Argus Biofuels Europe Conference & Exhibition

Oliver Fernández

SVP of Global Aviation, Repsol

Oliver has more than 20 years of experience in Repsol, having worked more than 13 years in Italy (CEO Repsol Italia Spa, wholesales, lubricants, and retail) and Mexico (responsible for business start-up, retail business development, chairman of JV), as well as in Spain (strategic planning, wholesales, service stations, lubricants, asphalts, and specialities). He is SVP of Global Aviation since the beginning of 2023. Trained as a Superior Industrial Engineer, he also has a Master in Refining and has completed the Executive Program at IESE Business School, as well as several executive degrees from IE Business School (M&A, Forensic Analysis).

Sergio Nuñez

General Manager, Marketing and Decarbonization, Shell Aviation

Sergio Nuñez is General Manager of Marketing and Decarbonization for Shell Aviation, leading all global efforts in Sustainability, Pricing and Marketing. Sergio promotes a commercial approach based on the concept of profitable decarbonization and is trying to disrupt the market through solutions such as Avelia, the “book and claim” blockchain platform to increase affordability and demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). This is much needed to increase production and support companies in meeting their Net Zero Emissions targets. Sergio has been in Shell since 2003. He has held different commercial and supply chain roles in Upstream, Strategy, Construction and Aviation, including European Commercial Manager for Jet fuel sales and Airports. He has a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Oviedo and an MBA from London Business School.

Theye Veen

CCO and Co-founder, SkyNRG

Theye Veen is one of the founders of SkyNRG. Since 2009, SkyNRG has been a global leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuels. The company is dedicated to increase SAF demand and production capacity for the industry to meet its 2050 net zero commitment. SkyNRG has supplied SAF to over 40+ airlines and 70+ corporates across the world and is now developing dedicated SAF production facilities to support the transition from fossil jet fuel to sustainable aviation fuel. SkyNRG does not compromise when it comes to sustainability; we are a globally recognized Certified B Corp™, our operations are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), and we are advised by an independent Sustainability Board, as well as a worldwide NGO network to ensure we make the right sustainability decisions across all of our operations.

Marko Janhunen

Director, Public Affairs, UPM

Marko Janhunen is currently Director, Public Affairs, at UPM, a leading forest industry company headquartered in Finland. UPM’s turnover is approximately 11.7 billion EUR. UPM is the largest producer of only advanced biofuels in the EU and currently establishing a strong position in wood-based biochemicals. Marko is an expert in public policy issues related to environment and energy, climate change and transport issues with over 20 years of experience from projects on all continents. Marko is the past Chair and current Vice Chair of Advanced Biofuels Coalition, a coalition of 11 companies from 8 countries promoting advanced biofuels for transport defossilization. Marko is also in the steering committee of Hydrogen Cluster Finland, a coalition of over 75 companies to promote hydrogen economy. He also chairs the regulatory affairs committee of the Hydrogen Cluster Finland. Marko is frequent speaker at various events, seminars and conferences on sustainable bioeconomy and advanced biofuels. Marko holds a Master’s Degree in Political History issued by the University of Helsinki, a Masters in European Affairs from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, and an Executive MBA from the Helsinki School of Economics. He speaks Finnish, English, Swedish, German and French.

Geoffrey Mansfield

Global Desk Lead - Low Carbon Fuels Trading, Shell

Geoff brings with him a wealth of experience from over 20 years within Shell's trading organization, now leading the Global Trading Desk for Low Carbon Fuels. His team trades and supplies Low Carbon Fuels (such as fame, hvo, ethanol, bio-lng) as well as biogenic feedstocks. Prior to his current role, he has held several notable positions including the Global Desk Leader for Gasoline Trading, Global Desk Leader for Jet fuel Trading, and the Regional Team Leader for European Middle Distillates Trading, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of Trading and International Energy markets.

Zoltan Elek

CEO, Landwärme

Zoltan’s career includes positions at E.On Engineering, Stadtwerke Munich, and McKinsey & Company. He is an expert in the biomethane market.

Ilyas Muhammad

Director, Head of Green Fuels, Hapag-Lloyd AG

Ilyas is Head of Green Fuels Team at Hapag Lloyd with the responsibility to develop the supply of green fuels. Ilyas has Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and brings 16 years of technical and commercial experience in green fuels and energy projects.

Tom Parsons

Commercial Project Manager, Biofuels Growth, bp

Tom is responsible for Air BP’s low carbon strategy, and the sourcing and supply of sustainable aviation fuel. Tom joined BP as a research chemist in 2008, working on the development and scale-up of technologies including BP’s Fischer-Tropsch process. He has since held business development and strategy roles in technology licensing, BP’s fuels businesses and in downstream commercial development. He also led BP’s Advanced Bio Products team at its inception before joining Air BP in 2017. Tom holds a Master’s and PhD in chemistry from the University of Oxford. Outside of work, he enjoys coaching his son’s rugby team as well as playing the trumpet in a local jazz band.

Aika Yuri Winata

General Manager – Green Energy, Biofuel Feedstock & Business Development, Apical Group

Aika Yuri Winata is currently the General Manager of the Green Energy Business Unit in Apical Group, a leading vegetable oil processor with an expanding global footprint. Prior to this, Aika spent more than 20 years in the oils and fats industry, heading the commercial desk for Sustainable Palm Oil and its derivatives for Europe and Africa market.. With the world racing towards carbon reductions, Aika will draw on her professional experience to explain how to achieve traceability and sustainability in waste and residue sourcing and origination.

Rustin Edwards

Head of Fuel Oil Procurement, Euronav

Rustin has worked in the oil industry for more than 20 years. Before becoming head of fuel oil procurement at Euronav, he worked at Macquarie Commodities Trading, leading the IMO 2020 strategy. Before this, he was the global head of fuel and feedstock trading at Cargill. He also spent seven years at Chevron, managing fuel oil and feedstock trading businesses supporting the US refinery base and managing bunker supply and trading businesses in Latin America and the US. Prior to this, he spent seven years at Hess working in supply and trading operations and as a port captain at the Hovensa refinery in St Croix. Rustin is a licensed master mariner and a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy. He has an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in North Carolina.

Benjamin Hartland

Head of European Sustainability Compliance, Greenergy

Benjamin is the head of European sustainability compliance at Greenergy, having joined more than eight years ago. As Europe’s largest waste-based biodiesel manufacturer and one of the largest fuel suppliers in the UK, Benjamin manages Greenergy’s biofuel sustainability and Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation compliance, supporting the growth of the biofuel business.

Tom Searle

Senior Manager, Consulting Services, Argus

Tom is a senior manager in the consulting practice at the price reporting agency Argus Media in London. Having joined the team in 2012, he oversees the delivery of bespoke studies in the bioenergy sector, including biofuels and biomass, in Europe and Africa. Tom’s work involves assessment of the European legislative environment and the impact of proposed changes considering the trends seen in the vehicle parc, production technology and wider energy markets. While the focus remains on road transport, he also monitors developments in alternative markets, such as the aviation and marine sectors.

Christine Riedl

Division Director BioDiesel & RetroFit, BDI-BioEnergy International

Christine Riedl, PhD, is division director for the division of biodiesel & retrofit at BDI-BioEnergy International. In 2003 she completed her master's degree in chemical process engineering at the Graz University of Technology, Austria and in 2006 she successfully finished her doctorate. In 2006 she started as senior engineer at BDI and was responsible for the commissioning of several BDI plants. Until 2022 she was responsible for the development of retrofit projects all over the world and since 2022, Christine has also taken on this responsibility for new plant projects in the biodiesel sector.

Sarah Ellerby

CEO, Nova Pangaea Technologies

Sarah is the CEO of Nova Pangaea Technologies, a UK based company developing biofuels and biochar from forestry and agricultural residues, they are a key part of the UK SAF supply chain. Sarah has now gained over 20 years international executive board experience including Chief Executive roles in the energy, natural resources, and manufacturing sectors, much of it in the US before she returned in 2019 to the North of England to take over at Nova Pangaea. She was an associate partner at Hanson Family Holdings (formerly Hanson Plc) for over 12years where she was involved in a large number of projects, internationally across logistics and industrial sectors. Sarah studied leadership & management at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has an MBA from Bradford University School of Management.

Eduardo Famini Silva

Director, Renewables and Energy Transition, RBC Capital Markets

Eduardo Famini Silva is Director of Renewables and Energy transition at Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”), based in London. In his role, Eduardo is responsible for advising and providing insights to clients in EMEA on transactions across capital raisings, mergers & acquisitions, and capital markets issuances. Eduardo has more than 15 years of experience in the energy sector and has advised on several deals across the bio and renewable fuels value chain. Eduardo holds a Master of Business Administration degree from London Business School and an engineering bachelor’s degree from IME.

Karl Shrowder

Bunker Broker, Nautical Supply International Limited

Karl Shrowder is a Bunker Broker at Nautical Supply International Limited (NSI). As well as broking he is primarily handling the correlation and analysis of data for clients energy transition requirements. He has led seminars on ETS and CII for a number of blue-chip shipowners and charterers and takes a special interest in the potential impact of legislation on the bunker market. NSI is the largest independent marine energy brokerage with offices in the UK, US, Dubai and Greece.

Dáša Mamrillová

Government Affairs Director European Waste-based & Advanced Biofuels Association, EWABA

Daša is the Government Affairs Director of the European Waste-based & Advanced Biofuels Association – EWABA since March 2022. She has long year experience working in the EU affairs in the field of renewable energy and low carbon fuels after leading the Brussels office of the biggest Central and Eastern European biofuel holding Envien Group for over 5 years. Daša has been following the EU energy and climate agenda concentrated recently in the Fit for 55 package with special focus on transport sector from the very beginning and analysing the impact of individual legislative proposals on the future of European transport sector. At EWABA, we believe that renewable and low carbon fuels are essential and will work alongside electrification not only on the energy transition but for the long-term decarbonising targets of the European Union’s transport.

Max Eichelbaum

Digital Solutions Manager, RSB

Max is RSB’s Digital Solutions Manager, leading the development and implementation of new respectively refined digital services and platform initiatives. Based in Montreal, Canada, he also supports RSB’s engagement with stakeholders in North America. Prior to joining RSB, Max worked as an aviation stress engineer sizing lightweight composite airplane structures in Germany and France. After, he joined a master's program to learn more about the energy sector, and in particular sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). He then started his own online platform in Canada promoting sustainable flight and working as an expert in SAF consultancy projects. Having worked for a venture capital fund, an aerospace accelerator consultancy and a sustainable transportation incubator to follow his passion for innovative technologies, he has a strong understanding of digital service and product developments. Max holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering and a postgraduate Master of Science in Energy Management.

Leonidas Kanonis

Director for Communications and Analysis, EWABA

Leonidas has been the Director for Communications and Analysis at EWABA since January 2021. He has acquired extensive experience in the biofuels industry after his stint at Argus Media for three and a half years, where he became deputy editor for the biofuels desk after covering the crop and waste feedstocks market as a senior reporter.

Ryan Kim

Founder and CEO, Recycle Ledger

Recycle Ledger provides a blockchain platform that traces the entire process, from the source of bio raw materials (Used Cooking Oil, Animal fats) to biofuel producers and final purchasers, in accordance with biofuel certification standards in the United States and Europe. He started as a software developer and worked as an IT planner at GS Energy, where he was responsible for planning and managing IT systems. He also has a deep understanding of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, and he is the author of a cryptography book for national certification exams. He holds an MBA degree from Seoul National University. With extensive experience in the energy industry and IT skills, Ryan is advancing solutions to ensure traceability in the global biofuel market.

Josefine Ahlström

Vice-President European Business Development, Argus

Prior to joining Argus, Josefine spent nine years with Shell Downstream in the strategy, marketing and sales departments. She has a master’s degree in economics from Lund University, Sweden, and is now Vice-President at Argus leading Business Development in Europe.

Xavier Noyon

Secretary General, European Biodiesel Board (EBB)

Prior to joining EBB as Secretary-General, Xavier held a similar job in another organisation in the renewable energy field. Most recently, he created the EU office of PEFC International, the global certification for sustainable forest management and traceability. Xavier holds Masters degrees in both law and public affairs from France and Germany.

Alfonso Berrocal

Business Development Manager Middle Distillates & SAF, Argus

Alfonso has extensive experience working in the oil trading industry, particularly in physical trading. Before joining Argus he traded bitumen for GP Global in Europe. He is currently based in London, with bitumen and speciality products as his main focus.

Giulia Squadrin

Associate Editor, Biofuel, Argus Media

Giulia produces weekly assessments for hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), after having focused on the coverage of the European biodiesel market for two years, producing prices for benchmark and non-benchmark grades. As part of her role, she works on the analysis of the European biofuels market, including regulatory changes and data management. Prior to joining Argus, Giulia worked with international organisations in Geneva for a year and completed a master’s degree in International Affairs at Middle Tennessee State University.

André Paula Santos

Public Affairs Director, EBB - European Biodiesel Board

André is an experienced Brussels lobbyist who has worked in European affairs for a decade. Having represented the EBB since 2016, he works on EU climate and energy, trade and sustainability policies. Before this, André worked for several years as a consultant and public affairs adviser for EU associations, focusing on the challenges facing the energy sector. He is a qualified lawyer who holds a law degree and a master’s degree in administrative law and procurement. Besides his native Portuguese, André speaks fluent English and Spanish, as well as some French.

Andrea Martelli

Head of Biofuels Trading, Supply & Sustainability, Eni

Andrea leads biofeedstocks and biofuels activities at Eni. He became the head of biofuels trading at Eni Trading and Shipping in 2019, with responsibility for redesigning and enlarging biofeedstocks and biofuels trading activities. In 2020 he took over the role of head of supply for Eni. Since 2021, he has been a member of the board of directors of Eni Trading and Shipping. With more than 17 years’ experience within the group, he has held roles in several countries, including as German and Austrian branch manager, head of gas and power sales in France, Italy and the Benelux, and lead originator for gas, power and emissions.

Catherine Caulfield

Business Development Manager— Oil Markets, Oil Markets, Argus Media

Catherine is responsible for coordinating Argus’ business development strategy for base oils, marine fuels and bitumen. For base oils, her role involves engaging with market participants to explain the benefits of using Argus base oil spot prices to facilitate risk management. From London, she works closely with the global editorial team to develop awareness and understanding of Argus Base Oils in global markets. Prior to her current role, Catherine was responsible for European base oils market coverage at Argus: contributing spot prices, market commentary and analysis to Argus’ weekly global base oils report. Catherine holds an MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from the University of Aberdeen and a BA in Natural Sciences from Trinity College Dublin.

Vincent Caufourier

Head of Aviation Advisory, Societe Generale

Having an engineering academic background originally, I have been working within the banking industry and for SG for close to 20 years as of today. Since 2011, I have been working in and responsible for activities and teams within the structured asset-based finance division of SG CIB, focusing more particularly on projects and assets related to the transportation sector (road, rail, shipping and aviation). Since the end of 2022, my focus is entirely on the aviation market as I am now responsible of the advisory activity of the aviation business line, which encompasses strategic, commercial and financial advisory, M&A, private capital raise, and ESG advisory, notably in relation to the decarbonization trajectory for the aviation industry.

Valerie Ahrens

Global Director of New Fuels and Carbon Markets, Bunker Holding

Valerie Ahrens is the Global Director of New Fuels and Carbon Markets at Bunker Holding. Bunker Holding, headquartered in Denmark, is world-leading in purchasing, selling, and supplying marine fuel. Bunker Holding employs more than 1,500 skilled people and its presence extends to 1,764 ports worldwide and offices in 34 different countries. Since stepping into her role as Global Director of New Fuels and Carbon Markets, Valerie has managed to build a Centre of Excellence team of experts to drive the green transition, facilitate the change of fuels for the maritime industry, and support customers in implementing low-carbon solutions. She is responsible for collaborations and strategic alliances in the segment for biofuels, LNG, and methanol ammonia fuels with the purpose of pushing the agenda tied to making the maritime industry more sustainable. Prior to joining Bunker Holding, Valerie spent 30 years at Shell, where she held several senior international management and commercial roles in Oil Supply & Distribution, Lubricants, Retail, Aviation, Shipping, and Maritime. In addition, she spent 5 years as Head of Strategy for Shell Energy Europe and Environmental Products having successfully developed the renewable gas, carbon, and power strategies for the Shell trading and B2B departments. Valerie is a French and German citizen, residing in London. She holds a master’s degree in Science and Executive Engineering from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris.

Dr Gernot Klepper

Senior Researcher and Chairman, Kiel Institute for the World Economy and ISCC

Gernot is a Senior Researcher at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW). Since 2014 he has co-ordinated the Dialogue on the Economics of Climate Change, which accompanies and supports the BMBF funding measure Economics of Climate Change. He has been for many years Head of the Research Centre “The Environment and Natural Resources” at the IfW and Speaker of the Kiel Earth Institute. An economist by training (University of Heidelberg), Gernot Klepper received a PhD in Agricultural Economics. His research interests centre on climate mitigation with a focus on modelling and analysing the impact of climate policy instruments. Especially, the role of natural resources such as land and water in the climate system and their contribution to climate change as well as mitigation are among his research topics. He is Chairman of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Association (ISCC).

Douglas Phillips

Senior Policy Advisor, Advanced Fuels, Department for Transport, UK

Douglas is the Head of SAF Mandate Policy at the Department for Transport (DfT), leading on the design and delivery of the UK’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate. Since completing his PhD in Low Carbon Technologies, Douglas has worked in strategic consulting – specialising in bioenergy, transport and the circular economy – before moving to Historic England to lead their environmental analysis and embodied carbon research. At DfT, Douglas also played a key role in the design and launch of the Advanced Fuels Fund grant funding programme, with £165m being made available to support the development of commercial scale SAF plants in the UK.

Drosoula Makare

Trader & Originator Fats & Oils, Targray

Drosoula Makare is a seasoned Trader and Originator specializing in Fats and Oils at Targray. She is committed to enhancing the company’s origination capabilities through collaboration with the Biofuels & Feedstock teams, leveraging her extensive local and international experience. Prior to joining Targray, she served as the Biofuels & Sustainability Specialist at Jetoil, where she implemented standardized processes for biofuels procurement and gained a profound understanding of the biofuels market. With close to a decade of professional experience in the dynamic and multifaceted field of shipping, she has held various roles ranging from operational, such as ship management services, to more commercial positions, like chartering. Drosoula’s diverse background complements her passion for trading. Her ultimate goals include finding daily fulfillment in her work and sharing an inspiring narrative about her professional journey with her son, contributing substantial value to her organization, promoting the importance of female empowerment in business, and consistently upholding her core values of respect and integrity. She firmly believes that nurturing these values is fundamental to achieving better business outcomes. One of Drosoula’s favorite quotes that sums up both her professional life, and her general positive outlook is “A problem is a chance for you to do your best".

Joey van Elswijk

Commercial Manager, Renewable Fuels, Port of Amsterdam

Joey is responsible for the settlement and expansion of renewable fuel production facilities in the Port of Amsterdam. Development of the port’s renewable fuel cluster is one of its key strategic objectives. Joey is engaged in multiple projects, from biobased to power-to-liquid fuel production. He started his career in consultancy and joined the Port of Amsterdam in 2014, where he was originally responsible for strategic projects in hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, and international port management. Joey developed the strategy for 2025 for the Port of Amsterdam, before he joined the commercial department in 2021.

Chris Wilcox

Senior Vice President, Business Development, Gevo

Chris Wilcox is a successful venture founder and promoter with vast experience in commercial development and international trade. He is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Gevo responsible for all aspects of strategy, marketing, sales, and distribution. Prior to Gevo, Chris led business and corporate development for several industrial biotechnology companies, and companies looking to enter the biotech sector. Chris also co-founded Plascon Inc., a company which imports conversion equipment and establishes turn-key manufacturing operations in the ethylene industry. He managed the Mid-Atlantic region for Rockwell Automation, where he directed OEM and distribution relations in the industrial power transmission sector. In addition to his roles in the industrial sector, he has assisted in early and small venture valuations and supported smaller public companies navigate investor relations. Chris holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Colorado's Leeds School of Business.

Ramon Álvarez Blázquez

Chief Commercial Officer, UCO Trading

Ramon is Chief Commercial Officer at international trading company UCO Trading Spain. UCO trades commodities, by-products and end products in the biofuels industry. Ramon has extensive experience in business strategy, business development, supply chain management and sales, for both domestic and international markets in the US, Latin America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He has an executive MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, as well as a master’s degree in international trade.

Charles Jans

Vice President, Consulting, Argus

Charles is Vice President of Argus Media’s consulting practice in London. Charles specialises in providing market due diligence analysis in the bio and fossil fuel industries, helping clients to plan investment, acquisition and market entry strategy. Over the past five years, Argus has advised oil majors, national oil companies, fuels wholesalers, feedstock providers and national governments, on the development and outlook for the biofuels industry globally. Beginning in the energy strategy practice at Accenture, Charles spent seven years managing client engagements in biofuels and bio-based specialty chemicals. Prior to joining Argus Media, he worked for the UK government as Head of Foresight, on long-term policy making in the energy and transportation sectors.

Patrick Lynch

Co-founder, Bioledger

Bioledger is co-founded by Patrick Lynch (former Head of Sustainability & Trader at Greenergy, Project Manager at EBB). At Greenergy, Patrick managed the first EU Commission approved RED biofuel sustainability standard and the industry’s first audit protocol for used cooking oil biodiesel in 2010. In support of sustainable feedstock and fuel diversification, Patrick has been heavily involved in the continuous development of sustainability certification standards and policy. Bioledger has been supported by ISEAL Alliance, RSB, 2BS, Cambridge University, MIT, Techstars VC and the Irish National Digital Research Centre and won UK Rising Star award for tech companies in 2023.

Mathilde Tannous

Biofuels and EU-ETS Program Manager, French Civil Aviation Authority

Mathilde Tannous, following her Master’s Degree in Environmental Hygiene and Safety, spent 6 years at Signature Flight Support, the world’s largest fixed-base operation for business aviation services. As the EMEA HSE Manager, she overlooked HS&E matters for her locations based in Europe, Middle-East and Africa, including audits and the handling of national bodies representatives. Her role within the organisation required her to understand technical topics such as fuelling or ground handling operations in relation with services provided by SFS and ASIG, its former sister company for commercial aviation. Wanting to take her career to the next level, she joined the General Directorate for Energy and Climate Change at the Ministry of Ecological Transition in 2016, where she worked for the office of petroleum logistics and alternative fuels. Among various responsibilities, she managed the Alternative Fuel Directive implementation within national legislation and worked on topics related to energy for the transport sectors during the recast of the Renewable Energy Directive. This assignment required her to understand the global picture of alternative fuels for various transport modes. While that position was very fulfilling, she was still drawn to the aviation sector. She saw an opportunity to combine both experiences when she learned the French Civil Aviation Authority was looking for an expert to work on sustainable aviation fuels. She joined the Sustainable Development Department in 2020 as the SAF Program Manager, to support the development of SAF at the national, European, and international levels. She also overlook the European Emission Trading Scheme for France, a matter intrinsically linked to SAF.

Christian Scherhag

Principal SAF Regulatory, Sasol ecoFT

Christian is responsible for leading regulatory and advocacy affairs within Sasol's ecoFT business, our sustainable fuels and chemicals business unit enabled by our proven Fischer-Tropsch technology solution, from incubating to scaling in an accelerated time horizon. Christian is passionate about international policy, sustainable aviation, setting-up new networks, and climate action. He is excellently connected to the major aviation hubs around the globe, having worked for the cluster organization “Hamburg Aviation” as Head of International Affairs for seven years. His professional experience also includes working for the United Nations, the German Olympic Sports Confederation as well as Ernst & Young. Christian has developed and implemented several stakeholder engagement strategies, amongst others a “green aviation technology roadmap” linked to suitable German and European funding programs. Building relationships to policy makers, institutions, think tanks and NGOs, particularly in Europe, USA, Canada and Japan, is also one of his main areas of expertise. He is also an experienced lecturer for public management at universities. Christian holds a Master's Degree in Sports & Economics, and a PhD in Public Management.

Verena Leckebusch

Head of Low Carbon Fuels Strategy, Department for Transport, UK

Verena is head of the strategy team in the Low Carbon Fuels division in the Department for Transport. She joined the team in 2016, having previously worked in the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Before joining the civil service in 2014, she worked in different energy policy-related jobs both in the private and public sector in the UK, Belgium and Germany. In 2022, she led on the energy and transport chapters of the independent Net Zero Review as seconded expert

Floriana DeMatteo

Sustainable Aviation fuel and Jet Trader, St1 Nordic Oy

Floriana is currently leading the sustainable aviation fuel and Jet trading book at St1. With more than 15 years of trading experience, she has been handling middle distillates in different market geographies, with main focus on the Mediterranean, Northern European and Asian market. She has always been passionate about aviation and strongly believes SAF will play a key role in decarbonizing the industry.

Sashikant Madgula

Business Segment Leader – Renewables, Sulzer

Sashikant is a Business Segment Leader in Sulzer Chemtech's Clean Fuels & Chemical Licensing group (Previously called GTC Technology), with responsibility for the market development of technologies for chemical recycling and renewable fuels. He has diverse experience in the refinery & petrochemical industry specializing in aromatics and olefins value chains, previously in leadership roles in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. Before that, he also managed the technical services of start-up/commissioning of aromatics extraction plants licensed by Sulzer Chemtech (GTC Technology) at various client sites. Prior to joining Sulzer, Sashikant worked for ICIS and Argus in their consulting teams, where he was responsible for executing bespoke studies on refinery & petrochemical markets in Asia for various clients. Sashikant holds a master's degree in Chemical Engineering Practice from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ewald-Marco Münzer

Managing Partner, Münzer Bioindustrie GmbH

Ewald-Marco Münzer (39) is co-owner and CEO of Münzer Bioindustrie GmbH since 2009. Since 2022, Ewald is President of European waste-based biodiesel association EWABA, as well as Vice President of German waste biofuels association MVaK. Münzer Bioindustrie is a conglomerate with a focus on the disposal and recycling of liquid waste, in particular used cooking fats and oils. The company operates collection systems on three continents and is one of the largest producers of waste-based biodiesel in Europe.

Alex Miles

Director, Project Development, Enerkem

Alex has been developing projects in the renewable energy-from-waste sector for the past 16 years across a range of disciplines, and is currently Enerkem’s project lead on the Waste-to-Jet (fuel) project under development in Rotterdam together with Shell and the Port of Rotterdam. He has worked with Enerkem in various capacities since 2007, and followed closely the development of the company’s proprietary waste-to-chemicals and biofuels technology from pilot stage through to full-scale, commercial development. He has also worked with other gasification technology providers focused on the production of power and heat. Alex has worked in the renewable energy sector since 2006 on a wide range of projects including landfill gas, onshore wind, solar and waste gasification.

Angel Alvarez Alberdi

Secretary General, EWABA

Angel Alvarez Alberdi has been Secretary General of European waste-to-advanced biofuels association EWABA since its creation in 2013. EWABA is a Brussels-based trade association defending the interests of waste-based biofuel producers using feedstocks such as used cooking oil (UCO), tallow and other wastes to produce sustainable biofuels with greenhouse gas savings ranking among the highest available on the market. Angel has been working in EU government and institutional affairs in Brussels for the past decade, with a particular focus on energy matters and on EU legislative procedures. He started his career in Brussels with a stint at the European Commission’s Secretariat General, then worked for an international public affairs consultancy, the trade association European Biodiesel Board and a global law firm. A lawyer by training, Angel has an MA in European interdisciplinary studies with a major in EU governance from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.

Dr Neil Hindle

CTO, Nova Pangaea Technologies

Neil has over 20 years’ experience in the chemical industry with ICI plc, Croda International, Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and Applied Graphene Materials. Neil started with ICI in 1995 following completion of his DPhil and Bachelor of Arts at the University of Oxford. He is a Chartered Chemist and Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He has held a number of roles both in the UK and overseas; his primary focus has been the scale-up of the production process from laboratory to commercial production, as well as process improvements of existing production assets. Neil is our CTO and also leads on Overseas Development and HSE.

Michael Nau

Director of Sustainability, Lufthansa

Michael started his career with Lufthansa back in 1995. He is working many years in International Sales, being responsible for Corporate Sales for APAC for 6 years based in Singapore and as well for the Middle East and Africa, based in Dubai. Heading the Sustainability department of Lufthansa Group worldwide Sales with the goal to develop and implement B2B Sustainable products.

Jim Davies

Program Director - Sustainable Flight, International Airlines Group

Jonathan Pardoe

Fuel Consultant, Star Alliance

Jonathan is based in the English countryside and currently works as the Fuel Consultant for Star Alliance Services GmbH, as well as running his own consultancy company, Penthurst Ltd. Jonathan joined Star Alliance in June 2017, and works on behalf of 26 airlines globally on joint initiatives including any SAF and fossil fuel purchasing requests or other fuel related issues. Jonathan previously worked for Virgin Atlantic for 26 years from 1990 until September 2016 and worked in Treasury and Fuel Procurement. In addition to his treasury duties and managing their global fuel exposure throughout this time he helped Virgin operate the first commercial biofuel test flight in 2008. Jonathan Chaired the IATA Commercial Fuel Working Group for five years, organising these meetings and steering the group through some troubling times. He also represented all the visiting airlines on the Hong Kong Management Association for eight years where he worked on the industries behalf to improve fuel services at the new airport in the most cost-effective manner. On his home front he has always been very active in regard to the supply and storage of aviation fuel into the UK airports and continues to participate in fuel related working groups at Heathrow.

Sinead Lynch

Senior Vice President, Low Carbon Fuels, Shell