten years within Citigroup’s Asset Finance Group, where he originated, structured, executed and syndicated transactions in the power and transportation sectors.
Zach has a 1st class Masters degree in Economics from Pembroke College, Cambridge University and has recently completed a CQF Quantitative Finance qualification.
Theodore Veniamis,
PresidentUnion of Greek Shipowners
Antonio Volpin,
DirectorMcKinsey & Company
Antonio Volpin is a Director of McKinsey&Company;, which he joined in 1993.
He is the leader of the Electric Power and Natural Gas practice of McKinsey&Company; for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In the last fifteen years, he has served several leading companies in the EPNG sectors in all these regions. His key area of focus has been strategy development during change of regulation and/or beginning of new markets. He assisted several large companies in defining their strategy in light of market discontinuities (e.g. liberalization, new technologies), in launching company-wide change programs and implementing new organization structures to face new challenges.
Other selected areas of his work in the utilities sector are; impact of regulation of greenhouse gases (GHG) on the energy sector. He advised the European Commission about the directive on Emissions Trading; Definition of regulatory strategies for large incumbents, including tariffs and incentive mechanisms; Turnaround and change programmes for large utilities; Distributed power generation and energy services.
He has been the author of several papers about the energy industry, many of them published or quoted by major sector or business newspapers. Selected themes include impact of GHG regulation on business strategies and competitive dynamic, M&A;&A; in European electricity industry and operational best practice in wires and pipes businesses
He is a regular speaker in key sector events and conferences, like Eurelectric and UBS Utility yearly financial conference.
Prior to joining McKinsey, he worked as junior researcher at the Computer Science Department of the University of Padua.
He graduated with honours in Electrical Engineering and Computers Science at the University of Padua, and got a Master in Business Administration at the Bocconi Business School in Milan.
Dimitri Zenghelis,
Chief EconomistCisco Climate Change Practice
Arthouros Zervos,
Chairman & Chief Executive OfficerPublic Power Corporation, Greece
Arthouros Zervos is the Chairman and CEO of the Greek Public Power Corporation as well as a Professor at the National Technical University of Athens. In 1974 he received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering, in 1975 his Master of Science in Engineering, both from the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences of Princeton University, U.S.A. He continued his studies at the Universite P.et M.Curie in Paris, where he took his Diplome d’Etudes Approfondies (D.E.A) de Mecanique Experimentale des Fluides- Aerodynamique in 1978 and his Diplome de Docteur – Ingenieur in 1981. Professor Zervos has more than 25 years of high level expertise in policy, science, research and technology across the European renewable energy sector. He led key European renewable energy bodies and has acted as policy advisor to Governments, EU bodies and policy fora. As Faculty Member at the National Technical University of Athens, he has been teaching courses on wind energy, renewable energy sources and aerodynamics. Since 2003 he is responsible for the Wind Energy Specialization of the European Renewable Energy Master. He is also President of the European Renewable Energy Council, Chairman of the Global Wind Energy Council and President of the European Wind Energy Association and a member of the Steering Committee of the European Wind Energy Technology Platform and of the Global Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21). From 1990 to 1995 he worked as a scientific officer in the Renewable Energy Unit of DG Research of the European Commission in Brussels. He is the author of more than 180 publications in international magazines and conference proceedings. He was the lead author of the White Paper on Renewable Sources of Energy for the EC in 1997. He is member of the Advisory Board of the International Journal of Sustainable Energy and Editor of the Wind Energy Journal and of the IET Renewable Energy Generation Journal. He has been the Chairman of 18 international conferences and has participated in more than 220 international conferences.
He is fluent in four languages: Greek (mother tongue), English, French and Italian.
He was born on 28/07/1952 in Corfu Greece. He is married and has one son.
Dimitris Zissis,
Managing DirectorHellenic Post Bank Green Institute
Dimitris Zissis is a graduate of the National Polytechnic University of Athens and a mechanical engineer. He has an MA degree in Economics "Management of Innovation and Technology" from University PARIS IX - Dauphine in France. Dimitris Zissis has gained years of significant business experience in private sector in several managerial positions, such as IBM Hellas, Gaz de France as Business Development Manager, Attica Gas Supply Company as General Manager – Acting CEO and most recently at TITAN as Managing Director of Titan Serbia & Montenegro in Belgrade Serbia. He is now Managing Director of Post Bank Green Institute, affiliate of the Hellenic Post Bank.