Path to Net Zero Summit

2020–present: Prime Minister of Belgium

On 1 October 2020, Alexander De Croo took the oath as Prime Minister. The De Croo I government is made up of Socialists, Liberals, Christian Democrats and Greens – the four largest political groups in the country.

2019 – 2020: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, in charge of the Fight against Tax Fraud, and Minister of Development Cooperation

As Minister of Finance, Alexander De Croo faced Belgium’s biggest post-war health and economic crisis. Together with the Eurogroup, he set out a framework for a major European recovery package. In his own country, Alexander De Croo led financial efforts to support individuals and businesses as much as possible during this difficult period.

2014 – 2019: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, Digital Agenda, Telecom and Postal Services

Alexander De Croo was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, Digital Agenda, Telecom and Postal Services in the Michel I government. As Minister of Development Cooperation, he focused on strengthening human rights and promoting local economic growth in partner countries. With the Digital Agenda, Telecom and Postal Services portfolio, Alexander De Croo aimed to maximise the economic potential of the digital economy. During this period, he also published the book ‘The Age of Women’, a plea for a pro-active approach to equal rights for women and men.

2012 – 2014: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Pensions

On 20 November 2012, Alexander De Croo took the oath before His Majesty King Albert II as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Pensions. He carried out Belgium’s first pension reform package for many years and was involved in setting up the Pension Reform Commission 2020–2040. The Commission’s proposals for pension reform 2020–2040 formed the basis for the pension reforms of the Michel I government.

2009 – 2012: Party Chairman and Senator

In 2009, Alexander De Croo moved from the world of business to politics. With the backing of Guy Verhofstadt, Open Vld’s leader in the European Parliament, he took part in the European elections in May 2009. In December 2009 he convincingly won the election to become Open Vld’s party chair, as voted for by the party’s members.

1999 – 2009: MBA, business consultant and entrepreneur

A business engineer by training, Alexander De Croo obtained an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago (United States) in 2004. Between 1999 and 2006, he worked as a strategy consultant at Boston Consulting Group, one of the leading consulting firms for companies worldwide. In 2006, he founded his own company, an IP consultancy firm that today operates around the world.

Annika Brack is the Director for the Energy, Mobility and Sustainability (EMS) practice at the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE). Previously, she served as representative for Uniper SE in Brussels and led the political affairs unit at 50Hertz Transmission in Berlin. Her experience also includes senior roles at an emerging technology think tank and the World Economic Forum. Annika is a UNAOC and WEF Global Leadership Fellow, with a background in international studies in Paris, Washington D.C., and Berlin.

Bert Saveyn is currently Team Leader Energy Economics and Modelling in the Chief Economist unit of DG ENER of the European Commission. Previously he worked for the Secretariat General and Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. He is an environmental engineer and holds a PhD in Economics of the KU Leuven. In his current role he is responsible for the 2030 and 2040 energy scenarios, as well as the modelling of the current EU energy policies.

Clara Poletti is Commissioner of the Italian Regulatory Authority for Energy, Networks and the Environment (ARERA), Chair of the Board of Regulators of the European Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and ARERA delegate at the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER).

She has more than twenty years of experience in the field. As far back as 1997, she contributed to the start-up of the Italian independent energy regulator. Since then, she has worked on the regulation of energy, water and waste management services at both national and European levels.

From 2007 to 2011, she was Director of the Bocconi University Research Centre on Energy and Environment (IEFE). She was also a founding joint academic director at the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE). She is a member of the Advisory Council Executive Committee of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and associate researcher of the Cambridge Energy Policy Research Group.

She is the author of numerous scientific articles.

¹Member of the Strategic Committee

Claudio Farina, born in 1975 and in Snam since 2017, is Chief Strategy & Technology Officer with responsibility for overseeing the definition and implementation of the company’s strategy, for defining and promoting the digital transformation program through innovative digital and technological solutions, for leading the roadmap of development implementation and the management of ICT, for overseeing the definition of the sustainability model, the ESG strategy and the decarbonisation objectives. He is also Executive Vice President Technology and Industrial Innovation and Board member of several Group companies.

Previously, he held the role of Executive Vice President Digital Transformation & Technology with responsibility for leading ICT, technologies and digital transformation, Head of the CEO Office, leading cross-functional projects in the operational improvement area, scale up of new business and support to the Chief Executive Officer, and Senior Vice President of Planning and Control BU Asset Italia.

Before joining Snam, he held for 9 years various positions in Vodafone Italia, including Head of Financial Planning, Analysis & Business Intelligence and Head of Strategy, responsible for driving strategic projects for the CEO, including 4G frequencies auction, investments for the reduction of the digital divide, fiber strategy, M&A, strategic partnerships.

From 2000 to 2008 he covers various roles in The Boston Consulting Group, up to Principal, with multi-sector experience in Infrastructure, Energy, Public Transport, Telecommunications and IT, with 25 projects, including Strategic Plans, Extraordinary Finance Operations and Infrastructure Development Strategy. In 1999, he was a Researcher on industrial policies supporting technological innovation at the German Institute of Economic Research in Berlin. He is specialized in Industrial Economics with a degree in Political Economy from the Catholic University. He subsequently earned a postgraduate master’s in Economics at Bocconi University. Passionate about start-up seeding, he is an Aspen Institute alumnus, having been a Junior Fellow from 2008 to 2010.

With a background in European studies at the University of Osnabrück (Germany) and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques / Sciences Po Paris (France), Corinna Grajetzky started her professional career in Brussels in 2006.

She has focused on EU Energy and Climate Policies in different functions, amongst others as policy advisor at the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK). From 2014, Corinna worked for the German energy company RWE and became their Head of Brussels Office in 2018.

In May 2024, she joined the French energy company ENGIE as Director for European Affairs. With her team, she steers the political positioning and messaging on the broad range of European policies relevant for the company and represents ENGIE vis-à-vis EU institutional and non-institutional stakeholders.

Enrico Maria Carlini graduated in Electrical and Energy Engineering with first class of honors from Sapienza University of Rome in 1991.

Enrico developed his career in Terna TSO, where he currently serves as Director of ‘Power System Planning and Permitting’. He is accountable for the EHV-HV Grid Development Plan, the Resilience Plan, the process of connections to the National Transmission Grid, the NTG interconnection through interconnectors and merchant lines, plus the authorization procedures of development infrastructures.

Over nearly three decades of experience spanning from power grid engineering and system development to system operation activities, he has been deeply involved in emerging technical concepts for the energy transition and digital transformation of electricity sector, incl.: RES integration, grid resilience, grid and defense system, power quality, resource adequacy, HVDC links, energy storage systems, ancillary services market and capacity remuneration mechanisms, market coupling for the Internal Electricity Market, regional cooperation of TSOs, Ten-Year Network Development Plan, etc.

Alongside with his position in Terna, he plays several leading positions in the key organizations of the energy community, among which: ENTSO-E, CIGRE-SEERC, IEC, CEI (Italian Electrotechnical Committee), AEIT (Italian Association of Electrical, Electronics, Automation, Information and Communication Technology), SEleNe (Southeast Electricity Network Coordination Center) and CORESO (COoRdination of Electricity System Operators).

Frequent invited speaker at conferences globally on secure energy transition in the power sector. Author of more than 200 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals and conferences.

In 2021 he has been awarded the qualification of Associate Professor in Electrical Power Engineering.

Frédéric Dykmans, Secretary General of GD4S, brings over 25 years of experience in the energy sector, with a deep focus on gas infrastructure and the transition to sustainable energy systems. At GD4S, he represents leading gas distribution operators, who are critical to the EU’s net-zero ambitions by enabling the integration of renewable gases such as biomethane and hydrogen into the existing energy grid. Gas DSOs provide essential value to the energy system by ensuring efficiency, reliability, and flexibility, while maintaining energy security during the transition.

Frédéric has held various senior roles at GRDF, where he led initiatives on industrial asset management, safety, and network modernisation. With a background in economics and a strong commitment to decarbonisation, he actively contributes to the evolving role of gas markets in Europe’s energy transition, advocating for the integration of market, infrastructure, and governance strategies to create a sustainable energy future.

Martha Nør Kjeldsen is the Head of Division for Onshore Wind and Solar in the Danish Energy Agency’s Center for Green Electricity. The division works to establish the framework conditions necessary to support the government’s ambition to quadruple renewable energy on land. Martha’s responsibilities include working on renewable energy permitting processes, including the Emergency Regulation and the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive III’s provisions on permits for renewable energy installations, as well as leading the Renewable Energy Task Force.

Martha has been with the Danish Energy Agency since 2021. Prior to that, she worked as a senior lawyer at the Danish Consumer Council (Forbrugerrådet Tænk) and as a special adviser at the Ministry of Justice.

She holds a Master of Laws (cand.jur.) from the University of Copenhagen and an LL.M. in International Business Law from ESADE in Barcelona.

Nicola is the Executive Director Climate Change and Energy of Cefic. Before this role, he has gained extensive experience in Brussels.

Since February 2003 Nicola has been working in Brussels on EU-related policies for a wide range of stakeholders, including industry associations, the European Commission, NGOs, governmental institutes and consultancies. His main areas of expertise are energy and environmental policies.

Nicola joined Cefic in December 2020 as the new Energy Director. In April 2023, he has been appointed Executive Director Climate Change and Energy of Cefic. In his role, Nicola represents the industry’s interests to European institutions, international organisations and relevant stakeholders.

Nicola has a master’s degree in law from the University of Turin, an advanced master’s in political and social European integration from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and a master of laws in energy and environmental law from KU Leuven.

Paul brings more than two decades of experience in energy, energy security and climate policy and research to his role as Chief Policy and Global Affairs Officer at ENODA.

Paul was the founding CEO of ENODA, leading the business through its first two years of growth and technology development. Prior to founding ENO DA, he was Chief Strategy Officer at Tellimer, where he led its software platform for emerging market financial research, CEO of 4Cast-RGE, and Managing Director and Co-founder of Country Insights, where he developed the first commercial Al for the assessment and management of country economic and political risk.

Paul began working on energy system stability issues when he served as the First Energy Security Adviser to the U.S European Command of the U.S. Department of Defence, where he led the development of the US military’s strategy for energy security in Europe, Africa, and Eurasia. He was the most senior Defence Department energy security official based in Europe and represented the US both at NATO, and with senior government and corporate stakeholders in the Europe and the US. He subsequently worked on these issues as advisor on energy security to the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee of the UK Parliament and as Energy and Climate Fellow at the Stockholm Network, where he led the climate track of the Amigo Dialogue Series in Brussels.

Paul helped to design the ground-breaking Oil Shockwave simulations with Securing America’s Future Energy, which were recognised by President Obama in his 2013 State of the Union address. He also previously served as Deputy Political Analyst in the scenario planning group at Royal Dutch/Shell.

In addition to his experience in energy security and climate policy, Paul has held a number of strategic advisory roles, including for the governments of Kazakhstan and Peru on industrial development.

He has directly supported major industrials with scenario-based strategy development, and advised key industry private equity sponsors.

Paul is a regular keynote speaker and author on topics in energy, technology, and policy. He coauthored Chain Reaction: How Blockchain Will Transform the Developing World, published in 2021 by Palgrave Macmillan, and Carbon Scenarios, published in 2008 as a project of the Stockholm Network.

Paula Rey García is Deputy Head of the Unit for Renewables and Energy System Integration Policy at the European Commission DG Energy. She joined the European Commission in 2005, with roles in DG Environment and DG Health and Food Safety, and has been with DG Energy since 2012 working to drive the deployment of renewables and improving energy efficiency across Europe. Prior to joining the European Commission, she worked for the United Nations Environment Programme, and in the private sector as consultant.

Vera was born on 23 October1965 and raised in Caracas/Venezuela. After finishing school in Caracas in 1984 she studied business administration in Munich and completed a post-graduate master at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. She then moved on to work for the European Commission, and had a position as expert in DG External Relations. She then continued as head of internal market at Eurelectric. Vera then worked for E.ON until 2020 in different positions and eventually as head of political Affairs of E.ON SE. On 1 November she started with TenneT. On an extracurricular base she is member of the board of the Economic Council (Wirtschaftsrat) in Brussels and member of the Supervisory Board of EQUIGY. She lives in Brussels and is married with four children.

Andrei Covatariu is an international energy and climate change expert. His activity focuses on climate and energy policies, concentrating on the energy transition process and its geopolitical, economic, and social challenges. Andrei’s views and policy analyses are constantly published and cited in international media. He holds multiple roles, working at the intersection of theoreticians (think tanks, academia) and practitioners (energy industry, international organizations, domestic), engaging with both private and public stakeholders, across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

Andrei is currently the Co-Chair of the Task Force on “Digitalization in Energy” and a Vice-Chair of the Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Simultaneously, he serves as a Non-resident Scholar in the Climate and Water Program at the Middle East Institute (United States), a Senior Research Associate at Energy Policy Group (Romania), and an Associate Lecturer at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies, teaching energy and environmental policies. In 2021, Andrei co-founded ECERA, a network of sustainability practitioners aiming to produce policy-relevant knowledge, helping governments, companies, NGOs, universities, and others navigate the various facets of sustainability.

In the past, Andrei has worked for other for-profit companies, or with different multilateral and international organizations (e.g. International Energy Agency, World Energy Council), think tanks (e.g. Harvard’s Belfer Center; Energy Policy Group), or NGOs (Climate Reality Project, Climate Interactive, etc.).

Andrei holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in nuclear engineering, a master’s degree in business administration, and a master’s in public policy (MPP) from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, with a summer project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School.

Catherine Banet (PhD) is Professor of Law at the University of Oslo, and Head of the Department for Energy and Resources Law, Norway. Her legal research activities focus on energy market design, energy transport infrastructures regulation, support schemes and financing models, focusing on renewable energy and notably offshore wind, climate change mitigation measures such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), and hydrogen regulation.

Prof. Banet has a background from the private law practice (Norway, France), the European Commission (DG ENV), U.S. diplomatic mission and academia. She is a member of the Academic Advisory Group of the Section on Energy, Environment and Infrastructure Law of the IBA, and Chair of the Board of the Norwegian Energy Law Association.

Filippo Donati is full professor of Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Florence. He also teaches Constitutional law at LUISS University, Rome.

He is a member of the Italian Association of Energy Law (AIDEN) and a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Federation of Energy Law Associations (EFELA). 

He is the author of three books, editor of twelve books and author of several articles of constitutional law, European Union law and administrative law.

He is a co-editor of the “Journal of Market Regulation,” a member of the editorial board of the journals “Italian Journal of Public Law,” “ Il Diritto dell’Unione europea” “Osservatorio sulle fonti” and the scientific committee of the journal “MediaLaws.”

Dr. Kong Chyong is an applied energy economist and policy analyst with a strong background and more than fifteen years of experience in applications of economics and operational research methods to energy and climate policy questions. Kong’s research interests include economics and geopolitics of Russian natural gas exports, with a focus on Russo-Ukrainian bilateral relations and impacts on Europe and global gas markets. He also works on large-scale modelling of power markets, with a focus on low-carbon generation sources and integration of renewables.

Currently, Kong is a Senior Research Fellow in Energy System Economics and Modelling at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. Before this, he was Senior Research Scholar with the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Prior to joining Columbia University, Kong was a research associate with the Energy Policy Research Group (EPRG) based at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. Kong holds a PhD in Energy Economics and Policy (2011) and an MPhil in Technology Policy (2007) from the University of Cambridge. His PhD topic concerned Russia’s strategic natural gas export policy and Gazprom’s pipeline investment strategy.

Prior to his studies at Cambridge University, Kong was a researcher at the at the National Academy of Sciences in Ukraine.

Michael Pollitt is Professor of Business Economics at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He is an Assistant Director of the university’s Energy Policy Research Group (EPRG) and a Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics and Management at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. Michael is an elected Vice President (for Publications) of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE). He is a former external economic advisor to Ofgem.

Professor Nils-Henrik M. von der Fehr is Professor of Economics at the University of Oslo. In addition to numerous academic positions, Nils-Henrik has chaired or served as a member of government committees both in his native Norway and internationally; he continues to provide expert advice to private companies and government institutions around the world on energy, as well as other issues. His research interests include microeconomics, industrial economics, regulation and competition policy.