José Miguel Bermúdez Menéndez works for the International Energy Agency (IEA) as an Energy Technology Analyst, coordinating the analytical work of the IEA in hydrogen technologies. He is also the coordinator of the Clean Energy Ministerial Hydrogen Initiative. Jose is a chemical engineer by training and holds an MSc degree in Process and Environmental Engineering and a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering. He started his professional career in research, working for the Spanish National Research Council and the Imperial College London, focusing on the areas of hydrogen production and bioenergy. After 10 years in research, he joined the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy of the UK Government in 2017 to work as a technical energy specialist. He was responsible for providing technical and scientific advice for the development and implementation of energy policies dealing with bioenergy, hydrogen and shale gas. During this time, he held an Honorary Research Fellow position at Imperial College London. He joined the IEA in 2020.

Russell Bradbrooke is a General Manager (EXCO member) of Transnet Pipelines, registered professional engineer and Fellow of SAIChE with a process engineering background (BSc Eng Chem and BCom) who has spent 37 years in various process engineering design, engineering management, project management and operations management related roles. His experience has predominantly been in the oil and gas sector of EPCM/ EPC engineering consultant/ contracting organisations with significant experience in the liquid fuel and gas pipelines project management function in client organisations. He has also operated in extractive metallurgy and water treatment in client organisations. Russell has fulfilled various leadership roles throughout the full lifecycle of project phases. From 2003-2016 he fulfilled various technical and non-technical executive roles in consultant companies predominantly as the contractor but also as the owners’ engineer. Technical troubleshooting is one of his core skills. As an international business operations executive, Russell was responsible for managing strategy and profit and loss through business unit planning, non-technical contract negotiation and work-sharing with other offices. He is a capable technical and business executive in both a project and corporate role where he has a track record of being actively involved in the design, engineering management and project management of many medium to large oil and gas projects.

With over 25 years’ experience in ESG and impact in Africa, James is a leading adviser to the private equity and financial services industry. He was founder and CEO to EBS Advisory before EBS was acquired by EY Parthenon in May 2023. James has constantly innovated the ESG and impact fields having started the first environmental insurance offering, an ESG unit trust and the first impact placement service in Africa. James has worked in over 32 countries in Africa, Europe, South America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, which gives him a unique insight into impact across emerging markets. James holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering and a MSc in Environmental & Civil Engineering. In 2007, he completed his PMD at the Gordon Institute for Business Science.

With over 17 years of experience in sustainability and infrastructure, Daniel is passionate about providing quantifiable solutions to business decisions and strategies. As a partner at EY, he focuses particularly on the growing e-fuels, hydrogen, and bioenergy market, where I help companies as well as the public sector decarbonize and transform. His work ranges from developing strategies for the regional hydrogen economy, to designing national bioenergy strategies, to enabling the production of sustainable (aviation) fuels (e-fuels and biofuels). A particular focus is on building business models that enable his clients to act both as demanders of green hydrogen and bioenergy derivatives and as investors or producers in these sectors. Daniel is committed to linking sustainability efforts with business value creation by helping companies financially manage their sustainability transformation. In doing so, he uses his expertise in business modeling to develop concrete and financially-viable business cases that minimise the barriers to investment decisions. In his role as a lecturer at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, he has also shared his skills in financial modelling and M&A to train the next generation of sustainability and finance professionals.

Kim is a Chartered Financial Analyst with local and international experience gained within the Anglo American Group. She has a diverse skill set encompassing programme and change management, strategy formulation and execution, business development and research. Currently serving as the Head of the CEO's Office, Kim plays a pivotal role in driving the transformation agenda of the business. She oversees the efficient management and coordination of the CEO’s accountabilities both internally and externally, facilitating streamlined processes that enable the CEO to focus on operational and strategic priorities. In addition, Kim ensures the seamless functioning of the CEO's Office, thus contributing to the overall effectiveness and success of the organisation's endeavours.

Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz joined the EU Delegation to South Africa as Deputy Head of Mission on 1 September 2023.Prior to his new appointment, he worked in the European Commission as Policy Assistant to the Director General for International Partnerships, Mr Koen Doens (2019-2023). Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz has served previously in the EU Delegations to Albania (2008-2011) and to Somalia (2017-2019), the latter as Head of the Political, Press and Information Section. He holds a degree in law from the University of Granada, Spain, and postgraduate diplomas in European law from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and in Global Business from the Said Business School at the University of Oxford (UK).

Deena has spent the past two decades at the BMW Group.  A qualified engineer, he was part of the engineering development team of the BMW Group’s first two series electrified vehicles.  Returning to South Africa, he led the introduction and market development of the BMW Group’s electric sub-brand BMW i, which included introducing the first BMW i electric vehicles into the market.  Well versed in South Africa’s energy and industrial economic policy landscape, he is currently managing the BMW Group's hydrogen vehicle project in South Africa.

Henrik Hartmann leads the secretariat of the bilateral energy partnership between South Africa and Germany. Established through a joint declaration in 2013, the partnership aims to advance the bilateral dialogue and practical cooperation between both countries on sustainable energy. As the Head of Secretariat, Henrik’s responsibilities include coordinating the intergovernmental dialogue on energy issues, providing policy advice and leading the cooperation with industry associations and research institutes. Henrik is an international affairs specialist and has worked for the German Government, the UN and research institutions.

Nadège Hopman is the Deputy Head of the regional representation for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean at the European Investment Bank. She worked in development finance at the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in Paris where she was on secondment and provided technical expertise in carbon capture and storage, oil & gas and geothermal energy during her first years at the EIB.

Before devoting her work to investment and development finance, she worked with Schlumberger for 12 years, mostly in Africa and the North Sea. She held various positions from field engineer to service manager and went on to lead technical teams on some first-of-a-kind CO2 storage projects in Europe. She has co-authored several papers both on technical and on psychology-related topics. Nadège holds a Masters in Civil Engineering, a Masters in Geophysics, an MBA from INSEAD, a BSc in Psychology and is PMP certified.

Joyce is the Africa Manager for the Green Hydrogen Organisation, where she supports the activities of the organisation and provides coordinating support to the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance (AGHA).  Joyce also offers advisory support in the Office of the Special Envoy for Climate Change, Kenya. She previously worked as a Policy and Communications Associate for the power and climate team at the Rockefeller Foundation New York, where she supported the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP). Joyce previously supported the USAID-funded Power Africa East Africa Energy Program under the primary contractor RTI International and Oxfam International in Kenya. She holds a Master's in Global Development from Cornell University and a Master’s in Communication from United States University (USIU) Africa.

Itumeleng (Tumi) Kgomo, a mega-project specialist, started his career as a hotelier and worked for numerous local and global chains. Being the entrepreneur he is, he left the tourism trade to run a specialist development firm. It was in 2007 that he was approached by the National Treasury of South Africa to become an operational specialist for G20 and subsequently to develop operational plan templates for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa, the setting up of the monitoring tools for the tournament and the scope of development thereto. Post the World Cup, Treasury retained him for his project management expertise in mega-project evaluation to further add value to: a feasibility study of the 2015 Rugby World Cup tournament for and within the bid negotiations and the 2030 Olympic bid; project management for treasury on the Medupi and Kusile Power stations and Ingula Pump Storage Scheme. The mandate was to monitor and evaluate the new build programmes and he was further charged with co-developing and motivating a 50-year energy programme for the country. In 2012, he was retained by the Department of Public Enterprises to monitor and evaluate their mega-projects, which were of national interest.  Oversight on the presidential projects, known as Strategic Integration Projects (SIPs), were also part of his responsibility. Currently, Tumi is the Chief Executive Officer of EPCM Global, an engineering and consulting firm that focuses on business innovation enablement, specifically within the energy and nuclear sector and first-of-a-kind technologies.

With mechatronic and mechanical engineering as a background, Dexter King has utilized his practical work experience coupled with his passion for business development to provide valuable insights into PPAs, project developments and cultivating relationships with large off takers within the renewable energy industry.

Simon has 28 years’ experience in the industrial gases market, having worked with Air Products and Chemicals Inc. in various commercial and management roles internationally. He has worked in the Middle East region for the past 16 years and is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Ireland. Chart Industries, Inc. is a leading independent global manufacturer of highly engineered equipment servicing multiple market applications in energy and industrial gas. Our unique product portfolio is used throughout the liquid gas supply chain in the production, storage, distribution and end-use of atmospheric, hydrocarbon and industrial gases. Chart’s vision is to be the global leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of cryogenic process technologies and equipment for the Nexus of Clean™ - clean power, clean water, clean food and clean industrials, regardless of molecule. Chart has operations located across the United States, Asia, Australia, Europe and Latin America.

Hendrik Louw holds a Masters in Development Sciences from the University of the Free State. He has more than twenty years’ work experience and most of this he gained in the private  and public sectors in terms of socio-economic development. He has extensive local and international exposure and experience. His passion is and always will be socio-economic development for Africa, and specifically South Africa and the Northern Cape and developing regions globally. For the past few years he has led the Northern Cape Green Hydrogen and Just Energy Transition Participation process which includes the Northern Cape Green Hydrogen Strategy, Boegoeberg project, Western SADC Green Hydrogen and several other mobility-related projects

Amanda Makgoga is a young, vibrant and ambitious engineer. She holds a Baccalaureus Technology in Electrical Engineering, a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Management (Cum laude), a BSc honours in Technology Management and MSc in Technology and Innovation Management and a Master of  Business Administration. She is currently registered as a Professional Engineering Technologist with the Engineering Council of South Africa and is a member of Golden Key through University of Pretoria. She has over 13 years of experience in multi-disciplinary fields such as renewable energy, green hydrogen, project planning, leadership, operation and maintenance management, asset management, strategy and planning. She started her career in Eskom in November 2010 and is currently a Renewable Energy and Green Hydrogen Sector Specialist at the Transnet National Ports Authority. During these years, she has honed her skills in the energy sector through the management of reliability projects, the establishment of a new technical section at Eskom’s Distribution Division and the improvement of operation and maintenance through the rollout of complex refurbishment projects and technology to improve technical performance. She is currently developing and deploying renewable energy as well as green hydrogen initiatives for all eight national ports of South Africa to aid in achieving the net-zero goal by 2050.

Rivhatshinyi Mandavha is an investment manager for Norfund, the Norwegian investment fund for developing countries with a mission to create jobs and improve lives by investing in sustainable businesses, in their southern African regional offices overseeing investments into renewable energy. Her finance career spans private credit, private equity, project finance and investment banking, focused on emerging markets across infrastructure, healthcare and manufacturing sectors. She started her career as an electrical engineer with Anglo American in their Secunda colliery and thereafter moved to join the investment banking division of ABSA. Prior to Norfund, she worked across infrastructure, climate and blended finance at IDC and BII, the British development finance institution. Rivha holds a B.Sc Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Cape Town, an M.Sc in Investments from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master’s in Finance from the University of Cambridge.

Dr Rebecca Maserumule is currently the Chairperson of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE).  IPHE, formed in 2003, is an international governmental partnership currently consisting of 21 member countries and the European Commission with a mission to facilitate and accelerate the transition to clean and efficient energy and mobility systems using hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across application and sectors.  IPHE also informs broad stakeholder groups, including policymakers and the public, on the benefits and challenges to establishing widespread commercial hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the economy.  Dr Rebecca Maserumule is also Chief Science and Technology Representative: Hydrogen and Vaccines at the National Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) in South Africa.  Her responsibilities include fostering international partnerships to support the successful implementation of the Hydrogen Society Roadmap. Rebecca holds a Ph.D in Mathematics with a focus on computational fluid dynamics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.  Before joining the DSI she worked for the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy as an Industrial Energy Efficiency Specialist and a Demand Modelling Specialist supporting the development of energy policies. Her early working career was spent as a senior researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. 

Zanele Mavuso Mbatha has over 28 years of work experience in the renewable energy, mining and financial markets. She is the CEO of Bambili Energy, a hydrogen energy solutions provider and manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell systems and their sub-components. On behalf of Bambili, Zanele is co-leading the development of the fuel cell industry in South Africa through the development of the First Hydrogen Corridor in South Africa in partnership with South African and international corporations for the roll-out of hydrogen fuel cell trucks and buses, the First Hydrogen Valley in South Africa in partnership with the South African Government and local and international corporations for hydrogen economic hubs and the first hydrogen fuel cell training programme in Africa, graduating 35 engineers and technicians. Zanele was previously Head of Financial Markets at the SA Reserve Bank, the unit which manages the country’s foreign reserves and implements South Africa's monetary policy. She is the former CEO of Incwala Resources, a platinum mining company in South Africa. Zanele was also a Co-founder and Director of Dema Group, a majority shareholder in Incwala Resources. She is also the former Executive Director of Abt Associates Inc., where she co-established its regional office for southern Africa and was responsible for advising the South African government on the telecommunication and transportation sectors. Before Abt Associates, Zanele was an Investment Banker at Salomon Brothers and J.P. Morgan Inc. in New York City, USA. Zanele is a graduate of Mills College, Oakland, California, USA. She has served as Non-Executive Director and Chairman on several boards, including Lonplats (a subsidiary of Lonmin Plc), Hollard Insurance, Dema Group and Incwala Resources. She has received awards from the World Economic Forum and Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Jonathan Metcalfe is the Business Case Development Manager for ENERTRAG South Africa. ENERTRAG is a German-based renewable energy company with activities in wind, solar PV, storage, green hydrogen and grid infrastructure. Active in 15 countries and with a large portfolio of renewable energy assets, ENERTRAG has been a pioneer of both the wind and the hydrogen industry. Jonathan sits within the global PtX division, working across a portfolio of projects largely focused on commercial scale PtX export hubs. Most notable is his role as the project manager for the Hyphen Hydrogen Energy project in Namibia, which is Africa’s largest fully-integrated hydrogen project. Before joining ENERTRAG, he headed up the Hydrogen division for PwC South Africa and worked closely on decarbonisation strategies for the mining industry. Jonathan studied economics and mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

With more than 20 years’ advisory experience for the global financial industry as a partner at KPMG, Christoph has an in-depth understanding of structuring the financing and de-risking of large-scale PtX projects. He joined the PtX Hub in September 2022. Within the International PtX Hub he brings in his expertise with a particular focus on de-risking and structured finance. He holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Socially Responsible Investment. 

Masopha is the Minister of Electricity in the Presidency’s Advisor on Green Hydrogen and the Presidency Lead on Green Hydrogen. He is also the acting CEO of the Waste Management Bureau, an entity of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Prior to joining government in 2020, Masopha was the Managing Director of an investment company with interests in renewable energy, waste water treatment and waste management and recycling. Masopha holds an MBA, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management and a Bachelor of Commerce.

John is the Managing Director of Delf Consulting Engineers, a specialist consulting firm with offices in South Africa and India. He holds a degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Stellenbosch and is a registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa.  He has a professional career spanning over 30 years, of which the last 15 years have been focused on developing and implementing renewable energy projects. In 2010 he started work on the use of hydrogen and ammonia as energy carriers for storing and transporting renewable energy from African countries where this is abundant.  This work included finding the lowest cost energy for conversion into zero carbon fuels. John has vast experience in executing infrastructure and energy projects throughout Africa through concept, feasibility, detailed design and execution. John is passionate about sustainability and finding innovative technological solutions to today’s challenges. It is this passion that provided the opportunity to become part of the team developing a game-changing green hydrogen project in South Africa. From 2019 John has been working together with Hive Energy on their 1200MW capacity Coega Green Ammonia Project, and as Technical Director he has been responsible for all concept engineering, planning, design and commercial modelling of the project from the electron portion through to the molecule production, storage and shipping. Hive Energy is developing a $5.9 billion green ammonia project in Gqeberha, South Africa. The project will deliver 1 000 000 tons of green ammonia per year from renewable energy sources generated in the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape provinces. The project has achieved Strategic Integrated Project status from the South African Government which was gazetted in December 2022, and is considered to be a light house project for South Africa whilst fully underpinning the Just Energy Transition. The project aims to provide 20 000 direct and indirect jobs in an area which has one of the highest unemployment figures in South Africa.  A total of 3 600 MW of solar and wind energy projects are under development to supply energy to the plant. The planned commercial operation date is Q1 2029.

Mike Peo is the Head of Infrastructure, Energy and Telecommunications for Nedbank CIB, part of the Nedbank Group. Mike is a CA (SA), has completed an Advanced Management Programme at INSEAD and has 28 years of investment banking experience. Mike has served on numerous boards of directors/advisory boards over the past 20 years, including: Chairman – International Project Finance Association (SA Chapter), Advisor – The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (Southern Africa)

Mahandra Rooplall is an experienced energy industry and development finance professional and is currently an Industry Planner at the IDC. He served as the Secretariat of the Green Hydrogen Panel that developed South Africa’s Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy and has also contributed to the green hydrogen chapter in South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan. He was previously a Senior Project Development Manager in the New Industries department at IDC. Before joining IDC, Mahandra worked on mega projects at PwC and Arup. Prior to joining Arup, he worked in the energy industry for 11 years undertaking investment analysis and risk management on major investments, business development on green field projects, project management on multidisciplinary projects and design of plant optimisation systems. Mahandra has a degree in Electronic Engineering and an MBA.  He is registered as a professional engineer (PrEng) and as a project management professional (PMP).

Marge leads PGMs Advocacy Manager for Johnson Matthey and is also a member of JM’s PGM Market Research team. After graduating as an engineer from UCT, she started her working life with Implats, before emigrating to the UK in 2006 and joining Johnson Matthey, where she has held a variety of roles. Over the past ten years, her focus has been on analysing the energy transition and its implications for PGMs and she has also worked on climate scenarios for TCFD purposes.

David Sekgororwana is the Managing Director of African Hydrogen Ventures (AHV), a company incorporated in South Africa to invest in and advance the commercialisation of hydrogen value chain opportunities in the continent. Prior to joining AHV, David was a Business Development Manager at the Industrial Development Corporation responsible for the renewable energy sector. David is a Chemical Engineer by profession but honed his career over 20 years in various disciplines.

Vinay Somera is the founder and CEO of Isondo Precious Metals. He has 30 years of experience within the platinum and associated industries and spent 25 years within the Impala Platinum group of companies working across many functional areas, and finally serving as the Implats Group Executive: Market Development and Strategy. While at Implats, he helped create and build Impala Refining Services (IRS), a subsidiary of Implats, from a zero base into a 1-million-ounce platinum refiner with a multi-billion-rand turnover. A strong proponent of beneficiation of metals in South Africa, he left Implats in 2013 and founded Isondo Precious Metals to help create a precious metals beneficiation industry. Vinay has a BSc degree in Mathematics and Chemistry, as well as a BCom (Hons) degree. He also holds an Executive MBA from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

Dr Andries van der Linde is credited with pioneering the South African wind energy industry and he was instrumental in signing the first South African PPA in1996. This resulted in the first fully commercial wind farm being developed in South Africa. He has vast experience as an energy specialist working with and for government, private companies, the World Bank and GEF. Andries has a Master’s in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Electrical Engineering. He is also a Master Electrician and a registered electrical technologist.

Sietse has a Master's degree in radiation physics. As a manager at the National Nuclear Regulator, he was responsible for the establishment of a regulatory framework for radiation protection in mining. He did his MBA with a focus on integrating sustainability issues into the strategy of businesses. He then joined Xstrata as a manager responsible for safety, health, environment and quality. In 2004 he was appointed as the Head of Safety and Sustainable Development at the Minerals Council SA.

Philipp is Executive Vice President at Heraeus Precious Metals and leading the business line Hydrogen Systems. Philipp is a chemist by education and received a PhD from the University of Freiburg, Germany. Philipp has held various management positions in R&D, new business development, marketing and sales in Norway, USA and Switzerland.

Bradford M. Willis is the current Green Hydrogen Lead for High-Level Champions for COP28 and COP29. Bradford is an expert in energy systems integration and green hydrogen - supporting non-party stakeholders in engaging in the government-to-government COP process to deliver on economy-wide breakthroughs as outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Neil Woolcock is the Business Development and Commercial Director of Air Liquide Large Industries South Africa (ALLISA), which owns and operates the largest oxygen production site in the world, with strong energy transition goals for the assets including renewable energy. Prior to moving to ALLISA he led the development of new business for Air Liquide in Africa, focusing on large projects in the chemicals, metals and oil and gas markets.