Hon Joseph Cudjoe is a Deputy Minister of Energy, responsible for Finance and Infrastructure. He is also a Member of Parliament for Effia Constituency. Hon. Cudjoe served as a member of the select committee of Mines and Energy in the 6 th Parliament of Ghana and the Vice Chairman of the same committee in the current Parliament.

Prior to his political career, Hon Cudjoe was the Investment Manager of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) for eight and a half years. Before joining COCOBOD, Hon Joseph Cudjoe worked as a Senior Consultant with SEM International Associates. Earlier he had worked as the Financial Analysis and Planning Manager at the Ghana branch office of ENO International, LLC, (a U.S based finance, investments and pre-financed procurements company) where he gained hands-on experience in reviewing business plans, development of new businesses, financial planning and analysis, investment appraisals, modelling of financial decisions, credit and credit risk management, and financial projections.

Hon. Cudjoe, has to his credit, the development of the pricing formula for the Government of Ghana Index Linked Bonds (GGILBs) during the government’s domestic debt restructuring in 2001 when N.P.P came into power to meet excessive debt level. From 2003 until he veered into politics, Hon Cudjoe was an instructor at the Ghana Stock Exchange and delivered training in corporate finance and investment analysis.

His professional experience spans industrial training, financial investment management consultancy, and data analysis, an experience that he built through the lecturing of Financial and Investment Management, Quantitative Techniques, Statistics, and Production and Operations Management. Besides work experience in academia, finance and investment management practise, Hon Cudjoe is an Entrepreneur and a Businessman.

Hon. Cudjoe holds BSc. Mathematics and MBA Finance degrees from University of Science and Technology, and the University of Ghana respectively, after pursuing his secondary education at Fijai Secondary School. He has value added qualifications in education, industrial training and accountancy.

Dr. Rita Baranwal serves as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Dr. Baranwal leads the office’s efforts to promote research and development (R&D) on existing and advanced nuclear technologies that sustain the existing U.S. fleet of nuclear reactors, enable the deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems, and enhance the U.S.A’s global commercial nuclear energy competitiveness. Prior to her current role, Dr. Baranwal directed the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative at Idaho National Laboratory. She was responsible for providing the nuclear industry and other stakeholders access to DOE’s state-of-the-art R&D expertise, capabilities, and infrastructure to achieve faster and cost-effective development, demonstration, and ultimate deployment of innovative nuclear energy technologies. Under her leadership, GAIN positively impacted over 120 companies.

Before joining the U.S. Department of Energy, Dr. Baranwal served as Director of Technology Development & Application at Westinghouse. There, she led the creation and development of game- changing technologies and managed characterization and hot cell laboratories. Her previous positions at Westinghouse included director of Core Engineering and manager of Materials and Fuel Rod Design. Prior to joining Westinghouse, she was a manager in Materials Technology at Bechtel Bettis, Inc. where she led and conducted R&D in advanced nuclear fuel materials for US Naval Reactors. Dr. Baranwal has served on Advisory Boards for MIT’s Materials Research Laboratory and UC Berkeley’s Nuclear Engineering Department, and also was adjunct faculty at the University of South Carolina’s nuclear engineering graduate program. Dr. Baranwal is a past Chairman of the Executive Committee of the American Nuclear Society’s (ANS) Materials Science and Technology Division. Dr. Baranwal has a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in materials science and engineering and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in the same discipline from the University of Michigan.

Amb. Youssoufou Joseph Bamba is the former Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations in New York and to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. He’s currently retired and held the position of chairman of the board of directors within NESDA (Network for Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa. He’s also a consultant at the Global Center for Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

In his long professional career Mr. Bamba was ambassador of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Kingdom, the United States, Ethiopia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. he was Minister for International Cooperation.

Mr. Bamba attended the University of Abidjan from which he earned a Master of Arts in Economics. He then attended the Institut International d’Administration Publique (IIAP), Paris, France.

Dr. KunMo Chung served twice as Minister of Science and Technology in the South Korean government. Professor Chung also served as President and CEO of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology. Dr. Chung was formerly President of Korea Power Engineering Company and served as Chairman and CEO of the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation. Dr. Chung also served as Senior Advisor to Korea Electric Power Corporation, one of the leading utilities companies in the world. Internationally, Dr. Chung held posts as President of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency of the United Nations, Vice Chairman of the World Energy Council, and Chairman of the International Nuclear Energy Academy. For these services and contributions, he had received many honors and awards.

As an educator, Dr. Chung has been Professor of Energy Engineering and Policy at MIT, Polytechnic Institute of New York, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Ajou University, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne and George Mason University. Dr. Chung is credited with the establishment of KAIST, which has become one of the leading science and engineering universities. He wrote the original proposal to establish KAIST and served as KAIST’s Founding Provost. He also contributed heavily in the establishment of Korea Institute of Advanced Study, Korea International Nuclear Graduate School, Korea Institute for Advanced Engineering and the Pacific Nuclear Council.

Dr. Chung is also internationally acclaimed for his innovations in designs of electric power generation plants and for his studies and implementation of science and technology policy instruments. The Korea Power Engineering Company, which he headed in the 1980s, has become one of the leading engineering companies in the world. The Korea Standardized Nuclear Power Plant Design, which is known as APR nuclear power stations, was initiated, developed, and implemented under his leadership. Dr. Chung holds the basic patents of Transportable Barge-Mounted Power Generation Plant. He has been an international advisor to the UAE Nuclear Power Project.

Dr. Chung is currently a Fellow of the American Nuclear Society, Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, Foreign Member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Applied Science and Engineering, Foreign Member of the U.S. The National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the International Nuclear Energy Academy. He is a co-founder of the International Risk Governance Council (IRGC) in Geneva. He served as the founding president of Korea Society of Energy Engineering and Korea Society of Risk Governance. He also serves as a member of the Kenyan National Economic and Social Council. Dr. Chung was elected as Lifetime Leader of the Korean Christian Laity Council. He served twenty years as Chairman of the Korean Habitat for Humanity and has been Founding Chairman of the Rise-up-Korea Movement

Julián Gadano is the Deputy Secretary of Nuclear Energy, for the Ministry of Treasury in Argentina, appointed in December 2015 when the new Administration took office.

Previously, he was a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority’s Directory, an independent body in charge of regulating nuclear safety. Where he was in charge of international issues (such as nonproliferation and international security) in interaction with the Foreign Ministry, the National Atomic Energy Commission and agencies in other countries. He has been working in the nuclear sector for the past 10 years. He is a Sociologist from the Universidad de Buenos Aires. He is currently taking Master’s and Ph.D. studies in Political Science at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella.

He has a large trajectory in education. He is a professor for Undergraduate and Graduate programs in Universidad de San Andrés. He is an author of several papers on nuclear cooperation, non-proliferation and issues related with technological developments.

Dr. Yau Idris is the Acting Director-General and CEO of Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA). He’s also Secretary of the Forum of Nuclear Regulatory Bodies in Africa (FNRBA), and African Regional Coordinator of the IAEA overseeing the Technical Working Group on Education, Training and Knowledge Management.

Dr. Idris is the first Nigerian to be engaged by the IAEA (in 2010) as consultant/lecturer at IAEA African Regional Training course for regulators on authorization and inspection of radiation sources for the Africa region. He is the Leader of the NNRA Team that successfully licensed one of the biggest radiological facilities on the continent of Africa, the 300,000 Curie (upgradeable to 1,000,000 Ci) Gamma Irradiation Facility (GIF) located at Nuclear Technology Centre, Abuja, Nigeria in 2006. Dr. Idris was able to successfully increase the number of facilities licensed by NRRA from 207 in 2007 when he took over as the head of Authorization and Enforcement Department to 813 facilities in 2014.

Mr. Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo has a Bachelor of Science in Physic and Mathematics, University of Ghana; Master of Science in Renewable Energy, University of Oldenburg, Germany; Post-graduate Diploma in Economics (Investment Appraisal and Risk Management), Queens University, Kingston, Canada.

Wisdom started his career in the renewable energy sector in 1989 and has over the years developed his skills and capacity in the development and implementation of various renewable energy programmes for rural energy access. He was very instrumental in the development and passage of Ghana’s Renewable Energy Act, 2011 (Act 832).

Before his current appointment in 2010 as the Director for Renewable and Nuclear Energy at the Ministry of Energy, Wisdom worked on the Ghana Energy Development and Access Project (GEDAP, supported by the World Bank) as a Renewable Energy Expert. Prior to this, he was the project Coordinator for the UNDP Household Energy Programme implemented by the Energy Commission from 2006 to 2008

He is currently the National Focal Point for the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) based in Abu Dhabi, UAE and also the National Focal Point of the International Solar Alliance ISA based in New Delhi, India. Mr. Ahiataku-Togobo is a founding member of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability at the University of Energy and natural resources, Sunyani.

He is also a Board Member of the Ghana Nuclear Energy Institute, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of the African Nuclear Business Platform. He has a number of publications, articles and reports on clean energy and sustainable development to his credit.

Dr. Katebe is a Chemical Engineer, he has 30 years of experience working for the National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research as a Research Scientist and Head of Nuclear Energy Applications and Analytical Services Department. Currently, seconded to the Ministry of Higher Education as a National Coordinator for the Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization (NEPIO) in Zambia.

Chisha Mutale, Director for Communications and Marketing at the Zambia Atomic Energy Agency, holds a Master’s Degree in Communication for Development and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from the University of Zambia as well as a Diploma in Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising from Evelyn Hone College in Zambia.

Work experience includes working for Zambia Information services (ZIS) from 2001 to 2014, as a video editor, Studio Manager, TV Producer, Senior Research Officer and Executive Producer. Currently working for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services as the Chief Press and Public Relations Officer from 2014 to 2018 and seconded to ZAMATOM as the Director for Communications and Marketing. Ms. Mutale’s role at ZAMATOM is to enhance awareness and public acceptance on the nuclear energy programme which requires extensive engagement of stakeholders at various levels of society.

Simon Mdoe is Senior Nuclear Research Officer and head of unit at Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission.

Simon has been working with Tanzania Atomic Energy Commission for the past 30 years. Involved in various nuclear related activities including Nuclear instrumentation, nuclear electronics ,pre-feasibility for research reactors, irradiation processes facility, project management, nuclear knowledge management, ICT, Radioactive waste management and energy planning models.

Graduated in Nuclear Programme Management and Nuclear Physics, Djibo is the Secretary-General of Nigerien Atomic Energy High Authority (HANEA) and Director of Nuclear Electricity Department. At this end he is in charge of the national nuclear energy programme implementation of his country. He successfully conducted in April 2018 the phase I INIR mission of the Programme

Before coming to HANEA in 2014, Djibo was Director-General of the Mining and Environmental Laboratory (SAHEL LABO) where he was in charge of administrative and technical implementation of ISO 17025 quality management system. Also from 2004, he managed for five years the dosimetry and gamma spectrometry laboratories of National Center of Radiation Protection (CNRP).

Robert NYAMVUMBA, is a holder of BSc. Electrical Engineering from Kigali Institute for Science and Technology (KIST) currently Chairman of Board of Directors/Rwanda Energy Group and Energy Division Manager at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda.

He has worked in different managerial positions as the Manager of National Electricity Control Center for the State Utility/ELECTROGAZ, Deputy Director General of Energy Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA Ltd) and former Managing Director of Energy Development Corporation (EDCL) the subsidiary company for Rwanda Energy Group (REG Ltd).

He has more than 12 years of work experience in the energy sector dealing with Energy Policy and Strategies, Utility Management, Energy projects development, negotiating Power Purchase Agreements in different technologies (Peat, Methane Gas, Hydro, and Solar) with Independent Power Producers.

Other Responsibilities include National Liaison Officer of IAEA and Steering Committee Member of Rwanda National Commission for UNESCO – CNRU.

Dr. Wolvaardt holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Tennessee in the United States and a Ph. D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Cape Town. He has 30 years of experience in the nuclear power generation industry. He started his career with Eskom in 1987 as a Probabilistic Safety Assessment specialist for a period of 6 years. He was employed by Westinghouse for over 17 years in various technical commercial and managerial roles. He spent 5 years in Brussels and during this period specialized in severe accident management and developed the methodology for severe accident management for shutdown states for light water reactors. While in South Africa, he fulfilled various technical and project management roles for the Koeberg Probabilistic Safety Assessment, the Koeberg Severe Accident Management Guidance and the design and installation of a large number of plant safety upgrades for the Koeberg CP-1 Alignment Project. Subsequently, he was the customer account manager, engineering manager and Managing Director of the local Westinghouse entity. He is currently the Nuclear Engineering Specialist for Lesedi Nuclear Services.

Eric Ingersoll is a strategic advisor and entrepreneur with deep experience in the commercialization of new energy technology. He has negotiated strategic partnerships and investments with oil companies and utilities in the US, UK, Europe, China and Japan. He has also been an interim leader or paid strategic advisor to over 30 startups, many in the energy industry.

Working for private foundations, such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the MacArthur Foundation, The Surdna Foundation, and others, as well as innovative programs at the World Bank, the IFC, the US Department of Energy, NREL, USEPA, the California Energy Commission and the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust, Eric has led the way with innovative business approaches to policy challenges. Some of these ‘firsts’ include value chain based industry design of PV distribution for the developing world, securitization of solar debt, solution-oriented venture capital for sustainable forest products from the rainforest, organizing the US Sustainable Forest Products Buyers Group, and building the first organization of renewable energy power marketers.

Because of his unique strategic vision, focus on addressing climate change, and experience developing/ commercializing new technologies, he was a participant on the National Commission on Energy Policy and was recently honored at the White House as a Champion of Change in Renewable Energy.

Dmitry joined Rosatom Central and Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd as Chief Executive Officer in December 2017.

He was responsible for business development and investment management for a number of private equity institutions, focused on extractive minerals in Africa. Mr. Shornikov holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree (with distinction) from the University of Oxford, UK.

Started his career in the nuclear industry, specializing in thermal hydraulics and plant, fuel safety and systems analysis. He was the representative for Belgium in the US NRC CAMP program for the development of high precision/high fidelity plant analysis computer codes, OECD-NEA plant safety research programs and as well the representative of GDF-Suez (now ENGIE) in the design assessment of the Westinghouse AP1000. After his career in Westinghouse US working in plant power uprates, took positions in ENGIE as international project development, large projects Director, Tractebel ENGIE South Africa Managing Director, Nuclear Business Development Director and New Build Director. He holds a degree in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, an MBA by Vlerick Business School and currently is involved in International Relations and Security at Brunel University in London and the World Institute of Nuclear Security. He is currently a Director at the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa. He has worked and written publications on the application of multi-nodal and coupled methods, order statistics, and non-Bayesian decision theory to plant analysis

Mr. Jafary started his career working in operational then managerial positions in the AREVA Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing plant of La Hague in France.

After having been involved in international activities in the Fuel Back-End Business Group, in 2008 Mr. Jafary joined the AREVA’s Headquarter, Corporate International Division as the Chief Representative in charge of the Development for Mediterranean region, Turkey& and central Asia.

In 2017 Mr. Jafary joined EDF as a Vice President in charge of New Nuclear Projects Development in several countries. Mr. Jafary is graduated in Mechanical & Refrigeration Engineering from Naval School.

Alexander has nearly 40 years of global experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors, managing large projects in the United States, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Turkey. Along with a diverse technical and commercial background, Alexander brings an expertise of international nuclear project development and management.

Prior to joining Worley as President of Nuclear Power, Alexander served in a variety of leadership roles at Rosatom group of companies. This included the role of CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear, responsible for development and initial phase of implementation of a $20bn 4,800 MW NPP project in Turkey.

Prior to joining Rosatom, Alexander held senior positions at Russian power sector construction companies, overseeing the execution of various power generation projects. Earlier in his career, Alexander worked for 17 years for Bechtel Group in engineering, business development and project management. Alexander holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Moscow Power Engineering Institute.

Helen Cook is the Principal of GNE Advisory, a law practice dedicated to all aspects of the civil nuclear sector. Helen is a nuclear energy lawyer specialising in projects and transactions in the civil nuclear sector. She got expertise advising on both the structuring and establishment of the legal and regulatory infrastructure for civilian nuclear power programmes, as well as the strategic development and negotiation of commercial contracts for new nuclear power plants, including procurement, construction and financing.

Helen has Advised on nuclear projects and transactions around the world and represented governments, owner/developers, reactor vendors, equipment suppliers, export credit agencies, regulatory authorities, fuel suppliers, uranium traders and hedge funds on nuclear energy matters. She is the author of the comprehensive legal text book, The Law of Nuclear Energy published by Sweet & Maxwell, (Second Edition, March 2018), recently reviewed in the International Energy Law Journal by Tim Stone CBE, Chair of the Nuclear Industry Association of the UK.

Helen is recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a nuclear law expert. Legal expert on IAEA missions to Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Jordan, Egypt, Costa Rica and Poland. Featured in the 2017 issue of the IAEA Bulletin “showcasing the achievements and perspectives of eight exceptional women in the nuclear field”. Helen is the former Chairperson of the Law Working Group of the World Nuclear Association (September 2016-June 2018) and Vice Chairperson (September 2014-September 2016).

Michael assumed responsibility for L3Harris’ Power Systems and Simulation sales in 1996. Michael, and his team, grew sales and market presence, establishing the company as the world leader in the delivery of nuclear power plant simulators.

The Company, under Michael’s leadership, also provides early learning technologies to support the effective development of nuclear personnel and more recently introduced immersive 3D visualization technology for planning, plant design and training applications.

He is supported by sales professionals, a proposal development team and several sales representatives globally.

Prior to 1996, Michael held various positions in project management leading both energy management and power plant simulator projects. Michael holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

Célestin Piette serves as Innovation Manager at Tractebel Engie. He’s also a board member of International Youth Nuclear Society. Célestin Holds a Master degree from Solvay Business School. He’s Management Master Thesis was about “Economic and financial analysis of a Lead Small Modular Reactor (SMR) in regards of future energy challenges (Capital Expenses >1000M).”

As the Senior Vice President of Sales & Commercial Operations, David is responsible for the sales, commercial operations and business development for all of GE Hitachi’s nuclear plant offerings. In addition, David has overall responsibility to manage the business partnership between GE and Hitachi.

Prior to his current role, David served as the Vice President of Product Management and International Nuclear Plant Projects, where he was responsible for product development, strategy and cost for all nuclear plant offerings, along with project management responsibilities for key customer contracts and opportunities. Prior to joining the Nuclear Plant Projects team in 2010, David worked for 6 years in Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), GE’s joint venture with Hitachi and Toshiba, as the Vice President of Customer Projects, Commercial Operations and Marketing, delivering fuel and engineering services to the worldwide BWR fleet. David has over 33 years of service with GE, and held many diverse assignments in manufacturing, supply chain, sourcing and operations for GE Energy, GE Aviation, & GE Lighting. David is a 3-term member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Civilian Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC), was the chairman, from 2015-2017, for the World Nuclear Association’s task force on Nuclear New Build Lesson-learning, and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in mechanical engineering from

Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

Kirsty Gogan, MSc. FRSA is founder and Global Director of Energy for Humanity (EFH) an environmental NGO focused on large scale deep decarbonisation and energy access. EFH led a delegation of the world’s most highly regarded climate scientists to Paris COP21 in order to make the case for nuclear to be recognised as a vital part of the clean energy mix. EFH was subsequently shortlisted for the Business Green Leaders “Green NGO of the Year” Award in 2016. At COP23, EFH published a new report on European Climate Leadership 2017 and presented a new study on Decarbonizing Cities with Advanced Nuclear. EFH jointly launched the Clean Energy Ministerial Flexible Nuclear Campaign in May 2019, supported by the Canadian, US, and UK governments and in partnership with US-based NGOs Energy Options Network and ClearPath Foundation. Kirsty is also the managing partner of LucidCatalyst Ltd, a consultancy specialising in climate and energy, and recently commissioned by the UK Energy Technologies Institute to produce the widely-cited Nuclear Cost Drivers Study.

Kirsty is regularly invited as an expert speaker on science communication, nuclear competitiveness and innovation to high profile events around the world. She has 20 years’ experience as a senior advisor to industry, nonprofits and Government, including at 10 Downing St, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, where she ran the national public consultation on nuclear new build, reviewed the national communications response to Fukushima and revised national guidance for civil nuclear emergency planning and response. Kirsty is also a member of the UK Government’s Nuclear Innovation Research and Advisory Board (NIRAB) and chairs the cost-reduction working group.