Future of Energy

Phil grew up in the UK during the 1970s, a decade shaped by high inflation, labour disputes, power shortages, strict exchange controls, and an IMF stabilisation programme, and has spent his career working in countries with similarly complex challenges. His 35-year career has encompassed leadership roles in major global investment banks and entrepreneurial ventures alike. Since 1998, Phil has lived and worked across the emerging markets of Asia and CEEMEA (Central/Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa). For the past 12 years, he has been a Partner and Managing Director of Chapel Hill Denham, sub-Saharan Africa’s largest investment banking firm. Chapel Hill Denham has pioneered listed alternatives in Nigeria and the wider region, launching innovative infrastructure and real estate closed-end funds. Based in Lagos, Chapel Hill Denham completed transactions in ten African countries last year. Phil chairs the Investment Committee and sits on the Board of Trustfund Pensions, a Nigerian pension fund manager, and is a Non-Executive Director of AMEA Power, accelerating renewable energy projects across Africa and emerging Asia.

Robin is a biodiversity investment safeguards and nature-climate impact finance expert with over 25 years’ global experience. Robin has led the formulation of cutting-edge nature-related financing mechanisms, investment safeguards, corporate strategy, and disclosure or verification frameworks through advisory support to global leaders across the World Bank Group, IUCN, TNFD, and many WBCSD-member companies. While experienced in policy he is grounded in implementation having supported more than 100 major projects around the world to meet IFC Performance Standards, including all types of renewable energy and other sectors. With a Doctorate in restoration ecology, Robin has technical expertise in baselines, impact assessment, biodiversity metrics, offsets, and nature-based solutions; he enjoys learning to be effective in different cultural and organisational settings and solving ‘wicked’ problems.

Matteo Brambilla is Red Rocket’s Chief Executive Officer and the visionary leader behind its meteoric rise. Anchoring the Executive team, he is in charge of stewarding the company’s organisational culture, identity, and growth. With close to two decades of experience in the renewable energy industry, Matteo has strategically paved the way for exciting business opportunities in the fold, positioning Red Rocket as the leading Independent Power Producer in South Africa. Drawing from the coordinated synergy of a rugby squad as a former player, he is committed to developing each member of the organisation and motivating them to reach success. His leadership and passion for culture are further strengthened by his Postgraduate Degrees in Economics, Law, and Business Management, specialising in Organisational Behaviour.

Marie is a Founding Partner of Wavemaker Impact, the first VC backed climate tech venture builder in SouthEast Asia. Wavemaker Impact co-founds start ups with experienced entreprenuers with the aim of building a portfolio of scaleable companies that can abate 10% of the global carbon budget. Marie has worked with over 20 entrepreneurs to help them build their businesses. In the last two years, Marie has focused exclusively on launching climate tech startups in Southeast Asia and is passionate about increasing the pipeline of women founders in the sector. Prior to joining Wavemaker Impact, Marie led the Venture Build program at ENGIE Factory, where she was responsible for building a portfolio of 10 climate tech ventures valued at over US $8m at pre-seed round. Marie was also the general manager at a SAAS startup and a senior member of KPMG's Digital + Innovation team. Her career also includes stints in management consulting and in a construction company where she specialized in operations strategy, business development, cost reduction and process improvement. Marie has a MBA from the National University of Singapore where she graduated as valedictorian and holder of the Panasonic Marketing Award.

Sean Kidney, FRSA, is CEO of the Climate Bonds Initiative, an international NGO working to mobilize global capital for climate action. He oversees green bond development programs on six continents, now with an estimate US$3tn outstanding. Projects include market definition (taxonomies; data provision to green bond indices and investors; green bond certification); and public institution support projects. Sean is a member of the EU’s Platform on Sustainable Finance, the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Sustainable Finance Advisory Panel, sovereign green bond advisory committees in France and the UK, the Finance Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency, the FAO’s Finance Advisory Committee and Japan’s GX Accelerator Advisory Committee.

Juan Ospina Lopez is an experienced E&S professional specializing in assessments and due diligence for renewable energy projects across diverse regions. With a strong focus on compliance with IFC Performance Standards, Juan has led and supported due diligence and E&S assessments for wind, solar, and other energy developments, ensuring alignment with international best practices and lender requirements. Juan’s work includes conducting gap analyses, designing action plans, and overseeing implementation of measures such as bird and bat monitoring, critical habitat assessments, stakeholder engagement, among others. He has collaborated with multidisciplinary teams and financial institutions to deliver sustainable solutions that balance development goals with environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

As Head of Asia at SUSI Partners, Wymen Chan leads the firm's investment strategy focused on energy transition infrastructure opportunities in Southeast Asia. He has extensive equity investment experience, particularly in the renewable and clean-tech energy sector with a focus on Asian markets. Before joining SUSI Partners in 2018, Wymen worked for Armstrong Asset Management, where he was a senior member of the investment team. Prior to that, he was a Director at Maybank MEACP, a fund focussed on renewable energy investments across Asia.

Tom Cairnes has been working and investing in West Africa since 2006, when he founded ManoCap to invest in small and medium-sized enterprises across the region. Over the past 19 years, he has led extensive investments in West African businesses spanning the finance, agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, and services sectors. In 2017, Tom co-founded ManoCap Energy, which finances the energy transition for commercial and industrial customers in West Africa. Based in Ghana, the company has designed, built, and financed solar energy solutions for businesses across the region. Tom holds a BA in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford and an MA in Development Economics from the University of Cambridge. He is also the founder of the Welbodi Partnership, a charity focused on improving maternal and child health in Sierra Leone, and the Freetown Music Festival, an annual event celebrating live music and cultural creativity in Sierra Leone.

Gilles brings 20 years of experience in infrastructure and energy sectors with an extensive track record in principal investing, project finance and asset management. He founded Africa REN in 2014, a leading developer and investor in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructures in Sub Saharan Africa. Gilles holds an MBA from ESSEC Business School and has a master’s in business law from Assas University.

Mr. Pai is a Founder/Managing partner of GEF Capital Partners, where he co-leads its South Asia investment program. GEF, with presence in US, Latin America and South Asia, is an early pioneer in global sustainability and environmental investing globally. GEF manages well over $1.2 billion capital focusing on middle-market opportunities in the climate/sustainability investment spectrum. Mr. Pai has over 25 years of professional experience spanning entrepreneurial, operational and investing activities in diverse sectors including telecom (data centers included), transportation, energy, digital and water infrastructure. He also serves on the investment committees of GEF’s South Asia, US and Latin America investment programs. In addition to general oversight, Raj also represents in the firm’s ESG & Impact committee and has been instrumental in steering GEF’s South Asia program towards being 100% Paris Climate aligned, TCFD linked and to being an SFDR Article 9 aligned platform. Prior to GEF, Mr. Pai was a Managing Director at CID Capital, a US based mid-market venture firm, and previously, Mr. Pai worked in consulting and in operational capacities for several global Fortune 500 technology companies, including AT&T and British Telecommunications in US and in India. Mr. Pai currently serves (and has served previously) on the boards of several of GEF’s portfolio companies in diverse sectors and was instrumental in several successful growth stories and exits among them. Mr. Pai holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago, a Master of Computer Science from Arizona State University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Bombay. He remains an active member and participant in various global forums including the Global Impact Investment Network (GIIN), the United Nations Principles of Responsible Investment (UNPRI), the 2X Challenge (Gender lens investing), Task Force for Climate Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the Global Private Capital Association (GPCA).

As of 2020 Marieke is Manager of the Private Equity Ventures team at FMO, the dedicated Venture Capital team that is responsible for the implementation, deployment and overall management of the FMO Ventures Program and other early-stage investments with a focus on technology and innovation. Previously she worked as Principal Investment Officer at the Private Equity department focusing on investments in renewable (off grid) energy. Prior to this she spent 2.5 years as Fund Manager at FMO Investment Management, where she was responsible for the fundraising efforts of an Africa focused Fund of Funds initiative. Before joining FMO Investment Management in 2013, Marieke worked as Senior Investment Officer at FMO’s Private Equity department for nearly nine years. She is a seasoned private equity professional with ample transaction experience in fund investments as well as direct investments and served on the Advisory Board of several investment funds. Prior to joining FMO in 2004, Marieke worked as Analyst at the Corporate Development department of ABN AMRO Bank. She holds a Master of Science in Business Administration from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

Michael Jongeneel is the CEO of FMO. FMO is the Dutch development bank with a total portfolio of ~$15B in ~85 emerging markets. FMO focuses on 3 sectors: financial institutions, renewable energy and food/agri, including forestry. Michael has held several non-executive board positions in among others a few social enterprises and NGOs, e.g. Oxfam International. Prior to FMO Michael worked at McKinsey, Triodos Bank and Bain. For the latter Michael founded, as partner in the Amsterdam office, Bain’s sustainable finance practice and led this worldwide practice for several years. Michael has over 15 years’ experience in sustainable finance. Michael is ensuring his family currently lives CO2 neutral, and aims to be cumulative net zero before 2030. Michael also authored a book on future leadership.

Edwin founded Solarplaza company in 2004. He is a senior PV expert and started in the photovoltaic solar energy business in 1994. He has experience as a solar energy consultant and project developer in more than 200 PV projects. Edwin holds a Master’s degree in Chemical engineering and previously worked in the Chemical industry before starting his first consultancy company in PV in 1994.

Talitha Muusse is a social entrepreneur and renowned speaker on sustainability, generational leadership, and social innovation. She co-founded Blikverruimers, the first Dutch initiative promoting young professionals to supervisory board roles, and currently develops sustainable energy projects through a dedicated incubator for Gen Y changemakers. Talitha also serves on the supervisory board of MVO Nederland (Corporate Sustainability Responsibility) and regularly hosts events and interviews on stage and screen. As one of our top-rated speakers in 2024, we’re thrilled to welcome her back to the Future of Energy 2026.