How to Join

Juan Miguel Salas

Consultant, Electrical Engineering
Latin America Region

Juan Salas has over 28 years of experience in consulting and utilities inspection, and has first-hand knowledge of oil production in Venezuela. He has led engineering projects in electrical system design, as well as the manufacturing, construction and testing of electrical equipment and installations – all within the utilities, petrochemical and petroleum sectors of Latin America, Europe and the United States. Mr. Salas has also conducted formal evaluations of new technologies and fault implications, and participated in technical and quality assurance of electrical machine repair establishments and the application of operational reliability methodologies. Mr. Salas received his degree in Electrical Engineering from Los Andes University in Venezuela, and his specialization (DESS) in Energy Development Planning from the Grenoble II University (renamed Pierre Mèndes) in France. In 2010, Mr. Salas became a valued member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for being a participant of 25 years.

Kevin Kirkham

Director of DSM and Energy Efficiency Program
Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), USA

Kevin Kirkham has over 18 years of experience in the Utility Industry. Mr. Kirkham oversees all gas and electric energy efficiency programs for NIPSCO, as well as energy assistance funding for the company's customers. In addition, he has testified as an expert before the Indiana Regulatory Commission numerous times on issues pertaining to energy efficiency and DSM. Previously, Mr. Kirkham was responsible for Cost of Service and Rate Design activities in NIPSCO's Regulatory Group. He also has extensive experience in the outsourcing and governance of these contracts. In fact, Mr. Kirkham helped close one of the largest utility outsourcing efforts, which included all IT, F&A, HR, CCC, Billing and Retail Sales services. Mr. Kirkham received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University, USA, in 1992 and a Master in Business Administration from Indiana University, USA, in 1996.

Pedro Pablo Blanco Molina

Mechanical Engineer
Axiem-GE, Mexico

Pedro Pablo Blanco Molina currently works for Axiem-GE (Energy) as a gas turbine lifecycle data engineer. Given his more than 15 years of experience in power plant operations (gas, steam and combined cycles), Mr. Molina regularly leads drafting teams and contributes to trainings and conventions throughout Mexico and the United States, including: a conference on manufacturing processes at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Queretaro Campus; GE aircraft engines training at the GE plant in Massachusetts, USA; GE training on gas and combined cycle in South Carolina, USA. His expertise also covers quality systems, such as ISO 9001, ISO 9004, 6 sigma and lean manufacturing. Mr. Molina is certified as an internal auditor on ISO 9001, V2000 and ISO 19011. Mr. Molina has a Master of Science in Energy with a focus on turbine machinery and thermal power plants from the National Polytechnic Institute in Mexico City. He received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from Guanajuato University, Mexico.

Berdell Knowles

Director of Government Relations
JEA Electric, USA

Berdell Knowles joined JEA in March 2002, following an impressive 26 year career in utilities. JEA is a premier combined utility system in the United States, providing electric, water and wastewater services to customers. His responsibilities include monitoring and managing legislative and regulatory developments – at both the state and federal levels – that impact JEA’s operations and its competitive position as a utility service provider. Mr. Knowles has a diverse background of experiences, which includes management responsibility in the areas of strategic planning, rates and service pricing administration, marketing research and government relations at the local, state and federal levels. Mr. Knowles was Founding President of the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) and currently serves on its Executive Committee. He also serves on AABE’s National Legislative Issues and Public Policy Committee. Mr. Knowles received a Bachelor and Master degree in Business Administration from the University of North Florida.

Mustafa Uzel

Vice President EMEA, Corporate Treasury
Citi Bank, Belgium

Mustafa Uzel is part of the senior management overseeing a division of CitiBank with a customer banking sheet of 142 billion USD. He has built managerial experience over sixteen years in Executive-level positions at Citigroup, the International Bank of Qatar and AXA Bank of Europe. Mr. Uzel has great knowledge of international markets, specifically in regards to: asset liability and market risk management, transfer pricing, budgeting and forecasting, dynamic residual risk, M&A and integration efforts for treasury. Mr. Uzel is an entrepreneur with a record of innovating improvements and achieving results, while maintaining a positive rapport with all levels of management and associates. Having worked in multiple European and Middle Eastern countries, Mr. Uzel offers a comprehensive viewpoint on trends and best practices in the Financial Industry. Mr. Uzel holds a Master and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma, USA and the Middle East Technical University of Ankara, Turkey, respectively.

Christian Weidemann

Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President
BetterLife Leasing Company Ltd., China

Christian Weidemann has over 30 years of experience in Finance. He currently leads the financial leasing and short/long-term rental activities for local-end and fleet customers of the Chinese franchisee of SIXT Daily Rental, Germany’s largest daily rental car company. He is responsible for driving the setup of policies, procedures and product development. Mr. Weidemann started his professional career with Deutsche Bank in credit analysis and corporate banking. He then later joined GMAC where he served in various senior position for over 20 years, including Branch Manager (GMAC Leipzig), VP/Country Manager (GMAC-owned OPEL Bank S.A.), Director (GMAC-acquisition OnLine Finance), Project Director (GMAC’s European Automotive), and General Manager (GMAC-SAIC Auto Finance). In each position, Mr. Weidemann proved his business acumen by launching new enterprises and building them into market leaders. From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Weidemann led Bayerische Landesbank’s operations in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He was a Member of the Board of the German Centre Shanghai that supports the market entry of small and medium sized German companies to China. Mr. Weidemann holds a Master in Economics from the University of Goettingen in Germany.

Dr. Raj Persad

Lead Clinician for Urology
United Bristol Health Care Trust, United Kingdom

Raj Persad has over 25 years of medical experience. Apart from his work at the United Bristol Health Care Trust, he is a Consultant Urological Surgeon, a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Bristol, an Honorary Professor of Medicine at Pittsburgh University, USA, and Chair of the Network Urology Site-Specific Group at Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire Cancer Service. Dr. Persad contributes to an extensive range of research, including the detection and treatment of early prostate cancer; ethnicity, diet, nutrition, and Insulin-Like Growth Factors (IGF) in prostate cancer; hormonal and immunotherapy treatments of prostate cancer; and molecular genetics in bladder cancer. He also has 15 years experience in the microsurgical reversal of vasectomy (with an overall success rate of > 90%) and sling surgery for urinary incontinence. He is Principal Investigator, Chief Investigator and Collaborator in many national and international studies. Dr. Persad is a certified Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Urology (FRCS) and a certified Fellow of the European Board of Urology (FEBU). He was trained in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Sweden.

Dr. Marlene Llopiz Aviles

Regional Director of Latin America
Venn Life Science, Mexico

Marlene Llopiz Aviles has worked in clinical research for over 20 years, conducting large global/multi-national phase I-IV clinical trials, as well as medical marketing. She has written a series of medical literature, project proposals, abstracts and research protocols. In August 2010, she was deemed one of the hundred most inspiring life-sciences professionals by PharmaVOICE and was asked to join the AMEIFAC’s Board of Directors, in which she was subsequently elected as Vice President. Her areas of research and contribution include: Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, diabetes mellitus, HIV, migraine, pediatric asthma, contrast medium, Parkinson’s disease, ulcerative colitis, medical devices, chronic pain, bipolar disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, multiple cancers and public health strategy. Dr. Llopiz Aviles received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Austin College, her medical degree from Universidad Anahuac and a Master in Public Health from Harvard University. She was a distinguished Alumna of Austin College in 1999, a Fellow at Harvard University from 2001-2003 and is currently working on a business postdoctoral degree. In 2010, she received a Leadership Medal and Award from the School of Medicine at the Universidad Anáhuac, the only women to date.

Dr. Alexander Sagel

Vice President of Sales & Marketing
KSPG Automotive, Germany

Alexander Sagel has held strategic positions at various leading automotive companies for the past 15 years. He currently serves as the Vice President of KSPG Automotive in two divisions: KS Kolbenschmidt that develops, produces, and markets gasoline and diesel engine pistons, and KS Aluminum Technology that engineers and casts aluminum cylinder crankcases. Dr. Sagel’s expertise offers both a broad market understanding and detailed intelligence regarding highly technical topics in the Automotive Industry. He has greatly weighed in on the design and development of automotive products, as well as project and sales management. His background includes: car engine production, technical parts development, strategic planning, innovation marketing, intellectual property management, global sales and best practices for decision-making in a highly competitive market. Dr. Sagel achieved a PhD in 1996 at the University of Applied Science in Berlin, Germany, where he was honored with the Erwin-Stefan Award. He also completed an MBA at the International Business School.

Norman Wöckel

Senior Engineer, Base Engine Design
Porsche AG, Germany

Norman Wöckel has worked in different fields of base engine design for over 10 years. He has been responsible for the design, process development and project management of base engines. Throughout his career, Mr. Wöckel has built expert knowledge in, but not limited to: design and process development of crank drives, engine lubricating-, ventilation- and cooling- circuits, ancillary- and timing drive-systems, engine ventilation systems and aluminum and magnesium die-casting parts. As a result of his work, Mr. Wöckel has achieved a number of patents and has published multiple written works in renowned technical journals. In addition, he has contributed to reports for congress that provided insight to the industry. Mr. Wöckel received his bachelor's degree in automotive engineering from the West Saxon University of Applies Sciences in Zwickau, Germany, in 1999. He was named a Distinguished Alumna of the school in 1999.

Xavier de Logiviere

Consultant and Lecturer
University of Lille 1, France

Xavier de Logiviere has over 28 years of experience in global technical sales within the Materials Industry, with a particular focus on metals and chemicals. For the majority of his career, he served as an Account Manager for Johnson Matthey, a leading materials technology company, where he was responsible for projects regarding various advanced materials fields, including: precious metals (catalyst and plating salts), conductive adhesives, rare earth metals and salts, and hydrogen purifiers. For nearly 10 years, Mr. de Logiviere was a Sales Manager for EMEA and Indian markets at Honeywell Electronic Materials. In this position, he oversaw sales and marketing efforts for photovoltaic products, optoelectronic sapphire wafers, semiconductor materials, thermal management for laptops and LED equipment, and ultra pure metals and chemicals. Mr. de Logiviere has a Master of Science in Marketing (Industry and Innovation) from the University of Applied Science Lille 1, France, where he now teaches. He received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Physics from the University of Paris Sud, France. Mr. de Logiviere speaks English, French and German.

Wolfgang Kattermann

Market Development Manager
Altera Corporation, Germany

Wolfgang Kattermann has over 18 years of experience working in the Semiconductors Market. In November 2011, Mr. Kattermann began a new position as Market Development Manager at Altera, a corporation that supports system and semiconductor companies in solidifying their market position. He is responsible for defining objectives and strategies for the EU industrial market segment, identifying target applications, and generating marketing collateral on new technologies. Previously, Mr. Kattermann held the position of Director of Electronic Sales EMEA at Cooper Bussmann, where he mainly focused on sales, marketing and business development for circuit protection and power management products, including: Fuses and ESD, Coiltronics magnetics and supercapacitors. Mr. Kattermann also worked for Renesas Electronics Corporation, the world’s frontrunner in microcontrollers, as Marketing Manager and held senior positions at Star Core, ARM, and TEMIC – all advanced digital product innovators. Mr. Kattermann has a Bachelor in Communication Engineering from the University of Plymouth, UK, and a Diploma of Engineering in Communications Technology from the University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany.

H. Erkin Isik

Senior Manager, Strategy Department
BNP Paribas, Turkey

H. Erkin Isik is a key industry specialist in the Financial Industry of Turkey. At BNP Paribas, he leads the development of FX and IR trading strategies and then implements them on the trading floor. Mr. Isik plays a large role in establishing the bank’s daily approach to gaining optimal market share in the Turkish economy. His business ideas are frequently included in BNP Paribas’ global strategy publications. Before joining BNP Paribas, Mr. Isik served as Manager of the Economic Research and Strategy Department and Manager of the Equity Research Department of Fortis Bank for 10 years. He was responsible for constructing econometric models for short-term forecasting and a dynamic macroeconomic balance model for long-term forecasting. His contribution led to several media appearances on Bloomberg and CNBC-E. As part of his work in the Equity Research Department, Mr. Isik managed the preparation of four company initiation reports. Mr. Isik holds a Master in Economics and a Bachelor in Mathematics from Bogazici University of Istanbul, Turkey.

Lillan Rejkjær

Vice President, Regulatory Development
IWA Consulting, Denmark

Lillan Rejkjær has worked in pharmaceutical development and management for the EU and United States for more than 20 years. Before joining IWA Consulting, Ms. Rejkjær was the Vice President of Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Zymenex, a biopharmaceutical company focused on life-threatening, rare genetic diseases, and the Vice President of Medical Affairs Manager at ICI Pharmaceuticals Denmark. Her responsibilities and accomplishments include: project development management and leadership; development of overall regulatory, clinical and non-clinical development strategies for project compounds in accordance with ICH guidelines; lifecycle management and pharmacovigilance. Ms. Rejkjær has also advised development projects on SmPC’s and Package Inserts; managed clinical trials; and has requested and executed Orphan Drug designations, SME applications, and the documentation for Commission Regulation (EC) and the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Ms. Rejkjær received her DDS degree from the Royal Dental School (Copenhagen University) in 1983 and a Master in Public Health from Copenhagen University in 2008.

Mike Mclntyre

President & CEO
PowerSports Plus, Inc., USA

As a veteran with over 20 years of experience in the Powersports Industry, Mike McIntyre has in-depth knowledge of market trends and the supply chain for luxury and sports vehicles in North America and Europe. He has conducted sales and product training at the executive level for both national and international organizations and has consulted on multiple product kickoffs. Mr. McIntyre has significantly contributed to efforts regarding increasing a company’s reach and market share, optimizing business operations and enhancing profitability. Mr. McIntyre’s previous work experience includes Honda, Toyota and Volkswagen, as well as a coordinating role with an OEM in the developing, administrating and training of new sales strategies within the dealer network. In addition, he has held positions for captive and non-captive finance companies within Powersports manufacturing and has collaborated with over 750 Powersports dealers across North America. Mr. McIntyre holds an MBA with an emphasis on accounting from Fontbonne University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri, USA.

David Fulchiron

Director of Strategic Marketing
European Papers (International Paper), Belgium

David Fulchiron is responsible for the entire European marketing function (budget of $10m), as well as the design of the strategic business plan, for a leading producer of paper and packaging goods. He has worked for European Papers for ten years, firstly as OEM Channel Manager, then as Country Manager for France, Director of Key Account and most recently as the Regional Director for Western Europe. In his current position as Director of Strategic Marketing, Mr. Fulchiron recently led a capital project of $85million relative to the expansion of the production capacity for packaging board. Prior to European Papers, the expert worked for Solvay, a large manufacturer of specialty chemicals, polymers and vinyls; and Ahlstrom Paper Group, where he worked as a Marketing Manager and Overseas Sales Manager.

Oscar Vazquez

District Customer Experience Manager
Best Buy, Mexico

Oscar Vazquez currently works for Best Buy as a District Customer Experience Manager. Given his more than 18 years of experience in the Technology, Media and Entertainment Industry, Mr. Vazquez has led many initiatives to expand business and drive sales in Mexico, Brazil and the US, including the direct management of nine retail outlets as District Manager. He is also expert in developing fully implementable marketing plans, building retail management teams, managing sales, expenses and memberships and analyzing performance indicators of big-box electronics retailers – especially in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Mr. Vazquez has an impressive track record in expanding market share and exceeding sales targets through well-developed and targeted marketing plans, innovative services that exceed customers’ expectations and the implementation of strong defensive controls. He has also coordinated and implemented a Standard Operating Platform (SOP) across multiple electronics retail outlets in Mexico. Mr. Vazquez has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration from Universidad Intercontinental.

Ravendren Kanniah

Senior Manager, Retail Division
MBf Carpenter Holding Group, Papau New Guinea

Ravendren Kanniah has over 15 years of retail management experience. He is currently leading the business expansion in the South Pacific Region of the group’s member company, W.R. Carpenters, by serving as Senior Manager in the Retail Division. In this position, he heads the entire retail outlet setup and is driving the company’s growth in the country. Prior to joining W.R. Carpenters, Mr. Kanniah worked for Carrefour (Majid Al Futtaim Group) in Saudi Arabia and Iran, where he was involved in the store retail operation, establishment and running of new stores, logistics and store promotional efforts. Additionally, Mr. Kanniah was the Manager of the Grocery Division and the Systems and Organization Division for Carrefour Malaysia. He oversaw key functions of the hypermarket business in both food and non-food divisions. The expert has an MBA with a focus on Retail from the University of Stirling, Scotland, UK. He also served as Assistant Secretary and Councilor for the Retail Food Industry for the Malaysian Business Council, where he facilitated commercial and business networking and promoted Malaysian trade and investment in Saudi Arabia.

Andor Lips

Vice President of Structured Finance
ING Bank NV, The Hague, The Netherlands
Andor Lips has extraordinary experience in the financing of transactions in the mining and metals industry. In his current position as Vice President at ING Bank, Mr. Lips is responsible in the Metals and Mining finance team for the origination, structuring and management of transactions in this industry worldwide. Mr. Lips is also an experienced geologist and previously held positions as Technical Director for TSX-listed Lydian International, and as senior geologist for BRGM. In each of these organizations, he executed exploration research and was heavily involved in the liaison work amongst business partners, regulators and governing authorities. In parallel, he has been Scientific Board member of a joint initiative of UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). With over 18 years of professional experience covering both the business and scientific sides of the industry, Mr. Lips can provide an in-depth understanding of market trends and financing best practices. In addition, he is an external expert for the European Commission, which grants him a European-wide perspective of his field.

Mr. Lips has a Master of Science and PhD in Geology from the University of Utrecht and holds a Fellowship of the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining.