Speakers

Bio

A.K.M Gause Mohiuddin Ahmed, currently working as the Managing Director of Power Grid company of Bangladesh Ltd. (PGCB), born in a respectable muslim family in 1965 at Tongi Bari in the district of Munshiganj. He assumed the responsibility of the said position on 13th June 2023. Mr. Mohiuddin, having around 35 years of diverse experience in power sector, obtained Bsc. Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics (EEE) from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 1987. He passed the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) Examination from Notre Dame College, Dhaka in 1981 and Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination from Nawabpur Govt. High School, Dhaka in 1979. Soon after possessing the Bsc. degree from BUET he joined Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) as Assistant Engineer in December 1988. He worked in various positions during his long service career. At first he was posted to Shikalbaha Power Plant where he worked for 2.5 years. There after he was assigned to work at the Design and Inspection-2 of Bangladesh Power Development Board, where he worked for around 6.5 years. He was successfully performed and contributed in designing a significant number of 132 kV & 230 kV grid substations of BPDB including new development project of substations. After formation of PGCB, Engr. A.K.M. Gause Mohiuddin Ahmed joined in the company on March 1998 and performed his duty as Sub-Divisional Engineer, Executive Engineer and Superintending Engineer in Design and Quality Control wing until April 2016. In the Design & Quality Control wing he was responsible for 400 kV, 230 kV and 132 kV substation and transmission line design for PGCB grid network including new substation and transmission line development projects. He was also worked in various top level position of PGCB as Superintending Engineer (SE) of SCADA Division, Project Director (SE) of WGND Project and Project Director (Chief Engineer) of ESPNER Project. He also served as Chief Engineer (Project Monitoring) until the appointment of the Managing Director of the Company. During his long service career, Mr. Mohiuddin has participated lots of training programs at home and abroad. He visited many countries as official delegation for training, Inspection of Equipment & Materials and manufacturing process. Mr. Mohiuddin is Life Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) and Life Member of the BUET Alumni. He is married and blessed with two beloved sons.

Bio

Engr. Premacio started working with the Department of Energy – Energy Utilization Management Bureau (DOE-EUMB) in September 2014 as a Science Research Specialist for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Division (EECD). He supported the Division’s activities related to the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP), the Registration of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) and various Information and Education Campaign (IEC) activities of the DOE pertaining to energy efficiency. When Republic Act 11285 (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act) was signed on April 2019, and with its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) being issued a few months later in November 2019, Engr. Premacio joined as one of the first members of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Performance Regulation and Enforcement Division (EPRED) that was created under the RA 11285 to lead the development and implementation of the Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP) and he has been working for EPRED.

Bio

Abdul Khalid is a Program Associate at WRI India’s Energy Program. He works as a data and geospatial analyst for the energy team. He supports the development of Energy Access Explorer for Indian geographies. He can be reached at abdul.khalid@wri.org.

Bio

Dr. Abdulla Firag works as an Energy Sector Development consultant for the Asian Development Bank, bringing over 20 years of expertise in telecommunications, electrical engineering, and the energy sector. He earned his B.Eng. degree (with honors) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Adelaide, Australia, in 1999, followed by M. Eng. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2003 and 2008. He worked as the Project Manager for the Renewable Energy Technology Development and Application Project in the Maldives from 2004 to 2006. Prior to this, he has served as an Electrical and Electronics Engineer at the Maldives Airports Company. His academic journey includes a role as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the College of Engineering, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, from April 2009 to November 2011. From 2012 to 2022, he played key roles at Dhiraagu including the position of Director of Networks.

Bio

Abha Shukla (IAS) joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1993. Since November 2022, she is heading the energy department in, Government of Maharashtra. Her previous assignment was as Principal Secretary in Co-operation, Information Technology, Finance Department. She has worked in various Ministries in the State and Central Governments including Information & Broadcasting, Road Transport & Highways, Power Bureau of Energy Efficiency and Civil Aviation. She has also served on various key positions ‘Addl. Commissioner’ in Tribal Dev. Deptt., Director Textile Deptt. etc. She worked as CEO at Z.P. Gondia and Bhandara, She has completed her post-graduate studies in Geography. She has also attended several mid-career programmes. Apart from short term courses at Indian Institute of Management she also participated at in Climate Change and State Preparedness- Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation programme of The Energy ad Resources Institute (TERI).

Bio

"Abhas Sinha is the Project Manager of SteelZero in India, an initiative led by the international non-profit organisation Climate Group in partnership with ResponsibleSteel. The initiative brings together leading global organisations to speed up the transition to a net zero steel industry. As the Project Manager in India, Abhas focuses his work on Indian corporate steel consumers to lend their voice to the demand for near zero steel and showcase the demand signal to steelmakers. In the last few years, Abhas has represented Climate Group at national and global events, including at the Ship Recycling Forum 2023 in Singapore. He has also co-authored a report on the net zero steel demand outlook in India. Abhas has previously worked as a sustainability consultant with KPMG, and holds a Masters degree in Sustainability and Social Innovation from HEC Paris."

Bio

Abraham Simpson is the Project Implementation Officer for the Sustainable Energy Industry Development Project for the Pacific Power Association. Abraham has extensive experience with Pacific Islands power utilities as a Chief Executive, Strategy Development and Execution, Project Management, Electrical Engineering and Capacity Building.

Bio

Abraham Simpson is an energy consultant and engineer with over forty years of experience in the power utility, land transportation and maritime sectors in the Pacific Islands. This includes almost fourteen years of Chief Executive experience with over seven years of that in the power utility sector. Abraham has extensive experience in strategic and system planning with the Fiji Electricity Authority (the forerunner to Energy Fiji Limited) preparing and updating its twenty year power development plan which includes demand forecasting, resource evaluation including hydro, wind, solar and other renewable options, transmission and distribution network planning, economic evaluation of development plans and project formulation and management. From mid-2013 to the end of 2020, Abraham was engaged under the PACTAM 2 program funded by The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Australia as the Chief Executive of Nauru Utilities Corporation responsible for the provision of power, water and the operation of the fuel tank farm on Nauru. Abraham oversaw the development and execution of the business strategy that included implementing the roadmap for displacing fossil fuel (diesel) sourcing of power with renewable energy, the rehabilitation of the electricity network and the improvement of the operational and financial performance of the utility. Abraham has extensive experience working with power utilities in the Pacific Islands managing the Sustainable Energy Industry Development Project funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Pacific Power Association. This project includes benchmarking, evaluation of pacific island utilities for VRE integration and the resilience of the electricity network. Abraham has a BE (Electrical) Engineering from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and postgraduate certification in Economic Decision Making, Management Development Program, Accounting and Financial Management, Marketing Management, Leadership in Action, Strategic Human Resources, Advance Strategic Cost Management, Strategic Financial Skills, Strategic Led Reporting & the Balanced Scorecard, Urban Transport Planning & Design, Commercial Shipping Operations from various institutions such as the Monash Mount Eliza Business school, Nanyang Technological University and others.

Bio

Sinderina Simon Adeang currently serves as the Administration/General Manager of the Corporate Services of Nauru Utilities Corporation (NUC). She obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Diploma in Business Management from The University of the South Pacific, Nauru. Ms. Adeang started working for the NUC since September 2009 and she was appointed to her current position in December 2023.

Bio

Aditad Vasinonta, Ph.D.

After completing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Aditad Vasinonta joined the Department of Industrial Promotion, Ministry of Industry, Thailand. At early stage of his career, he worked as an engineer to promote metal-working and machinery industries. After working for two years, he chose to further his engineering study at the Carnegie Mellon University, United States. Rejoining Ministry of Industry after his Ph.D. graduation in 2002 was very exciting. Throughout 25 years at the Industry Ministry, he has been working on several new initiatives such as industrial cluster development and business service development. During 2018 – 2020, he was the deputy director-general at the Office of Industrial Economics. His responsibility included proposing industrial policies, negotiating with international industrial organizations and agencies as well as providing industrial information and guidance of industrial economics. Currently, he is the deputy director-general at the Department of Primary Industries and Mines and is responsible for suggesting policy formulation, strategies, action plans and measures for mining, primary and downstream industries' management. He is also serving as the Chairman of the Project Steering Committee of “Green Scrap Metal Thailand Project” which is the joint project with UNIDO funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF).

Aside from his official work, Aditad had served as the Secretary General of the Asian Packaging Federation, an international organization comprising of 14 Asian member countries, for 4 years during 2007 – 2010. In addition, he has taught several courses in mechanical engineering at Thammasat University and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand.

Bio

Adnan Z. Amin is an experienced international official and development economist specializing in sustainable development. In December 2022, Mr. Amin was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28). In his role, he has overall oversight and responsibility for supporting the COP28 President, leading the COP28 Office, and delivering COP28. Prior to this, Mr. Amin led a distinguished career serving the United Nations and international organizations for over 20 years. Mr. Amin served as the founding Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) from 2011 to 2019, leading the organization to become the authoritative voice of renewable energy and a leading player in the global energy transition. In recognition of his leadership and outstanding service to IRENA, he was granted the honorary title of Director-General Emeritus in 2019. He also served as Head of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination Secretariat, the Secretary-General’s principal policy coordination body comprising the Executive Heads of the UN system, as well as Executive Director of a major reform commission on coherence in the UN’s development, environment, and humanitarian activities. Previously, Mr. Amin was the Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) New York Office and led the Secretariat supporting the intergovernmental review of international environmental governance while also serving as a Trustee and Member of the Board of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, one of the world’s premier biodiversity information institutions. Mr. Amin was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as a member of his High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change in September 2020 and has served on several advisory boards in the private sector and academia. Before his current appointment, he was Senior Research Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government until July 2022, specializing in geopolitics of the energy transition. In 2019 he was awarded the title of Honorary Professor of Practice at the University of Sussex Business School, his alma mater.

Bio

Adritha has over 13 years of international experience in climate change mitigation and adaptation. In her current role with the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) she oversees the regional portfolio of technical assistance projects. Previously, she has worked as a technical advisor and programme manager with civil society, private sector, bilateral and multilateral agencies. Before joining ETP, she worked with the UK Governments’ Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, managing bilateral projects across energy access and transition, power sector reform, sustainable low carbon development, and climate resilience. As an accredited member of the UK government’s Climate and Environment cadre she designed and managed International Climate Fund programmes. Adritha has a Masters in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economic and Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, Chemistry and Zoology from St Joseph’s College, India.