Speakers 2023

Director and Founder
Redbourn Capital

Adam is founder and director of Redbourn Capital, a market leading provider of advisory, commercial and development support services to clients within the UK waste industry. Adam has over 18 years experience in originating and executing energy from waste, renewables (solar / onshore wind and biomass) and conventional power generation projects in the UK and Europe. Adam was formerly at Equitix where from 2012 to 2019 he managed a £250m fund on behalf of the UK owned Green Investment Bank and closed a number of deals in the bioenergy and energy from waste sectors including the Baddesley EfW in 2017 and the Bridgwater EfW in 2018. As well as providing advisory services through Redbourn Capital, Adam is also developing a portfolio of energy from waste projects with a flagship project currently going through the planning process.

Director
Tolvik Consulting
Senior Process Engineer / CCUS Technology
Fluor Ltd
Infrastructure Sector Leader - Europe
SLR Consulting Ltd; session chair

Alban Forster MSc (DIC) is a Director for SLR leading the company’s Infrastructure Sector across Europe. Over his 30 year career, Alban has worked on a number of transactional due diligence studies for investors assessing the feasibility of numerous infrastructure assets, biomass and waste to energy schemes, their business viability and environmental risk. Alban is also an accredited PRINCE 2 practitioner ensuring his capacity to manage teams and projects complement his technical capability. Alban has also worked in the mining sector in Western Australia and as a water engineer in the South Pacific.

Strategy Lead
KEW Technology

Amna Bezanty, Strategy Lead, KEW Technology

Amna has worked for KEW Technology for almost 5 years performing a number of strategic, commercial and operational roles across the business. She is currently KEW’s Strategy Lead, with responsibility for evaluating new end user market opportunities for KEW’s innovative high-pressure modular advanced gasification solution. Amna also leads KEW’s activities around policy and marcomms, GHG, CCUS, ETS and, ensuring the business’ strategy is aligned to key market dynamics. She also manages shareholder requirements within KEW’s Circular Fuels Ltd joint venture with SHV Energy and UGI International. Beyond this, she’s played a key role in the successful delivery from construction into operations of KEW’s first-of-a-kind pressurised advanced gasification plant – the Sustainable Energy Centre – and continues to play a key role to support its development in becoming a global ‘Centre of Excellence’ platform for innovative waste-to-fuels and chemicals development.

CEO, Varme Energy
Green Transition Holding
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Totus Environmental; chair, RDF Industry Group
Managing Director
Managing Director
Levenseat

Angus Hamilton is Managing Director of Levenseat Ltd, a leading independent Scottish company in the resource management sector. Having entered the sector in 1999, he has led on the development of recycling and waste treatment opportunities with the aim of being at the forefront of industry developments, especially in the areas of Materials recovery, Organics, Minerals, and residual waste treatment with energy recovery. He was a key player in Levenseat Renewable Energy (LREL) team who developed a fluidised bed gasification plant, with the associated fuel preparation and materials recycling facility. Levenseat’s operations service both the Local Authority and Commercial markets across Scotland, with a particular focus on innovation and maximising the resource value of materials received. Angus is active in a number of industry organisations including Scottish Environmental Services Association, Renewable Energy Association and Resource Management Association Scotland

Managing Director Local Authority Lending
UK Infrastructure Bank
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Head of Market Growth for Heat Networks
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Policy lead: Waste ICC Contract
BEIS

Chris works at BEIS leading on the Waste ICC Contract. Before this, he worked in Environmental Consulting at Ricardo Energy & Environment primarily as a data analyst dealing with climate change mitigation action planning and industrial emissions.

Programme Director
EU Innovation Fund

Christian Holzleitner is currently Head of Unit responsible for Land economy and Carbon removals at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action. Previously, he worked as Head of Unit for Finance for Innovation and Land Use and assistant to the Director-General for Climate Action covering all issues related to EU and international climate policy; and at the Directorate-General for Competition in the area of State aid for services of general economic interest in the postal, transport, and health sectors. Before joining the European Commission, Christian worked as senior manager with KPMG Germany on international transfer pricing. Christian is an economist and holds a PhD from the University of Linz (Austria).

Cabinet member for climate, ecology, waste and energy
Bristol City Council

Kye is Bristol’s Cabinet Member for Climate, Ecology, Energy, and Waste. He was appointed to Cabinet by Mayor Marvin Rees following his election as Labour Councillor for Southmead in February 2022. He leads on the £1 billion City Leap clean energy investment programme and managing the relationship with council-owned Bristol Waste Company, including building a new Household Reuse and Recycling Centre. Kye has almost two decades of experience as a trade union official in the postal industry, leading local and national negotiations as a former Member of the Communications Workers Union National Executive Committee, and is currently a consultant at a local youth charity. Kye has previously held executive responsibility for Transport and Regulatory Services in the city, and represented Central Bristol from 2016 – 2021.

Cabinet Member for Environment
Kirklees Metropolitan District Council

Naheed helps to lead a complex organisation that spends over a billion pounds annually, providing services to 450,000 Kirklees residents. She delivered the Councils new Waste Strategy, negotiated, and delivered the Interim Waste Contract, secured the largest capital programme for Highways from DfT and WYCA, as well as investment for unclassified roads and Playable Spaces. Naheed works across multiple teams, cross-party working groups, scrutiny and consultations with partners and the public. She is the lead member for the Armed Forces Covenant. Naheed worked in the Sudan, Local Government and has 20 years in Higher Education. She represented the membership on the National Executive Council of University College Union. Served as a magistrate, ran a consultancy business in Governance and Performance Management. She is currently a non- legal member of the Employment Tribunal, a Police College Assessor, and a Peer, Mentor and Training Team member of the Local Government Association.

Energy Solution Architect, Engie Generation Europe
Engie

With his background in Chemical Engineering, DANIEL MARENNE started his career at a Lime production company, where he was responsible for several production lines on sites in Belgium and abroad (Czech Republic). During his career, Daniel was also technical expert for of several products in the field of Decentralized and renewable generation and fuel flexibility. Using his experience in cement process, he participated to different projects of Waste heat recovery and cogeneration in the cement industry. The goal was to extend the possibility to burn more difficult waste like sewage sludge by drying them before injection into the kiln. Given his large network both within industrial and governmental environments, he now is a successful hydrogen solution developer for the European industry managing technical development projects in the field of Hydrogen, and Carbon Capture and Use especially for steel cement glass and lime industry.

Programme Director
Local Partnerships

Derek is a Programme Director at Local Partnerships and is responsible for directing the Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme which supports Defra, Welsh Government and Local Authorities as they transition to a sustainable carbon and circular economy model. Prior to joining Local Partnerships in June 2021, Derek worked for over 30 years in environmental consultancy with the latter years supporting Local Authorities and the Private Sector in the procurement and delivery of waste infrastructure to meet landfill directive targets.

Chief Sustainability & External Affairs Officer
Suez Recycling & Recovery UK

Dr Adam Read has spent the last 6 years at SUEZ leading on government engagement concerning UK waste & resource policy reform, sitting on industry working groups, drafting written consultations and calls for evidence and presenting to Government Committees. He has worked on energy recovery projects for more than 20 years, as a consultant, client, contractor and community engagement specialist, having previously developed planning guidance for Welsh Government on new residual waste infrastructure. Adam is a regular conference speaker and facilitator, a technical report author and a frequent blogger and social media enthusiast. He is a Fellow of the CIWM, the RSA, IOM3 and the Royal Geographical Society and was the CIWM ‘s 105th President when he championed the opportunities for green skills delivery in our sector as part of decarbonising the UK.

Partner
gunnercook; President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management

Anna is an environmental criminal lawyer, specialising in defence work in the waste and recycling industry. She is dual-qualified, having completed a PhD in geochemistry and worked as an environmental consultant for 5 years before qualifying as a lawyer. Anna represents waste and recycling businesses and directors who are prosecuted by the regulators (Environment Agency and local authorities) for environmental and waste offences. She is President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and a Trustee of the Board. She is also Co-Convenor of UKELA’s Waste Working Party. Anna is co-authoring a book on the practical application of waste management law with a barrister and an environmental consultant.

Chief Commercial Officer (COO)
Quantafuel

Dr. Christian Lach, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, has more than 20 years’ experience in global commodity as well as specialty chemicals businesses, strategy development, establishing organizational structures, mergers and acquisitions including integration of acquired organizations, and a focus on market-driven innovation. Lach holds a PhD in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Freiburg. Lach is a citizen of Germany. Prior to moving to Oslo for his position with Quantafuel, he has lived in Germany, the United States, Hong Kong, and Switzerland.

Managing Director
MVV Umwelt GmbH

Dr. Christian Hower-Knobloch is Managing Director of MVV Umwelt GmbH since 1 October 2019 and is responsible for the market and commercial divisions. As Head of Corporate Development at STEAG GmbH in Essen, the lawyer and economist was previously responsible for group strategy and M&A activities as well as for the development of energy projects in Southeast Asia. Prior to this, he was in charge of STEAG‘s re-entry into the waste business and headed the management of the newly founded STEAG Waste to Energy GmbH until 2018.

Deputy Head of Low Carbon Fuels
Department for Transport

Keeley is responsible for low carbon fuels policy in the UK Dept for Transport – covering decarbonisation of both road and aviation fuel. She has worked on development of low carbon fuel policy and legislation for over a decade and has a background as an environmental scientist conducting research into air quality impacts of motor vehicle pollution and biomass combustion.

Vice President, Waste to Fuels
Velocys Technologies Limited

Neville is responsible for Velocys’ waste to fuels business, including the Altalto waste-to-jet-fuel project in the UK. This project is planned to take half a million tonnes of municipal and commercial solid waste, and use it to make sustainable aviation fuel with net negative carbon emissions. Neville is active in the SAF industry, in the UK and elsewhere; he is a director of the Renewable Transport Fuel Association and a member of the UK’s Jet Zero Council. Neville has over 30 years' experience in the oil, renewable energy and consulting industries, including 12 years with Exxon, where he led technical and commercial teams bringing over 70 new products to market, 4 years with Bain and Company, and 11 years with Velocys. He has also led two small businesses and launched a successful innovation programme for the UK government. He holds an MA in chemistry from Cambridge University and a PhD from University College London, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Director of ESG & External Affairs
Viridor

Tim joined Viridor in 2019 to drive innovative circular economy projects taking end of life wastes and finding new ways to turn them into usable products. Tim also works with the national and devolved governments and regulators to help ensure the regulatory environment drives increased local investment into the circular economy. Prior to joining Viridor Tim was the CEO of the Association for Decentralised Energy, where he worked with Government, regulators, devolved administrations and EU institutions to enable more energy users to directly benefit from in the transition to a low carbon economy. As part of this role, Tim oversaw two mergers with other trade associations and repositioned the organisation away from a technology focus to an outcome based approach to energy. Tim has a BSc and PhD in Ecology, and his study of fungi decomposing wood as a central part of the global carbon cycle spiked his interest and career in climate change and the environment. In his free time Tim enjoys cycling and generally getting in the great outdoors!

Senior Consultant
NexantECA

Elizabeth is a chartered chemical engineer and a senior consultant at NexantECA focussed on the waste and sustainability with international project management experience across the UK, Australia, Asia the Middle East and North Africa. She has a track record of successfully leading technical and commercial due diligence projects for a range of different waste fed technologies including pyrolysis, solvolysis and , gasification.

NLHPP Head of Technical Assurance
North London Waste Authority

Euston Ling holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree and a Masters of Business and Technology. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and is a Centre Councilor on their London and Southern Counties Centre Council. With over 30 years of experience in the UK and international solid waste management and sustainable resource sector, Euston is presently employed by the North London Waste Authority as their Planning and Technical Manager, and the Head of Technical Assurance for the delivery of the Authority’s new Resource Recovery Facility, and replacement Energy Recovery Facility which will be capable of treating 700,000 tonnes of residual waste per year from 2026 onwards. As part of this role, Euston has responsibility for the assurance of new facilities from planning and concept designs, through to construction and commissioning. Prior to working at NLWA, Euston worked for a number of consultancies providing technical advice to local authorities throughout the UK and overseas. Euston also worked for the major public sector waste management company in New South Wales, Australia, where he had lead accountability for waste and recycling sorting, processing, and disposal arrangements for the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Prior to this, Euston worked for a number of years in Hong Kong on a major landfill site, and the remediation of former landfills in Sydney.

Technical & Scientific Officer
CEWEP - Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants

Fabio Poretti holds a Double Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Connecticut and in Energy Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano. After studies, he worked as a research fellow of the Politecnico di Milano at LEAP, fostering academic investigation into industrial perspective mainly in the field of material and energy recovery from waste. Fabio currently covers the position of Technical & Scientific Officer at CEWEP, where he transversally follows the dossiers inside the European Green Deal, with particular focus to energy and climate policies, together with project management and coordination. Among the latest projects at CEWEP, Fabio worked as leading author of the new Climate Roadmap of the European Waste-to-Energy Sector.

Research Associate
TU Bergakadamie Freiberg

Gabriel Carneiro M. Sc. studied Industrial Chemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). He obtained his Master’s Degree (Cum Laude) from the SINReM (Sustainable and Innovative Natural Resource Management) program, a consortium between Ghent University (Belgium), Uppsala University (Sweden) and TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany). In the beginning of 2022, he enrolled as PhD candidate at TU Freiberg, where he works as Research Assistant. He is responsible for conducting the research on valorisation of fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration. The project is a partnership between EEW Energy from Waste and the university.

Senior Vice President, Clean Energy Renewable Segment
Babcock & Wilcox

Gary Cochrane is Senior Vice President, Clean Energy Renewable Segment, for Babcock & Wilcox. He is responsible for overall profit-and-loss leadership for both the projects and aftermarket businesses within the company’s waste-to-energy and biomass-to-energy solutions portfolio, as well as B&W hydrogen technologies such as BrightLoop™ and BrightGen™.

Cochrane joined B&W in 2018. He served as Managing Director, Europe, from 2020 until 2022, responsible for leading B&W’s efforts to leverage its established offices, manufacturing facilities and operations in the U.K., Germany, Denmark, Italy and Sweden to expand its footprint in Europe and grow its renewable, environmental and thermal businesses. Previous positions included responsibility for the company’s parts & service business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Before joining B&W in 2018, he served as a regional general manager for Weir Oil & Gas in Europe, Russia and the Caspian region. Prior to that, he was responsible for Oceaneering Subsea Products’ Eastern Hemisphere identifying, implementing and executing market penetration strategies and technologies.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in energy and environmental engineering from Napier University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Chief Executive
Renewable Transport Fuel Association

Gaynor Hartnell runs the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, a new trade body set up in Autumn 2020. The RTFA represents the interests of the renewable and low carbon fuel industry. Its membership includes all the UK-based bioethanol and biodiesel manufacturers and biomethane suppliers, along with SAF project developers and companies developing drop-in fuels made from wastes.

Senior Sales Manager EfW
Hitachi Zosen Inova AG

20 years international experience in the Energy industry covering sales and project execution management of capital intensive and complex power and renewable energies plants with an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) scope. Led multi-cultural and cross-functional teams, managed project engineering and economics, systems integration, contract compliance, suppliers and client relations from bid up to product handover for technologies like Combined Cycle, Concentrating Solar Power Plant, Wind Offshore, Energy from Waste and Circular Economy processes.

Head of EfW
AFRY UK
Cobalt Energy; Speaker / Session chair
MD
Waste as Resource Champion
Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Ian Arbon is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Registered European Engineer and Chartered Environmentalist, with an MSc in ‘Renewable Energy and the Environment’ and an MBA; he has almost 50 years of experience of the EfW sector internationally. Formerly MD of several UK engineering-sector manufacturing companies, he now runs Engineered Solutions, a Sustainable Engineering and Management consultancy. Ian is a Fellow of IMechE, its Champion for ‘Waste as Resource’ (WaR) and Lead Author of the Institution’s Report: “Energy from Waste: a wasted opportunity”; he is also the Lead Author of IMechE’s recent policy statement: “Waste as a Resource: a sustainable way forward”. Between 2006 and 2019, Ian has taught MSc/MEng courses on ‘Energy Policies, Politics and Ethics’ at Newcastle University and ‘EfW/WaR’ at the University of Glasgow.

Executive Director
Environmental Services Association

Jacob Hayler is the Executive Director at the Environmental Services Association – the UK’s trade association for managers of waste and secondary resources. Jacob joined ESA from the City in 2005 as an Economist focused on helping to develop market-focused policies that combine environmental and economic sustainability. At various points during his time at ESA, Jacob retained responsibility for policy relating to finance, tax, carbon management, contracts and energy from waste. In January 2015 Jacob was appointed ESA’s Executive Director and he now retains responsibility for the day to day running of the Association. Jacob has represented the industry on multiple government advisory bodies and committees and is the UK’s representative on various pan-European waste and recycling industry bodies.

Managing Director
Krakowski Holding Komunalny S.A.

Jakub Bator is an economist and manager. Member of the Management Board of Krakowski Holding Komunalny S.A., responsible for the operation of the of the Thermal Waste Treatment Plant in Cracow (Eco-incinerator). One of the founders and vice president of the Association of Energy Producers from Waste (SPEO). From 2011 as Measure Authorising Officer in construction process WtE Plant. Vice-president of the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP). Member of the European Federation of Local Energy Companies (CEDEC). It focuses on continuous improvement of the management process. He is doing his PhD at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, entitled: The use of high-calcium fly ash from thermal utilization of waste in the carbonation process.

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Chief Investment & Strategy Officer
KEW Technology

James Barrett-Miles, Chief Investment & Strategy Officer, KEW Technology James has over 20 years of experience in renewable energy infrastructure. He was a senior director of the market leading EY Renewable Energy corporate finance team, delivering complex transactions in the bio-energy and energy from waste space. More recently James has advised waste majors on growth strategies in energy and plastic recycling infrastructure. James is currently KEW Technology’s Chief Investment and Strategy officer, with responsibilities for identifying and delivering new markets to deploy KEW’s innovative high-pressure advanced gasification modular system, as well as leading the development of the flagship waste to fuels project within KEW’s joint venture with the leading global LPG distributions SHV Energy and UGI International.

Executive Director
Tribe Infrastructure Group

James is an Executive Director and the Head of Advisory at Tribe Infrastructure Group, based in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. James started his career in the UK in the early 2000’s working on numerous UK waste PFI projects in various technical, commercial and financial roles. After moving to the UAE in 2010, initially with Ernst & Young, and then the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa), James moved to Tribe in 2014. Tribe Infrastructure Ltd (‘Tribe Advisory’) is a global financial and commercial advisory firm operating across all infrastructure sectors, across multiple continents. James advised the Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Masdar) on the Sharjah waste to energy project, the first project financed facility of its kind in the GCC, and first plant in the UAE (reaching financial close in 2018). James then acted as the lead and financial advisor to Dubai Municipality on the 1.9 MTPA, 200MWe, Dubai Waste Management Centre, which reached financial close in summer of 2021. James is currently advising the Abu Dhabi Government on a 900,000 TPA waste to energy facility which is currently in the procurement stage

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Commercial Director UK Processing
Beauparc
Partner
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP

James is a partner in the Energy, Projects and Construction Group and co-heads the firm’s Projects Group. He specialises in complex infrastructure and energy projects. He has worked on major infrastructure, energy and PPP projects for over 20 years in the UK, mainland Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia acting for sponsors, funders and public authority clients. James and the team also provides specialist support on secondary market and M&A transactions in the infrastructure, energy and PPP sectors to our clients including leading infrastructure, pension and sovereign wealth funds. He is recognised by clients and peers as one of the leading commercial lawyers in the waste and bioenergy sectors where he has advised clients on the construction, financing and operation of numerous waste to energy, biomethane and biomass facilities in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Singapore, Malaysia, Jordan, the Caribbean and the UAE together with disputes related to the design and construction of these types of facility.

Director CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage)
Hafslund Oslo Celsio AS

Jannicke Gerner Bjerkås is Director CCS and Carbon Markets in Hafslund Oslo Celsio AS. She was head of the carbon capture project at Oslo’s largest waste-to-energy plant from 2018 until construction start July 1. 2022, and is now a member of the project’s Steering Committee. She has held various management positions as a.o Head of HR and Communication and Chief of Staff, and has professional knowledge from more than 10 years in energy recovery, recycling and biological treatment of organic waste. Jannicke was one of the initiators of the CCS Project in Oslo in 2014. She is a former Air Force officer with 4 years of training from the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy, and 10 years of service in different positions within airspace control and intelligence, communications and HR. She has completed studies in market economics and also has a Master of Management from BI Norwegian Business School.

Director
EfW Consulting Ltd; Chairman
CEO
Suez recycling and recovery UK
Chief Commercial Officer
Aker Carbon Capture

Jon Christopher Knudsen is Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) in Aker Carbon Capture. With nearly 20 years in the oil and energy sector, Knudsen has held several leadership positions in digitalization, customer experience, strategy and HR in the Aker Solutions group. Knudsen joined Aker Solutions after many years in the international consulting company Accenture, where he focused on technology solutions for business insights in oil and energy companies. He is a business economist graduating from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) in Norway and the College of William & Mary, Virginia (US).

Head of Operations and Maintenance, General Manager Lincolnshire EfW
FCC Environment

Juergen Schaper studied Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering and Power Plant Engineering at the Universität-Gesamthochschule Essen with degree of a Dipl.-Ing. (TH) (Master of Engineering) in 1989. He has over 30 years of expertise in the management of nuclear and fossil fired power-stations in Germany and the UK, working for companies like E.ON and EdF. In 2015 he joint FCC Environment as General Manager for the operation and maintenance of the Lincolnshire EfW. Since 2021 he is also the Head of Operations and Maintenance within FCC Environment and is responsible for the technical direction of the 5 FCC EfW across the UK. Since 2010 is member at the IMechE and achieved CEng status with the Engineering Council. He is Member of the IMechE Thermal Power Committee. He is dual national German/British since 2018

Former Chairman and Acting CEO Powerhouse Energy Group Plc; session chair
Session chair

Keith Riley has had successful careers in both the power industry and in waste management. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Keith was formerly Visiting Professor within Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton. Keith is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vismundi Limited, a consultancy company providing services to the resources and waste management industry. Prior to that, between 1993 and 2012 he was a board member of Veolia Environmental Services plc, where he held various senior roles including Managing Director for Group Technical Services and played a major role in developing resource recovery and Circular Economy thinking in the UK. Over the course of his career Keith has worked with a number of specialist waste and resource management companies and most recently has been Non-Executive Director of Waste2tricity Limited, which was subsequently acquired by Powerhouse Energy Group Plc, where he is now non-executive director. He continues to be a Partner of BH Energy Gap LLP on behalf of Vismundi, which develops projects in the renewables sector and raises the finance to implement them, and is also a director of Hydrogen Utopia International Plc, a company furthering the development of the hydrogen economy. ​

Kjetil Vikingstad studied at the agricultural university in Norway between 1990 and 1995 and moved into the waste business in 1007. He built up a waste sorting business, becoming its CEO, between 1997 and 2004. From 2004 onwards, he built up Geminor, again taking on the position of CEO.

Head of Market Reporting
Suez

Lauma joined SUEZ Trading Europe in 2018 and heads market analysis activities for all trading streams including alternative fuels and wood waste. She has been working with biomass energy and EfW sectors for over 15 years, with previous professional experiences in due diligence work, market assessments and competitive analysis.

Director
Equitix

Lekan Omoniwa is a Director at Equitix with a focus on the environmental and energy services sector (ESS) which encompasses energy from waste, biofuel, biomass power, and emerging technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage. Lekan holds directorships on a number of operational and under-construction assets and is involved in some of the most complex assets managed by Equitix. Lekan has over 17 years’ experience in the renewables, utilities and energy sectors. Prior to joining Equitix in 2020, Lekan worked at Arup, Fichtner, and Mott MacDonald where he was involved in a number of high-profile deals in the UK, Europe, and across the globe as technical and commercial advisor to developers, investors and lenders.

Director, Head of Industrials
Clean Energy Finance Corporation

Mac Irvine is the Head of Industrials at the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. Mac specialises in corporate and project financing in the manufacturing, waste, recycling, bioenergy, and circular economy sectors. Mac has extensive experience in corporate and project financing, deal structuring, strategy and execution both domestically and internationally across a variety of sectors, including infrastructure, renewable energy, power and utilities and property. Prior to joining CEFC, he held investment banking and financial advisory roles at Barclays and KPMG in the UK. Mac has a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Commerce (Finance) from the University of Queensland.

Sales Director UK & Ireland, Babcock & Wilcox
Babcock & Wilcox

Mark Tipton is currently a Business Development, Sales, Project and Operations professional with The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W). He has more than thirty years of successful experience in the public and private sectors of food, agriculture, waste management and renewable energy. Mark joined the B&W Renewables team as Sales Director for UK & Ireland in Q3 2022. He is focused on the energy transition, deploying clean energy (B&W’s ClimateBright) technologies and seeking to increase renewable asset life in aftermarket services. Previously, he was Director of Development and a Senior Project manager working in UK EfW asset development with Cobalt Energy Group. This followed Mark’s leadership on a waste PFI project as the SPV Director for six years with FCC Environment. He worked in a public-sector consultancy role for five years with Mace Group and led an EfW project delivery consultation, strategy and procurement project with Buckinghamshire County Council. Prior, he had an eight-year career in the hazardous waste industry, managing both business development and operational teams for Veolia and Grundon. Mark began his career in the agriculture and food sectors after graduating in 1992.

Project Director, Next Generation Renewables
Greenergy

Martin is the Project Director of Next Generation Renewables at Greenergy, driving next generation waste projects that support a circular economy and net zero. Martin leads Greenergy’s waste tyre-to-renewables project together with various other waste-to-X projects. With over 35 years’ experience in oil, EPC, waste and project finance, Martin has been involved in developing, funding, constructing and operating waste-to-fuels, waste-to-energy, MBTs, and anaerobic digestion projects, including Belvedere EfW and Greater Manchester Waste MBT in the UK. Martin has also led a number of businesses internationally and in the UK, including one of the UK’s largest waste companies and one of the largest EPC contractors. Martin has a degree in Process and Chemical Engineering from Newcastle University and a Master of Business Administration, Business and Strategy from The University of Sheffield.

Managing Director
Eunomia; Session chair

Mike Brown is Managing Director of Eunomia, the largest strategic waste consultancy in the UK working across Europe and beyond. Mike’s 35 years’ experience were founded as an operator in the minerals, energy and waste sectors. For the past 15 years Mike’s role at Eunomia has focussed mainly on private sector clients seeking commercial and market diligence, but also for public sector clients looking to engage on level terms with their private counter-parts. Mike oversees Eunomia’s work on residual waste infrastructure and RDF exports, including Eunomia’s Secretariat role to the European-wide RDF Industry Group.

Partner
Bevan Brittan; session chair

Nadeem is Head of Bevan Brittan’s Energy and Resource Management practice. He is a Waste PPP/EfW sector specialist and has been dedicated to the UK and international waste and resource management sectors for over 20 years. Ranked as a leading lawyer in the sector by Legal 500, he has advised on over 50 PFI/PPP and ERF (moving grate and gasification) projects. His clients include energy generators, developers, banks and investors, energy off takers, waste management companies, local authorities and other organisations in the energy, waste and resource management supply chain. Nadeem understands the commercial and risk issues in complex private finance and PPP delivery structures especially between SPVs, EPC and O&M Contractors.

Partner
Bevan Brittan; session chair

Nathan is a partner in the Energy and Resource Management team at Bevan Brittan and head of sustainability. Nathan has advised on some of the UK’s leading energy and utilities infrastructure projects and specialises in providing legal and commercial advice on EPC delivery (new build, refurbishment, retrofitting and upgrade) through to operation, maintenance and service delivery. Nathan provides strategic advice on business case development, involvement of key stakeholders, project structuring and legal delivery models. Nathan’s clients include developers/contractors, funders, Local Authorities and technology/plant sub-contractors across a range of technologies including energy recovery facilities, advance thermal, anaerobic digestion, MBT/MRF etc.

Chief Strategy Officer
Vital Energi; session chair

Nick has over 30 years’ experience in the energy generation and energy management industries and is a specialist in technical and commercial development of decarbonisation solutions and heat network schemes. Nick is a board member on the Heat Network Industry Council, and chairs the heat network policy working group for the Association for Decentralised Energy. His role within Vital Energi spans corporate and project strategy and sales across the Group’s activities in design, modelling, engineering, service development, operations and maintenance. Nick has been involved on a number of major heat network projects including developments at Battersea Power Station, Queens Quay in Glasgow, Barking Riverside and the Leeds PIPES project.

Director Project Finance
Rabobank

Oliver has more than 10 years of experience in wholesale bank and has been with the Project Finance department of Rabobank since 2016. He has structured a variety of Project Finance transactions in Europe with a focus on renewable energy and waste management. He has helped to establish the bank’s position in the EfW sector, being involved as mandated lead arranger and through the participation in several recent deals in the UK.

Country Manager
Geminor

Over 14 years experience in waste management. Starting as an Environmental Monitoring Technician at Veolia’s Gerrards Cross landfill and then working up into managing multiple operational landfill facilities for FCC Environment and developing the Huyton RDF production facility. From here I moved to Geminor, where I have been for last 8 years, initially as Account and Business Development Manager, and now Country Manager.

CEO
Encyclis; Chair, RRUK
Secretary General
ESWET

Patrick Clerens studied law at the University of Saarbrucken and the University of Mainz. Since 1996, he has worked as a consultant for a private company specialising in European Affairs in Brussels. In his capacity as Brussels Representative of different European associations, he has been involved in the energy and climate field since 2003. He is the Secretary General of ESWET – the association of the European Suppliers of Waste-to-Energy Technology since February 2008.

Director 7CO2; CCS advisor to Viridor; lead, CCS Association Non Pipeline Transportation working group
Viridor

Paul Davies is a Director of 7CO2; the Severnside Carbon Capture and Shipping Hub, CCS adviser to Viridor, and leads the CCS Association Non Pipeline Transportation working group developing the business models and charters for CO2 ship, rail and road transportation. 7CO2 is a regional cluster, centred around Avonmouth and Bristol Port, but with rail links across South West England and the South Wales Industrial Cluster.

CEO
Indaver; President, CEWEP

Paul de Bruycker joined Indaver at its start in 1986 as Sales and Marketing Director. He took up his current position as CEO in 2011. With a career of over 30 years in waste management, Paul is a respected senior expert in waste management and waste legislation. Paul graduated with a Masters in Bio-Engineering at the UGent and has an education in Business Engineering and Marketing. He is President of CEWEP, member of the Board of Directors of Flanders' federation of the chemical industry ("Essenscia"), President of the Council for Strategic Advice at the Faculty of Bio Engineering (Ghent University) and Member of the Royal Academy for Science and the Arts.

Technical Director
SLR Consulting Ltd ; session chair

Originally trained as a Chemist and in Chemical Engineering, Paul has spent over 30 years working internationally in the Energy and Environment fields for both the Public and Private Sector. His experience covers a wide range of themes including industrial emissions and industrial impact reduction, renewable energy technologies, projects & policy development and delivery, and he has specific expertise in waste-to-energy and biomass energy projects. As the author of the first EU “Best Available Techniques” Reference (BREF) document on thermal waste treatments (2006) he is well known internationally for his expertise in this area. Over the last 15 years he has worked on numerous projects for the development and implementation of waste and energy infrastructure, as an adviser to national and international governments & agencies, and developed leading international consulting businesses in these areas. He is the Chairman of the UK Chartered Institute of Wastes Management (CIWM) Special Interest Group on Thermal Waste Treatment and the author / co-author of papers on issues including low carbon energy and resources/waste management, a supervisor of university projects, and author of technical policy documents regarding national and international emission regulation.

Chief Operating Officer
Viridor

Pierre has over 15 years of experience in the Power and Energy from Waste industries, both in operational and capital projects. Driving safety and operational excellence as well as leading business transformation. During his career Pierre has delivered EPC projects within the power industry operating Energy from Waste facilities, leading Landfill Gas operations and now driving operational excellence within Polymers and Energy from Waste businesses within Viridor.

Head of Market CO2 Management
Technip Energies

Rebecca Eason is Head of Market for CO2 Management at Technip Energies, a leading engineering and technology company for the energy transition. At Technip Energies, Rebecca leads market analysis, strategy development, and strategic marketing for the CO2 management business line. She is also a member of the Shell CANSOLV alliance team, a major post-combustion capture technology. Rebecca is an expert in development planning, decision analysis, and risk assessment. She has a strong background in early-phase advisory and consultancy and has supported the conceptual development of world premier CCUS clusters, hubs, and projects, plus novel assessments for offsetting initiatives. Rebecca is a charted chemical engineer and has held a variety of positions in CCUS, upstream and downstream Oil & Gas, working from conceptual stages through to construction and operations on global projects and assets.

Commercial Director
Augean; session chair

Richard Brooke is Commercial Director for Augean. Augean is a leading UK operator managing hard to handle wastes at its treatment and disposal infrastructure focussing on delivering best environmental outcomes. For the UK’s Energy from Waste (EfW) sector, Augean treats more Air Pollution Control Residues (APCr) than any other operator. Augean treats other residues from EfW’s and also provides Industrial Services for the sector. Richard has over 30 years waste management experience having previously worked for Tamar Energy, New Earth Solutions and Waste Recycling Group, and also for Redland Aggregates and Steetley Quarry Products. Richard is a Fellow of The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a Member of The Chartered Institution of Wastes Management and is also a member of The Yorkshire Climate Action Coalition which is a business-led group with a common desire to address the climate challenge.

Research Director
Aurora Energy Research

Richard is Aurora’s Research Director and is responsible for managing and developing Aurora’s global suite of energy market intelligence services across power markets, renewables, flexible and distributed energy, commodities and hydrogen. Before joining Aurora he was a Director and Head of Energy and Environment at Policy Exchange, where he authored a number of influential reports on energy and environmental policy and regulation. Prior to that he was the Chief Economist at The Crown Estate. Richard has a first-class degree in Economics and an MSc in Environmental Policy.

Marketing Manager
Attero

Robert Corijn is Marketing Manager at Attero, the largest EfW company in the Netherlands. In his role, he supports Attero’s mission to retrieve the maximum amount of resources and energy from waste and to reduce the carbon impact. He is responsible for public affairs, marketing and communication and active in different industry associations among which the RDF Industry Group. Robert holds Master degrees in Business Administration and Knowledge Management.

Commercial Lead, North London Heat and Power Project
North London Waste Authority

Results-oriented and forward-thinking professional with international experience in leading financial and commercial aspects of high-profile projects within waste management, engineering, renewable energy, justice, FMCG, and the manufacturing sector including PFI/PPP. Repeated success in devising/implementing robust commercial strategies, performing financial modelling, and developing budgets. Well versed in determining customer financial needs and developing “win-win” solutions. Excellent knowledge and understanding of UK GAAP, US GAAP, IFRS, and SOX. Able to optimise financial performance through process improvement and restructuring various business operations.

Financial and Management Competencies

·Procurement Leadership – Private & Public Sector

· Financial & Commercial Management

· Regulatory Compliance & Due Diligence

· Contract Development & Negotiation – UK, Middle East, USA, Ireland & South Africa

· Strategic Planning and Implementation

· Bid Leadership – UK, Middle East, USA, and Ireland

· ERP Implementation

· JV & SPV Management

· Acquisitions & Integration

· Team Building & Leadership

· Operational Management

· Bid leadership – PFI, energy, waste. Justice, education and FM

· Start up experience in UK and USA Key Accomplishments

· Headed end-to-end delivery of £3B infrastructure by managing EPC/Tier 2 contracts in the UK waste sector at Veolia, Covanta, VT plc, and Amey

· Managed tier 2 subcontractors/project agreement with local authorities/private equity investors

· Led the development and operation of joint ventures to deliver complex PFI deliverables,

· Reconciled multi company balance sheets comparing of foreign entities and multi GAAP reconciliation.

· Built, managed, mentored, and trained a multi-site teams.

Currently North London Waste Authority

Chair
National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO)

Sam has over 20 years’ experience working in waste and resources for a local authority. Having started his career as a junior member of the waste management section he has worked his way up gaining experience in a range of roles. He has been the Strategic Manager for Waste and resources since 2015 and became the Chair of the National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) in June 2022.

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Banking Director
UK Infrastructure Bank
Managing Director
Standardkessel Baumgarte

ESWET, President 01/12-today - Standardkessel Baumgarte, Managing Director 11/98 - 12/11 -John Zink, Luxembourg and Krefeld (Head of Sales and Manager Operations) 12/96 - 10/98 - Oschatz, Essen (Head of Sales) 10/88 - 11/96 - Deutsche Babcock, Oberhausen (various roles) 04/91 - 02/94 - Thesis (University Essen (UDE)) 10/83-05/88 - Industrial Engineering (University Karlsruhe (KIT))

Managing Director
Marr Contracting

Simon Marr is Managing Director of Marr Contracting – a third-generation family-owned Australian business that is challenging the global construction industry to think differently about craneage solutions. With over 35 years in the industry, Simon started in the family business as a yard boy cleaning bolts during the school holidays. Today, he is leading the business to challenge craneage methodologies and develop new craneage solutions for large-scale, complex projects across the construction, mining, oil and gas, power generation, agriculture and public infrastructure sectors across the globe. Simon has overseen the successful delivery of craneage solutions for projects including: the 1915Çanakkale Bridge (Turkey), ICDB Brookfield Place (Dubai) and ALEC One Za’abeel (Dubai), the ALBA Potline 6 (Bahrain), the Chevron-operated Gorgon and Wheatstone LNG Projects (Western Australia), and Sydney Metro (Martin Place, Barangaroo, Castle Hill, Central & Crows Nest Stations) to name a few.

Technical Director
Anthesis

Simone has been in the waste sector for 25 years, working in frontline waste management, as a regulator and now as a consultant. She works with investors and project developers to deliver commercial due diligence on waste treatment and recycling infrastructure. She also works as an expert witness in civil and criminal cases involving waste management practices and infrastructure.

Director, Infrastructure, Structured Finance Office for EMEA
MUFG Bank, Ltd
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Responsible Consumption & Production Lead, Technical Director
WSP Environment & Infrastructure UK Limited

Steve leads WSP’s consultancy services to the waste sector through leadership of one of the most experienced teams in the UK, with a market leading position in the procurement and expiry of waste infrastructure and services; including EfW. Following multiple recent acquisitions WSP now provides one of the largest service offerings to the sector. Over the past 17 years, Steve’s background includes a strong focus on strategy development and feedstock due diligence (including sustainable aviation fuels from waste projects) for both international and domestic projects, as well as experience in procurement, benchmarking and options appraisal, business case development, life cycle analysis and policy.

Chief Technical Development & Innovation Officer
Suez Recycling & Recovery UK Ltd

Currently responsible for a range of strategy and commercial development activities for SUEZ UK, delivering solutions to meet the business and customer needs, including leading the Expert Practitioner consultancy service. Stuart undertakes commercial deals, policy and strategy work with experience in waste as a resource, energy and bio-fuel manufacture, sorting, extraction and value enhancement for waste mix resources, customer solutions, research and development, innovation and industrialisation. He is directly involved in works covering carbon, biodiversity and natural capital, and having over 30 years’ experience in the industry has amassed wide technical and commercial skills and experience in the systems of waste and resource management, markets, strategy, technologies and the environment.

Stuart is a member of the following organisations:

- Waste management representative for the DEFRA advisory committee on packaging

- Director of Recoup, a charity involved in plastic recycling

- Chair of the ESA Biotreatment committee

- Chair of the ESA CCUS group

- Chair of the North East England Climate Coalition (NEECCo)

- UK representative of the SUEZ International R&D and Innovation groups

- The Renewable Energy Association Renewable transport fuels group

- The Renewable Energy Association Bio-energy group

- Technical expert for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK across numerous fields

- The advisory committee for the ONS national materials datahub project.

- Director of Terracycle UK

Follow Stuart on Twitter - @stuhhigh_suezUK

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Head of Innovation and Proposals
MVV UK

Sébastien Petithuguenin graduated from ENSAE Paris in 2001. Created 80 years ago, ENSAE Paris is the leading engineering school in quantitative economics and sociology, statistics and machine learning, finance and actuarial science - He has been a business analyst for Connex UK for two years. Sébastien then entered Paprec, the company created by his father in 1994 with 40 persons in the suburbs of Paris and dedicated to paper recycling. Sébastien lead several missions then became Managing Director in 2006. Paprec developed to become the French leader in recycling and number 2 in waste management. In 2018, Paprec entered the waste to energy field. With the acquisition of Tiru, Inova Operations, CNIM E&E and CNIM EPC, the group is now a major organisation in green energy production in France and in Europe. Sébastien is now CEO of Paprec Energies.

CEO
Hon President DGAW; Head of business development EEW; CEO TOMM+C (management and consulting company)

Mr. Thomas Obermeier, born in 1957, holds a Master of Engineering in Technical Environmental Protection and is Head of Business Development at EEW Energy from Waste GmbH, the leader in the German waste-to-energy business. He is also Honorary President of the German Waste Association DGAW, a publicly certified and sworn expert for waste management of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Berlin, and a committee member of the chamber of commerce in Berlin and the IFAT and terratec fairs. Mr. Obermeier's expertise draws on more than 30 years of work in the waste management and energy sector. Prior to EEW and his independent consultancy, he held posts as a managing director in different consulting and operating companies and worked in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and Africa.

Team Leader, Residual Waste and Infrastructure
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Tom leads Defra’s Residual Waste and Infrastructure policy team. Tom has worked for Defra for four years, including leading Defra’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic to support the waste sector in England. Before working for Defra Tom was a Senior Environmental Consultant leading Environmental Impact Assessments for landmark developments, predominately across London.

General Counsel and Executive Committee lead for ESG, Net Zero, Policy & Regulation and Communications
enfinium

Wayne Robertson is the General Counsel of enfinium and Executive Committee lead for ESG, Net Zero, Policy & Regulation and Communications. He has over 25 years of experience in senior legal, board and executive roles including at BT, Accenture, Amey plc and Wheelabrator UK. He has worked on infrastructure development and investment in the waste sector for 15 years. Wayne qualified as a Solicitor in 1996, specialising in corporate and mergers and acquisitions transactions, and is also a qualified Executive Coach with the Academy of Executive Coaching in London.

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