Speakers

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

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

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

Agnes C. de Jesus is the Chief Sustainability Officer of the First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPH) from 2014 to the present. Before this, she was Senior Vice President for Environment and External Relations and at the same time the Compliance Officer of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC). Because of her comprehensive knowledge and experience on environmental management social impacts and governance of more than 25 years, she was selected by an international panel as part of Asia’s Top Sustainability Superwomen Honor List in 2018. On September 18, 2021 she was selected as one of Diligent’s 2021 Modern Governance 100 from across four continents under the ESG and Diversity Trailblazer category. Since April 7, 2022 to the present, she is a member of the SDG Stakeholders' Chamber of the Philippine National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on the Working Group on Peace, Security and Governance. Ms. de Jesus contributes to the sustainability field through the other responsibilities entrusted to her by several organizations. She is a member of the Advisory Council of the Business for Sustainable Development - Philippines since 2014 and a Program Committee Member of the Forest Foundation Philippines from 2017-2021. She is also a country reviewer of World Bank environmental and social safeguards and a trainer in the Philippine Learning Center for Environment and Social Sustainability. She served as Chairman of the National Steering Committee of the UNDP Small Grants Project in 2011, an environmental consultant of Kenya Geothermal Program from 1998-2011, and the Environmental Editor of the International Journal of Geothermal Research and its Applications from 1996-2004.

Bio

Consultant from the Pacific Floating Solar TA-6680 REG Deputy team leader, FPV, instrumentation and grid expert. Physics engineer with a master degree in solar power from 2000 and a solar and RE expert with over 20 years of experience working with governments, multilateral financial institutions, and the private sector including commercial lenders, investors and project developers and including policy advisory. Has taken part in the development of over 50 PV solar energy projects (utility scale, floating PV, mini-grids, hybrids and off-grid), working in 5 continents and more than 50 countries, including several countries in the Pacific. Has a deep knowledge covering design, engineering, procurement and construction of PV and CSP plants and he is also an expert in solar parks (India and South Africa). He has proven individual and team experience as advisor, team leader, transaction advisor as well as being the solar expert in several projects. He is the deputy team leader for TA-6680 Preparing Floating Solar Plus Projects under the Pacific Renewable Energy Investment Facility.

Bio

Mr. Ali is currently the Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Republic of Maldives. He is also the appointed board member of the SAARC Energy Centre since 2009. With over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, Mr. Ali plays a crucial role in the planning and development of the Maldives energy sector. He was actively involved in formulating the Maldives energy policies and strategies including the Maldives National Energy Policy and Strategy and Maldives Scaling Up Renewable Energy Investment Plan. Mr. Ali completed his undergraduate studies at Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh. He completed Master of Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and Master of Business Administration from Anglia Ruskin University, UK.

Bio

Mr. Ali is currently the Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Republic of Maldives. He is also the appointed board member of the SAARC Energy Centre since 2009. With over 20 years of experience in the energy sector, Mr. Ali plays a crucial role in the planning and development of the Maldives energy sector. He was actively involved in formulating the Maldives energy policies and strategies including the Maldives National Energy Policy and Strategy and Maldives Scaling Up Renewable Energy Investment Plan. Mr. Ali completed his undergraduate studies at Islamic University of Technology, Bangladesh. He completed Master of Engineering from Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and Master of Business Administration from Anglia Ruskin University, UK.

Bio

Ahmed joined ADB in 2019 and has significant prior leadership experience in both government and the private sector. He is currently responsible for overseeing ADB’s operations in East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Between 2004 and 2008, Mr. Saeed served in senior roles at the US Treasury. He was an advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury (2004-05) and the later Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for the Middle East and Africa, with responsibility for US economic diplomacy and financial engagement across 68 countries (2005-08). Ahmed has worked closely with two Secretaries of the Treasury (John Snow and Hank Paulson). He was deeply involved in a number of significant debt relief exercises (for Liberia, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq) and laid the basis for what became the Santiago Principles for sovereign wealth funds.

Prior to joining ADB, Ahmed spent close to eight years as Managing Director and head of JPMorgan’s coverage for finance ministries, central banks and sovereign wealth funds across the Middle East and North Africa. He has raised over $100 bn in financing for governments, including the debut sovereign bond issuances for several sovereigns and the largest ever sovereign bond offerings in emerging markets (twice). Mr. Saeed began his career as a lawyer at White & Case. In the late 1990’s he led technology related businesses in the UK, US and Japan, raising over $150 m for companies in which he was a key principal. Mr. Saeed holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Chicago Law School and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, as well as a BA (Economics and Political Science) from McGill University. He is a former White House Fellow and a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Bio

I am a confident, enthusiastic and qualified development practitioner, trainer and a lecturer with more than 20 years of extensive experience in the areas of community development, governance, gender, and project management. I also have worked and have extensive experience in local governance. I currently work (since 2015) as a Social Expert (Gender and Community Development) in an ADB funded project, Preparing Outer Islands Sustainable Energy Development (POISED), under the Ministry Environment, Maldives. Prior to joining the current assignment I was the first CEO of the Local Government Authority and previously worked in the area of community development and capacity development for the outer island communities at various capacities in the Ministry of Atolls Development, Maldives. I received my PhD in Development Studies from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and Master’s degree and a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Studies from Australian National University, Australia, and a Bachelor’s degree from Islamic University, Saudi Arabia.

Bio

Dr Ajay Mathur is the Director General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). At ISA, his focus is on enhancing solarization of the world, and convincing leaders of the world that solar is the energy supply choice of preference. Towards this end, ISA provides, advocacy; analysis of policy; financial capacity strengthening; and solar project preparation in LDCs and SIDs. 103 countries are today members of the ISA. ISA is the only international organization headquartered in India, and was created by PM Modi of India and President François Hollande of France at the Paris Climate Negotiations in 2015. Dr Mathur was earlier in the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and at The Energy and Resources Institute as its Director General.