Conference Speakers 2023

Scroll down to discover the high-class speaker line-up for Intersolar & ees Middle East Conference, March 7–9, 2023 in Dubai.

Conference Speaker Overview Intersolar Middle East

Speaker

Dr. Florian Wessendorf, Solar Promotion International GmbH

Managing Director

Germany

Dr. Florian Wessendorf is Managing Director of Solar Promotion GmbH and Solar Promotion International GmbH. He is responsible for the global conference program and exhibitions in North America, South America and India. He has deep expertise in the solar industry, and formerly served as Managing Director of Photovoltaic Equipment at VDMA, where he was responsible for strategic development, market research and technology scouting, advocacy and policy advice, events, PR and marketing.

Speaker

Klemens Wegehaupt, Siemens AG

Solution Manager

Germany

Klemens Wegehaupt - enthusiastic engineer, practical pragmatist & passionate improviser - from energy enthusiast to energy expert, has been working in the field of microgrids & renewable energies for over 10 years. From the conservative business of general planning for large power plants, where he was responsible for the design, calculation and planning of primary and secondary components, he switched to innovation in the field of microgrids & renewable energies. In this area, he has been working as a project engineer & solution architect since 2011 and takes care of the creation of practical concepts for sustainable energy supply. Following Einstein's principle "If you can't explain something simply, you haven't understood it", he tries to inspire and sensitise people to this topic.

Speaker

Paul van Son, Dii Desert Energy

President

UAE

Paul van Son has been active in various management and executive positions in the international (renewable) electricity and gas business for over 30 years at Siemens AG (Germany), SEP (the Dutch power pool and interconnected grid), KEMA Consulting/ECC (international energy consultants), Chief Executive Officer of Essent Energy Trading, Managing Director of Essent Sustainable Energy and Chairman of the Management Board of Deutsche Essent GmbH in Düsseldorf, being responsible for the German activities of Essent N.V. Mr. van Son has been instrumental in developing of non‐food biomass for power supply, wind power development and marketing of green power (an invention of Essent in 1998). During 2008/9 Mr. van Son was Executive Director of Econcern, NL (renewable energy and energy efficiency). He is Chairman of the Energy4All Foundation (www.energy4all.org / www.niceinternational.com ), a non‐profit organization promoting decentralized energy and communication systems in Africa. In addition, Mr. van Son is President of the European Federation of Energy Traders (www.efet.org), which has been a pioneer in energy market opening and (renewable) energy trading. In 2009 Mr. van Son was appointed CEO of the Dii GmbH (Desertec Industrial Initiative).

Speaker

Kannan Tinnium, Luminous Power Technologies PVT. LTD

Senior Vice President R&D

India

Dr. Kannan Tinnium has 25+ years of experience in the field of Power and Energy Systems in his profession. He is currently Senior Vice President - R&D with 'Luminous Power Technologies - Schneider Electric' since June 2020. In this role, he is responsible for shaping the technology and product development of Power Solutions Business at Luminous. He spent ~17 years with GE Global Research Center holding various leadership positions in India and US in the areas of Power Electronics, Power Systems, Energy Storage and Smart Grid He spent 4 years with Entergy Services Inc., one of the largest electric power utilities in the US, where he was responsible for evaluating new technologies to the transmission system, performing technical studies and recommending solutions. He spent a couple of years with 'Enzen Global Solutions', and 'Power Research Development Consultants' where he researched on new technologies for Utility applications and provided consulting services to various utilities, developers and technology providers in Power Systems Engineering. He served as the chair of the IEEE - Power and Energy Society, Bangalore Chapter, 2014-15 and as the Co-Chair for the 'World Utility Summit' 2020. He was the recipient of the IEEE PES Bangalore Outstanding Engineer Award in 2020 He obtained his B.Tech from Osmania University, Hyderabad in 1991 and M.S & PhD in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University, USA in 1993 and 1996.

Speaker

Ahmad Sorour, NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions LTD.

Mechanical Design, Integration & Testing Engineer

UAE

Ahmad joined NOMADD Desert Solar Solutions after completing his B.Eng at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. He is passionate about addressing the key challenges facing the new solar industry in his home country of Saudi Arabia, and the region. Ahmad works closely with the NOMADD development team, generating technology products from deep tech innovations.

Speaker

Paul Smith, ENERGY DOME

Vice President Sales

Italy

Paul is responsible for business development and commercialization of Energy Dome's CO2 Battery technology in Europe and the Middle East. Paul has more than 25 years of experience throughout the international energy industry value-chain, ranging from senior commercial and leadership roles with major European renewables IPPs, international construction of large-scale solar and energy storage projects and conventional gas power technologies.

Speaker

Antoine Skayem, FREE Energy

Chief Executive Officer

Antoine is a hands-on leader & executive with robust expertise in agile business development and deep understanding of the renewable energy, energy efficiency & sustainability sector. He started FREE energy in 2012, a firm specialized in customizing energy solutions, and grew the company towards it successful acquisition in 2017. Antoine is still acting as CEO and is currently leading the business development in UAE under a JV, PME energy, and in KSA under an agency agreement with Zamil O&M. Antoine is very passionate about putting a dent in the planet's carbon footprint by creating the utmost value for the beneficiary and the environment. Antoine is a Mechanical Engineer; he holds a MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management, CMVP®, CRM®, CWEP®, ReGrid Manager, PCF® and Green Energy Finance Specialist.

Speaker

Victor Signes, Rystad Energy

Renewable Energy Analyst

Norway

Victor Signes is an Analyst in Rystad Energy's Renewable Energy Research team. He focuses on the solar PV, wind, storage and green hydrogen markets in the EMEA region. His role is to cover market developments and analyze the future evolution of renewable energy. He covers project development in EMEA, policies, supply chain and economics. He has extensive experience in analyzing the impacts of policies on the market, economic modeling of renewable energy projects, and long-term scenario analysis. He has worked closely with clients spanning the entire renewable energy sector, from developers and service companies to government organizations and investors. Prior to joining Rystad Energy, Victor was an economics research analyst at EDF, focusing on the renewable energy and nuclear markets. He holds a Master's degree in Engineering from IMT Atlantique (France) as well as a Master's degree in Energy economics from the French Institute of Petroleum.

Speaker

Hans Juergen Sauter, nextracker

Vice President MENA

U.S.

Hans is a very experienced manager, coming from steel and supply chain optimisation background. Now he is more than 10 years active in leading positions in the solar industry where he was responsible for building largest solar plants everywhere in the world. Starting with fixed tilt racking solutions mainly in Europe, Hans focused more on more on high efficient solar solutions such like single axis tracking systems especially to support lowest LCOE in the MENA region. Hans was responsible for the contracting, design and implementation of more than 3 GW solarpower, including regional top projects like Sweihan and Al Kharsa. Hans holds a Master Degree in Mechanical Engineering and graduated the Swiss SGBS Business School for strategic Management

Speaker

Alaa A Samad, Louis Berger Services - WSP

Vice President

UAE

Alaa Abdul Samad has more than 25 years of experience in power systems, including power generation 'conventional and renewable energy', rental power, electro-mechanical and marine engineering, business development, operations, and project management. Part of his past experience is Technical Director Power Generation at WSP ME. Founded in 1953, Louis Berger Services (LBS) / WSP, an internationally recognized engineering and construction firm, specializes in energy infrastructure and O&M, engineering, program and construction management, environmental science, and economic development. LBS/WSP provides turnkey engineering, logistics, installation, operation, and management for grid-connected and island power solutions through the application of thermal, renewable, and hybrid power technology. In his current role as Vice President, Mr. Abdul Samad leads the ME regional operations, develops, and implements the company's strategic objectives for the Middle East region, while also working in close collaboration with the firm's international operations. He successfully led the development, execution, and completion of the first hybrid power plants at NEOM City, an integration of conventional power, solar PV, battery storage and expansion to wind turbines. He is also leading an execution of 65MW solar PV power for a desalination plant. Prior to Louis Berger, he worked for Cummins Power Generation - Global Power Projects, as the Business Development Manager for global projects and as the Operations and Projects Manager for Cummins-Olayan Energy in Saudi Arabia. Prior to Cummins, he was part of the Power Engineering Department at McGill University in Montreal, worked in research and development on Energy Storage. Mr. Abdul Samad is also a graduate of St Petersburg State University, where he earned a bachelor and master's degrees in marine/navigation engineering as well as electro-mechanical engineering, and of McGill University, where he completed his second master's degree in electrical engineering Power Systems & Energy Storage. Mr. Samad is a multilingual proficient in English, Arabic, French and Russian. For more information, please refer to https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaa-abdul-samad-alex-b485218/ And www.wsp.com/lbs

Speaker

Mohammed Saady Al Dweik, Jinko Solar

Technical Services Manager

Saudi Arabia

Mohammed has more than 12 years in the Middle East in power and energy fields, he was involved in technical support, project management and business development for many countries in the region, he has bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and master's in renewable energy engineering, he has been working with Jinko since 2018 as technical services manager for Middle East and Africa region.

Speaker

Torsten Röder, Grenzebach Envelon GmbH

Manager Product and Process

Germany

- Mechanical engineer RWTH Aachen in polymer sciences - More than 30 years experience in glass and photovoltaic industry - 15 years at Saint-Gobain company for automotive glass applications and responsibility for all BIPV activities - Further positions at Energiebau Cologne, Interpane company ( now AGC ) and Schüco - Since 2020 at Grenzebach Envelon as Manager for Product and Process

Speaker

Waseem Ashraf Qureshi, Enercap Holdings Pte.Ltd.

CEO, Founder and CTO

UAE

- Inventor of all technologies and manufacturing methods - Founder, CEO and CTO of Enercap Holdings Pte. Ltd. - Graduate in Electronics from University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan - Lives in Dubai and New York

Speaker

Ahmed S Nada, Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA)

President

UAE

Ahmed Nada is Head of Operations and Maintenance at AbuDhabi Future Energy Co. Masdar, Clean Energy Division. Masdar is a global and regional sustainability and renewable energy leader. Its renewable utility scale projects span across MENA, Europe, USA, Asia and Australia. Ahmed stepped into the solar industry when he was appointed as First Solar Vice President Region Executive for the ME in Jan 2013. He has since been engaged in the ME rapid solar industry evolution and supported its growth through projects development, technology, supply chain and working closely with all the industry stakeholders. He presided over key early solar projects in the ME such as Shams Maan 60MW in Jordan, DEWA 1, DEWA 2 in the UAE and closely supported Egypt's initial solar projects at Benban He is also the President of the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA). Prior to his roles at Masdar and First Solar, he spent 14-years at GE Energy. Ahmed holds a Master's of Science Degree in International Management from the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Speaker

Eran Meller, Ecoppia

Co-founder and Chairman

Israel

Prior to co-founding Ecoppia, Eran Meller was the CFO of Telmap (acquired by Intel), the CFO of X-Tip (acquired by DentSply International), the CFO of Info-X (acquired by 3M), and the CFO & COO of MTI Precision Products (sold in a leveraged buyout). Previously, Eran worked with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private arm of the World Bank Group, and was responsible for a portfolio of over $100M in Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi and Zambia. Eran holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, a Masters in Economic Policy Management from the Columbia School of International Affairs, and a B.A in Economics and Management from Technion - Israel Institute of Technology. Eran completed all three degrees with distinction.

Speaker

Karim Megherbi, Orisun Invest

Executive Director

UAE

Karim is the Founder and Executive Director of Orisun Invest, a project origination platform in renewable energy he launched in 2020, which has closed so far 365 MW in 7 different countries and with more than 2.4 GW under mandate with leading IPP and investors. He has over 17 years of experience in the energy sector and he is also acting as Director Transaction Advisor in Dii Desert Energy, a leading Think Tank in the MENA region advocating for an acceleration of the energy transition, which he also represents at the IRENA Coalition for Action, an international institutional network supporting the global energy transition.

Speaker

Cornelius Matthes, Dii Desert Energy

CEO

UAE

Cornelius Matthes held a number of different roles within Deutsche Bank Group. He began his professional career in the Corporate Development Department where he worked on projects and transactions in different European countries. From 2007 onwards, after having become Director, he served as Deputy Head and Member of the Management Board at Deutsche Asset Management in Italy. He has comprehensive experience in M&A, strategy, fund raising and distribution functions. In addition he played an instrumental role in the promotion of several successful mutual funds within the green investments field. In 2010, Cornelius joined Dii (Desertec Industrial Initiative) as Director Business Alliances. Among his duties, he was responsible for building Dii's network of investors and industrial partners, in charge of raising a total of EUR 25m in several funding rounds. He was also leading the cooperation with industrial partners as well as technology initiatives and associations, developing in addition the operations departments such as Finance or HR. During his time in Dii, Cornelius was working on a wide range of topics in the field of energy, starting with solar PV/CSP, wind, biomass technologies, electrical and thermal storage, power grids (both transmission and distribution grids), e-mobility, conventional power generation and energy systems. In this context he was working with a number of high ranking experts from international blue chip- and also some startup companies. He has built an outstanding network in the energy sector, particularly in several European countries like Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK, but also in the middle east north Africa region. In late 2013, he joined Building Energy as Managing Director MENA to set up and lead the new regional headquarters in Dubai. After achieving significant results such as the award and development of two 50 MW PV projects in Egypt, he decided to set up his own renewable energy project development ventures from spring 2016, together with partners for the MENA region and beyond. He is also Senior Advisor of several companies in the renewable energy field and helping start up companies as member of the Dubai Angel Network. Cornelius studied Business Administration in Germany and Italy and wrote his master thesis in New York (USA). He is guest lecturer at several universities and was awarded Solar Pioneer 2015. He served on boards/advisory boards of several associations like MESIA or RIAB of the International Energy Agency (IEA). As a well-respected leader in renewable energy and finance, he is regularly invited as speaker or moderator for high level international conferences and also author of numerous articles and papers.

Speaker

Gesche Maass, Solar Promotion International GmbH

Conference Manager

Germany

Gesche Maass is Conference Manager at Solar Promotion International GmbH. She organizes besides the Intersolar Middle East Conference worldwide Intersolar Conferences such as the Intersolar North America Conference, Intersolar China Conference or the equivalent in India and Mexico. Besides, she is involved in the organization or various online events as for example the Green Hydrogen Conference or onsite events on Off Grid, Green Hydrogen or Renewable Energy in Germany. Formally, she served as Marketing Assistant at ISCAR Germany GmbH an Israeli firm for precision tools running PR campaigns, exhibition appearances and market research. She hold a diploma in International Cultural and Business Studies from the University of Passau and is fluent in German, English, Russian and French. With basic knowledge in Hebrew and Spanish.

Speaker

Dr. Andrea Lovato, ACWA Power

Executive Vice President Business Development. Head of Renewable & Hydrogen Development

Saudi Arabia

Dr. Lovato is a seasoned industry expert in the power utility space with focus on Independent Power and Desalination Projects (IWPP), developed, financed constructed and operated through concession or utility outsourcing contract models. Since 2009 Dr. Lovato has worked on the development of several IPP and IWPP projects in the region and internationally, with special focus in the recent years to renewables (CSP/PV/Wind). He has secured financial closing of various industry's landmark projects, including the NOORo projects in Morocco and the DEWA projects in Dubai and KSA. He is leading ACWA Power business unit for Hydrogen. Dr. Lovato received a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen and has been based in the UAE since 2005.

Speaker

Nady Kheirallah, EMS

Lead Development Engineer

Lebanon

Nady is an expert on de-centralized power systems ranging from applications in the automotive field to stationary renewable energy systems. He worked on several development projects in the Europe and the middle east, ranging from the system architecture of micro-grid controllers and other power system controls to large scale integration of renewable energy sources to the power grid and their optimisation using model-based and data-based approaches.

Speaker

Arati Joshi, Intercontinental Energy

Solar Manager

UAE

Mrs. Arati Joshi, joined Intercontinental Energy in July 2022 and is based in Dubai. As the leading dedicated green fuel developer, InterContinental Energy is committed to driving the renewable energy revolution beyond green electricity to green fuels. Using only wind, sun, and water, our portfolio will produce clean fuels at a scale that is cost competitive with fossil fuels, significantly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Arati is a part of Engineering team involved in activities like design and engineering of solar plants, automated construction, resource assessment, equipment selection and tendering and design of the overall power system. Arati brings 16 years of diversified experience in project development, engineering procurement and construction (EPC), consultancy, teaching/Industrial training. She has published research and review papers on Solar energy technology and biodegradable composting. Her regional experience extends to India, Oman, Kuwait, UAE and Thailand. Arati holds a Masters in Photovoltaic and Solar Energy from University of New South Wales, Australia and Bachelor's in civil engineering Degree, from Shivaji University India.

Speaker

Shaji John, Ohmium

Head of Sales & Business Development, South Asia, Middle East & Africa

India

Shaji John is an Electrical Engineer, has Executive MBA from SP JAIN, Mumbai and he is also a Certificated Project Management Associate, IPMA Switzerland. He is responsible for Business Development & Sales for Ohmium, a Green Hydrogen Technology Company since June 2022. Previously in his last assignment with L&T, Shaji John was responsible for developing Renewables business and ensuring that L&T is well placed to capture a considerable market share in the emerging clean energy space. The Solar Initiative was started under his leadership back in 2008 and reached a portfolio of over ~ 8 GW of Solar projects, 150 MWHr of Battery Energy Storage Systems and 500 Micro Grids. He was responsible for bagging one of the largest contracts of NEOM Green Hydrogen project, involving 3 GWp Solar, 1.5 GW Wind, 500 MWHr of Batteries and associated Grid Management Systems. He has over 26 years of experience in P&L Management, Strategic planning, Business Development, Contracts, Project Management, Strategic Sourcing in International and Domestic markets for T&D and Renewable Business. He and his wife Reena parents two lovely girls Angeline Anna John (16) and Christine Anna John (14). Apart from spending time with family and professional work, he enjoys spending time on gardening, cooking, and investments.

Speaker

Nimish Jain, Airtouch Solar India

CEO

India

An alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow Mr. Nimish Jain has more than 14 years of experience in solar PV industry. In his current role as CEO of Airtouch solar India, he oversees firm operations across all business units as well as strategic planning and growth initiatives. Prior to this he worked as Managing Director India with a Spanish company, Solarig which is one of the global leaders in Solar Asset Management and Project Development. His area of expertise includes P&L Management, Business Development and Strategy, New Geography Expansion and Board Representation. Prior to Solarig he led Business Development at Vikram Solar Limited and established Jinko Solar in India and SE Asia as a market leader. He has also worked with SMA Solar and Reliance Industries Limited in Sales and Business Development roles. He has received various awards like Global Solar Energy Leadership Award, Outstanding Achievement award by world HRD congress and Special Recognition for Contribution for solar PV by Solarcon India.

Speaker

Waqas Hussain, Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen GmbH

Business Development Manager

Germany

Waqas Hussain has several years of interdisciplinary experience in the PV industry - covering design, EPC, project management and business development across Europe, Middle East as well as South Asia regions. His expertise lies in the intersection of technical feasibility, economic viability, and regulatory framework assessment of renewable energies - especially utility-scale PV - thus leading to the identification and implementation of business development and deployment strategies. He is currently working as Business Development Manager with Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen in Regensburg, Germany focusing on PV applications and increased integration of renewables into the grid by using Voltage Regulating Distribution Transformers (VRDTs). He received a master's degree in Renewable Energy Management from the University of Freiburg, Germany in 2012 and a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Engineering & Technology Taxila, Pakistan in 2008.

Speaker

Jalel Hamila, JA Solar International Ltd.

Global Strategic Account Sales MEA-APAC

China

Jalel Hamila have been working with JA Solar since 2012 responsible for developing commercial activities and managing Strategic Accounts in the Middle East and Africa region. Before JA Solar, Jalel spent 15 years with Applied Materials, the global Semiconductor, Display and PV Solar equipment manufacturing. At Applied Materials, he served as sales & business development Director, EMEA for the Solar Business Group, where he was responsible for both Crystalline Silicon and thin-film photovoltaic product lines.  Jalel holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston.

Speaker

Dr. Rashi Gupta, Vision Mechatronics Pvt Limited

Managing Director

India

Dr. Rashi Gupta, fondly known as 'Batterywali of India', is the pioneer of manufacturing of Advanced Lithium Batteries in India alongwith the 'Worlds Smartest Lithium Battery'. She is the Founder & Managing Director of Vision Mechatronics Private Ltd, leading it towards a name to reckon for in the field of Robotics, Renewable Energy & Energy Storage. A Women Entreprenuer who has been fearless & ferocious in creating a brand for herself & the company in these male dominated fields. If one takes a closer look at the alchemy of this achiever, two distinct virtues pop up, besides perseverance & hard work. These are: pioneering spirit & willingness. Coupled with an impressive background, it was not therefore surprising that she became a prominent name in the Renewable Energy Sector of India and is featured as Asia's Most Influential Women in Renewable Energy, 2020. She has been working on Gender Equality and Women Empowerment issues globally. She holds degrees of BE, MBA, LLM, & PhD to her title. She is a committee member of Bureau of Indian Standards for Batteries, Energy StorStorage and E-Mobility. She is also Member of International ElectroTechnical Commission. She is also a committee member of National Energy Storage Committee- FICCI, CleanTech Business Club- Chair of Task Force- Energy Storage & Smart Energy, Chairperson-Womens India CBC, CBC Vice Chair India.

Speaker

Josef J. Gmeiner, RETECHPV GROUP

Chief Executive Officer

Germany

Mr. Josef Gmeiner was born on the 24th March 1986 in Weiden, Bavaria, Germany, as son of an entrepreneur and famous inventor of the ultrasonic industry, Josef Gmeiner senior. He attended a technology and science oriented high-school from 1996 to 2006 and graduated from there. During his high-school Mr. Gmeiner registered already 2 machine designs in 2004 Registration of registered design 202004002809.3 (Bohrvorrichtung für eine Handbohrmaschine) and in 2005 Registration of registered design 202004018003.0 (Positioniergerät). He started his studies in 2006 at the University of Applied Sciences on Economics and Engineering until 2010. In 2006 he made his Internship at the world-market-leader in storage-systems company Witron in Parkstein, Germany. From 2006 to 2009 he was teaching programming of Java next to his studies. The business of the Rinovasol Group, which was founded by Mr Gmeiner, is to give broken PV-Panels a second life instead of Recycling them before their end-of-life. The massive demand globally exists since a Significant quantity of solar-panels breaks down after 2-5 years instead of the industry Promise of 25 years due to production problems. From 2011 until today he managed installations of more than 300 solar projects between 3 kWp and 9,9 MWp where he gathered most of his experience in which the Rinovasol Group is based on nowadays. In 2014 he applied his first patent for the fixing of broken PV-Panels with the number DE 10 2014 102 729 A1. Until today several further inventions followed. 2017 was for Mr. Gmeiner dominated by massive R&D achievements and the registration of 3 further patents in the PV-industry. In 2021 another new technology followed which is being further developed and engineered currently. Meanwhile Mr. Gmeiner developed a global network for the take-back and fixing pf PV-panels Opened divisions/partnerships in Ireland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Germany, China, South Korea Mr. Gmeiner is familiar with most cultures of the world due to his groups expansion and Always searching for new opportunities in 'GREEN'- Industries. In November 2021 Mr Gmeiner invented together with his Irish partners a new type of Solar-Panel which will massively lower the Carbon impact of PV-Module assembly and by removing glass, backsheet and frame, it is avoiding most problems of current PV panels.

Speaker

Hugo Gaillard, SirajPower

Head of Products & Solutions

UAE

Hugo Gaillard has over 7 years of experience in the renewable energy industry and strategy consulting. He currently focuses on both technical and commercial aspects of Product Development and the Design of innovative Solutions. Hugo has an extensive background in energy storage, off-grid power generation, hybrid power systems, and micro-grid project development. His responsibilities within Siraj Power directly relate to Product development, ranging from technical design to versioning and manufacturing strategies, in parallel to managing the resources, budget, and communication, of the Solutions department. Hugo holds an MSc. In engineering Physics from Ecole Polytechnique, France, and MSc. In Renewable Energy Engineering from KTH, Sweden, and has previously worked for Accenture Strategy Energy and Enerwhere Sustainable Energy.

Speaker

Daniel Fuchs, EUPD Research & Joint Forces for Solar

Vice President MBA

UAE

Daniel is a highly respected global marketing and event management leader with over 13 years experience in brand development, international marketing strategy and public relations campaigns. The proven track record of more than 400 successfully accomplished B2B marketing, communication and event management projects across the USA, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America reflects his strong intercultural competence and ability to translate customer demands into profit making concepts and avantgarde solutions. Extremely well connected in the global solar and energy storage industries, Daniel has acted as facilitator for hundreds of companies across all segments that wanted to expand their business in specific regions. Daniel holds a BA (Hons.) in International Business Management and MBA from the University of Wales, Cardiff.

Speaker

Gregory Fayet, EDF Renewables

CEO EDF Renewables KSA

UAE

Mr. Gregory Fayet was born in Paris, France in 1978. He is a father of two children. Mr. Fayet obtained his master's degree in Strategy and Management of International Business from ESSEC Business School in 2007 and graduated from the Engineering School of Information and Digital Technologies in 2004. Mr. Fayet began his career with EDF in its R&D Division in 2007, where he held various positions, such as Research Engineer (2007-2010), Project Manager (2011-2014), and finally a Group Manager. Mr. Fayet was appointed General Manager of EDF Branch Office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2017 and in September 2020, Mr Fayet became CEO of EDF Renewables for KSA, a position he holds till this day.

Speaker

Abdullah Fattal, Jinko Solar

Key Account Manager DG - GCC

Saudi Arabia

I am a Key Accounts Manager at JinkoSolar based in Dubai, covering the GCC markets excluding Saudi Arabia. For the past 5 years working for JinkoSolar, I have been supporting Key Commercial and Industrial Solar developers, EPCs and Distributors in the region to thrive with their solar energy generation ambitions while offsetting millions of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Speaker

Dr. Peter Fath, RCT Solutions GmbH

CEO & Founder

Germany

Dr. Peter Fath, is the founder and CEO of RCT Solutions GmbH. He is leading RCT Solutions to cover the full range of photovoltaic value chain providing various services from owner's engineering and conceptual design to feasibility studies and turnkey lite services to factories, investors and facilities.He and his team helped on the execution of the world's first and fully integrated solar manufacturing facility in Turkey as well as many other integrated factories around the globe which he will be sharing more about that on his speech. He is actively the chairman of the PV equipment supplier division of the VDMA (German Engineering Federation). During his career, he fulfilled the positions of management board of centrotherm photovoltaics AGÂ and co-founder of GP Solar GmbH as well.

Speaker

Denisa Fainis, Three Eight Six Development

Associate

UAE

Denisa Fainis is an Associate with Three Eight Six Development, a private equity fund part of Al Khayyat Investments. She is responsible for assisting with the process of financing solar & wind projects, building knowledge of market trends, local legislation and lender appetite for relevant projects and locations, channel partner management and client due diligence. Denisa has more than 12 years of international experience in business development in various sectors including military contracting, diesel power generation and solar energy.

Speaker

Eren Engür, Azelio

Regional Director - MENA

Sweden

17+ years of Solar & Energy Storage and 5+ years of E-Mobility experienced Executive. He is a seasoned RE professional with +15 years of Executive expertise in the "Solar+Storage+E-Mobility" sectors, with a keen understanding of RE market design/fundamentals and business models, and strong in-market commercial and transactional experience who lived in 3 continents. As an engineer he has a deep understanding in manufacturing, design, testing & Certification process of all Solar & storage & e- mobility equipment and systems. He has been successfully developing approaches for market access and entry, and originating partnerships in Europe, U.S.A, Middle-East, Africa & Asia regions.

Speaker

Diaa Eed, Sungrow Middle East DMCC

Director -Strategic Business MENA

UAE

Diaa is having more than 10 Years' experience in PV Solar energy field in middle east and Africa , holding his Bsc of electrical Engineering, MBA focusing on market growth and business development.

Speaker

Manoj Divakaran, Empereal

Managing Director

UAE

Manoj Divakaran has over 33 years of outstanding track record as a leader and entrepreneur in Technology, Financial Markets, Renewable Energy and Water, dealing with the mission critical areas of Banking, Financial Trading Services, Power Generation and Water Desalination. He is currently recognised as a thought leader in the renewable energy and water industries and is a strong proponent of Open Innovation. He has successfully incubated various innovative ventures and projects in the renewable energy and water sectors. He has mentored many start-ups and has assisted existing innovative industries to expand into new markets. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Empereal Energy Group - A group of companies formed to address the global infrastructure challenges in making renewable energy and fresh water available to all, in an economically viable and environmentally sustainable manner. Empereal has created numerous innovative and award winning solutions and have implemented many challenging projects in renewable energy and water desalination. Empereal operates in Singapore, India and the Middle East. Empereal has developed several patented technologies in solar desalination and solar thermal systems and have used these technologies to implement several projects in India and the Middle East. Empereal is recognised as a pioneer in Architectural Solar for the award winning design and projects at Dubai Expo 2020. Manoj has lived and worked in many parts of the world and embodies a rich multicultural and global outlook. He is currently based in Dubai, UAE. Manoj completed his B. Tech degree in Applied Electronics and Instrumentation from the College of Engineering Trivandrum and his MBA in Global Energy Management from the Bauer College of Business - University of Houston. He completed his Masters programme in 'Leading Innovation and Change' from the University of York and is an alumnus of the Ashridge Business School (UK) where he did the Leadership Process and Leading Complex Teams programmes. Manoj is widely travelled and is a keen student of business, culture and philosophy. He is a mentor to many and is a big believer in sharing his learning with others. He writes and speaks regularly on issues and solutions related to solar energy, solar desalination and rural empowerment. He is actively passionate about cricket, writing, food and trekking.

Speaker

Dr. Malcolm R. Cook, Thyssen Krupp

Vice President & Head of Chemicals & Process Technologies - Middle East & Turkey

Germany

Dr Malcolm Cook holds a degree and doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He was then awarded a 2 year NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship for fundamental research in catalysts at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. After joining industry, Malcolm lead the research & development for coatings for ChlorAlkali & water electrolysis before moving into technical service, commissioning, sales and business development for electrolysis plants. Having spent almost 20 years in this area he now Senior Vice President for thyssenkrupp across all of their process technologies in the Middle East & Turkey and has been in the UAE for the past 14 years. Thyssenkrupp are the Green Hydrogen technology supplier for the NEOM project in KSA (>2GW) and the Shell Green Hydrogen project in Rotterdam (200 MW) - amongst others.

Speaker

Dr. Nabih Cherradi, Desert Technologies

Chief Technology Officer

Saudi Arabia

Dr. Nabih Cherradi is Desert Technologies' Chief Technology Officer. Has spent over 34 years building on a long track record of equipment's/production lines as well as business development in the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. Prior to joining Desert Technologies, Nabih is also the CEO of EmpowerSun, a Swiss based photovoltaic energy consultancy, which he founded in 2009. In the meantime, he also co-founded ISWT a French solar developer company. From 2007-2009, as a Vice President/CTO, he accompanied Yingli Green Energy in its fast expansion with responsibility for the technology and manufacturing. He also participated in its IPO in New York (NYSE). As operations & process director at Applied Materials from 1997 to 2007 Nabih was responsible for installing turn-key semiconductor and photovoltaic production lines throughout the world, installing multiple GWs of production capacity across a ten year period. As a scientist, he focused on advance materials for different applications working with different industries (Semiconductor, Photovoltaic and Hard tools) He holds a PhD on materials sciences from the University Henri Poincaré, Nancy as well as an MBA, from the Business School of Nancy, (France).

Speaker

Youssef Takki Chebih, CWP Global

VP Business Development EMEA

UAE

Youssef Takki Chebihi is currently VP Business Development EMEA at CWP Global, he is a seasoned growth leader in the MEA region with over 20 years of experience in the energy space including PTX, On-shore Wind, Renewable Hybrid Solutions, Thermal and O&G sectors. Prior to joining CWP Global, Youssef was Sales Leader for GE Renewable Energy Onshore Wind across the MENA region based in Dubai. Youssef has been instrumental in positioning the GE Wind Business in the region. He was responsible for driving the growth strategy in the renewables segment by bringing together technology, services and innovative financing solutions. Prior to that, Youssef was Commercial Leader based in Istanbul driving the Commercial Operations activities for Turkey and North Africa. Before joining GE Renewable Energy, Youssef has held a number of roles of increasing responsibility globally in Operations, Sales, Services within the GE Thermal business. Prior to joining GE, Youssef was part of the Reliability and Safety Department at Bombardier Aerospace responsible for the certification of new commercial aircrafts. Youssef is a graduate of the GE Commercial Leadership Program, he holds a MSc in Aeronautical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from HEC Paris. In his spare time, Youssef enjoys playing tennis, golfing and kite surfing. He is also an avid bass guitar player.

Speaker

Kitty Chachra, Quadrical Inc

CRO

Canada

Kitty is a Cofounder at Quadrical Inc, a solar/ storage asset manager which uses Digital Twins to improve plant performance. Previous to this, she was a Brand Manager at J&J and a product manager at VF Corp. She holds an MBA from the Stern School, at NYU. Based just outside Toronto, Canada, she has lived in three countries, travelled far and wide and has worked with local non-profits wherever she's lived. She considers improving the climate the most important work each one of us needs to undertake.

Speaker

Curro Nicolau Castellanos, Goenergy Group

Chairman

UAE

Mr. Curro Nicolau is a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector, having participated in large-scale photovoltaic energy projects around the world, advising the best companies in this sector. He is currently Chairman of the company GO ENERGY GROUP, dedicated to the investment in large-scale photovoltaic and green hydrogen developments in all continents.

Speaker

Hamzeh Buqaei, Al Hussein Technical University

Manager of German-Energy Academy Jordan

Jordan

A dedicated, results-oriented technical director with international experience in full life-cycle project development and 16-years experience in solar energy, PV inverters, trackers and thin-film modules in leading Swiss and German companies, as well as operations experience in EPC sector. Besides engineering positions, I have been appointed as the manager of the German Energy Academy in Jordan to lead a consortium of Jordanian and German institutes to establish high-quality training program that would serve the capacity building demands in Energy sector in Jordan and the region. As Renewable Energy enthusiast, I have also participated as speaker in many conferences and provided professional trainings to promote the advantages of solar energy technologies in MENA region. During my experience in Saudi Arabia, I have worked closely with Ministry of Energy and Saudi Electricity company to set the policies and legal framework to regulate solar energy and electrical vehicle markets in the Kingdom. Having succeeded to obtain MBA in Renewable-energy, the thesis topic has focused on this cause, by closely analyzing the potential of flexible solar modules in regard to current regulations in MENA region.

Speaker

Parag Bhamre, EUPD Research & Joint Forces for Solar

Partner

UAE

Parag Bhamre is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history (10 years+) of working in the solar industry across Europe, Middle East and Asia. Skilled in business development, strategy and planning. He has undertaken several projects in the solar PV sector and storage domains. Entrepreneurial, analytical and strategic thinker having strong industry experience, he holds a MBA degree from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany and a Computer Science engineering degree from Pune Institute of Computer Technology, India.

Speaker

Leandro Bento, Yellow Door Energy

Chief Technical Officer

United Arab Emirates

As the Chief Technical Officer of Yellow Door Energy, Leandro applies his in-depth technical expertise and extensive solar industry experience to deliver sustainable energy solutions. This includes assessing new products and technologies, employing effective design principles and building strong relationships with suppliers and contractors. As a results-oriented leader with more than 15 years of solar industry experience, Leandro motivates and grows his teams while utilizing the continuous improvement mindset. Leandro joined Yellow Door Energy in 2019 as Senior Vice President of Operations. In this role, he led a team of solar and energy efficiency experts to maximize the efficiency and enhance the quality of Yellow Door Energy's projects. Prior to joining Yellow Door Energy, Leandro worked at Voltalia, where he led the global engineering department, with teams across all affiliates, to deliver numerous solar PV projects worldwide. He also held progressive engineering and management roles at Martifer Solar, where he led the design, procurement and construction of an automated production line for PV modules, as well as developed and led teams in manufacturing, engineering, technical and commercial support. Leandro is an electrical engineering graduate from the University of Porto in Portugal.

Speaker

Amine Sadek Bekhouche, Guangdong Growatt New Energy co.,Ltd

Middle East & Africa Product Manager

China

A Well qualified Renewable Energy Master Degree and MBA in project managements with a very unique 5-year experience in the power industry, with many solar companies such as Thager Rafedain -UAE as Technical Marketing Engineer, Falioun- Germany as Technical instructor. Now supports Growatt's team with specific expertise as Middle East & Africa Products Manger, Participation in Many Scientific Fairs and Exhibitions.

Speaker

Sebastian Bartels, DEKRA SE

SVP, Head of Global Sustainability Services

Germany

Sebastian Bartels is leading the global sustainability services area at DEKRA, helping organizations to define and achieve their sustainable development related goals and strategies. With a background in safety & environmental engineering, Sebastian is responsible for DEKRA's portfolio providing sustainability solutions spanning testing, inspection, certification, verification, training and advisory services in the areas of Energy Transition, ESG and Circular Economy. Previously, he worked in various senior management and expert roles in the Consulting, Testing, Inspection and Certification industry, as well as in Mobility, Logistics and Transportation. He is active in global, European, and national standardization and associations and teaches post-graduates at a university as associated lecturer. Sebastian lives in Belgium and Germany. DEKRA is the world's leading unlisted and independent expert organization, combining technical expertise and global presence in over 60 countries.

Speaker

Marta Mieres Bárcena, Honeywell

BESS Regional Sales Leader EMEA

Spain

Marta Mieres-Bárcena has a background of +15 years of experience working for multinationals in the energy sector, leading transactions in the field of large scale renewable assets and power unit converters. Marta earned a Master´s degree and Master of Science in Industrial Engineering. She also holds a Master´s degree in International Commerce, and Master´s degree in Strategic Marketing Management by Esade Business&Law School. Marta is collegiate member in Official College of Industrial Engineers (Oviedo,Spain), and member of International Solar Energy Society(Freiburg,Germany). She also cooperates with universities, being co-director in Masters on Renewables projects execution. Marta is also mentor in the Royal Academy of Engineering(Madrid,Spain) and certified international mentor of Global Women´s Network for the Energy Transition (Vienna,Austria).She actively participates at international forums, addressing topics with a primary focus on renewables and energy efficiency.

Speaker

Daniel Barandalla, UL Renewables

Solar Advisory Lead EMEALA

Spain

Mr. Barandalla has over 15 years of accumulated experience in the solar photovoltaic industry as a renewable energies consultant and Project Manager. He currently leads UL Renewables Solar Advisory Services in the EMEALA region (Europe, Middle East, North Africa and Latin America) with a focus on the growth and development of solar PV technologies. He has relevant experience in lender's (technical due diligence review and independent engineering services) and owner's engineer tasks for solar PV projects developed worldwide. He has worked in solar PV projects in main active markets worldwide, including Europe, the United States, Latin America, South Africa, and Australia. Prior to joining AWS Truepower, a UL Company. He has vast previous experience as a Technical Advisor in Latin America, and he has expertise with projects in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and other areas in Central America and other key Global markets. He has relevant experience in PV module audit inspections as well as provision of training solutions for different stakeholders in the solar industry. Mr. Barandalla holds an MSc in Renewable Energy, Electricity Generation from the Universidad Pública de Navarra, Spain and an MSc in Solar Energy Engineering from Högskolan Dalarna in Sweden. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

Speaker

Dr. Puzant Baliozian, VDMA - Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association

Project Manager

Germany

Dr. Puzant Baliozian is the VDMA PV Equipment Group's project manager since September of this year. He is involved in techno-economic studies for manufacturing capacity of PV along the value chain and represents the interests of European PV equipment manufacturers internationally. The PV Sector Group at VDMA also publishes the yearly international technology roadmap for photovoltaics (ITRPV) showing highly relevant technology projections and trends. Dr. Baliozian studied physics at the American University of Beirut (BSc., 2014) and has a specialization in renewable energy (MSc. 2016) from the university of Freiburg. From 2016 until recently, he worked at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg in the field of photovoltaic production technologies where he also did his PhD. He is best known for developing the passivated edge technology for separated industrial solar cell concepts, to boost cell and module efficiencies.

Speaker

Omar Atiyat, LONGI

Country Manager, Middle East

UAE

Omar Atiyat is the Sales Manager for the Middle East, responsible for the Distributed Generation market at LONGi, the world's leading manufacturer of solar wafers, cells and modules. He has a background in electronics & communications engineering and extensive experience as a project manager developing commercial and industrial Solar PV, and smart city projects in the region.

Speaker

Dr. Ayedh Hamad Alqahtani, Electrical Engineering Department, PAAET

Assistant Professor

Kuwait

Dr. Ayedh H. Alqahtani received his B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2000, his M.S. from the University of Southern California at Los Angeles in 2005, and his PhD in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University in 2013. He is currently an assistant professor working with the College of Technological Studies (PAAET), Kuwait. His current research interests include integration of renewable energy in electric power systems, modeling and control of distributed energy generation, and green-energy systems.

Speaker

Georg Abboud, Earth Technologies

COO

Lebanon

A renewable energy and energy efficiency integration expert with over 15 years of professional experience in the related field and other industries, engaged in developing solar power plants in Lebanon, Zambia, and Cameroon. Mr. Abboud is a highly dedicated environmentalist and technologist with a focus on technologies that are an integral driver for human development as well as Earth preservation. As such, Mr. Abboud also ventures in the fields of agriculture, telecom technologies, and IOT. Mr. Abboud co-founded Earth Technologies in 2010 which swiftly transformed into a leading group of energy solution companies with global presence in the Middle East & Africa markets including Lebanon, Zambia, Ivory Coast, Cameroun, Kuwait, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria. Earth Technologies holds a track record of extensive energy projects, and is currently engaged in developing solar power plants in Lebanon and Zambia.

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