Ulla joined NIO in 2022 to set up a dedicated infrastructure solution to investors.
Ulla has 20+ years of experience from the industry, throughout her career focusing on evaluating GPs/asset managers across liquid and illiquid markets. Most recently, she was Head of Alternative Investments at Nykredit where she was responsible for building Nykredit's infrastructure FoF platform to reach €1bn. Prior to joining Nykredit in 2011, she held the role as Head of Equity Research at Aon Hewitt in London and, prior to that, MD at Kirstein A/S as well as teaching assistant in statistics at Aarhus and Copenhagen Business Schools. Ulla holds a Master in Finance & Accounting from Aarhus School of Business.

Nordic Investment Opportunities

NIO is a dedicated alternative investments platform built for investors by investors. NIO has a strong sustainability heritage founded by private markets industry pioneers as Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, a global leader and pioneer in renewable energy infrastructure and NREP, a frontrunner in sustainable real estate investment and the largest real estate manager in the Nordics.
Founded in 2018 and based in Copenhagen, NIO manages c. €2.1bn on behalf of investors across alternatives strategies.

Bruno Alves is the Senior Editor of award-winning publication Infrastructure Investor. Bruno has been a journalist for nearly 20 years and first joined Infrastructure Investor in December 2009, where he quickly rose to become Associate Editor and a leading writer covering the infrastructure asset class. He’s been Senior Editor since 2015 and is also responsible for Agri Investor, PEI Group’s agriculture-focused publication.

Ashli Aslin joined Albourne in 2021 as a Senior Analyst on the Real Assets team. She has 19 years of experience working in institutional investments, both as an allocator and an investment consultant. Ashli is responsible for investment diligence on across real assets, focusing on infrastructure.

Prior to Albourne, Ashli was an Investment Officer with the South Carolina Retirement System working across different portfolio initiatives in credit, private equity, emerging markets, and traditional fixed income. Most recently was responsible for the build-out of the pension’s infrastructure program, where she led the sourcing, portfolio construction, and underwriting process for real assets mandates totaling over $2.0bn, including fund and co-investment opportunities. Ashli also worked as a Senior Analyst at NEPC, LLC, where she helped pension, endowment, and corporate clients with asset allocation and implementation decisions. Ashli holds a BA in economics from Vanderbilt University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of South Carolina.

Jemima Atkins is an investment professional at Pioneer Point Partners, based in London, where she makes investments in European infrastructure assets in the energy transition and environment sectors. Pioneer only invests in sustainable infrastructure and targets investments that contribute to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and circular economy.

Jemima joined Pioneer in 2022, and has particular focus on the energy efficiency, renewables and carbon removal sub-sectors. She has previously held investment roles at Allianz Capital Partners in the infrastructure equity team and Allianz Global Investors in the infrastructure debt investment team. At Allianz, Jemima worked across private markets asset classes to promote sustainability improvements and the transition of infrastructure assets to net-zero. Prior to Allianz Global Investors, Jemima worked at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She holds a BSc Natural Sciences from Durham University where she specialised in biodiversity and conservation biology.

Pioneer Point Partners

Pioneer Point Partners is a lower-mid market, value-added infrastructure private equity investor. We are sector specialists, focussed on investing in the energy transition and environment sectors across Europe. Our strategy is aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and we target investments that contribute to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and circular economy. We have committed over €1.4 billion equity investments since 2010 and in 2022 reached Final Close of €575 million on our maiden institutional fund, which is categorised as meeting the provisions set out in Article 9 of SFDR for products that have a sustainable investment objective.

Anna Baumbach is a Partner at Palladio Partners. She has over 20 years of industry experience in asset management. Prior to joining Palladio Partners, she was a member of the investment team of a German consulting firm Feri. In this position, she advised private and institutional investors on investments in real assets, incl. infrastructure, private equity, private debt and timber.

Palladio Partners

Palladio Partners specialises in providing independent advice on real assets, in particular infrastructure, for German institutional investors. The owner-managed investment boutique was founded in 2012 and today operates from offices in Frankfurt and Luxembourg, with a team of more than 70 experts and €9.1bn assets under management. Palladio Partners advises German insurers and pension funds as well as banks, church institutions and foundations on their individual investment strategies. The firm assists its clients in managing complexity and offers them access to attractive global investment opportunities.

Palladio Partners is committed to sustainably promoting German infrastructure – through investments and by being an active participant in various relevant industry initiatives such as „IDI - Initiative deutsche Infrastruktur e.V.“. The firm is a signatory to the Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI).

Zak Bentley is Americas editor at Infrastructure Investor, based in New York. Zak joined Infrastructure Investor in London in 2016 from Centaur where he was a reporter at their Clean Energy Pipeline title. He now leads Infrastructure Investor’s coverage across the Americas region and has a detailed knowledge and experience of the financial and regulatory aspects of the global infrastructure market. He is also editor of Infrastructure Investor’s weekly newsletter The Pipeline. Zak has a degree in English and History from the University of Birmingham.

Joss Blamire is Director, Infrastructure at GRESB. GRESB’s mission is to assess, score and benchmark Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance, including for infrastructure assets, providing standardized and validated data to the capital markets.

Joss has 16 years’ professional experience as an expert advisor on ESG and infrastructure development with a focus on real assets and renewable and low carbon energy.

Prior to GRESB Joss worked in consultancy advising fund managers and asset owners to understand their ESG needs and develop sustainability strategies alongside helping assess investments and assets against international benchmarks and standards.

Joss previously lived and worked in Malawi, for the Government of Malawi, where he led the development and publication of the country’s first ever renewable energy strategy. Joss has also worked for the trade association, Scottish Renewables and the UK and Scottish Governments.

GRESB

GRESB is a mission-driven and investor-led organization that provides actionable and transparent Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data to financial markets. We collect, validate, score and benchmark ESG data to provide business intelligence, engagement tools, and regulatory reporting solutions.

Bethany Brantley is a sustainability executive and ESG investor with over a decade of experience driving corporate action and investment strategy on climate change and ESG integration in private equity. As Head of ESG for IPI Partners, Bethany oversees all aspects of the firm’s responsible investment, sustainability, and portfolio stewardship activities.
Bethany is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, where her work centers on complex ESG risk and opportunity areas within digital infrastructure private equity.
Before IPI, Bethany was SVP and Head of Investor Relations and ESG at Orion Infrastructure Capital. Earlier, she was a VP and Head of Fundraising and Impact Measurement at Energy Impact Partners. Earlier in her career, Bethany was a technical analyst in roles focused on renewable energy procurement and ESG at S&P Global, the U.S. DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Bethany has a master’s in environmental management and sustainability from Harvard University and a BBA in finance and marketing from Texas Christian University.

IPI
IPI Partners, LLC is a global real estate investment platform focused exclusively on data centers and digital infrastructure. With more than $15 billion invested across 25+ markets spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific, IPI is the largest private data center owner globally focused on hyperscalers and leading technology companies. Since its formation in 2016, IPI has executed its strategy by acquiring, developing, leasing, and operating data centers via a vertically integrated approach alongside STACK Infrastructure, IPI’s wholly owned operating and development company. IPI currently has over 60 employees with offices in Chicago, Amsterdam, Singapore, San Francisco, Dallas, New York, and Washington D.C.

Mark Carney is the Chair of Brookfield Asset Management and Head of Transition Investing. In this role, he is focused on the development of products for investors that will combine positive social and environmental outcomes with strong risk-adjusted returns.

Mr. Carney is an economist and banker who served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, and prior to that as Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 until 2013. He was Chairman of the Financial Stability Board from 2011 to 2018. Prior to his governorships, Mr. Carney worked at Goldman Sachs as well as the Canadian Department of Finance.

He is a long-time and well-known advocate for sustainability, specifically with regard to the management and reduction of climate risks. He is currently the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance and Co-Chair for the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero. 

He is also Chair of the Group of Thirty, Chatham House and Bloomberg LP’s Board of Directors, as well as an external member of the Board of Stripe, a member of the Global Advisory Board of PIMCO, the Group of Thirty, Harvard University, Rideau Hall Foundation, Bilderberg, the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum, the Peterson Institute for International Economics the Hoffman Institute for Global Business and Society at INSEAD, Cultivo, Senior counsellor of the MacroAdvisory Partners, and Advisor of the Watershed.

Mr. Carney holds doctorate and master’s degrees from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University.

Brookfield

Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $825 billion of assets under management across renewable power & transition, infrastructure, private equity, real estate, and credit. Its objective is to generate attractive, long-term risk-adjusted returns for the benefit of its clients and shareholders. To accomplish this, it brings the strengths of its operational expertise, global reach and large-scale capital to bear on everything it does.

Sabine Chalopin is the Head of Sustainability and is responsible for screening, managing, and monitoring investments for environmental and social risks and opportunities. She brings 16 years of ESG experience in the infrastructure sector to the firm and is part of GRESB’s Expert Resources Group.

Prior to joining Denham, she was the ESG Manager at Armstrong Asset Management in Singapore where she implemented an Environmental and Social Management System and managed projects for environmental and social compliance in Southeast Asia. Prior to Armstrong Asset Management, Sabine was with Kyoto Energy (Singapore) where she was responsible for business development.

She holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London and a BCom in Business Studies from Edinburgh University. Sabine has recently completed a course with Berkeley Law and Ceres on ESG and Navigating the Board’s Role.

Jon leads the sustainable investment team at Morrison, with responsibility for the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) decision-making across its investment portfolio. He has more than two decades of experience in sustainability and responsible investment across global infrastructure and real estate markets. Jon joined Morrison in 2018 from Lendlease where he was responsible for the strategic integration of ESG factors across Lendlease Investment Management’s real estate portfolio. During his time at Lendlease, Jon also held the position of Sustainable Design Consultant, where he contributed to some of the world’s most sustainable property and social infrastructure projects.

Morrison

Morrison is one of the world’s longest-standing, highest-performing infrastructure investors. We invest globally in private and listed infrastructure, on behalf of institutional investors and sovereign wealth clients. Established in 1988, we have over USD22 billion of assets under management at 30 September 2023. Our purpose is to invest wisely in ideas that matter. We believe the best investments serve an enduring societal need. We apply a specialist investment approach, refined over multiple decades and economic cycles, to invest in infrastructure for a modern economy.

Catherine has more than 20 years of experience in the field of environment, social and sustainable development. She started her career as a consultant (based first in France and then in Madagascar). Then she worked for the private sector, as Head of Environment for Glencore in Congo and HSE Lead for Total for an LNG project in Papua New Guinea. She then joined the sustainable finance sector, as Environmental and Social Advisor for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and Societe Generale in Paris. Catherine has a Master in Environmental Engineering (Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine).

Nathalie is responsible for cities, for public relations in Switzerland and is carrying out research and development projects at GIB. Nathalie Gaullier is an engineer with 10 years’ experience in sustainability. She takes a pragmatic and scientific approach to the projects she works on. Based on her experience of working within municipalities and on raising awareness about climate change, she has an in-depth understanding of spatial, social and mobility-related challenges. She also worked for five years in a specialty chemicals company in Basel. As a French native speaker, she is also well placed to tackle lots of tasks that involve communicating in French speaking countries.

Nathalie qualified as a chemical engineer, at the National Institute of Applied Sciences of Rouen, France. She also has an Advanced Master’s Degree in ‘écoconseil’ (sustainability consulting) from Strasbourg.

Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation

Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation is based in Basel, Switzerland. GIB promotes sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and youth engagement expertise on a global scale. Active since 2008, we work with multiple stakeholders ranging from city representatives to project developers and infrastructure financiers, among others. In addition, GIB frequently engages in partnerships/ consortia for EU and international proposals. We envision a world where sustainable and resilient infrastructure is the norm rather than an exception.

Cathy Granneman is a Manager in the Member Relations team at GRESB, based in Amsterdam. She works with Infrastructure Fund and Asset Managers in the EMEA region to support them with their annual ESG reporting to GRESB and has previously worked on the development of the GRESB Infrastructure Assessments. Prior to joining GRESB Cathy worked in consulting roles at BAM Infraconsult and CBRE, specialising in sustainability in the built environment. She holds a Master's degree in Climate Change and a Master's degree in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment, both from UCL, and an honours Bachelor's degree from University College Utrecht.

GRESB

GRESB is a mission-driven and industry-led organization providing standardized and validated Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) data to financial markets. Established in 2009, GRESB has become the leading ESG benchmark for real estate and infrastructure investments across the world, used by 150 institutional and financial investors to inform decision-making. In 2023, the GRESB Real Estate and Infrastructure Benchmarks grew to include 2,084 real estate portfolios and 172 infrastructure funds and 687 assets, collectively representing USD 8.8 trillion in gross asset value.

Bill Green is the Managing Partner at Climate Adaptive Infrastructure (CAI), one of the first infrastructure investment firms exclusively targeting low-carbon real assets in the energy, water, and urban infrastructure sectors. CAI invests in assets that support day-to-day needs of growing populations while addressing the “triple threat” of the climate crisis: physical risk, regulatory risk, and political risk.

Bill has spent his professional career making investments in the sustainability and energy transition sectors. He founded Ecolink, producing alternatives to ozone-depleting chemicals. Bill then joined VantagePoint Partners where he co-founded the CleanTech practice. Bill then became Senior Managing Director at Macquarie and CEO of MIC Renewable Energy Holdings. After a decade at Macquarie, Bill decided to lead a new type of infrastructure investment firm: Climate Adaptive Infrastructure. CAI has developed a unique approach to screen for climate-related risks and opportunities. This approach is the foundation of CAI’s unique approach to infrastructure investing.

Climate Adaptive Infrastructure

Climate Adaptive Infrastructure (CAI) is an investment firm that targets large-scale, low-carbon real assets in the clean energy, water, and urban infrastructure sectors. CAI seeks to combat systemic climate change by investing in projects that support the day-to-day needs of growing populations and address the “triple threat” of the climate crisis: physical risk, regulatory risk, and political risk. CAI coined the term ‘climate adaptive infrastructure’ to describe the future of real assets investing in a world that is increasingly focused on deep decarbonization. Led by Founder and Managing Partner Bill Green; the Firm also includes and a deeply experienced team of professionals who have dedicated their careers to sustainable infrastructure investment, asset operations, and policy in the energy, water and environmental sectors.

Eugene Holubnyak is a Co-Founder and Board of Directors of Avalon International Corporation. Eugene is also a Director of the Hydrogen Energy Research Center at the University of Wyoming. He previously served over a decade as a CCUS program lead at the Kansas Geological Survey and spent five years working on the Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership at EERC. He has been a Principal Investigator on over $55M of the Department of Energy and other sponsored research and development projects on CCUS, Hydrogen, and critical minerals.

Eugene has served on multiple professional committees, including the KS Induced Seismicity Task Force, the State Carbon Capture Work Group, and the Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative. Until recently, he has organized and led the KS CCUS Task Force and represented Kansas at the CO2 Transport Infrastructure MOU. He also regularly provides training and seminars for the Climate Tech and Carbon Capture and Storage Industry.

Avalon International Corporation

Avalon is transforming the landscape of America's energy infrastructure. With a dedicated team of experts in energy investment, we're at the forefront of developing, acquiring, managing, and enhancing power generation and electric transmission assets. Our mission is to drive widespread decarbonization with Carbon Capture&Storage and Hydrogen to improve customer resiliency. Leveraging our extensive industry knowledge and experience, we make strategic power sector investments that not only promise long-term, impactful outcomes but also deliver solid, risk-adjusted returns.

Matthew is the Director of Sustainable Infrastructure Policy and Project Preparation at EBRD, covering the energy, transport and municipal sectors. His work covers upstream policy support, PPP transaction advisory, and project preparation/technical due diligence and implementation issues for both sovereign sub-sovereign investments. Matthew leads the Bank’s Sustainable Infrastructure advisory activities, dedicated to improving the quality of advice and efficiency of project preparation for both PPPs and public sector-based projects, and also supervises the EBRD’s Green Cities programme. He is active in various MDB, G20 and OECD fora on global infrastructure support initiatives. Previously, he was Head of the Infrastructure Policy Unit at EBRD from 2014-2018, and Senior Urban Transport Specialist at EBRD from 2008-2013. Prior to joining EBRD, he worked as a Transport Specialist for Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, DC and San Jose, Costa Rica from 1999-2007. He holds a Masters in Planning from the University of Maryland, USA.

EBRD

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is a multilateral development bank that invests in changing people’s lives across three continents. Since 1991 the Bank has invested over €191 billion in more than 6,900 projects. With an emphasis on working with the private sector, the Bank invests in projects, engages in policy dialogue and provides technical advice which fosters innovation and builds modern economies that are competitive, well governed, green, inclusive, resilient and integrated. The Bank is owned by 72 countries as well as the European Union and the European Investment Bank.

EBRD’s work in sustainable infrastructure encompasses the municipal infrastructure, transport and energy sectors. The Bank supports local governments and private companies in providing essential urban services; promotes safe, secure and sustainable transport systems; and works throughout the energy value chain to help economies meet their essential energy needs in a sustainable, reliable and efficient way.

Lisa Junghans has more than ten years of professional experience in the field of climate change, urban development and finance. She worked for a long time in development cooperation, where she worked with cities in developing and emerging economies across Africa and Asia. With her expertise she advised cities and local authorities in finding financial resources for adapting infrastructures to the impacts of climate change. In 2023, Ms. Junghans shifted to the Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin where she leads a project developing digital tools for transforming Berlin into a smart and climate resilient city. Ms. Junghans holds a degree in geography and is a passionate urbanist.

Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin

Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin stands for applied science, consulting and innovation. We are resolute in addressing crucial future issues including climate change, water crises, digitalisation, sector coupling, and urbanisation with dedicated research, practical solutions and inventive services.

Anders Klinkby is a Senior Director at Position Green, a leading ESG software and advisory firm. He is specialized in sustainable investment services for infrastructure, private equity and venture capital. Before joining Position Green he co-founded Klinkby Enge, an ESG due diligence specialist firm, that was acquired by Position Green in 2022. Before founding Klinkby Enge he was CEO of the Danish Investment Fund Association, and held senior positions at ATP and Danske Bank.

Alex Koriath is the Head of the European Pension Practice at Cambridge Associates.

Alex oversees the firm’s work with pension and insurance clients across Europe. He also serves a number of those clients as their OCIO, advising on strategy, risk management, and asset allocation. Alex draws on his vast experience incorporating private and alternative investments into pension schemes’ strategies to help his clients work towards their long-term funding targets.

In addition to his work as an investor, Alex is a part-time teacher of Finance at the London School of Economics. He also chairs the CFA Society UK’s Structured Learning working group and sits on its Exams and Education Committee.

Prior to joining CA, Alex was Head of Manager Research for KPMG’s Investment advisory team. Before his time at KPMG, Alex also worked with Hewitt Bacon & Woodrow and Allianz Insurance Group.

Alex received his MSc in Finance and Accounting from the London School of Economics and his BA (Hons) from Portsmouth Business School. He is also a CFA® charterholder.

Hamish Lea-Wilson is a Partner of Igneo Infrastructure Partners based in London. He is the Head of Transactions, Europe and is a member of the EDIF I, II & III Investment Committees. Hamish currently sits on the board of directors of investee companies enfinium and Finerge. Prior to joining the team in 2008, Hamish worked for PwC. Hamish holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Durham.

Igneo Infrastructure Partners

Igneo Infrastructure Partners is the direct infrastructure investment team of the First Sentier Investors Group. Igneo seeks to deliver superior risk adjusted returns by acquiring and managing high-quality, mature, mid-market infrastructure companies operating in the renewables, digital infrastructure, waste management, water utilities and transportation / logistics sectors across the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. Operating since 1994, with one of the longest established teams in the market, Igneo creates sustainable long-term value through innovation and proactive asset management.

François Lejeune has cumulated 17 years of experience in the infrastructure sector.

He started his career in infrastructure finance at the Belgian construction company Compagnie d’Entreprise CFE, in charge of structuring the financing of PPP tenders, real estate projects and international projects (buyer’s credit, exporter’s risks coverage).

In 2016, François joined AG Insurance as Infrastructure Finance Manager, originating, structuring and managing deals in infrastructure debt and infrastructure equity in the eurozone.

AG Insurance

AG Insurance is an insurance company founded in 1824, part of the group Ageas. It is the biggest insurance company in Belgium with more than 3 million policyholders and over 4.000 employees. Its equity amounts to EUR 1.1 bln and, with more than EUR 70 bln in assets under management (end of 2023), AG Insurance is the biggest subsidiary of the listed Ageas group (a top-15 European insurance group), and the biggest institutional investor in Belgium with a strong local footprint. AG Insurance is rated by S&P (A+/stable), Moody’s (A1/stable) and Fitch (AA-/stable).

Since 2011, AG Insurance has built a diversified infrastructure portfolio of more than EUR 4 bln through loans, indirect equity (through investments and co-investments in infrastructure equity funds), and direct equity. Its infrastructure portfolio is composed of a well-balanced mix between greenfield and brownfield projects in different European countries, and in different subsectors of infrastructure (mainly in accommodation, transport, renewable energy, telecom and power).

AG Insurance also invests in real estate in its home market and abroad through its fully owned subsidiary AG Real Estate.

AG insurance aims to invest with long-term horizons to match its long-term liabilities and seeks for portfolio diversification and a balance between risk and return, based on rigorous processes and governance.

Sam Lissner has more than a decade of private equity experience and leads Ridgewood’s ESG and Sustainability program. In addition to being Principal of Ridgewood Infrastructure, Sam is also a Managing Director and serves on the Investment Committee of Ridgewood Energy.

Prior to joining Ridgewood, Mr. Lissner was Chief Analyst and Project Director at Kohl Partners, where he focused on investments in renewable power and energy efficiency infrastructure. During his master’s studies, Mr. Lissner worked at the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Energy Information Administration. Mr. Lissner received his A.B. from Harvard University. He earned a M.S. focused on Energy and Environmental Policy from New York University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Ridgewood Infrastructure

Ridgewood Infrastructure is a leading investor in essential infrastructure in the U.S. lower middle market. It is part of the affiliated Ridgewood Companies, a leading real asset investment manager currently managing over $5 billion in total capital and commitments focused on direct equity investments in infrastructure and energy.

Irene Mastelli has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry as an advisor to large institutional investors in Europe. Since 2018 she is an independent advisor and since 2020 an Impact Change Advisor at FIIND impact - an Amsterdam-based independent consultant specialized in impact investing.

Previously she worked in Stockholm in the head office of Nordea, a pan-Nordic bank. She acted as an investment strategist with responsibility over the bank's asset allocation model. Previously she was a senior investment director at Cambridge Associates, a global investment advisory firm, in London, where she worked with asset owners, and particularly family offices and foundations. Irene serves on the boards of directors of two investment managers, Tages SGR and Fondaco SGR. Tages focuses on renewable infrastructure investments in Italy. Irene is also part of the investment advisory board of an infrastructure fund of funds, Fondaco Sustainable Real Assets.

Mike Maudsley joined enfinium as Chief Executive Officer in 2022. Mike has over 30 years of experience across the power and utility sector, most recently responsible for leading all operating assets at Drax plc. Prior to Drax, Mike spent six years in the Middle East with Engie.

enfinium

enfinium is a leading UK energy from waste operator with four operational sites in the UK, in West Yorkshire, Kent and Flintshire, and two in construction. enfinium diverts 2.3 million tonnes of unrecyclable waste from climate-damaging landfill, putting it to good use by turning it into home grown energy, enough to power 500,000 UK homes. enfinium’s ambition is to transform its facilities into local ‘decarbonisation hubs’ powered by the millions of tonnes of unrecyclable waste the UK will produce for decades to come. Using existing energy from waste infrastructure, enfinium could contribute to heat networks, produce electrolytic hydrogen, or use carbon capture technology to provide durable, high quality carbon removals which will be critical for the UK to achieve net zero by 2050. For more on enfinium, please visit https://enfinium.co.uk/

Sarah works as a Senior Vice President in the Manager Research Team where she has a primary focus on private market strategies and specialises in impact investing. Sarah leads on Inclusion and Diversity within fund research and also chairs Redington's Inclusion & Diversity Committee. Sarah joined Redington in July 2019 having previously worked at BMO Global Asset Management and Janus Henderson. She is a CFA charterholder and holds a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics with Psychology from the University of Birmingham.

Redington

As an independent, B Corp-certified investment consultancy, Redington provides a full range of outcome-oriented advice, research and technology to some of the largest pension funds, wealth managers and institutional investors across the globe.
Everything we do is powered by innovation and a desire to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients and their beneficiaries. Whilst we can’t make complex issues any less complex, we can help you focus on what matters: reaching a level of understanding and clarity that will give you the confidence to make better decisions.
So, whether its advice on investment strategy, selecting best-in-class managers or defining responsible investment beliefs, we’re here to help.
We're on a mission to help make 100 million people financially secure - for the benefit of people and planet.

Petya Nikolova is the Deputy CIO and Head of Infrastructure Investments for New York City Comptroller’s Office. In this role, she contributes to shaping the investment strategy and portfolio construction for the $260 billion New York City Retirement Systems (NYCRS). Ms. Nikolova continues to lead the infrastructure asset class. She is a member of the OCIO and the Investment Committee.

Before joining the Comptroller’s office, Ms. Nikolova was a Director in the Infrastructure Americas team at WestLB, where she originated and structured infrastructure deals across a variety of sectors. Prior to that, Ms. Nikolova held various capital markets roles at Bank of Ireland and MBIA.

Ms. Nikolova holds an MPA from Syracuse University and an MA/BA in Economics from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Ben has more than 20 years’ experience in funds management and investment banking, with extensive experience across a range of natural capital industries. Ben leads the natural capital strategy for Climate Asset Management, which is an Article 9 aligned investment product deploying across agriculture, forestry and environmental assets in developed markets.

Previously, Ben worked in agriculture funds management at Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets, playing a key role in doubling the AUM to A$2.7 billion, and led food and agriculture coverage within Macquarie Capital, advising on more than A$4 billion of transactions.

Climate Asset Management

Climate Asset Management was created in 2020 as a partnership between HSBC Asset Management and Pollination with the ambition to grow the world’s leading asset management company in natural capital. Climate Asset Management’s aim is to offer a wide exposure to global natural capital investment opportunities. Its investment strategies seek to work across landscapes to build resilience against climate change whilst generating returns from food and fibre products, land value appreciation and ecosystem service payments, such as carbon credits. Climate Asset Management invests into nature-based assets, including sustainable forestry, regenerative agriculture, and nature-based carbon projects, alongside exploring new forms of natural capital.

Climate Asset Management aims to leverage the scale HSBC and the deep market expertise Pollination to unlock investment opportunities across the globe. Climate Asset Management has also been working with Apple since early 2023 in managing a novel natural capital investment vehicle, as part of Apple’s expansion of its Restore Fund.

Afolabi is a Director on the Operational Due Diligence team and has over 15 years of industry experience. His responsibilities include performing operational due diligence on European alternative investments, as well as performing ad-hoc operational due diligence requests. Afolabi is responsible for overseeing Aksia’s Responsible Investing research framework and supporting the integration of Responsible Investing considerations, as relevant, across Aksia’s core processes.

Prior to joining Aksia in 2014, Afolabi was a Business Services Senior at Lubbock Fine Chartered Accountants in London, where he provided outsourced accounting services and liaised with auditors for an alternative investment manager, among other clients. During his four years at Lubbock Fine, Afolabi also worked within the audit and non-assurance departments. Afolabi began his accounting career at Ladimeji & Co, an international tax practice in London. Prior to Ladimeji & Co., he was a Senior Editor at LexisNexis UK in London for three years.

Afolabi graduated from Trinity Hall College, Cambridge University with a BA in Land Economy and is a Chartered Accountant (ACA) in the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Aksia

Aksia LLC, together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, (collectively, “Aksia”) is a specialist portfolio advisory firm providing alternative investment solutions to clients across private equity, private credit, natural resources and infrastructure, real estate and hedge funds. Aksia provides an array of services including non-discretionary, discretionary and investment management.

Aksia advises on $300 billion of client alternative allocations globally (as of October 31, 2023). The firm represents pension plans, insurance companies, government-related institutions, endowments, foundations and superannuation funds.

Aksia employs over 460 professionals across the globe, including 222 investment research, operational due diligence, and risk management professionals (as of January 8, 2024). The firm is 100% employee owned by its 15 partners and is headquartered in New York, with offices in San Diego, London, Tokyo, Chicago, Athens, and Hong Kong.

Adam Petrie is Partner, Infrastructure at Apollo and is responsible for the origination, execution and management of infrastructure investments across the transport, energy and digital sectors. Prior to joining the firm in 2022, Adam was a Partner at AMP Capital’s infrastructure business, where he completed a range of infrastructure investments across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Adam also served on a number of portfolio company boards. Adam Petrie is a CFA charterholder and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Lincoln University, New Zealand.

Sam Phelps serves as Associate Vice President, Portfolio Oversight at CIM Group®, where he oversees CIM’s carbon reduction strategy. Dr. Phelps works to advance low carbon solutions across CIM’s portfolio and to develop partnerships with companies that decarbonize real assets. As a trained climate scientist, Dr. Phelps also contributes to the measurement and management of CIM’s environmental impact. He works closely with the company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) team to achieve CIM’s emissions reduction objectives.

Prior to joining CIM, Dr. Phelps was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University. His research focused on how carbon dioxide influences climate evolution to support a greater understanding of how future climate change may unfold. Dr. Phelps also worked with Pontifax AgTech, a growth equity firm investing in food and agriculture technology, where he focused on strategy development for soil carbon markets.

Dr. Phelps earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology-Biology from Brown University and a Master of Arts/PhD degree in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University.

Anand Rajagopal leads Sustainability Strategy and ESG integration efforts for Shareholder Assets and Private Markets investments. The asset classes covered within his remit span various types of public markets debt as well as private market investments such as Infrastructure debt and equity, private credit/private placements, commercial real estate debt and equity, structured solutions and transition finance opportunities including blended finance efforts (involving DFIs/MDBs/ECAs etc.). Before Phoenix Group, Anand served as the Head of Public Annuity Asset Origination at Aviva (2019-2022) where he led portfolio construction and investment strategy for public assets including the development of the business’s ESG and Franchise risk framework and its integration in credit/investment processes, new asset class launches and related asset manager research. Prior to insurance asset management, Anand had worked for ~10 years in public- and private-credit investment and portfolio management/monitoring mandates at BlackRock (London) and Goldman Sachs (New York) covering asset classes such as RMBS, CMBS, Auto/Whole Loan ABS, Sovereigns/SSAs, EMD, Energy/Infra-Project Finance, CRE loans and Shipping/Aviation debt.

Ruairi is Head of Sustainability, Core Infrastructure at abrdn. He is part of the infrastructure investment team that invests across diversified UK and European small-mid market infrastructure. He supports the team to assess the financial materiality of factors, promote sustainability outcomes and meet the growing number of reporting and disclosure requirements.

Prior to his current role, Ruairi was Head of ESG for Core Plus and Value-add Real Estate at abrdn, having joined the company in 2015 from Ove Arup & Partners. He has 15 years’ experience as a sustainability practitioner in real assets, supporting investors and companies to better understand sustainability factors and develop strategies to support long term value.

Ruairi is a member of GRESB’s Infrastructure Standards Committee and regularly contributes to industry initiatives on climate change including the IIGCC’s recently published guidance for infrastructure. He holds a first-class degree in Environmental Management (Industrial) and a PGDip in Sustainability and Resilience.

abrdn European Infrastructure

abrdn’s European Infrastructure business focuses on European mid-market core/core+ infrastructure assets across utilities, transport, energy and digital sectors.

The team is led by Dominic Helmsley with an experienced dedicated team of 24 investment professionals along with portfolio directors and professionals across legal, finance, operations and compliance. In addition an extensive panel of circa 20 senior advisors provide ongoing support to the business.

The team is part of abrdn plc, one of Europe’s largest asset managers with over £500 billion of assets.

The Infrastructure team manage over €3 billion of assets and have successfully invested three funds, with assets across the rolling stock, solar, hydro, district heating, storage and fibre sectors. The team will launch their 4th fund in 2024. The fund will build on the successful strategies adopted by the prior funds and will capitalise on the key macro infrastructure themes of energy transition, transport de-carbonisation and digitisation.

Avantika Saisekar is a Managing Director at Wafra, where she leads the Firm’s initiatives focusing on ESG integration, working with the investment teams to provide ESG due diligence and value creation guidance to the wide range of Wafra’s investments. Previously, Ms. Saisekar served as the Head of Institutional ESG Product at Northern Trust Asset Management where she oversaw product development and innovation of over $70 billion in ESG assets. Ms. Saisekar currently serves on two of the United Nations Principals of Responsible Investing (“PRI”) working groups including the Venture Capital LP group and the Assurance group, where she advises the PRI on relevant research and market guidance. Ms. Saisekar earned a BA in Economics from Claremont McKenna College and is also a Fundamentals of Sustainability (FSA) credential holder.

Wafra Inc.

Wafra Inc. is an alternative investment manager focusing on Strategic Partnerships, Real Assets, Real Estate, Absolute Return Strategies, and Public Markets. Wafra has discretionary and non-discretionary AUM of approximately $32 billion and employs over 195 professionals, including 70 investment professionals. By providing flexible and accretive capital solutions and focusing on the long term, Wafra aligns with and invests in high-quality investment management teams. Wafra’s principal offices are in New York, NY with affiliated and associated offices in Bermuda, London and Kuwait City.

As Senior Director for Climate Resilient Investment at WTW, Carlos leverages 15+ years of experience supporting investors manage valuation risk concerning the integration of climate risks within investment decision-making processes. While at WTW, Carlos served as Executive Director of the Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment (CCRI), an investor-led initiative. Its 129 members representing USD25tn developed and tested practical solutions for both infrastructure investment appraisal and national planning methods. In parallel to leading CCRI, Carlos also served as CFA UK’s vice-Chair of the Climate and Investing Certification.

Prior to CCRI and WTW, Carlos led a climate resilience finance facility at the Multilateral Investment Fund in Washington, D.C. dedicated to supporting investors identify specific investment opportunities in connection to physical climate risks. In the past Carlos spent three years in Angola as Country Director for an energy project finance advisory firm, and earlier as Foreign Direct Investment Advisor at the Spanish Embassy in Luanda.

Carlos holds a Masters in Finance from the London Business School, and a Masters in Global Affairs from Georgetown University.

Willis Towers Watson

Willis Towers Watson (NASDAQ: WLTW) is a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company that helps clients around the world turn risk into a path for growth. With roots dating to 1828, Willis Towers Watson has 45,000 employees serving more than 140 countries and markets. We design and deliver solutions that manage risk, optimize benefits, cultivate talent, and expand the power of capital to protect and strengthen institutions and individuals. Our unique perspective allows us to see the critical intersections between talent, assets and ideas – the dynamic formula that drives business performance. Together, we unlock potential.

Raphaela Schmid leads the implementation of SUSI Partners’ sustainability strategy as Head of ESG ＆ Sustainability. In that capacity, she is responsible for the integration of ESG and sustainability principles into investment and asset management processes. She has longstanding experience in the infrastructure investment space, having worked both on the sell and the buy side. Before she joined SUSI Partners in 2017, she worked for M&A boutique D.CT Deutsche Cleantech GmbH, Deutsche Bank and PwC.

Melisa is responsible for leading the responsible investing and sustainability strategy across private infrastructure by working closely with investment teams, to build capacity on material sustainability issues and develop proprietary frameworks and tools. In this role she provides strategic direction on best-in-class programs for biodiversity, climate, and sustainability efforts. Additionally, she supports the development, launch and reporting for sustainable products.

Melisa’s experience includes transactions across the Energy, Food & Agri, Metals & Mining, Oil & Gas, Manufacturing, Real Estate and Infrastructure sectors. In previous roles, Melisa supported the development of firm wide strategies to measure a portfolio’s biodiversity footprint, conducted environmental impact assessments, and implemented biodiversity action plans in project sites located in South and North America.

Melisa held similar positions at APG Asset Management and ING Capital LLC, as well as sustainability consulting roles at Ramboll-Environ and ERM. Melisa started her career working on the design and construction management of various infrastructure projects in the New York City area. Melisa graduated with a B.S in Civil Engineering from Politecnico di Torino and M.S in Sustainability from Columbia University.

Nuveen

Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions designed to secure the long-term financial goals of institutional and individual investors. Nuveen has $1.1 trillion in assets under management as of 31 Dec 2022 and operations in 27 countries. Its investment specialists offer deep expertise across a comprehensive range of traditional and alternative investments through a wide array of vehicles and customized strategies. For more information, please visit www.nuveen.com.

Jakub has over of 20 years of experience in executive and senior managerial roles within complex transactions / operations, supervising diverse teams and managing highly challenging assignments within international environment. A catalyst for successful transformations and international business development initiatives worldwide.

Currently, Jakub is Climate and Sustainable Leader’s in the Czech Republic Chairman and founder; the open non-profit organization consolidates the most active and environmentally responsible organization in Czechia.
He began his career at Accenture, subsequently he became Head of Restructuring within RWE and furthermore he moved to more commercial role and became Head of Gas Business Development, linked to major gas infrastructure projects at that time, such as Nabucco gas pipeline and LNG projects. Major part of his career he spent at EPH where was responsible for acquisition of major energy and infrastructure assets in Europe totaling over 10bn enterprise value (such as Vattenfall lignite in Germany, Enel assets in Slovakia, E.ON assets in Italy etc.). Last few years he spent as Investment Director at KKCG.

Stefan leads the real asset program at Perpetual Investors in Munich. In this role, he is responsible for managing the real asset portfolio and focuses on manger selection across the broad spectrum of the infrastructure and real estate universe. Prior to joining Perpetual in 2017, Stefan worked several years as a Portfolio Manager at MEAG Munich Ergo Asset Management, where he managed Munich Re’s emerging market corporate bond portfolio. Stefan holds a MSc in Mathematical Finance from TU Munich and is a CFA charter holder.

Perpetual Investors

Perpetual Investors is a multi-strategy investment firm based in Munich, Germany. Based on clear guidelines, the firm follows a sustainable, unrestricted long-term investment strategy within an institutional open architecture approach. The asset universe includes but is not limited to Private Debt, Private Equity, Infrastructure, Real Estate, Hedge Funds, as well as liquid equity and fixed income.

Aaron Vermeulen is the Finance Practice Lead for WWF-International and responsible for the sustainable finance strategy globally. Prior to this he was the head of Green Finance at WWF-NL and concurrently one of the founders of the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD). Aaron also worked for five years as the WWF partnership manager at the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila. Before he held several positions, among others: director of the business group Water and Ecology for Royal Haskoning DHV consultancy in Amsterdam and as an associate expert for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo.

Barbara has over 25 years of infrastructure investment, private equity as well as project finance experience gained at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, PolyTechnos Venture and, since 2003 with B Capital Partners. Beforehand, she worked for the Private Sector Development Group of the World Bank.

Barbara is a Member of the Board at B Capital Partners AG as well as Bekk og Strom AS (hydro power in Norway). She is also on the Investment Committees of both, the Impact Fund and the Real Assets Fund of Palisade (Australia). Further, Barbara is a Member of the Asset Selection Committee of RealPort, a regulatory alternative investment brokerage platform (Germany). From 2017 till July 2021, she served as Non-Executive Director of the London Pension Fund Authorities (LPFA). Further, Barbara was key in setting up the infrastructure investment platform for Swiss pension funds (IST3) and its Investment Committee, of which she also was part for several years.

She is a prolific author and has written four books on infrastructure investments, the latest one being "Infrastructure as an Asset Class. Second Edition" (2016).

Barbara wrote her Ph.D. in Economics at Harvard University and University of St. Gallen. She holds an MSc in Business & Operations Research from Warwick University and a post-graduate degree in International Relations from Mannheim University.

Mark Weisdorf Associates focuses on private market infrastructure and real assets investment strategies. Mark is Investment Committee chair of Zurich-based Swiss pension plan cooperative, IST3 Infrastruktur Global; and Senior Advisor to Seraya Partners based in Singapore. In addition to strategic consulting services, since 2015, Mark has facilitated over $5 billion of renewable energy, digital, FttH, transportation and other infrastructure investments and financings.

As Global CIO and CEO based in NYC, Mark established JPMorgan’s Infrastructure Investments platform in 2005 growing it to $10 billion AUM by 2014. Prior to 2004, Mark was Head of Private Markets at the CPP Investment Board in Toronto, where he developed and implemented Private Equity, Venture, Real Estate and Infrastructure investment strategies, and established strategic partnerships, totaling $7 billion.

Prior to 2000, Mark was a senior investment banker and executive in Toronto, at HSBC Canada (Deputy CEO), CIBC World Markets, and Merrill Lynch Canada. Mark is a CPA, CA, CFA and CBV; served on the Board of the ILPA, and was founding Chair of its Research, Benchmarking & Standards Committee. Mark is a past President of the University of Toronto Alumni Association, where he obtained a B. Comm.

Mark Weisdorf Associates, LLC

Mark Weisdorf Associates specializes in identifying, developing and implementing alternative investment strategies, generating attractive asymmetric risk-adjusted returns. MWA provides strategic consulting services, and also works with institutional investors, investment management firms, and corporations, on specific investment opportunities. Past clients include Actis Power, Arjun Infrastructure Partners, Brookfield Asset Management, Climate Innovation Capital, China Construction America, Crane Capital, Global Infrastructure Partners, Hydrogen Equity Partners, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, IST Investment Foundations, JCM Power, JP Morgan Asset Management, Macquarie Capital, National Treasury Management Agency of Ireland, Ontario Pension Board, Partners Group, and Teck Resources Limited.

Jens leads EVORA’s consulting operations in Germany, ensuring the seamless delivery of insightful operations to their clients. Together with his team he advises real estate investors on a spectrum of strategic and operational matters, including decarbonisation, achieving net zero carbon, and effective reporting and management of ESG data. Collaborating closely with colleagues in the UK and across EVORA’s global offices, Jens tailors EVORA’s services to meet the unique demands of the German market.

Jens studied Energy and Environmental Engineering (M.Sc.) and started his career in the energy industry. Motivated by his passion for working at the intersection of energy technology and business application, he transitioned to work in the innovation management department of a major European energy company. It was here that Jens discovered his niche at the crossroads of energy and real estate, paving the way for his journey into ESG consulting.

Jens finds fulfilment in the dynamic, client-focussed and impact-driven nature of EVORA’s work. He strives to be fluent in navigating discussions spanning investment-Euros and kWh, bridging the gap between financial strategy and sustainable energy solutions for the built environment.

EVORA Global

EVORA Global is a premier sustainability advisor, providing comprehensive, industry-leading climate solutions for real asset investors. With over a decade of experience, EVORA is dedicated to addressing the climate challenge posed by the real asset industry, focusing on the needs of investors in the built environment. Its clients include many of the biggest names in global real estate, including Invesco Real Estate, Hines and M&G. Founded in 2011, the company now has over 200 staff and 250 clients.

Simon joined the PRI in 2018 and leads the organisation’s work on real assets. He works with real assets investors to support their understanding and implementation of responsible investment, including on issues such as climate change, human rights, and biodiversity.

Prior to joining the PRI, Simon worked for over 10 years at Control Risks, where he led a team providing political and social risk advisory support to investors and corporate clients in Latin America. This included carrying out due diligence for major investments and projects in the region, and developing appropriate social and governance risk management frameworks.

Simon holds a MSc in Latin American Politics from the University of London (Institute for the Study of the Americas) and a BA in Modern Languages (French and Spanish) from the University of Bristol.

PRI

The PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions. The PRI acts in the long-term interests of its signatories, of the financial markets and economies in which they operate and ultimately of the environment and society as a whole. The PRI is truly independent. It encourages investors to use responsible investment to enhance returns and better manage risks, but does not operate for its own profit; it engages with global policymakers but is not associated with any government; it is supported by, but not part of, the United Nations.

Huw Williams heads Investor and Financial Stakeholder relations at BEIS (the UK Department for Energy and Business) and has been in the role for four years. His current major focus is on the finance for new nuclear in the UK, but he covers the range of Net Zero policy areas, from CCUS to Hydrogen and has also been involved in the National Security and Investment legislation, for example. Prior to joining BEIS, Huw worked in Investment Banking covering the energy and oil & gas/transition sectors, living and working in HK/China and Singapore/India for extensive periods of time, as well as in London. He has a Mineral Resources engineering degree from Imperial College and is a holder of the CFA ESG Investing qualification.