International Energy Week
Speakers
Discover leading speakers at International Energy Week, featuring global energy experts and insights to help you stay ahead of industry trends.
Chad Seely
Senior Vice President, Regulatory Policy, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
Albert Cheung - CEO, Bloomberg New Energy Finance
About the speaker
Albert Cheung is Chief Executive Officer of BloombergNEF (BNEF), the research arm of Bloomberg LP focused on the global energy transition. Appointed CEO in 2025, he previously served as Deputy CEO and Head of Global Transition Analysis, overseeing BNEF's research across clean energy, transport, industry, buildings and sustainable finance. Cheung joined BNEF in 2009 and has held successive leadership roles including Head of Energy Smart Technologies and Head of Product. He and his team provide data-driven analysis to energy companies, financial institutions and policymakers navigating the low-carbon transition. Cheung holds an MEng in Electrical and Information Engineering from the University of Cambridge.
Andrew Bowie MP - UK Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security
About the speaker
Andrew Bowie is the Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, and has been an MP continually since 8 June 2017. He currently undertakes the role of UK Shadow Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
In government under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, he served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (2023–2024), where he was the UK's first Minister for Nuclear and Networks.
Andy Brown OBE FEI - Deputy Chair, Ørsted & President, Energy Institute
Andy Brown OBE FEI
Deputy Chair, Ørsted & President, Energy Institute
About the speaker
Andy joined the Board of international offshore wind energy developer Ørsted as a non-executive director in 2023, stepped into the role of COO for a period of 5 months at the end of that year, and in 2024 was elected Deputy Chair.
Prior to that he spent two years as CEO of Galp, the Portuguese energy company, where he focused on the transformation of the company to thrive through the energy transition.
After graduating in Engineering Science from Cambridge University, Andy enjoyed a 35-year international career with Royal Dutch Shell in seven countries, responsible amongst other things for establishing and delivering Shell’s business in Qatar, in particular Pearl GTL. During his last 7 years at Shell, he served on the Executive Committee leading the world’s largest Integrated Gas business and as Upstream Director for integrating the acquisition of BG into the company.
After leaving Shell and before leading Galp, Andy took on a portfolio of roles including Vice Chairman of SBM, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Co., Consultant for JMJ and Advisor to ZeroAvia. He is known for his energetic and inspirational leadership, passionate not only about improving business performance, but also about the safety, welfare, and development of people.
Andy is married with 4 children and 4 grandchildren and enjoys golf, skiing, padel and hiking.
Bayo Ojulari - Group CEO, NNPC Limited
About the speaker
Bayo Ojulari is the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Limited), appointed by President Bola Tinubu in April 2025. A mechanical engineer with nearly 35 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, he previously served as Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) from 2015 to 2021, overseeing the company's deepwater operations. Most recently, as Executive Vice President and COO of Renaissance Africa Energy Company, he led a consortium of indigenous firms in the US$2.4 billion acquisition of Shell's Nigerian onshore assets. His career spans upstream operations across Nigeria, Europe and the Middle East.
Bono Ge - Country Manager UK and Ireland, BYD
About the speaker
Bono Ge is Country Manager for BYD UK and Ireland, responsible for the company's passenger car business development and operations across both markets. He joined BYD in 2008 and established BYD UK in 2011, spearheading the introduction of BYD's electric bus fleet in London and other major UK cities. In 2017, he moved to BYD Energy Storage as Director of Business Development, leading the expansion of energy storage solutions across Europe. He returned to the UK in November 2022 to build BYD's passenger car business, which has since grown rapidly — the UK is now BYD's largest market outside China. In June 2026, he received Autocar's Outstanding UK Leader award.
Chad Seely - Senior Vice President, Regulatory Policy, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT)
About the speaker
Chad V. Seely is Senior Vice President, Regulatory Policy, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Corporate Secretary at the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the organisation that manages the flow of electric power to more than 26 million Texas customers.
He has served as General Counsel since January 2016 and has been with ERCOT since 2005. In his role, he oversees state and federal energy policy, litigation strategy, compliance, public affairs, and corporate communications. Prior to ERCOT, Seely was an enforcement attorney at the Texas Department of Insurance. He holds a J.D. from South Texas College of Law and dual degrees from Texas Tech University.
Dev Sanyal FEI - Group CEO, VAROPreem
About the speaker
Dev Sanyal is Group Chief Executive Officer of VAROPreem, based in Zug, Switzerland. He was appointed to this role in VARO Energy effective 1 January 2022 prior to the acquisition of Preem AB in January 2026 resulting in the formation of VAROPreem.
Emma Pinchbeck FEI - CEO, Climate Change Committee
Emma Pinchbeck FEI
CEO, Climate Change Committee
About the speaker
Emma Pinchbeck is the Chief Executive of the Climate Change Committee, the UK’s national climate advisor. The body advises on the country’s Carbon Budgets and Climate Change Risk Assessments and does annual assessments of the Government’s progress.
From 2020-2024 Emma was the Chief Executive of Energy UK. Emma is an expert in whole-economy decarbonisation and the energy transition and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute. From 2016-2020, she served as deputy CEO of the trade body Renewable UK, in which role she also sat on the Board of Scottish Renewables and worked with Renewable UK Cymru and Northern Ireland.
Prior to this, Emma was Head of Climate Change and Energy at WWF-UK, in which role she worked on the international Paris Agreement, UK coal phase out, international aviation and shipping, and the design of UK renewables policy.
Dr Fatih Birol HonFEI - Executive Director, International Energy Agency
About the speaker
As Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Dr Fatih Birol has positioned the IEA at the forefront of global efforts to advance a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system. Since taking office in 2015, he has modernised the Agency by broadening its energy security mandate beyond oil to include electricity, natural gas, renewables and critical minerals, strengthened the Agency's global leadership in clean energy transitions and expanded IEA membership to include major emerging countries. As a result, the IEA’s share of global energy demand coverage has increased from 40% to over 80%. He has also played a central role in the global response to major energy security emergencies, including those triggered by the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis.
Dr Birol joined the IEA in 1995 and steadily rose through the ranks from junior analyst to Chief Economist, where he oversaw the flagship World Energy Outlook. Throughout his career, he has been a leading advocate for expanding access to electricity and clean cooking solutions in developing countries, particularly in Africa.
He has twice been included in the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential figures, in 2021 and 2026. His numerous honours include the French Legion of Honour, the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, the Swedish King’s Order of the Polar Star, and the highest state decorations from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Korea, Portugal, and the United Arab Emirates.
Before joining the IEA, Dr Birol worked for the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna. He holds degrees in power engineering and energy economics from the Technical University of Istanbul and the Technical University of Vienna. He also has an honorary doctorate from Imperial College London and has been elected a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s Energy Advisory Board and is an honorary life member of Galatasaray Football Club.
Dr Fawaz Bitar FREng FEI - Incoming CEO, Energy Institute
About the speaker
Dr. Fawaz “Fuzzy” Bitar is a globally recognized energy executive with over 35 years of experience across six continents. As SVP for Health, Safety, Environment & Carbon at bp, he leads global safety strategy and advances the company’s carbon and sustainability goals.
Previously, he headed bp’s global operations, overseeing 40,000 staff in 28 countries and driving cultural and operational transformation. He also served as Chief of Staff to the Upstream CEO, enhancing global delivery.
From 2018 to 2023, Fuzzy chaired the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), promoting industry-wide collaboration on safety and operations excellence. Presently, he chairs the Aker BP and BPX board sub-committees for safety and environmental assurance.
A Fellow of both the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Energy Institute, and an Honorary Professor at the Universities of Aberdeen and Brunel, he bridges academia and industry through a combination of technical expertise and practical leadership. He also serves as a Non-Executive Director on a UK Government Safety and Environment Board and advises organisations on complex operational and crisis challenges through the McKinsey Crisis Advisory Board.
Fuzzy holds a BEng from Newcastle University and a Doctorate in Human Performance in Safety Management from the University of Aberdeen, with executive education from London Business School and INSEAD. His leadership is shaped by global experience and personal resilience, known for uniting teams and driving performance with sustainable results.
Kayte O'Neill FEI - Chief Operating Officer, National Energy System Operator (NESO)
About the speaker
Kayte O'Neill is Chief Operating Officer of the National Energy System Operator (NESO), the organisation responsible for planning Great Britain's electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system. She leads NESO's operational teams and oversees delivery of the organisation's new roles in support of the UK's net zero ambitions.
Previously, Kayte spent over 20 years at National Grid in senior roles spanning strategy, regulation and operations, including Vice President of Regulatory Strategy for National Grid USA. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Jersey Electricity and Regen.
Lamé Verre CEnV FISEP FEI - Sustainability Director Net Zero, The Crown Estate
Lamé Verre CEnV FISEP FEI
Sustainability Director Net Zero, The Crown Estate
About the speaker
Lamé Verre is an award-winning energy executive and Fellow of the Energy Institute with over two decades of experience across the energy industry value chain. She is currently Sustainability Director for Net Zero at The Crown Estate and serves on the World Economic Forum Global Future Council for Energy Transition. Previously, she was Head of Strategic Innovation and Sustainability at SSE plc. Lamé is co-founder and advisory board chair of Lean In Equity & Sustainability (LiNES) and a trustee of the UK Green Alliance. She holds an MBA from Imperial College Business School and a Masters from Eni Corporate University.
Lucy Yu FEI - CEO, Centre for Net Zero & HMG AI Champion for Clean Energy
About the speaker
Lucy Yu is a trained scientist and award-winning technologist, venture builder and policymaker. She has more than twenty years’ experience building, scaling and leading venture-backed global deep tech and consumer-facing ventures in AI, mobile, energy, and mobility; and developing technology policy and regulation for the UK government, European Commission, and the UN.
Lucy is founding CEO at Centre for Net Zero, Octopus Energy Group’s open research institute. Centre for Net Zero develops and uses leading models and data to help every grid in the world understand, trust and use intelligent demand side innovation to accelerate global clean electrification. Lucy is the UK Government’s AI Champion for Clean Energy; a member of the Government's AI Energy Council, created to address the growing power demands of AI and data centres; and a member of the UK Government’s Smart Data Council.
Lucy holds several non-executive and advisory roles including chair of the board of trustees at Wikimedia UK; scientific adviser to the Alan Turing Institute; adviser to the Russell Group of research-intensive universities; co-founder of the Institute for Ethical AI Alignment & Safety, a global membership community of over 100,000 machine learning professionals; and adviser to Form Ventures, a UK-based fund investing in start-ups building in highly regulated markets. She sits on the boards of E3G and Connected Places Catapult.
Lucy studied computational and physical chemistry at Imperial College London, public leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, and venture finance at Saïd Business School.
Mark Thomas - Group CEO, Bapco Energies
About the speaker
Mark Thomas is a veteran operating executive with a record of transformative leadership and value creation across the globe. Over his 38-year career with BP, Mark developed a deep knowledge of board and executive processes, strategic transactions, commercial optimization, front-line operations, and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance. He has a strong appreciation for the nuance of global business, having lived and worked in nine countries and conducted business in 20 others.
Mark’s is currently the Group Chief Executive Officer at Bapco Energies, previously known as the Oil and Gas Holding Company “nogaholding”. As a Group CEO, he has accountability for managing the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s investments in the energy sector.
Comprising wholly-owned Subsidiaries and associated companies, Bapco Energies Group spans the entire oil and gas value chain from exploration, through midstream infrastructure and downstream petrochemicals and refining. Reporting to the Board of Directors and Chairman His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Mark is accountable for the overall financial and operating performance of the Group and the Group Strategy that integrates the subsidiaries under one umbrella organization.
As Head of Group Chief Executive’s Office (2018–2020), Mark was an advisor to BP CEO Bob Dudley and a steward of executive processes. He worked directly with the executive team and the Board of Directors and had oversight of strategy development and investment governance.
Mark began his career as a Project Engineer for Amoco Canada and was a Commercial Negotiator for Amoco in Trinidad and Tobago when the company merged with BP in 2000. He earned an MBA from European University in Antwerp and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of New Brunswick in Canada.
Meg O'Neill - CEO, BP
About the speaker
Meg O'Neill is Chief Executive Officer of BP, a role she assumed in April 2026. Previously, she served as CEO of Woodside Energy from 2021 to 2025, during which time she grew the company into the largest energy firm listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and led the transformative acquisition of BHP Petroleum.
Before Woodside, O'Neill spent 23 years at ExxonMobil in technical, operational and senior leadership positions across the United States, Indonesia, Canada and Norway. She holds a master's degree in Ocean Systems Management and bachelor's degrees in Chemical Engineering and Ocean Engineering from MIT. She is the first woman to serve as CEO of BP.
Monica Collings OBE - Chair, NESO Electricity Markets Advisory Council
About the speaker
Monica Collings OBE is a portfolio Chair and Non-Executive Director operating across the UK energy sector. She chairs NESO's Electricity Markets Advisory Council and POWERful Women, the professional initiative working to achieve 40% female representation in UK energy leadership by 2030. She is also Non-Executive Director at Adler & Allan and Independent Committee Member at Northern Powergrid.
Formerly Chief Executive of So Energy, Monica led the £1bn-turnover retailer through the energy crisis, negotiated its merger with ESB Energy, and returned the business to profitability. She was awarded an OBE for services to diversity in the energy sector and served as a UN Women UK delegate to the 68th Commission on the Status of Women.
Melissa Stark FEI - Adjunct Professor, Electricity and Energy Transition, Rice University & former U.S Department of Energy
Melissa Stark FEI
Adjunct Professor, Electricity and Energy Transition, Rice University & former U.S Department of Energy
About the speaker
Melissa Stark is an Adjunct Professor at Rice Business, teaching electricity and energy transition topics and has spent over 30 years working in the utilities and energy industry. Melissa had a 30-year career with Accenture. She was Accenture’s global lead for renewables and energy transition services, leading teams to deliver more than 200 renewable and energy transition projects across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East.
From September 2023 to November 2024, she served as a Senior Advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, where she received a certificate of appreciation in recognition for her outstanding contribution in developing the FECM Regional Reports and advancing AI initiatives.
Patrick Pouyanné HonFEI - Chairman of the Board & CEO, TotalEnergies
About the speaker
Patrick Pouyanné is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies, a position he has held since 2014. Under his leadership, TotalEnergies has transformed into a multi-energy company with operations spanning oil and gas, LNG, renewables, and power.
A graduate of École Polytechnique and the Corps des Mines, Pouyanné began his career in the French public sector before joining Total in 1997, holding senior roles in exploration and production, refining, and strategy. He was reappointed by shareholders in May 2024 for a term through 2027. Pouyanné also serves as Vice-Chairman of the board of Capgemini SE and is an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Energy Institute.
Major General Phil Prosser - Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, UK Ministry of Defence
Major General Phil Prosser
Chief of Defence Logistics and Support, UK Ministry of Defence
About the speaker
Major General Phil Prosser CBE is the incoming Chief of Defence Logistics and Support (CDLS) for the UK Ministry of Defence, a role he will assume in October 2026 with promotion to Lieutenant General.
With over 30 years of experience across Army Headquarters, Field Army, Defence Equipment & Support, and the wider Defence Support organisation, he brings deep expertise in military logistics and sustainment. He commanded 101 Logistic Brigade during the COVID-19 response, coordinating delivery of critical supplies to the NHS. As CDLS, he will lead implementation of the Defence Support Strategy and provide strategic military logistics advice across Defence.
Rasmus Errboe - CEO & Group President, Ørsted
About the speaker
Rasmus Errboe is Group President and CEO of Ørsted, the Danish renewable energy company and one of the world's largest offshore wind developers. He assumed the role in February 2025 after serving as Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer.
Errboe joined Ørsted in 2012 and has held senior positions including Regional Head of Europe, CFO of the global offshore business, and Head of Group M&A — leading the company's 2016 IPO and the 2017 divestment of its oil and gas assets. He holds an MA in Law from the University of Copenhagen and an International MBA from the University of San Diego. He serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of WindEurope.
Russell Hardy - CEO, Vitol
About the speaker
Russell Hardy is Chief Executive Officer of Vitol, the world's largest independent energy trading company. Appointed Group CEO in March 2018, he oversees a business with revenues exceeding $330 billion and an asset portfolio spanning oil and gas production, refining, power generation, renewables, and a network of approximately 10,000 service stations.
Hardy joined Vitol in 1993 from BP, where he had traded fuel oil in Singapore and London. Over more than three decades at the firm, he introduced derivatives trading, built its risk management function, and led expansion into European gas, power, LNG, and carbon markets. He holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College London.
Simon Roddy - CEO, Great British Energy - Nuclear
About the speaker
Simon brings more than 30 years’ experience with Shell in the energy sector, both internationally and the UK. His background includes extensive experience in the management of energy infrastructure, and the delivery of complex energy projects. Most recently, as Senior Vice President for Shell UK, he has played a pivotal role in the North Sea’s energy transition.
Simon’s proven track record in managing large-scale energy investments will be critical as GBE-N progresses project development and delivers on the Government’s ambition to bring forward one of Europe’s first SMR fleets—supporting economic growth, creating skilled jobs, and powering millions of homes.
Sonia Dunlop FEI - CEO, Global Solar Council
About the speaker
Sonia Dunlop is CEO of the Global Solar Council, the international trade association representing the solar PV and battery storage industry. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Global Renewables Alliance and Vice President of REN21.
Prior to joining the Global Solar Council in 2023, she spent five years on the senior management team of climate think tank E3G, where she led work on Multilateral Development Bank reform and climate finance. She was seconded to the UK government's COP26 organising team in Glasgow. Earlier in her career, she held roles at SolarPower Europe, Solar Energy UK and the RE-Source Platform, and spent five years working on renewables policy in the European Parliament.
Zoë Yujnovich - Chief Executive, National Grid
Zoë Yujnovich
Chief Executive, National Grid
About the speaker
Zoë Yujnovich is Chief Executive of National Grid, the FTSE 100 energy networks company operating across the United Kingdom and the United States. She took up the role in November 2025, joining from Shell plc where she served on the Executive Committee as Director of Integrated Gas and Upstream. Prior to Shell, she spent nearly two decades at Rio Tinto in progressively senior roles, including President and CEO of the Iron Ore Company of Canada. She also serves as an independent non-executive director of Unilever. Yujnovich holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Western Australia and an Executive MBA from the University of Utah.