Renewable energy security: The next risk frontier

Gerard Reid is a Co-founder and Partner at Alexa Capital, an independent financial services business committed to mobilizing capital towards achieving net-zero. He is also a Fellow at the Institute of the Environment at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Global Future Council on Advanced Energy Technologies at the World Economic Forum. Gerard has developed a strong reputation as a leading global expert in the energy and mobility space. A trusted authority on the energy transition, he is a published author and avid blogger, with a following of more than 200k across several platforms. He is also the co-host of “REDEFINING ENERGY” podcast, the leading energy podcast in Europe. He is focused on empowering and accelerating change by advising organizations, industry leaders and global decision-makers (business, finance and government) on the transition towards net-zero carbon emissions. His breadth of experience stems from 20 years working in the finance industry (equity research, fund management and corporate finance) with a focus on both the energy transition and the digital energy revolution the sector is going through. Prior to founding Alexa Capital, he was Managing Director and Head of European Cleantech Research at Jefferies & Co. Gerard was also a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, TU Berlin and Imperial College in London.

Renewable energy finance leader with 15+ years’ experience and a €4bn+ transaction track record across Europe. Skilled in taking platforms from early-stage growth to large-scale project finance, refinancing, and M&A. Completed 70+ transactions with leading institutional investors and banks, covering the full investment cycle — from origination and acquisition to operational optimisation.

Peter Baard is a strategic advisor at Alliander, focusing on digitalization and resilience in the energy sector, and chairs the Energy ISAC to advance shared threat intelligence and cyber readiness across European energy infrastructure. With 20+ years in energy and leadership in sector security groups and ethical hacking community DIVD, he works to strengthen cyber resilience in an increasingly digital, decentralized energy system.