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PRINCIPALS
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EUROPE
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Sustainable Energy Finance Advisory Team
Tariff & Regulatory Team
Geothermal Team
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Clifford J. Aron, President and Founding Principal,
supervises all of GreenMax’s consulting activities around the globe. Cliff is an energy policy and investment professional with more than 35 years of experience advising on energy efficiency and renewable energy policy and regulation, scoping out energy project development opportunities, and coordinating investments for a wide variety of private investors and international financial institutions (“IFIs”). Since 1996 he has split his time between Brooklyn, NY and Warsaw, Poland, providing clean energy management services exclusively to international clients. Cliff has served as adviser to and assessed dozens of projects for IFIs, private equity funds, commercial banks, strategic investors, and project developers in all clean energy sectors on five continents.
Cliff is widely recognized as a leading expert on the design and introduction of innovative sustainable energy financing approaches in emerging economies. He has worked extensively on these issues as an advisor to the World Bank, IFC, IADB, EBRD, EIB, USTDA, and US OPIC since 1999, pioneering the development of sustainable energy financing products in Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Turkey, the West Balkans and Argentina and reviewing potential investment projects throughout Eastern Europe, Latin America, the MENA and Sub Saharan Africa regions.
From the establishment of CJ Aron Associates (now GreenMax Capital Advisors) in 1994, Cliff was a leader in restructuring of the power sector in New York representing the largest private owners/operators of publicly assisted multifamily housing before the Public Service Commission. Prior to this, he spent thirteen years leading BEI Energy Corp., a successful New York-based ESCo he founded in 1982.
An honors graduate in political science and international relations from the State University of New York at Binghamton, Cliff continued his graduate studies at the New School for Social Research, Baruch College and the Parsons School of Design. Cliff is a native English speaker, is conversant in Polish and reads French, Spanish and German.
Email: cja@greenmaxcap.com
Stephen Casey, Chief Financial Officer, joined the GreenMax team in 2013 as CFO, bringing over 15 years of senior-level experience to the firm. Previously, Stephen was the CFO for Ocuco, a software development company, the Finance Director for EMEA Corporate, and the Director of IMS MAXIMS Plc. for 10 years, where his role involved selling software to the UK public sector (National Health Service) and structuring multi-annual partnership deals. He was also the Corporate Finance Director for an Ireland-based Internet company where he developed international tax structure and due diligence for acquisitions.
Stephen is a certified Public Accountant, a Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK and an Associate of the Institute of Taxation in Ireland. His industry/sector exposure includes advertising, sustainable energy, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, finance and private equity, with a wide range of international tax exposure in the U.S., E.U., O.E.C.D. and Sub-Saharan African countries. Stephen received a L.L.M. in International Commercial Law from Griffith College (Ireland) in 2011, an Advanced Diploma in Corporate Finance from University College (Ireland) in 2007 and an M.B.A. in Finance from the same institution in 2002. He holds a B.A. in Mathematics and History from Trinity College (Ireland). He is fluent in English.
Email: scasey@greenmaxcap.com
Alexander LaBua, Manager Business Development and Project Management – Consulting Services, has a diverse background in sustainable energy applications. At GreenMax he assists in managing the firm's global consulting practice and is responsible for conducting research and analysis to identify suitable renewable energy power generation and energy efficiency projects and related business opportunities in emerging markets, focusing on the regions of Eastern Europe, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining GreenMax, Alexander was a consultant for Verengo Solar, a leading solar energy provider in the United States. Previously, he worked for 808 Renewable Energy, Inc., a start-up clean energy company in California, where he participated in the re-commissioning and operations of 15 cogeneration plants across the state.
In 2013, Alexander earned a master's degree from Columbia University's School of International & Public Affairs with a concentration in sustainable energy management & policy. For his graduate thesis, he co-authored a comprehensive report on the development of Mozambique’s natural gas sector and the sustainable management of the country’s natural resource wealth. Alexander holds a B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliott School. He is fluent in English and Greek and proficient in Spanish.
Email: alabua@greenmaxcap.com
Sylvana Böhrt, Business Development + Project Management Associate – Consulting Services, has over 7 years of professional experience in project development, management, and project oversight in the field of socio-economic and environmental studies, climate adaptation strategies, natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, monitoring/evaluation of projects and environmental policy. She currently works at GreenMax, where she assists in the overall management of the firm´s global consulting practice. In addition, she assists all business development and marketing activities, and develop/coordinate English and Spanish Expressions of Interests (EOIs) and Request for Proposals (RFPs) processes. Sylvana also conducts research and analysis to identify suitable renewable energy power generation and energy efficiency projects and other related business opportunities in emerging markets, focusing on the regions of Eastern Europe, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.
During her tenure at Ecotecnia Consulting Engineers, she performed environmental and social impact assessments as well as assessments for various projects including field inspection, preparation and review of reports, environmental management and compliance, stakeholder engagement, health and safety programs, and environmental impacts identification and evaluation. In addition, she was responsible for preparing proposals and recommendations for the development of Environmental Prevention and Mitigation Programs. She has extensive experience with cleaner production systems through cleaner technologies and strategies to promote energy, water and noise efficiency in the textile and mining industry. Sylvana holds a M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in sustainable development. She also earned a B.A. in Environmental Engineering from Military Engineering School of Bolivia. Sylvana is fluent in Spanish and English and proficient in Portuguese.
Email: sbohrt@greenmaxcap.com
Stafford Via, Associate / Writer , rejoins GreenMax as a part time Senior Associate, Energy Access Finance, working remotely from Richmond, Virginia. Stafford spent all of 2021 as one of our highest performing and longest tenured graduate interns of all time. He has 20 years of experience in renewable energy, public policy, asset management, and finance with the United States government, a global financial institution, and an international energy development and advisory firm. As a graduate intern with GreenMax he created valuation models and performed due diligence for equity and debt capital raises for an East Africa solar home system company, conducted research on productive uses of solar in Uganda for a European development bank, contributed to development of a database of funding mechanisms for energy access from financial institutions investing mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, a province level mini-grid assessment in Papua New Guinea and the Ghana and Uganda decision-oriented market assessment research into the firm’s GreenStreet Africa model.
Prior to enrolling in a Masters program at Brown university and joining GreenMax as a graduate intern, Stafford led project finance, financial structuring, project management, and strategy for a U.S.-based residential and commercial solar developer and investor. In that capacity, he worked with tax equity investors to raise capital for renewable energy project portfolios in support of expanding solar energy to low-income residential customers in Washington, D.C. He has expertise in energy economics and sustainable energy policy design, both in the United States and internationally. He wrote his graduate business thesis researching carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Earlier, Stafford held a variety of leadership positions at Fidelity Investments, a global asset management firm based in Boston, MA. At corporate headquarters, he worked for nine years in roles including corporate strategy and consulting, product management, and asset management research. Prior to Fidelity, Stafford worked for four years in the Office of the Secretary and Chief of Staff at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C. He worked on international economics, terrorism and financial crimes policy, and domestic finance policies during the 2008 financial crisis. He was an advisor on and helped set up the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue from 2006-2009. In 2006, he served as Acting Executive Secretary under Secretary John W. Snow, managing all the policy paper flow to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary. Stafford holds an M.P.A. from Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and an M.B.A. from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business with a concentration in finance and energy policy. He is studying sustainable energy and economics at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Formal coursework at SAIS includes sustainable energy and economic development, distributed and renewable energy, and economics of sustainable energy in the Asia-Pacific region.
Email: svia@greenmaxcap.com
Kevin McSpadden, Project Finance Attorney (US citizen, based in Los Angeles, CA), has significant experience with negotiating critical path project development documents such as PPAs, transmission and interconnection agreements, risk management agreements, and EPC/O&M agreements; financing documentation for both debt and equity components such as construction/term loans and private placement memorandums; and all forms of real estate documentation. Kevin also has extensive experience with independent power mergers and acquisitions and the regulation of public utilities. Kevin served as Senior Vice President/General Counsel for Gradient Resources, a developer of geothermal energy projects, and in the project finance practices of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy (10 years), Andrews and Kurth, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He received his J.D. from Tulane University School of Law.
Email: kmcspadden@greenmaxcap.com
Arthur John Armstrong Esq., Senior Attorney, is currently managing the Legal Working Group of GreenMax’s Transaction Advisory team for GDC in Kenya and is also managing the legal components of the Joint Development Program. Mr. Armstrong has more than 40 years of experience in over 30 countries working on legal and regulatory matters with regards to government and corporate development of sustainable energy. He has been an advisor in the renewable energy field for the last two decades, serving as legal counsel to governments and multilateral organizations, authoring renewable energy resource laws and regulations, structuring policies, drafting tender bid documents and regulations for granting permits, licenses and concessions.
As further detailed below, Mr. Armstrong has specific expertise in evaluating legal frameworks, preparing Power Concession Agreements, and drafting frameworks for sustainable energy laws and regulations:
• Evaluating Legal Frameworks: Mr. Armstrong has advised and counseled national governments and international organizations in establishing renewable energy legal and regulatory frameworks, and by consensus building among stakeholders in the client countries, he has implemented legislative and regulatory international best practices that promote a sustainable energy strategy and platform.
• Preparing Power Concession Agreements: He has worked with national ministries of justice, energy, and finance as well as with public utilities and private developers in structuring national government energy-finance policy as well as in drafting and negotiating public-private power purchase and sales agreements and concomitant ministerial orders.
• Drafting Legal Frameworks for Sustainable Energy: In conjunction with drafting renewable energy laws and regulations, he has drafted generation and transmission permits, licenses and concessions, which create the interface between private sector developers, concessions, and the granting governments in more than 30 countries on five continents.
Mr. Armstrong is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bars, admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court. Engaged by the private sector, he has also been deeply involved in legal and regulatory capacity building. He has received numerous awards, and is also a prolific author, having over 20 publications in his name. Mr. Armstrong has taught law courses at Columbia University, George Washington University and American University. He has a J.D. from the University of Virginia, an L.L.M. in International Law from George Washington University and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University.
Email: jarmstrong@greenmaxcap.com
Jacek Kostrzewa, Principal,
is presently supervising GreenMax’s activities in Europe out of our regional headquarters in Warsaw. Jacek is an energy sector business and technical expert with over 25 years of international experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency, with a particular regional focus on Central & Eastern Europe (“CEE”).
Jacek commenced his career as a researcher at the Polish Building Research Institute where his focus was the energy efficiency potential of buildings, including the legal, technical and economic impacts. In 1987 he was a key player in the development of techniques for analyzing the energy efficiency of Poland’s residential blockhouse building sector at the Thermal Physics Department of the Polish Building Research Institute (“BRI”). He went on to work with the Polish Development Bank to launch a pilot credit line for the housing sector, before establishing the Polish National Energy Conservation Agency and its commercial business subsidiary in 1994, which developed the first certification program for energy auditors in Poland.
Since joining GreenMax, Jacek has managed several international technical assistance programs, including leading energy project loan due diligence activities for IFC partner banks in Central Europe. He designed a self-energy audit program at Raiffeisen Bank for Hungarian blockhouse apartment buildings. Together with Dutch International Guarantees on Housing (“DIGH”) he worked on Housing Energy Efficiency Finance programs in Ukraine and Romania. Jacek supervised the impact analysis for an energy efficiency home improvement loan product offered by Opportunity Bank in Montenegro and provided technical support for the development of the EIB Green for Growth fund. He also led GreenMax’s analysis for IFC of the housing energy efficiency financing frameworks in six Eastern European countries to assist in the design of similar regulations in Russia and our work for the World Bank in Poland designing housing energy efficiency finance approaches to better serve low income households. He is presently supervising GreenMax’s recently launched EBRD contracts to develop a pipeline of municipal ESCO projects in Croatia and in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Jacek has a M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Warsaw Technical University and an M.B.A. from the Romanian-American Business School of the University of Washington and the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest. In addition to his native Polish, he is fluent in English and German and conversant in Russian, French and Romanian.
Email: jkostrzewa@greenmaxcap.com
Agnieszka Michalowska-Komar, Director, Finance and Administration, is responsible for all administrative and financial matters at GreenMax. Over the last decade, Agnieszka has a lengthy track record providing accounting, tax, HR, administrative and financial services in various positions for firms in Poland, including BDO, Moore Stephens and Estee Lauder Poland. She also worked for many years as an administrative officer for GreenMax’s predecessor companies in Poland for seven years. Agnieszka has a B.A. in Financial Management from Warsaw School of Economics and M.A. from Collegum Civiatas in International Relations, she has also a certificate in financial controlling. She is fluent in Polish and English, and conversant in Russian and Italian.
Email: amichalowska@greenmaxcap.com
Roksana Domanska, IT Manager has been working as an IT manager and consultant for various companies in Warsaw for over 10 years. Roksana is also leading a small software company and some of her projects have been successfully implemented in government agencies and in Poland’s healthcare sector. She has a M.Sc. in Informatics from the University of Warsaw.
Email: admin@greenmaxcap.com
Cemal Parlak, Senior Associate,
is a clean energy sector expert with two decades of managerial and technical experience in Turkey and the USA. He has been working on the development and financing of energy projects in Turkey for the last eight years. Cemal has managed GreenMax’s engagements in Turkey, including the assessment of several renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the country as well as strategic advisory for energy efficiency upgrades in Turkey’s buildings sector. He has also prepared several bankable feasibility reports and business plans for sustainable energy investments, conducted due diligence studies for a number of wind, biogas and biofuel projects, and provided strategic advisory for energy efficiency upgrades in large industrial facilities in Turkey’s SME sector. In 2013, he served as local project manager for GreenMax’s evaluation of IFC’s Turkey Geofund program.
Previously, Cemal worked for Cargill, Inc., the world's leading supplier of biomass feedstocks, in the USA and Turkey for 13 years as a senior technical manager where he oversaw a number of manufacturing plants and managed a staff of more than 160 people in Turkey. Also at Cargill, he personally managed and oversaw many energy efficiency projects implemented in large industrial facilities, and led internal training in energy conservation, waste heat recovery, and renewable energy resource potential. Cemal has a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey, and an M.B.A. from the State University of New York at Binghamton, USA. He is a native Turkish speaker and is proficient in English.
Email: cparlak@greenmaxcap.com
Dr. Vedran Uran, Senior Associate,
is a sustainable energy engineer with 13 years of experience in the clean energy sector and has spent the better part of his career working on the development of implementable financing mechanisms for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments across the West Balkans and other parts of the developing world. Since 2012, he has been GreenMax’s regional manager for the West Balkans, providing due diligence on renewable energy projects for GreenMax client investors and managing the firm’s consulting assignments across the region. Presently, Vedran is managing a two-year assignment with EBRD to develop a pipeline of ESCO projects for Croatian municipalities. Last year, he managed a World Bank project for the design of energy efficiency financing models for the building sector in Kosovo.
Prior to joining GreenMax, Vedran worked as a Croatian representative for EETEK, a Hungary-based sustainable energy project developer and for DEXIA-FE Clean Energy Efficiency and Emission Reduction Fund, a private equity fund owned by EBRD, DEXIA Bank and larger Japanese energy corps (Kansai, J Power, Mitsui, Marubeni) whose mission was to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the CEE region.
Vedran earned a Ph.D. in Technical Science from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb. He wrote his Ph.D. thesis on the subject of Feed-in-Tariff (“FiT”) development in Croatia and played a key role in adoption of the FiT there. He has issued over 40 scientific and professional articles in the fields of energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy policy and energy economics. Many of them are published and already cited in Elsevier journals such as Biomass & Bioenergy, Energy and Energy Policy. Vedran is fluent in Croatian, English and Italian.
Email: vuran@greenmaxcap.com
Dr. Mihaela Grubišić Šeba, Senior Consultant,
holds a Ph.D. in Economics and is a Chartered Financial Analyst with eight years of experience in energy and project finance. Dr. Grubišić has worked on PPP projects as a research associate of the Institute of Economics in Zagreb, including preparation of financial and operational restructuring plans and financial modeling. She advises many institutions in the public sector on financial management issues and has lengthy experience preparing feasibility studies for both public and private sector clients.
At GreenMax, Dr. Grubišić-Šeba is currently engaged as a financial expert on the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) to support preparation of an ESCO project pipeline in the Western Balkans. In this capacity, she is responsible for creating financial models and advising on financial aspects for the projects and Energy Performance Contracts and related tender documentation.
Dardan Velija, Senior Associate, is a government relations and policy expert with a deep understanding of the issues related to energy efficiency in the Balkan region, as well as the political and economic circumstances of these countries, especially in Kosovo. With GreenMax, he has worked on a number of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, including a number of studies in energy efficiency in Albania, Kosovo and FYR Macedonia; additionally, he has assisted clients as a policy advocate in the biomass sector. In addition to his role with GreenMax, Dardan is the managing director of Iron Consulting, a Kosovo-based consultancy.
Dardan possesses deep political knowledge and relationships in Kosovo, serving previously as an advisor to the Prime Minister; executive director of Kosovar Research and Documentation Institute; and Senior Program Assistant to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In these positions he coordinated policy planning related to European integration and liaised with multiple high-level bodies in the strategic planning and management of multiple facets of Kosovar development, including the European Parliament, European Commission, European Parliament and Council of Ministers, UN Mission in Kosovo, KFOR, UNMIK, World Bank, IMF, and UN among others.
Dardan has a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations and European Studies from the American University in Bulgaria and a M.Sc. in European Politics and Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In addition to his native Albanian, Dardan is fluent in English, Croatian, Serbian, and proficient in German, Bulgarian, Macedonian, and Italian.
Email: dvelija@greenmaxcap.com
Andres Roi Riedel, Senior Associate & Latin America Regional Director,
has over 25 years of experience in project development, consulting, finance and capital structuring and advising for the real estate, environmental, energy and healthcare sectors. At GreenMax, Andres provides advisory services on renewable energy projects and investments in Chile and Latin America. He was also part of the GreenMax team that led the design and implementation of a Renewable Energy Self-Supply Energy Efficiency (“RESSEE”) Program in Chile, which identified institutions in Chile’s energy market and financial sector (e.g. commercial banks and leasing companies) that can support RESSEE lending. He has also recently analyzed and reviewed over 20 projects in more than 15 countries in Latin America, in different technology areas (solar, wind, geothermal and biomass). Working directly with developers, Andres is actively supporting the structuring of project pipelines in solar, wind, hydro, biomass and energy efficiency in Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica and Colombia.
Andres is also the director of ROI & ASOC, a company specialized in the development of energy projects and studies, and of CRE-Invest, a company oriented to financial and capital structuring and investments. Andres also previously served as the president of WBCO S.A., a company formed in 2010 that focused on the development of waste-to-energy (“WTE”) and renewable energy projects incorporating cutting-edge Finnish and Scandinavian technology in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru and Colombia. Andres has been working in architecture, landscaping, urban design, urban & regional planning and real estate analysis in Chile since 1982, and has designed and built parks, gardens, buildings, houses and master plans in Chile, Argentina and the US. Andres has served as Professor in Urban Design and Urban Economics at Catholic University in Chile since 1983, and is a former member of the Academic Council of the School of Architecture. Andres is fluent in English, German, and Spanish.
Email: aroi@greenmaxcap.com
Valerio Cecchi, Senior Associate,
recently joined GreenMax’s team in Santiago to collaborate with Andres Roi in developing the firm’s consulting and transaction advisory practices in Latin America. Valerio has over 35 years of sustainable energy experience and is one of the most accomplished leaders in Latin America’s clean energy sector. Valerio recently completed a successful 10-year tenure as President of Enel Green Power Latin America (“EGP”). Under his direction, the company grew from a small investment company to a solid regional player, currently operating more than 35 renewable energy plants in 8 countries. Valerio managed hydroelectric, geothermal, wind and solar projects throughout the region. He also went on to increase the installed capacity of 200 MW to more than 700 MW over the period of his term. Before becoming president of the company, he functioned as Business Development Director, where he was responsible for the diversification of Enel into the water utilities area.
A native of Italy, Valerio has spent the past several decades of his career in the water and power businesses, managing Suez Lyonnaise des Faux’s activities in Argentina before joining EGP. Previously, he served as President and CEO of Keramont and as a Management Consultant at Booz Allen & Hamilton, where he headed the strategic study for the General Electric appliance division for the Brazilian market. Valerio earned a B.Sc. from Universitá degli Studi di Milano in 1972, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University in 1979. In addition to his native Italian, Valerio is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
Email: vcecchi@greenmaxcap.com
Garaio Gafiye, Project Coordinator
is a clean energy expert with 35 years of professional experience in the field of renewable energy, including extensive experience working in rural off-grid communities in Papua New Guinea. He has designed and installed dozens of RE systems, particularly solar and small-scale hydropower systems, and carried out other development projects across communities in 20 out of the 22 provinces in PNG. Garaio has long track record in site assessment, design, procurement, installation, commissioning, and monitoring and evaluation of solar power and micro-hydropower systems. He has also conducted and organized a variety of training workshops on RE in the country. As an independent consultant, he has been working closely with the World Bank, GIZ and Secretariat of the Pacific Community, among others, on several development projects. He actively participates in regional energy program activities including workshops, forums, seminars discussing RE issues affecting the Pacific Island countries. Garaio holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from PNG University of Technology, has obtained various certifications from RE workshops around the world and is a registered engineer at the PNG Institute of Engineers.
Email: ggafiye@greenmaxcap.com
Richard Saing, Senior Advisor
is a senior energy sector professional with more than 20 years of experience in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector in the Philippines and Asia-Pacific region. He is currently supporting GreenMax’s ongoing assignment to develop a national EE roadmap for Papua New Guinea under the UNDP Facilitating Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Applications for Greenhouse Emission Reductions Project (FREAGER).
Since 2013, he has been managing the Alliance for Sustainable Energy Management Solutions for All (ASEMSA) – a partnership that brings together government and the private sector stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate EE and RE projects and programs in the Philippines with the aim of improving power system reliability and reducing emissions from all industries. Between 2013 and 2018, Richard conducted annual energy audits of SME’s across the Philippines (Cebu, Negros, Siquijor and Bohol Islands) under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program. Previously, from 2011 to 2013, he served as National Project Coordinator for United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Philippine Industrial Energy Efficiency Project in Manila. Richard holds a M.Sc. in Engineering with a focus on Energy Planning and Policy and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Sustainable Energy and Technology Management from Cebu Technical University. He has also served as professor in the field of engineering at various universities across the Philippines.
Email: rsaing@greenmaxcap.com
Dr. Albert Butare, Africa Regional Director,
has over 30 years of experience in policy, regulatory, legal, and institutional affairs for renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa. He is skilled in high level public sector policy and project development and implementation, engineering, social and economic development, having served as the Minister of State in charge of Energy and Infrastructure in the Republic of Rwanda for five years (from 2005-2009).
At GreenMax, he provides supervision for all of projects in Africa. He is currently supervising strategic and financial advisory support for small hydro projects under development in Rwanda and Burundi. In addition, he is co-managing GreenMax’s Transaction Advisory assignment for the next 300 MW of geothermal power generation to be developed by Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company at the Menengai prospect in Kenya.
As a State Minister, along with the energy sector, he was also in charge of the communications, water and sanitation sectors for three and two years respectively during his ministerial tenure. Before his appointment as State Minister, Albert was the Academic Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (“KIST”), an Institute he has participated in building from scratch.
Among his most significant achievements as the Minister of Energy in Rwanda, Albert:
• Introduced the first cost reflective tariffs in the electricity sector,
• Transformed the state energy and water supply department into a corporatized state-owned company,
• Initiated the development of the first private power activities and signed a PPA with the developer building
an IPP to be fired with methane gas extracted from Lake Kivu,
• Created the energy regulator Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (“RURA”)
• Promulgated the first Feed-In-Tariff policy to encourage small scale renewable energy,
• Launched the development and construction of the Nyaborongo and Rukarara hydro projects
• Promoted exploration and development of Rwanda’s indigenous peat and geothermal resources for power
resources.
Albert has a Ph.D. in Energy Policy and Implementation Instruments from Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, a M.Sc. in Energy Engineering and Waste Management from the University of Flensburg in Germany, and a B.Sc. in Industrial Process Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He is fluent in English, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili and proficient in German and French.
Email: abutare@greenmaxcap.com
Shelmith Wairimu Theuri, Deputy Director, Off Grid Fund Management is a senior professional with over 12 years of experience in Investment and Finance, development, and Impact Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa. She was previously leading the USAID-Funded Power Africa Off-grid Project’s work in Kenya as the Country Lead Advisor where she worked across Fundraising, Business Advisory, Policy and Regulations, and other market areas supporting the private sector and other Stakeholders, primarily, Solar Home Systems, Mini-Grids, and PUE companies. She has held several Investment roles where she has financed Off-grid Energy businesses (SHS, PUE, MG), Captive Solar businesses, and IPP’s across Sub-Saharan Africa, with responsibilities cutting across the entire deal process, specifically deal origination, due diligence and structuring, sanctioning, and portfolio management. Shelmith holds a Bcom in Finance from the University of Nairobi, is Certified Public Accountant (Kenya) and is pursuing an MBA in IE Business School.
Email: stheuri@greenmaxcap.com
Daniel Kitwa, Deputy Director, Energy Access Finance is an impact-focused investment professional with knowledge on energy finance, climate change, sustainability and international development themes. Daniel’s key competences include project finance, multi asset class investments (debt/equity/RBF grants), macro-research, deal-risk assessment & structuring, financial modeling, strategy/business model advisory, technical assistance as well as project design & implementation. Daniel joins GreenMax after several years with Intellecap, the advisory arm of Aavishkar Group. As manager in the energy and climate department, Daniel provided technical advisory support across various sectors such as financial services including designing a conceptual blended finance framework (i.e., RBF, Debt & equity pool) for the e-mobility sector in East Africa and providing market assessment of solar technologies including mapping of financial and non-financial interventions. As a financial management specialist, Daniel also contributed to the technical assistance advisory of The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, a development institution, which supports businesses to innovate, create jobs, leverage investments and markets in an effort to create resilience and sustainable incomes in rural and marginalized communities in Africa. Previously Daniel served as the Energy Access Finance Advisor for the Africa Mini Grid Developers Association (AMDA) where he led the development of the initial design for the Universal Electrification Facility (UEF), a connection-based results-based financing (RBF) facility, for the mini-grid sector managed by Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL). EArlier Daniel spent several years working together with Shelmith as an Investment Analyst for SunFunder. Prior to focusing his career on energy access finance, Daniel had 6 years of financial management experience as Society Leader – Finance & Operations for the CFA Society of East Africa and as Finance and Internal Audit Officer for JKUAT Christian Union University. Daniel holds an honors B.Sc. in both Applied Accounting & Finance from Oxford Brookes University and Electronic & Computer Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University.
Email: dkitwa@greenmaxcap.com
Sylviah Wambui Mwaura, Senior Associate, Energy Access Finance is a multifaceted small and medium enterprise (MSME) professional specializing in credit risk, product development and loan portfolio management. She has 10 years working experience with 5 years of lending, 2 years in SME business development and three years’ consulting experience in training, proposal and report writing, digital marketing strategy, quantitative and qualitative research and financial technology management. Most recently Sylviah served as a risk operations manager for Project Madaraka of Amiran Kenya, which involved offering various farming technologies, including solar powered water irrigation and grain mills on extended credit terms. Her role entailed management of all post- sale activities, reporting, and policy and procedure formulation. Previously, she worked as an independent consultant for SMEs with projects in business strategy and market roll-out planning, digital marketing and E-commerce training and modelling and review of agribusiness lending models for smallholder farmers. Earlier, Sylviah held various positions at Stanbic Bank including as Segment Manager SME and SME Credit Evaluation Manager. She holds a Masters in Banking and Finance (Microfinance) from Moi University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Economics and History) from the University of Nairobi.
Email: smwaura@greenmaxcap.com
Richard Kiggundu, Country Representative for Uganda has over eight years working experience in clean energy policy development and analysis as well as experience in conducting clean energy projects due diligence, development and financing. He has completed a number of clean energy project management and research based studies for public and development organizations that included GIZ, AFD, GVEP International, UNACC, Project GAIA, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development that involved comprehensive reviews of the energy policies, laws and regulatory frameworks for the energy industry for both Uganda and Rwanda. He also participated in the development of energy efficiency regulatory frameworks for Uganda. He has engaged extensively with stakeholders in the public and private sector including clean energy project developers as well as development partners during his past assignments. Richard has broad project management experience having provided project management and oversight for the development of energy efficiency standards and policies as well as managing projects that promoted the dissemination of renewable energy technologies in educational institutions. He graduated with a M.Sc. degree in Energy and Environmental Technology and Economics with Distinction from City University, London acquiring skills in the development and analysis of energy and environmental policies as well as management of natural resources.
Email: rkiggundu@greenmaxcap.com
Koye Alaba, Transaction Advisory Associate/Country Representative for Nigeria, joined GreenMax in 2016 as a Financial Analyst where he supports all transaction Advisory activities in the firm. He currently assists with financial modeling and analysis to support transaction advisory engagements for sustainable and clean energy power infrastructure projects in sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets across Europe and Latin America. He also conducts research and analysis on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in emerging markets, with a focus on countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to joining GreenMax, Koye was an Energy Analyst at Xzerta Energy group for two years where he developed models and carried out Cash flow, Sensitivity and Scenario Analyses for sustainability related projects. He also reviewed project documents and contracts as part of due diligence processes for solar, biogas, controlled environment agriculture and aquaculture project finance deals.
Koye is a LEED Green Associate, a licensed Project Manager (PMI) and a Multifamily Building Analyst Professional. He graduated from the University of Rochester with a M.Sc. in Technical Entrepreneurship and Management in 2013, and a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Lagos in Nigeria in 2010. He is fluent in English and Yoruba.
Email: kalaba@greenmaxcap.com
Ifechukwude Uwajeh, Deputy Director, Africa Transaction Advisory, is an experienced Energy Specialist and Process Engineer with on-grid and off-grid financed power infrastructure development expertise with project portfolios up to US$1.2 billion. He has proven project management and contract negotiation skills with Agreements such as EPC, O&M, PPA, JDA, Gas Supply etc ranging in value from US$80mn to over US$600mn. He has significant experience in stakeholder engagement with key members of government agencies, international financiers, EPC contractors, private equity parties, etc. He served four years as Head of the Energy Projects Office for Zuma Energy, a Nigerian developer of coal and gas fired thermal power plants and has spent the past year as an independent energy consultant working on feasibility studies and financial modeling for wind energy and off grid power projects. He has managed technical, commercial and financial teams in negotiating EPC, O&M, PPA, Joint Development and Gas Supply agreements and has prepared projects for non-recourse financing and underlying risk mitigation packages.
Email: iuwajeh@greenmaxcap.com
Olasunkanmi Olowo Israel, Director of our Green4Access initiative is a seasoned SME banking professional with 20 years’ of progressively more responsible experience with Nigerian Banks including Ecobank, Sterling Bank, Societe Generale and Industry Bank. At Ecobank Nigeria he rose to lead the whole SME Banking Group for 7 years, managing a team of over 180 Relationship Managers with 13 Teams in over 400 branches across the country and growing the group balance sheet to over N120billion and revenue of circa N12billion. While holding this position he established in 2013, the renewable energy lending business as an SME sub-department – the first such group at a major Nigerian commercial bank. Much of the success Sunkanmi achieved at Ecobank was due to partnerships he arranged for credit lines and guarantee instruments with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Bank of Industry Nigeria, IFC, USAID Development Credit Authority and Africa Guarantee Corporation. He is highly experienced in project finance, has excellent Risk Management skills, very high transaction structuring ability as well as in core banking operations and has presented at conferences, seminars and events on renewable energy finance across 3 continents. Sunkanmi earned his M.B.A in Marketing from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2003 and a B.S. in Botany from University of Ilorin, Nigeria in 1991.
Email: solowo@greenmaxcap.com
Cynthia Ozurumba, Project Analyst is a recent graduate of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, where she earned a B.Sc. in Finance. As a student, she also worked as a Research Analyst in the University's Investment Society. Most recently, as a Finance Intern at Citibank Nigeria Ltd., she led an evaluation of the security situation in Nigeria and its impact on the country's financial system. Previously, Cynthia worked as a marketing intern at Hewlett Packard. In 2019, she received an award from the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria for an essay on the implementation of financial literacy and inclusion options in Nigeria.
Email: cozurumba@greenmaxcap.com
Etiosa Uyigue, Energy Efficiency Expert, Senior Associate (based in Abuja, Nigeria).Etiosa Uyigue has more than 17 years of renewable energy and energy efficiency experience and is skilled in high level policy training; project conceptualization and implementation; policy development; data collection and analysis; and project monitoring and evaluation. Etiosa has joined GreenMax in 2020 and is managing our engagement with the UNDP FREAGER program in Papua New Guinea to develop energy efficiency plans at regional level. Before joining GreenMax, Etiosa was working with CLASP to support coordination and implementation of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Programme (KCEP) in the ECOWAS Region and with UNDP to develop minimum energy performance standards for air conditioners in Nigeria and launch out communication campaign and capacity development. Earlier he served as consultant for JICA in charge of conducting training and energy audits for selected public buildings in Nigeria. Etiosa was also the National Project Coordinator for the UNDP GEF Energy Efficiency Program, responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of the project. In 2013, Etiosa served as Lead Consultant for the World Bank on the off-grid Lighting Market Study. Over the same period, he worked as Consultant for ECONOLER and has reviewed existing documentation on RE and EE sectors, and has participated in consultation meetings with relevant agencies and stakeholders. Previously, he was a consultant to UNDP for the promotion of energy efficiency in public and residential sectors in Nigeria. In 2006, Etiosa served as Executive Director for the Community Research and Development Center and was responsible for performing energy efficiency surveys, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in Nigeria. He has also worked as a consultant for Environmental Right Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria and has drafted the Nigerian Environment and the Rule of Law Report. Etiosa received a B.Sc. in Zoology in 1996, a M.Sc. in Zoology in 2006 and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Climate Change from the University of Benin, Nigeria. He has attended several other training and courses in Nigeria, Germany and Kenya. Etiosa is also the author of various reports and publications related to renewable energy and energy efficiency themes.
Ezinne Okafor, Project Analyst is an Analyst in GreenMax’s Africa Transaction Advisory Group based in the Lagos, Nigeria office, where she supports the firm’s transaction advisory mandates for private developers in Nigeria and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. She recently supported GreenMax’s KfW-funded assignment for the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) and is also working with GreenMax’s Fund Management Group to support the launch of the GreenStreet Africa Development Company in Nigeria. Prior to joining GreenMax, she was an intern at the African Export-Import Bank (AFREXIM Bank), where she worked across the Bank's Strategy and Innovation, Research and Client Relations teams on various international trade finance programs and initiatives. She has also worked in a Business Development and Program Management role at SEO Africa, a non-profit focusing on career and professional development. In 2019, Ezinne became a member of the Africa Women in Energy Development Initiative (AWEDI). Ezinne holds a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria.
Email: eokafor@greenmaxcap.com
Linda Thompson, Representative for Southern Africa a native of South Africa, is a senior manager with 18 years of experience in the Energy Sector and with over 11 years of experience managing and leading development teams. Specializing in Renewable Energy since 2006, she has worked mainly in Wind and Solar Business Development in South Africa and Africa. She has led teams who develop assets, seeing projects come to fruition successfully to the benefit of the country they are in, the investors that they serve, and the teams who develop them. All of her South African work was in the context of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Procurement Programme (REIPPP), the first large scale competitive tendering in Africa. With expansion into Africa, many counties turned to competitive tendering. Her work then was largely focused on assessing tenders from an IPP perspective and this has defined the majority of opportunities she has explored and initiated. Linda earned a B.A. from the University of Cape Town in African History and is fluent in English and proficient in Afrikaans.
Email: lthompson@greenmaxcap.com
Jeff Michael Felten, Manager Business Development and Project Management – Consulting Services has more than thirty years experience in African development, having served extended missions in Togo, Mali, Benin, Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire. Mr. Felten is a clean energy consultant specializing in enterprise development, technology transfer and off-grid energy, including green mini-grids, solar home systems and productive uses of electricity. Mr. Felten introduced Jiko efficient cookstoves in Mali and Benin. He managed Tanzania’s national solar energy project over six years, over which time the Tanzanian solar market grew by a factor of 20X. He helped to design the Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), one of the first blended finance facilities targeting the off-grid energy sector. Mr. Felten served as the African Development Bank’s primary mini-grids specialist, developing the Green Mini-Grids Help Desk and mini-grids projects targeting the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso and others. He led the AfDB toward the use of results-based financing in support of mini-grids. For GreenMax, Mr. Felten developed a three-day mini-grids master class for the UK government’s Energy Catalyst and he is currently leading the team developing an off-grid solar roadmap and blended finance facility for Mozambique. Mr. Felten holds a Masters Degree in Community Economic Development from the University of Togo. He served Peace Corps / Togo from 1988 -1991
Email: jfelten@greenmaxcap.com
Milan Rusnak, Senior Associate, manages several of GreenMax’s sustainable energy finance (“SEF”) advisory assignments around the globe. In 2014, Milan led the GreenMax team in the design and implementation of a Renewable Energy Self-Supply Energy Efficiency (“RESSEE”) Program in Chile, which identified institutions in Chile’s energy market and financial sector (e.g. commercial banks and leasing companies) that can support RESSEE lending.
Milan joined GreenMax after completing a 10-year tenure at the International Finance Corporation where he implemented various clean energy programs internationally both for investment (FM) and advisory services (A2F, SBA), collaborating across business lines, regions, and departments of IFC’s/WBG’s climate change agenda. He is experienced with IFC’s project design and management practices, having structured and provided advisory services to FIs and companies while acting as Program and Operations Manager, respectively, for the Philippines SEF and Indonesia SEF Programs. Within these positions, he held responsibility for the identification, financing and implementation of clean energy projects and evaluation of viable business opportunities in biomass, biogas, hydro, solar PV, wind, geothermal, housing EE, industrial EE, and cogeneration (for both grid connected and captive projects) sectors in partnership with local banks, government institutions and agencies as well as non-government institutions and donors. Prior to joining IFC, Milan served as Investment Manager for East Fund Management in Bratislava as well as for the underwriting team with the Slovak-American Enterprise Fund.
He received his M.B.A. from City University in Bratislava, Slovakia in 2001. In addition to his native Slovak and Czech languages, Milan is fluent in English and has a basic level of proficiency in German, Filipino, Russian, and Indonesian.
Email: mrusnak@greenmaxcap.com
Maxim Titov, Senior Associate (based in St. Petersburg, Russia). Maxim Titov is a clean energy finance professional with 13 years of experience managing IFC’s sustainable energy finance programs in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Maxim has a successful track record designing SEF programs for financial institutions, trainings for bankers, effective advocacy, and marketing and communication campaigns. He currently works as an independent consultant advising major development finance institutions such as GIZ and NEFCO on mainstreaming energy efficiency finance in emerging markets and consulting for Russian governmental agencies on capacity development of financial institutions.
From 2003 to 2015, Maxim worked in various advisory and leadership roles as a Sustainable Energy Finance expert for IFC. In 2005, he led a multi-disciplinary team servicing client banks in Russia and reviewed draft federal legislation on energy savings and energy efficiency. Next, Maxim served as Deputy Program Manager of the Russia Sustainable Energy Finance Program, where he assisted with program implementation, staffing, reporting, and budgeting. As a Program Manager for the Sustainable Energy Finance Program of Europe and Central Asia, Maxim led and facilitated strategic energy efficiency advocacy, marketing and outreach campaigns through collaboration with private investors, state institutions, media agencies, and other key stakeholders to initiate a new capacity building program for financial institutions in the region. Shortly thereafter, Maxim served as Program Head of the Sustainable Energy Finance Program to initiate and develop SEF projects in Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Pakistan. In this capacity, Maxim advised financial institutions on capacity development for energy efficiency finance and trained over 300 loan officers from five banks.
Email: mtitov@greenmaxcap.com
Pavol Vajda, Senior Associate (based in Bratislava, Slovakia). Pavol is a clean energy finance specialist with 32 years of experience in private sector development, investment banking and sustainable energy finance and project development in emerging markets worldwide. Pavol spent 16 years managing sustainable energy finance assignments for IFC throughout Europe and Asia, focusing on development, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SEF projects and programs. From 2002 to 2008 Pavol managed comprehensive SEF programs in six European countries (Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia) and SEF projects in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Philippines, the Marshall Islands, and Vanuatu. From 2009 to 2014, he managed a portfolio of 10 sustainable energy finance projects/programs in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Nepal. Since 2014, Pavol has provided SEF consulting services to private and public sector clients worldwide.
Throughout his career, Pavol has worked with more than 25 financial intermediaries, mostly commercial banks and leasing companies, helping them to design sustainable energy strategies and programs, to identify market opportunities, to develop financial products according to market needs and to scale-up their lending for EE and RE projects. He has extensive experience in the design and implementation of financial instruments including dedicated credit lines, specialized funds, forfeiting, partial guarantees, first loss guarantees, portfolio guarantees, credit insurance, quasi-equity or mezzanine financing and project finance. The above products were used either as blended financial instruments, partially utilizing donor-funding support, or as fully commercial instruments based on market pricing. Pavol has also helped financial intermediaries assess the GHG impact of their EE/RE portfolios, developed monitoring, reporting and evaluation frameworks, summarized lessons learned, and implemented knowledge management and capacity building activities.
Pavol has worked together with multiple bilateral and multilateral institutions including GEF, CIF, EU, UNDP, DFID, World Bank, ADB, NORAD, and DANIDA, as well as leading corporate financial, and consulting companies in the private sector.
Pavol graduated from the City University of Seattle in 1998 with an M.B.A., received a M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Slovak University of Technology in 1983, and has completed a post-graduate study of Economics and Management in Energy Sector at ENI Corporate University in 1990 He is fluent in Slovak, English and Czech, and has good working proficiency in German, Russian and Italian.
Email: pvajda@greenmaxcap.com
Hatem Mahbouli, Suistanble Energy Finance Advisor (based in The Hague, Netherlands).
Hatem Mahbouli is a senior consultant with more than 15 years of experience in development finance and impact investing. He specializes in providing early-stage companies and financial intermediaries across Africa and Asia with energy access and financial services. From 2016-2018, Hatem worked as a Senior Investment Officer at the Electrification Financing Initiative (ElectriFI) – a European Commission sponsored investment program – where he led and managed the new EU country line for energy blended finance dedicated to Zambia worth EUR 40 million and designed the country’s strategy and facility offering. Previously, from 2012-2016, he served as an Investment Officer at the Netherlands Development Bank (FMO). He has also led project finance and receivable-backed investments in electrification projects and clean energy companies in Africa and Asia, including solar home systems, mini-grids, and IPPs, including subordinated loan to a solar energy start-up in Nigeria, receivable finance facility for PAYGO kits in Kenya, debt (project) finance to a solar IPP in Benin and subordinated debt to a mini-hydro project in Rwanda, among others. Hatem is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with fluency in English, French and Arabic and holds an M.B.A. from Georgetown University in Washington D.C., USA, and an M.Sc. in Information and Communication Technology from the Institut Mines – Telecom in Paris, France.
Email: hmahbouli@greenmaxcap.com
Dr. William Kwasi Gboney – Senior Energy Economist/Tariff Specialist, GreenMax Capital Advisors, Senior Associate (based in Accra, Ghana). Dr. Gboney leads GreenMax’s energy economics and tariff development practice. Currently he is engaged to design the steam tariff to be deployed by Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company for the sale of steam to IPPs for the next 300 MW of geothermal power production at the Menengai prospect. He is also advising on the regulatory, PPA negotiation and grid connection aspects of the solar PV projects GreenMax is supporting in Ghana.
William is an energy and regulatory economist and power engineer with 25 years experience in the economic regulation of utility companies and in power plant operations, with specific expertise in econometric, financial and tariff modeling. He is also an expert in the application of empirical techniques for utility performance benchmarking. From 1987 to 1999, William worked with the Volta River Authority, a power utility in Ghana, as a power plant engineer. Between 1999 and 2006, he was the Director for Technical Operations & Regulatory Economics at the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) in Accra, Ghana. Since 2006, William has been the Chief Executive Officer of the International Institute of Infrastructural Economics & Management (I3EM), based in Ghana. He is also currently serving as the Technical Coordinator for the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR), which is based in Pretoria, South Africa.
Since 2006, Dr. Gboney has undertaken a number of technical and tariff studies and also organized training programs for power utilities and regulatory agencies in Africa, where he has served as a key resource person. He was a member of the technical team that carried out studies on the European Commission-funded project on Power Market Structures and Models in ten African countries, for the African Forum for Utility Regulators (AFUR). He was also a member of the team that undertook a diagnostic assessment of the capacity building needs of power sector stakeholders in Sub-Saharan Africa. This was an African Development Bank funded project, which aimed to promote regional power inter-connection and trade by building the capacity of power pools, regional and national regulators, and utility companies throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
William holds a B.Sc. (Honors) in Mechanical Engineering, M.Sc. in Economic Regulation & Competition, MBA in Finance and Ph.D. in Economics. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and a Member of Ghana Institution of Engineers (MGhIE).
Email: wgboney@greenmaxcap.com
Robert Opini – Senior Economist and Regulatory Expert (based in Nairobi, Kenya). Robert Opini has 24 years of experience in providing technical support to renewable energy projects on tariff and regulatory matters. Robert is a Senior Advisor to the NEPAD Business Foundation in South Africa where he leads initiatives to replicate and transfer lessons learned/best practices from South Africa’s successful Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Program (REIPPPP) to other members of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Previously, he provided technical assistance to AECOM International as a subcontractor, where he developed funding models and business plans for investments in Malawi totaling about $22M. These investments have attracted funding from European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency (AFD). Robert is a CPA and holds an M.B.A. in Management from McGill University in Canada, and a B.A. in Education from Moi University in Kenya. He is fluent in English and Kiswahili.
Dr. Peter Ayodo Omenda, Chief Geoscience Expert (based in Nairobi, Kenya). Dr. Peter Omenda is a geothermal development expert with over 30 years of experience, specializing in geothermal resource identification, exploration, development and project management. Dr. Omenda offers extensive previous and ongoing experience in the East African region, especially in Kenya’s geothermal sector, where he has worked on both the Olkaria and Menengai prospects. He has wealth of experience in geothermal resources exploration, development and management with proven strategic management and organizational value driven leadership, quality management systems, research, evaluation, strategic planning and implementation. His knowledge in geology and structural development of the Kenya Rift in relation to the occurrence of geothermal systems has been an asset in the planning of strategies for the development of geothermal systems in Kenya. Dr. Omenda’s main interest is to ensure that geothermal energy projects are fast tracked and efficiently developed at low cost through effective planning, research, innovation and effective management.
Dr. Omenda has held senior management positions in the geothermal industry in Kenya having served as Geologist, Senior Geologist, Head of Research & Development, Chief Manager, General Manager/Deputy CEO and consultant geologist. Initially, he worked for Kenya Power and Lighting Company as a geologist and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) as a senior geologist rising to the position of chief officer in-charge of geothermal research & development. At Geothermal Development Company (GDC), he rose from the position of Chief Manager, Energy Research and Development/Deputy CEO to General Manager/Deputy CEO where he played a leading role in setting up organizational structures of the company. He was instrumental in managing all aspects of geothermal developments of the corporation including project planning, development and implementation of Menengai, Suswa and Baringo-Silali geothermal exploration and drilling projects. He is currently a consultant on geothermal resources and an energy project specialist.
Dr. Omenda possesses an extensive record of achievements during his career across East Africa. Most recently, he served as a general manager of Consultancy, Research and Development for the Geothermal Development Company where he developed the draft concept for the “African Geothermal Centre of Excellence” that will guide the establishment of the training and research facility in Nakuru and lead the development of Uganda’s geothermal development blueprint for the Department of Geological Survey and Mines. In addition, Dr. Omenda was Kenya’s focal point for geothermal development at UNEP’s managed by African Rift Geothermal Development Facility (ARGeo) since 2009.
Peter earned a Ph.D. from University of Texas El Paso in the United States and an M.B.A. from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya. He also holds a Post-Graduate diploma in Geothermal Energy Technology from University of Auckland in New Zealand and a M.Sc. in Geology from the University of Nairobi in Kenya.
Uumut Destegul Solarogly, International and Geothermal Direct Use Expert (based in Istanbul, Turkey). Umut Destegul has over 20 years of experience in earth sciences, having worked on numerous geothermal projects both in Turkey and internationally. Umut conducted research on several topics including, geohazards, geology, geochemistry, geophysical studies, bi-products of geothermal energy and hybrid geothermal technology studies, covering topics worldwide. She has 10 years of design and supervision experience of geothermal exploration and drilling projects in Turkey, adding up to 107 MW, or approximately 10% of the current installed power capacity of the country. For the last six years, Umut focused on business development of 20+ exploration projects acting as manager and consultant. She participated in applications for Geofund IFC project and also USTDA feasibility funding opportunities.
Umut’s most recent position was as Business Development Manager of Enther Energy, where she managed Enther Energy’s investments mainly in the geothermal sector but also in biomass, solar and wind. Umut was also the Technical Lead for exploring geothermal energy in 6 Canakkale concessions and other alternative areas for future investments opportunities in the geothermal sector. From 2014 – 2015, Umut was part of Transmark Services and her work was focused on drilling services, directional performance drilling, well testing and exploration and consultancy. Previously, she served as Business Development Coordinator and managed BM Holding’s movement towards geothermal exploration consulting to the Turkish and international geothermal market. Here, also between 2008 and 2013, Umut was the Group Leader for Geothermal Department, where BM has discovered 10 geothermal resources from green field in Turkey. Between 2006-2008, Umut worked as Hazard Impact Modeling Engineer at GNS Science in New Zealand. From 2004 – 2006, she was Disaster Management Research Specialist at Environmental Systems Research Institute in USA.
Umut is a member of many geological associations and her skills were used in a variety of fields, ranging from geothermal/solar/biomass energy to humanitarian relief and earthquake and tsunami loss estimations. She holds a M.Sc. degree in Natural Hazard Sciences from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) in 2004. As a native of Turkey, she is fluent in Turkish and English.
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