SPEAKERS

Marcello Balasini is head of the Asia-Pacific division at Factor Consulting+Managing AG. Over his career, he has been involved in several projects linked to the EU ETS and JI/CDM chemes with particular focus on China and Africa. In his current position, Balasini has overseen the creation of a portfolio of ten million carbon credits (10M CERs). Mr Balasini is an environmental engineer with a postgraduate degree in business management and economics.

Fabrizio Barbaso has a background in law. Since 1976 he has occupied a number of leading positions in several directorates of the European Commission. He was working in the Directorates-General for Internal Market and Industrial Affairs (now Industry), for External Relations, as well as for Agriculture and for Enlargement. Barbaso currently acts as deputy director-general for energy in the Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, where he is in charge of EU energy policy coordination.

Dr Raymond Battistella is CEO of Services Industriels de Genève, the largest multi-utility in Switzerland. For many years he worked with a major American-based multinational oil corporation as vice-president in charge of business development activities throughout Europe. He has a background in chemical engineering and holds a PhD in chemistry and physics.

Ralph Baumann has been responsible for environmental markets at EOS since 2003. He started his career at VDEW in international relations and power trading regulation, before joining TXU Europe Energy Trading as senior business analyst responsible for long-term power price forecasting and market analysis. Ralph holds a degree in economics and business administration, and is a CFA charterholder.

Dr Martin Baumert is executive director of EWE NaturWatt GmbH, a subsidiary of EWE AG, which since 1998 has relied exclusively on renewable sources in electricity production. He is also head of the VDEW renewable energy/decentralised power generation project group. Baumert was a member of the German Bundestag, working as a consultant to the study commission on the protection of humanity and the environment.

Pierre Bénaros is CEO of Electricité de Marseille. A process engineer, he started his professional career managing biomass power plant projects. He worked for 15 years on energy development, quickly moving on to thermodynamic solutions. At the moment he is developing a low-temperature process for a solar power plant. Bénaros heads the PEAKER technology research team on energy storage technology.

Beat Brunner is an engineer and social scientist; he has been an associate of Landert Farago & Partner since 2004. After a first degree in engineering, followed by several years as a researcher and lecturer at ETH Zurich, Brunner enrolled in political science and sociology at the University of Zurich. His most recent projects deal with energy sources and consumption in private households, as well as federal research concepts in Switzerland.

Gwyn Dolben was educated at the universities of Cambridge, York and Bradford. After working for Siemens UK, Framatome and the Department of Trade and Industry, he joined the UK electricity industry in 1983. He has since held a number of management posts in electricity companies and the industry trade association. In May 2003 Dolben became head of European affairs at the Association of Electricity Producers. He also chairs Eurelectric's energy policy working group.

Hans-Heiri Frei has a degree in electrical engineering. After graduating from ETH Zurich in 1995, Frei joined Siemens Switzerland AG, where he was to be involved in several projects on product development over the following ten years. In 2004 he received a postgraduate degree in engineering and business administration. Since 2006 Frei has worked in the renewable energies and services division at swissgrid ag, leading projects on Swiss GoOs and the revised Swiss energy law.

Dr William Gillett is a unit head at the European Commission's Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI). He leads a team of renewable energy specialists that tackles non-technological and market barriers to the deployment of renewable energy. Before moving to EACI, Gillett was based at the European Commission's Directorate for Energy and Transport, where he helped to manage the research programme on sustainable energies. He has a background in engineering.

Paolo Girino has an MSc in aerospace engineering from Politecnico di Milano. After working for Saipem (Eni Group) in Italy and the US, he spent four years at McKinsey&Co. In 2002 he joined Enel as group commodity risk manager, and, one year later, also took responsibility for energy management control activities. He joined Rezia Energia Italia in 2004 as head of business development to support growth in power generation at thermal and renewable power plants.

Lukas Groebke finished his studies in informatics, meteorology and geography in 1999. He graduated as an Executive Master of Business Engineering Management from CIM Center in Muttenz in 2004. Since 2006 he has worked for the Swiss transmission system operator swissgrid ag. As IT project manager, he is responsible for renewable energy and balance management projects. Implementation of the Swiss GoO System also falls within his domain.

John Harris trained as a geologist before working for BP, Elf and TXU in oil, natural gas and electricity exploration, production, transport and trading. When he first joined the home furnishing company IKEA in 2004, he was responsible for reducingthe organisation's electricity costs worldwide. Since January 2007 he has been in charge of IKEA's efforts to reduce consumption and increase the share of renewable energy at all sites.

Claes Hedenström studied engineering physics and human ecology. He has experience in energy efficiency projects and sales throughout Europe. After a three-year term as green portfolio manager and trader at Vattenfall in Stockholm, Hedenström joined Vattenfall Trading Services in 2004 to work in regulatory affairs. Hedenström is a member of working groups on the disclosure system, and since 2004 has been president of RECS International.

François Houin a graduate of the Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Industrielle in Lyon, France, joined Michelin in 1976. After years as quality manager for different plants in France, Italy and Germany, Houin was appointed chief quality officer of Michelin's European Truck Tire Division in 1996. Since 2002 he has been in charge of the group's strategic planning process, and in 2005 also took on responsibility as Michelin's corporate environment director.

Bruno Hürlimann is a member of the executive board of ewz (Zurich Municipal Electric Utility), and since 1997 has headed the sales and marketing division, dealing for the most part with end-consumer business, energy services and telecoms. Following a degree in electrical engineering from ETH Zurich, he held several positions in the Swiss electrical industry, including ten years in sales and marketing for high-voltage switchgear in Southeast Asia at BBC/ABB.

Christophe Jurczak is director for renewable energy at POWEO, a leading independent energy operator in France. After graduating from the Ecole Polytechnique, he gained a PhD in fundamental physics in 1996. From 2002 to 2006 Jurczak headed the department of renewable energy at the French Ministry of Industry. He has been French representative to the IEA's Renewable Energy Working Party and the Renewable Energy Technology Deployment Implementing Agreement.

Michael Kaufmann has a degree in agricultural engineering from ETH Zurich. Formerly a journalist, development planner and consultant, he has extensive knowledge in the fields of energy, transport, environment, development planning and agriculture. Since August 2004 he has worked for the Swiss Federal Office for Energy as vice-director and head of the SwissEnergy programme.

Hans Peter Kildal has a masters degree in environmental and bio-science and a degree in energy analysis. With more than seven years' working experience in the Nordic power market, he has extensive knowledge on environmental issues related to energy consumption, GoOs and energy declaration. Kildal joined RECS International in 2000, and in 2006 took on responsibility as manager of their Norwegian team. In the same year, he became head of large business customers Norway at Fortum Markets AS

Hans Jørgen Koch has counselled, attended and guided political bodies and governmental organisations on matters of energy policy, technology and research for more than 30 years. A law graduate, he started his career in 1973 at the Danish Ministry of Industry, Trade and Shipping, and, through various assignments and position, arrived at his current post as deputy state secretary in the Danish Ministry of Transport and Energy. Koch has strong personal and professional ties to the International Energy Agency.

Alain Moissonnier has a postgraduate degree in electrical engineering from INP Grenoble. As head of operations for EDF main substations, he was responsible for maintaining pulsed power supplies in the Jet Joint Undertaking in the UK, and later for network engineering in the EDF international department. He then joined the network development division of Gaz de France, EDF Production. Since 2002 Moissonnier has worked for SERHY in connection with grid problems and the valorisation of hydropower.

Beatrice Müller is a trained journalist and since 1984 has been working in the Swiss media. After several years at different radio stations and magazines, Müller joined SF, the Swiss national television, in 1996. One year later she was to become the face of the "Tagesschau", the Swiss evening news. Müller is both a presenter and an editor at SF.

Peter Niermeijer has been active in the field of renewable energy for more than 25 years. He has worked for private consultancies and EnergieNed, the Federation of Energy Companies in the Netherlands. At present he is employed by Ecofys, a leading consultancy in the field of renewable energy with offices throughout Europe. Niermeijer is the author of a scheme known as the Green Label System, which has been operational in the Netherlands since January 1998. He is founder and Secretary General of RECS International.

Dr Jean-Yves Pidoux holds a PhD in sociology and anthropology. He was professor at Lausanne University (chair in epistemology, culture and knowledge sociology) until 2006, when he assumed office as municipal councillor and director of the utilities department of the City of Lausanne, Services industriels Lausanne. This move capped a political career that in 2002 saw him take a seat on the cantonal parliament of Vaud as a representative of the Green Party.

Diana Profir has managed the Green Power Market Development Group - Europe since 2005. Convened by the World Resources Institute and The Climate Group, this partnership aims to build a coherent European green power market for corporate energy users. At Enron, prior to her current post, Profir worked as an energy consultant and in various roles from origination and business development to risk assessment and control. She has an International MBA and a bachelor's in management.

Dr Mario Ragwitz is head of renewable energies at Fraunhofer ISI, among other things responsible for developing optimum promotional strategies for renewable energies and modelling energy systems with renewable sources in the European Union. He holds a PhD in Physics and studied at the universities of Düsseldorf, Waterloo and Heidelberg. Ragwitz is project coordinator of a number of research projects, e.g. of the official EU project analysing the renewable energy development in the EU-27 member states until 2020.

Christian Saul's background encompasses export and carbon financing, project development in renewable energy, equity research, corporate finance, asset management, business development and financing for leading corporations such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and HVB Group. He has conducted pioneering work in the fields of financing biogas, offshore wind, landfill gas and solarthermal energy, as well as national (carbon) offset projects in Germany and climate change projects.

Dr Christian Schaffner got his PhD from ETH Zurich in 2004, where he researched the economic assessment of new technology in liberalised electricity markets. After postdoctoral studies at the University of Texas in Austin, he joined the Swiss Federal Office of Energy in the international energy affairs, strategy and policy division. He is responsible for financing the additional costs of renewable energy, the disclosure of electricity and GoO for electricity.

Ben Schlemmermeier joined LBD-Beratungsgesellschaft mbH in 1989, and has been an executive partner since 1991. At LBD, he is responsible for two sections: energy and emissions, and expansion. The energy section focuses on wholesale markets and products, price prognoses, power plants, and grid access and usage. The expansion section focuses on M&A consulting, corporate restructuring, corporate finance, as well as project finance and development.

Christian Schönbauer is head of the renewable energy and co-generation department at Energie-Control GmbH, the Austrian electricity and gas regulatory authority. He is responsible for monitoring and controlling Austria's renewable energy targets and supervising the national support scheme for renewable energy. Schönbauer also works as an advisor to the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs. Before moving to Energie-Control, he was a consultant on several international energy and environmental programme.

Hans E. Schweickardt holds degrees from ETH Zurich (engineering), Stanford, and Insead in Fontainebleau. Between 1970 and 1989 he worked for BBC/ABB in various executive positions, and from 1989 to 1992 for Habasit AG as member of the executive board. He joined Atel Aare-Tessin Ltd. for Electricity in 1992 as a member of the executive board and head of the electricity trading division. In 1999 he joined EUREX and was member of the executive board of the European Energy Exchange until 2002. He has since been CEO of EOS Holding (Lausanne).

Dr Walter Steinmann holds a PhD in socioeconomics from Constance University. After terms as cantonal business development delegate, first in Basel-Land, later in Solothurn, he came to head the Office for Employment and Economic Affairs of the canton of Solothurn. In this position, from 1994 to 2001, Steinman launched different technology and business promotion initiatives including the Swiss Technology Award. Since 2001 he has been director of the Swiss Federal Office for Energy.

Antonio M. Taormina, a graduate in mathematics from ETH Zurich, started his career in the nuclear power industry, working for the Swiss Federal Institute for Reactor Research and the Nuclear Assurance Corporation. Between 1987 and 1998 he was involved in R&D and cross-border research coordination at the Swiss Association of the Machine, Metal and Electricity Industry. In 1998 Taormina became general manager of Maggia and Blenio Kraftwerke AG in Locarno. Since 1999 he has been head of energy Southern/Western Europe and executive board member at Atel Aare-Tessin Ltd. for Electricity.

Dr Pierre-Guy Thérond has a background in engineering and material physics, and holds a PhD from the Scientific, Technological and Medical University of Grenoble. For most of his professional career, Thérond was affiliated with EDF, working in their different R&D divisions. As vice-president for technologies at the newly founded EDF Energies Nouvelles, he has been guiding since 2007 the group's efforts to expand beyond wind energy in the renewables sector. Thérond is also vice-president of RECS International.

Thomas Tillwicks is COO of commercial grid management and member of the executive board at swissgrid ag. After a degree in electrical engineering from Technical University Berlin and several years at different energy companies in the German capital, Tillwicks moved to Swiss-based Atel Aare-Tessin Ltd. for Electricity in 1991. A two-year term as COO of commercial grid management at ETRANS AG from 2005 to 2006 brought him to his current position.

Christof Timpe is the head of the energy and climate division at Oeko-Institut, a leading environmental research institute in Germany. He has a background in electrical engineering, and joined Oeko-Institut in 1993. He has led several European and national research projects on the integration of sustainable energy technologies into energy markets. He has also worked on projects for the European Commission and several ministries and national agencies in Germany.

Pierre-Alain Urech has been member or chairman of the boards of almost a dozen utilities in Switzerland. A civil engineer with degrees from ETH Zurich and Lausanne, Urech has pursued a career in the energy sector over the last 20 years, including a period with the Swiss Federal Railways. Since 2004 he has been CEO of Romande Energie SA, an electricity provider in the Swiss canton of Vaud with an extensive portfolio of renewables.

Jan Vorrink has a BSc in civil and environmental engineering from Alkmaar Polytechnic and an MBA from Kingston University. Since the start-up of the Dutch certificate scheme in 2001, he has been involved in its design and operation as a project manager and as the head of CertiQ. He is now part of the management team of the systems and balancing business unit of TenneT TSO BV.

Josef Werum is co-owner and managing director of in.power GmbH; he also works as an independent energy consultant and holds a teaching position for renewable energy and energy management at the University of Applied Science Darmstadt. After more than 10 years in the electricity industry, Werum went self-employed to found in.power in 2006. His last position was CEO of the green energy supplier NATURpur Energie AG. Werum holds a degree in electrical engineering and energy management.