Speakers

Bio

Ankit is a Partner at Synergy Consulting and heads Synergy's efforts in Asia-Pacific. He has ~13 years of experience in project finance, across multiple sectors including power (renewables and conventional), water, wastewater and waste management . Ankit brings extensive experience in advising governments, development banks and private sector entities on corporate strategy & finance, capital structuring, financial modeling, government advisory, bid advisory, valuation, and debt raising and is also leads for Synergy's efforts in new verticals such as green hydrogen and energy transition.

Bio

Anna is the Commercial Liaison to ADB for Business France, based at the French Embassy in Manila. Her main role is to provide business support to French firms in their international development, mostly in line with ADB financed projects. She holds an Bachelors degree from the University of the Philippines, Diliman and a Masters from the Université Charles de Gaule Lille 3 in France.

Bio

Ms. Anna Lobanova is a Specialist on Sustainable Energy in the Energy Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) since 2019. She focuses on energy connectivity and energy efficiency including the development of cooling sector in Asia and the Pacific. Previously, Anna worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Fiji, concentrating on resilient energy solutions and disaster risk reduction for the Pacific SIDS. Prior to that she held a position in the Russian Ministry of Energy, where she contributed to the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Anna holds a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow. Additionally, she is an author and co-author of articles and reports on various economic and sustainable energy development issues.

Bio

Ms. Anna Lobanova is a Energy Connectivity Expert in the Energy Division of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) since 2019. She focuses on regulatory work and energy connectivity projects primarily in Central Asia and the Pacific. Previously, Anna worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Fiji, concentrating on resilient energy solutions and disaster risk reduction for the Pacific SIDS. Prior to that she held a position in the Russian Ministry of Energy, where she contributed to the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Anna holds a Master's and Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow. Additionally, she is an author and co-author of articles and reports on various economic and sustainable energy development issues.

Bio

Annetje Ottow is President of the Executive Board of Leiden University. She is also a professor of Public Economic Law at the Faculty of Law. In the Board, she is responsible for the portfolios of: Strategy, Valorisation, Alliances, external and international relations, Communication, Alumni policy, Social safety, Diversity and inclusion, Sustainability Annetje Ottow graduated in business law at Leiden University, and went on to receive a Master of Laws from Queen Mary College in London in 1990. She then worked in the legal profession for 16 years. From 2006 to 2013, she was a member of the Board of the Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (OPTA). In 2006, Ottow obtained her PhD from the University of Amsterdam, with a study on regulation of the telecoms sector. In her research, which focuses on regulators and market forces, she combines academic expertise with practical experience.

Bio

Annika Seiler is Principal Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank’s Energy Sector Office. She co-leads a bank-wide initiative to enable the development of resilient, responsible, and sustainable clean energy technology supply chains in developing Asia and the Pacific. She is also leading a joint program by ADB and the World Economic Forum to support data-driven policy making to enhance energy transition readiness of ADB developing member countries. Annika previously led the preparation of a national roadmap for CCS demonstration and deployment in the PRC and ADB projects to improve industrial energy efficiency and reduce air pollution energy efficiency in the PRC. Between 2017-2022, she served as Senior Advisor to ADB’s Vice-President for Finance and Risk Management. In 2023, Annika was seconded at the Center for Global Development where she conducted independent research on just energy transition partnerships. Prior to joining ADB, Annika worked as an international consultant on major energy and water sector reform programs funded by multilateral and bilateral development finance institutions, including in Egypt, Madagascar, Pakistan, and Rwanda. Annika Seiler is a graduate of Freie University of Berlin with a Masters in Economics and Chinese studies and holds certificates from Harvard and Oxford University in energy and climate policy making.

Bio

Anobha Gurung is the Director of Nepal, Research, Evidence and Learning for the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA). Before joining CCA, she was a postdoctoral scholar at International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, where she participated in various air pollution research and its application in policymaking and mitigation strategies in Nepal. She holds a Ph.D. from Yale School of the Environment.

Bio

Dr. Anobha Gurung is the Director of the Nepal Program at the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA). Dr. Gurung provides leadership, strategic direction, technical expertise, and operational direction for all of CCA’s programmatic work in Nepal. She also leads the clean cooking component for the Energy Access Explorer, an interactive geospatial data platform that provides spatial data and tools needed to inform strategies for a robust clean cooking transition in Nepal and Kenya. Before joining CCA, she worked for organizations like the World Health Organization and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, where she participated in various activities and research related to air pollution and health. She has over fifteen years of experience working in low-income countries with the goal of improving policies and actions to promote environment and health. Dr. Gurung holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Health from Yale School of the Environment.

Bio

Mr. Anouj Mehta is Unit Head, Green and Innovative Finance and the ACGF, Southeast Asia Department, ADB.

Anouj focuses on Innovative and Green Finance across Southeast Asia. Through SERD innovative finance hub, he manages the ASEAN Catalytic Green Finance facility, including the Green Climate Fund approved ""Green Recovery Program,"" one of the first such in Asia. He also led other initiatives and partnerships aimed at developing sustainable and leveraged finance projects. His focus on green finance since 2015 led to the development of ADB's first Catalyzing Green Finance publication and related ADB projects in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Southeast Asia as well as the launch of the recent "Green Recovery Strategies Post COVID-19" knowledge product. Previously Anouj led a pioneering PPP and sub-sovereign initiative in India from both the ADB and the World Bank. Anouj was an investment banker at JP Morgan Chase prior to joining ADB and has expertise in mergers and acquisitions, project and corporate finance, capital markets, sovereign and non-sovereign infrastructure financing.

Bio

Anthony M. Watanabe is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Indorama Ventures PCL (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, with more than 140 operating sites in 35 countries. Armed with 20 years of experience in this field, Watanabe is a pioneer and early advocate of the importance of Sustainability in Business. He is also a Sustainability entrepreneur, investor, and author. Before embarking on his journey with IVL, Watanabe was the Head of Growth – Innovation and Smart Mobility at Alstom, based in Bangkok. Prior to Alstom, he was the Global Head of Digital and Climate Innovation at Bombardier Transportation. He also established his own firms in Canada and Thailand to drive sustainable innovations, clean energy, and market transformation to a profitable and environmentally better way of doing business.

Bio

He served as Independent Director in the Philippines Electricity Market Corporation managing the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market up to the June 2015. He was Founder and first-elected President of Asia Pacific Basin for Energy Strategies, a Think tank in Special Consultative Status in UN-ECOSOC. He was first-grantee of a Tidal Energy Service Contract, and first and only recipient of a Certificate of Declaration of Commerciality from the Energy Department; and achieved financial close of the nearest to Metro Manila 115 MWdc Solar Pv power plant in Baras, Rizal to be completely built in January 2023. Energies PH, Inc. is a start-up with a pipeline of up to 500 MWdc Solar Pv power plants, and launches on June 14, 2022 the “Nationwide Microgrid Program” in off-grid Islands in San Bernardino Strait, bundling Tidal, Solar, Battery Energy Storage and re-charged hydrogen fuels to empower the deepest communities in the hinterlands.

Bio

Anvesha Thakker is the Global Co-Lead Climate Change & Decarbonization: KPMG IMPACT; Partner & Lead, Renewable Energy (RE) and has advised public and private sector clients and multilateral organizations on policy, strategy, financial and commercial related initiatives in the Power sector. She has more than 19 years of extensive domestic and international work experience in areas such as corporate finance, investment advisory, strategic advisory and policy/ regulatory advisory. In her career, she has worked on several marquee projects in the power sector including power sector reforms, renewable energy parks, mini-grids, hybrids and wind in areas of policy and regulatory advocacy, strategy formulation for new business models in emerging clean technologies, investment and financing, undertaking business/market intelligence, retail tariff modelling, RE dispatch studies, risk assessment, commercial advisory, PPP frameworks, transaction advisory, energy access, financing products to promote and enable RE integration etc. Additionally, she has also worked extensively on utility finances, economic analysis, transaction and business advisory. She has been leading RE engagements, for IFIs including ADB, DFID, World Bank, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and USICEF among others