Speakers | REvision2018 | Int'l Symposium | Renewable Energy Institute

Dana Reed Younger
Chief, Renewable Energy Specialist, Global Infrastructure and Natural Resources Department, International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group)

Dana R. Younger is Chief Renewable Energy Specialist of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), working in the power and renewables team in IFC’s Global Infrastructure & Natural Resources Department. IFC, the private sector lending arm of the World Bank Group based in Washington, D.C., committed $20.4 billion in financing for 560 projects in 103 countries during fiscal year 2012. IFC financed more than $1 billion in renewable energy projects during fiscal year 2012. This includes 22 separate renewable transactions totaling >$420 million within his Department. He has also been involved in wind and solar energy projects for more than 25 years. Recently he helped mobilize financing for two wind projects in Mexico totaling >300 MW as well as some 2,000 MW of wind projects in other developing countries including: China, India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Turkey, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Jordan, Brazil, Chile, and the Dominican Republic, as well as other renewable energy projects. He helped IFC finance a pioneering 1 MW grid-tied solar PV project in the Philippines in 2000 that has been in successful operation since 2005. More recent solar projects include solar PV manufacturing investments in China and the Philippines, off-grid solar PV concessions in Senegal, and numerous utility-scale, grid-tied ground-mount and rooftop solar PV projects in: India, Thailand, Bulgaria, the Philippines, and Sub-Saharan Africa totaling >250 MW. He has also helped build IFC’s portfolio of clean energy private equity funds totaling >$350 million in 17 funds and has been involved in the formation of the recently launched IFC Catalyst Fund, a $280 million “fund of funds” for climate related investments. Mr. Younger also acts as lead business developer for large grid-tied renewable energy transactions with a special emphasis on wind energy, solar PV, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), Concentrating PV (CPV), as well as run-of-river hydro, geothermal, and biomass power projects. He served for over ten years as IFC’s Executive Coordinator for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and still plays a key role in mobilization of concessional financing from the Clean Technology Facility (CTF) and other similar sources for suitable IFC projects and programs. He has authored articles on “Solar energy finance opportunities in key emerging markets” in EUROMONEY’s International Power & Utilities Finance Review 2012/2013; “Post-crisis financing for emerging-market renewable energy projects” in EUROMONEY’s International Power & Utilities Finance Review 2010/2011; and “Renewable energy finance in emerging markets” in EUROMONEY’s International Power & Utilities Finance Review 2006/2007. He represented the President of the World Bank Group and IFC’s Executive Vice President on the G8 Renewable Energy Task Force (2000/2001). He is an acknowledged international expert on renewable energy who speaks frequently at international wind, solar, geothermal, and renewables conferences and is quoted regularly in trade publications and the mainstream press.
Dolf Gielen
Director, Innovation and Technology Centre,
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Dolf Gielen is the director of the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre (IITC) since January 2011. The IITC is located in Bonn, Germany, and supports the IRENA member countries in accelerated technology development and deployment through technology cost information and project development assistance, assistance with energy transition planning, and innovation strategies. Before joining IRENA, he worked for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Energy Agency, Paris. He has a PhD from the Technical University of Delftin the Netherlands.
Ruggero Arico
Head of Institutional Affairs for Europe, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Australia, Enel Green Power

Ruggero Arico graduated in Law at the University of Messina, Italy in 1999 and he was admitted to the Bar in 2002. He joined Enel in 2000 at the Institutional and International Affairs Department. In 2003 he moved to Brussels to manage the institutional relations with the European Union, in particular he worked very closely to the European Parliament. After 5 years, he moved to Moscow as Head of External Relations for Russia & CIS Countries and in 2010 he moved to Algiers as Head of External Relations for Algeria. Since March 2016 he is the new global Head of Institutional Affairs for Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia in Enel Green Power.

Ruggero has an extensive experience in international relations, governmental affairs, energy regulation and legislation. He spent most of his life outside Italy, he speaks fluently several foreign languages and he is often invited as visiting professor in universities worldwide.
Recently he has been appointed Vice President of “Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo”, the General Confederation of Italian Industry association for the development of Italian businesses in Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Li Junfeng
Professor, National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC)

From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Li Junfeng served as Director General of National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), where he currently serves as a professor. He is also a member of National Energy Advisory Council, a member of Expert-committee of National High-tech Program, a member of National Environmental Scientific Committee, a member of Expert-committee of National Energy Administration Energy Internet, etc. And, he also serves as a consultant of low carbon development for Beijing, Shanghai and Shanxi Provincial People’s Government. Meanwhile, he is invited to be the professor and doctoral supervisor by Peking University and Renmin University and other colleges and universities of China.
From 1982 to 2011, Mr. Li worked in Energy Research Institute (ERI) of National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and used to serve as the Deputy Director General of ERI and the Chair of the Academic Committee of ERI for more than 10 years. He was awarded Ninth Annual Zayed Future Energy Prize Lifetime Achievement Award in January 2017.
Shigeki Miwa
General Manager, CEO Project Office, SoftBank Group Corp.
Representative Director & CEO of SB Energy Corp.

Shigeki (Sean) Miwa holds several positions concurrently within the SoftBank Group including Representative Director & CEO of SB Energy Corp. (from 2017), General Manager – CEO Project Office (from 2016) at SoftBank Group Corp., Board Member of the Renewable Energy Institute (from 2014), Representative Director & CEO of Bloom Energy Japan Ltd.(from 2013) and Director of Clean Energy Asia LLC (from 2012). Before joining SoftBank in 2011, he worked for Mitsui & Co. Ltd., from 1991 mainly in the natural resources and energy sector, based in Tokyo, Sydney and Brisbane.
Mr. Miwa graduated from Waseda University in Tokyo with a BA in history, received a Master of Financial Management and an MBA from the Graduate School of Management, Macquarie University in Sydney, and completed the General Management Program at Harvard Business School in Boston.
Thierry Lepercq, Mr.
Executive Vice-President, ENGIE
In charge of Research, Technology & Innovation

Thierry Lepercq is Executive Vice President in charge of Research, Technology and Innovation at ENGIE since 2016.
Graduated from HEC Paris, Thierry Lepercq has worked for 20 years in the financing of technologies, first at Bankers Trust in New York, then at Bank Arjil (Lagardère group), and finally at Oddo & Cie. He created in 1999 NetsCapital, an investment bank dedicated to information technologies, then in 2004 a think tank specialized in innovation in the energy industry. He has then been the president and co-founder of Solairedirect, a world pioneer in competitive solar electricity, acquired by Engie in 2015.
Carlos Gascó Travesedo
Senior Advisor, International Corporate Affairs, Iberdrola SA

47 y.o. Married, two children.
MSc in economics and business administration. Specialty: Economic Structure and Economic Development. Madrid, Universidad Autónoma, 1993. Back in 1998 he was Director of the Office of the Secretary of State for Economy, Energy. Prior, he was Adviser of the Spanish Vice-President of the Government and Secretary of the Treasury. Member of the Economic Policy Committee in the European Commission from 1997 to 2003. In 2005, he was the General Director of the Fundación de Estudios Financieros (Financial Studies Foundation) and Assistant Secretary General of the Instituto Español de Analistas Financieros (Spanish Institute of Financial Analysts).
In 2007 Carlos Gascó joined Iberdrola Renewables as Head of the Prospective Regulation Department. In January 2011, he joined the Renewable Energy Direction of the International Energy Agency in Paris, as Senior Renewable Electricity Analyst. In 2012 and 2013 he returned to the public sector, as Senior Advisor to the Minister of Energy and later on Director of the Office of the President of SEPI (Spain’s Public Stake Holding Corporation).
Currently Carlos Gascó is Senior Advisor for International Corporate Affairs in Iberdrola, the Spanish utility investing in different markets emerging and mature and largest developer of wind and renewables energy at global scale.

Other current relevant positions:
International Energy Agency (IEA) initiatives:
- Peer reviewer of the World Energy Outlook (WEO).
- Member of the Energy Security Advisory Panel (ESAP).

OECD initiatives:
- Member of the Emerging Markets Network initiative (Emnet).
- Green Growth Working Party.

IRENA’s Coalition for Action steering committee member.
B20 China: Infrastructures Task Force member.
B20 Germany: Energy, climate and resource efficiency Task Force Member
B20 Argentina: Energy, Climate Change Task force Member.
International Chamber of Commerce G20 Advisory Panel observer.
Conseil de Cooperation Economique (CCE). Iberdrola representative and rapporteur of the renewable energy workgroup before the European Commission.
Member of the Energy and Climate Work Group in the Real Instituto Elcano, the most relevant Spanish and Global private/public think tank
Bert Maes
Co-CEO Nemo Link Ltd & CEO Eurogrid International (Elia Group)
President of the Board of Directors of Ampacimon

- Eurogrid International owns 100% of 50Hertz, one of the biggest Transmission System Operators of Germany (former East Germany region). Eurogrid International is owned for 60% by Elia group and for 40% by Industry Fund Management.
- Nemo Link Ltd: UK company which is 50% owned by National Grid UK and 50% owned by the Elia group. Its main asset is the interconnector under construction between Belgium and the UK. Commissioning date is foreseen in the beginning of 2019. As CO-CEO, Mr. Maes is mainly responsible for PMO, Finance, Regulation, Legal & Commercial operations.
- Ampacimon: Start-up in Liège, coming out of the University of Liège. Ampacimon is active worldwide and is mainly specialized in Dynamic Line Rating technology

Since April 1, 2005, Mr. Maes is working for the Elia group active in different senior management roles like Head of Investor relations and M&A, Managing Director of Eurogrid GmbH (Germany – Berlin) and Head of Business Development
From May 11th, 1998 till March 2005, Mr. Maes was active in the banking industry working for Dexia and Delta Lloyd Securities. He was a Head of Institutional Sales & Research. He was also Member of the board of directors of Privast Capital Partners, a private equity fund in which Delta Lloyd Securities participated.
He started his career in September 1992 at Arthur Andersen leaving this company on May 10th, 1998 as audit manager.
He has a master in Applied Economics from the University of Antwerp.
Lily Donge
Principal, Business Renewables Center (BRC), Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI)

Lily Donge is a Principal with Rocky Mountain Institute’s electricity practice, where she co-founded and leads the Business Renewables Center. Lily focuses on accelerating the market for corporate renewable energy. She is exploring new markets for the rapid uptake of renewable energy and developing tools and products for corporate leaders to purchase renewable energy. Joining RMI in December 2014, Lily has since enabled over 8 GW of new wind and solar. With 20 years’ experience in sustainability and cleantech investment, Lily formerly led Ernst & Young’s Cleantech knowledge management, where she developed thought leadership and strategy. She also managed the environment and climate change team at Calvert Investments. Lily has helped launch and manage Calvert’s Sustainability Index, Global Alternative Energy Fund, the Global Water Fund, and the first green bond fund strategy. Lily has covered utilities, alternative energy, and water sectors. She has also worked at the World Resources Institute and in investment services at Donaldson, Lufkin, & Jenrette. Lily has an MBA from the Yale School of Management and an MA in International Development Economics from Yale University and a BA in Economics and International Relations from Claremont McKenna College. Lily serves as Chairman of a community NGO in Hawaii, PIKO, and is on the board of Alliance for Green Heat.
Osamu Ikki
CEO, RTS Corporation

Osamu Ikki established RTS Corporation in 1983, as a think tank specialized in PV power generation, covering from silicon feedstock to PV projects. He has been working on researches and consultation on PV power generation for over three decades. He also serves as an IEA-PVPS/TASK1 expert for Japan.
Hideyuki Ohnishi
Regional General Manager, North Asia, GE Renewable Energy

Ohnishi joined GE in 2010 as the Country Executive for GE Energy in Japan. In 2012, he was named as the Country Executive for GE Power & Water as well as North Asia Sales Leader for Distributed Power including Aeroderivative gas turbine and gas engine. In March 2016, he was appointed as Country Executive, GE Power Japan for the key customer in the industrial sector, and from August 2016, he has served as Regional General Manager, North Asia, GE Renewable Energy.
Ohnishi finished his Master in Synthetic Chemistry of Engineering Science from Osaka University in 1988. His academic specialization was the development of new photovoltaics and fuel batteries.
Sergio Kato
Corporate Vice President, RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Sustainability Management Division/Export/Import Administration,

Sergio Kato joined Ricoh Company, Ltd. in 1982 after graduating from the faculty of Law of Waseda University.
Since 1990, He has held a number of senior executive positions in Europe and Japan during his thirty-year career, as Sales executive of OEM business of Ricoh Europe, Vice President of Ricoh Italia Spa., Senior Vice President of Ricoh Europe.
Since 2010, Kato had been General Manager of the company’s Global MDS Center (current Business Services Center). Since August 2013, he was General Manager of the Business Strategy Center of the Business Solutions Group.
In April 2015, Kato was appointed to Corporate Vice President of Ricoh Company, Ltd. and General Manager of Sustainability Management Division and General Manager of Trade & Export/Import Control Division. In these roles, he manages the challenges and development of Ricoh’s Sustainability Management (CSR/Environment) with the slogan “Driving Sustainability for Our Future”.
Hiromi Asahi
Expert Leader, Technology Planning Department Advanced Engineering Division, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Hiromi Asahi joined Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, after graduating from faculty of letters of Keio University in 1983.
In April, 2009, she was appointed to Deputy General Manager of Corporate Planning Office in charge of Global Environment Planning Office.
In April 2013, she transferred to Technology Planning Office, Advanced Engineering Division and has been Expert Leader in environment since April 2014.
Jun Takashina
Director-General, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan

Jun Takashina joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), in 1989. After serving in managerial positions with Permanent Mission of Japan to the International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland from 2005 to 2008, he returned to METI and assumed a series of executive positions including Director of Europe Division, Trade Policy Bureau, before assuming the current position in 2017.
Tomas Kåberger
Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute

Tomas Kåberger has been the Chair of Executive Board of Renewable Energy Institute since its foundation in 2011. Academically, he got an MSc in Engineering Physics, a PhD in Physical Resource Theory, and Docent in Environmental Science at Chalmers. He has been professor in International Sustainable Energy Systems at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics at Lund University, and he is currently Professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology and serves as Distinguished Visiting Expert of bio-energy technology at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou.
Industrially, he has had leading roles in companies providing fuels and technology in the bio-energy industry, another company developing sustainable energy solutions for the automotive industry, and a company operating wind power plants. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Vattenfall, and the board of Industrifonden, an industrial investment foundation. Politically, he has served on board of Swedish and European Environmental Citizen’s organizations, several Swedish Government Committees developing energy and environmental legislation, and China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development as a member of a task force on Low-Carbon Industrialization Strategies. From 2008 until 2011 he was Director General of the National Swedish Energy Agency.
He is also a member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council established in January 2018.
Takejiro Sueyoshi
Vice-Chair of Executive Board, Renewable Energy Institute

After graduating from University of Tokyo, Takejiro Sueyoshi joined the Mitsubishi Bank (the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ) in 1967 and worked for the bank until 1998. During his years with Nikko Asset Management as Deputy President, he was appointed as a member of the UNEP FI Steering Committee.　In addition to the involvement in the UNEP FI activities in the Asia Pacific Region, he is giving many educational speeches about environmental problems and CSR/SRI in various government councils, seminars, universities and TV programs. He is a Trustee member of Carbon Disclosure Project. He was a member of the Council for Japan’s Prime Minister on Climate Change Policy.
His publications include “Ondanka Kogi　(A lecture on Global Warming)” (Toyo Keizai), “Yugai Rensa (Chain of Harmfulness)” (Gentousha), “Green New Deal” (Editor,Kankyou Shinbun), “Saishin CSR Jijyo( The Newest Book on CSR)”(Hokuseido).
Teruyuki Ohno
Executive Director, Renewable Energy Institute

Before joining Renewable Energy Institute in August 2013, Teruyuki Ohno served as the Director General of the Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, for three years, covering a broad range of environmental issues including energy, climate change, waste management, pollution control, natural environment, and sustainable development. His notable achievements include reducing air pollution and PM emissions through “No Dirty Diesel Vehicle Strategy in Tokyo”, and implementing Japan’s first Cap-and-Trade Program in Tokyo in 2008, involving the industries and building a grand consensus. His active leadership in promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency has formed the foundation of Tokyo’s energy policy. He was awarded Haagen-Smit Clean Air Awards by California Air Resources Board in 2014. His latest publication is "Energy Strategies of Municipality Governments" (Iwanami, 2013, Japanese). He also serves as part-time lecturer at the University of Tokyo, and a member of Seoul International Energy Advisory Council (SIEAC).
Mika Ohbayashi
Executive Director, Renewable Energy Institute

Mika Ohbayashi is a founding member and Director at Renewable Energy Institute since August 2011. Before joining the Institute, Ohbayashi worked for International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in Abu Dhabi as Policy and Project Regional Manager for Asia Oceania. She served as Deputy Director at Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies for 8 years since its establishment in 2000. She also worked for UKFCO at the British Embassy to Japan, as Advisor for Climate Change Projects and Policies before joining IRENA, and started her carrier in the energy field by joining Citizens' Nuclear Information Center in 1992. She coordinates many scientific study projects, takes leadership to team up various networks including national parliamentarians and local authorities, domestically and internationally to improve sustainable energy society. She was awarded the Global Leadership Award in Advancing Solar Energy Policy by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) in 2017.