FP Energy Forum @ UNGA 78

Amos J. Hochstein is the Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security. He previously served as the Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State for Global Energy Security. He began his tenure with the State Department in 2011, when he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy. From 2014 to 2017 he served as Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs and led the Bureau of Energy Resources. Hochstein has served in a variety of roles in the private sector and Capitol Hill. He was the Senior Policy Advisor to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives and also worked as an advisor to Senators Chris Dodd (CT) and Mark Warner (VA). Throughout his career, he has been a counselor for domestic and international energy companies, assisting in assessing potential new markets, the development of alternative sources of power, and the best strategies to bring them to market. Hochstein has served on the board of the Atlantic Council and as a Non-resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.

In this decisive decade for climate action, the UAE will seek to bring the world together at COP28 to agree bold and ambitious solutions to this unprecedented global challenge. With a proven track record of building consensus in international negotiations ranging from climate change to energy to aviation,Ambassador Majid Al-Suwaidi brings invaluable diplomatic expertise to the UAE COP Presidency. As the UAE’s Lead Negotiator on Climate Change, Energy and Sustainability, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi played a key role in the negotiation and adoption of the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015, as well as in the design and adoption of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In his most recent role, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi served as the UAE Ambassador to Spain, Andorra, and Vatican City. In a previous role as Consul General, he was responsible for opening the UAE’s first ever consulate in New York, where he also led the UAE Mission to the United Nations. As well as being a firm believer in the power of multilateralism, Ambassador Al-Suwaidi also brings considerable insight into the scale and practical complexity involved in the global transition to clean energy, having worked for almost a decade in the international energy sector. Ambassador Al-Suwaidi has an undergraduate degree in Geology from Brunel University (United Kingdom), as well as a graduate degree in Earth Sciences from Simon Fraser University (Canada). In 2023, he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic by the Government of Spain in recognition of extraordinary services in the promotion of international relations, following his three year stint as UAE Ambassador to Spain

Dr. Fatih Birol (@fbirol) has served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since 2015 and has led the IEA in its first comprehensive modernisation programme since its creation. These efforts focused on “opening the doors” of the IEA to major emerging economies; making the IEA the global hub for clean energy transitions; and broadening the IEA’s energy security mandate beyond oil to also cover electricity, natural gas, renewables and the critical minerals needed in many of today's clean energy technologies. Dr. Birol has recently been named in the TIME100, TIME's annual list of the world's most influential people, and received the prestigious GLOBSEC European Award for his work to support Europe deal with the energy crisis.

Dr. Holly Jean Buck is an Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo.  She is an environmental social scientist and geographer whose research focuses on public engagement with emerging climate technologies.  Her books include Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero Is Not Enough and After Geoengineering, and she is a contributor to the new volume Democracy in a Hotter Time (MIT Press). Her research on mitigation, adaptation, carbon removal, and solar geoengineering has appeared in scientific journals like Nature Climate Change, Climatic Change, Nature Sustainability, and Environmental Research Letters.   She was a contributing author to the IPCC's AR6 Working Group III report, and has also served on National Academies committees to develop research agendas on ocean carbon removal and atmospheric methane removal.  Dr. Buck holds a Ph.D in Development Sociology from Cornell University and a M.Sc. in Human Ecology from Lund University.

Allison Carlson is the Executive Vice President of FP Analytics & Events at Foreign Policy. She oversees FPA’s cross-cutting research at the intersection of policy, technology, and global markets as well as Foreign Policy’s global dialogues and convenings. Prior to these roles, Carlson led FP Analytics’ energy and technology team for more than a decade, evaluating evolving climate and emissions policies and identifying opportunities for advanced technology deployment internationally. Before joining FP, she led the Latin America program for a boutique consulting firm assisting European companies on investing in emerging markets’ energy and financial sectors. Carlson has presented her work at a variety of international conferences and before the U.S. Senate. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where she received a master’s degree in international relations and international economics.

Dan Dorner took up his duties as Head of the Strategic Initiatives Office at the International Energy Agency in December 2022. Previously, he was Head of Secretariat for the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), a global forum tasked with accelerating clean energy transitions. Mr. Dorner’s involvement with the IEA goes back more than a decade, having worked as a lead author for the Agency’s flagship World Energy Outlook report and serving as the Executive Director’s Sherpa to the United Nations. Over the years, he has also held a variety of positions in the British government, serving as the UK’s Head of International Energy and as a senior adviser and analyst at the Treasury Department.  

Maggie Lake is a veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering business, technology, politics, and international affairs. She started her career at Reuters, where she worked in both the New York and London bureaus covering economics and global finance. In 2001, she joined CNN International, where she served as a correspondent and anchor for the network’s flagship business shows. Over the course of her career, she has interviewed the world’s top CEOs, celebrities, and politicians and has been a consistent champion of economic inclusion and sustainable development. She has served as a weekly contributor for NPR and moderated events for the United Nations, World Bank, Council on Foreign Relations, and Global Citizen. She now runs the communications consultancy Maggie Lake Media and is a founding board member of the newly created Rutgers University Center for Women in Business.

Mario Loyola is a research assistant professor and director of the Environmental Finance and Risk Management Program in the Institute of Environment, an FIU Preeminent Program. He also teaches environmental law courses at the College of Law and advises law students on environment-related matters. Loyola has worked on environmental policy and regulatory issues for many years, both in and out of government. He is a former associate director for regulatory reform at the White House Council on Environmental Quality and has also served at the Pentagon and in the U.S. Senate. Loyola is a fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and has published extensively in National Review, The Atlantic and the Wall Street Journal, in addition to academic and policy journals. He received a BA in European History from the University of Wisconsin and a JD from Washington University School of Law.

Head of International Government Relations for Anglo American since October 2010.  Based in London covering global political risk and policy advocacy focussing on countries where Anglo American has mining interests in Southern Africa, Latin America and Australia. Richard was previously with the UK Foreign Office with postings in Japan, South Africa and France. Seconded to Unilever from 2005-2008 covering Africa, Middle East and Turkey.

Isaiah Oliver is a private sector engagement, trade and investment, and climate finance expert with more than 14 years of experience focusing on the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Currently serving as deputy chief of party of the Climate Finance for Development Accelerator, a flagship USAID program focused on facilitating at least $2.5 billion in investment for climate mitigation and adaptation. In this role, Isaiah manages several energy transition related initiatives, including a blended finance activity that seeks to mobilize $1 billion of investment for energy transition investments in high emitting emerging economies. Isaiah previously served as deputy chief of party for the Asia and Middle East Economic Growth Best Practices Program (AMEG), where he led a variety of economic assessments and pilot activities under AMEG, including conducting market research to inform the creation of a social impact investment fund for India. Isaiah holds an M.A. in applied economics from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in urban policy from the University of Richmond.

Dr. Papathanasiou leads more than 100 professionals at the Global Units of the Energy and Extractives Global Practice of the World Bank. He coordinates the overall strategic direction of the Practice, advances the knowledge and learning agenda for the Bank’s energy and extractives professionals, and oversees corporate reporting, trust funds, and partnerships for the Practice. Dr. Papathanasiou has worked for more than 20 years with the World Bank Group on Energy and Infrastructure in Africa, Latin America, East Europe and the Balkans, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific Islands. He has contributed to developing energy policies in several countries and worked on power generation projects using many diverse technologies: thermal, hydropower, solar, wind, and geothermal. He has led large teams on complex utility and sector reforms, as well as sizeable public-private partnership transactions. As the Manager for the World Bank’s Energy Practice in South Asia (2016-2020), he was responsible for a portfolio of more than $10 billion and worked to increase renewable energy projects in the region, expand regional interconnections and exchanges, and modernize networks across the region. A professional Electrical Engineer, Dr. Papathanasiou holds an MSc in Environmental Technology and a PhD in Energy and the Environment from Imperial College in London, UK.

Geoffrey R. Pyatt, a career member of the Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources on September 19, 2022. Ambassador Pyatt served as U.S. Ambassador to Greece from 2016 to 2022 and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2013 to 2016.  Among other recognitions, he received the State Department’s Robert Frasure Memorial Award in recognition of his leadership of the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014. Previously, Ambassador Pyatt was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs from 2010-2013. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, Austria from 2007 to 2010. He also served three times at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, as Deputy Chief of Mission from 2006 to 2007, Political Counselor from 2002 to 2006, and Political Officer from 1992 to 1994.  Ambassador Pyatt was Economic Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong from 1999 to 2002 and Principal Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Lahore, Pakistan from 1997 to 1999.  Since joining the Foreign Service in 1989, he has also served on the National Security Council staff, on the staff of Deputy Secretary Strobe Talbott and at the U.S. Embassy in Honduras. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, he worked with The Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank that brings together leading citizens of the Americas. Ambassador Pyatt grew up in La Jolla, California and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Yale and B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine.

Andrew Sollinger is the publisher and CEO of Foreign Policy, which he joined in 2018. Previously, he was executive vice president at Business Insider, executive director of Capital New York (now Politico NY) and managing director of the Financial Times Americas. Sollinger was part of the executive team that built Money-Media, a digital news startup focused on the fund management industry, and sold it to the FT. A former reporter and editor for Institutional Investor magazine's newsletter division, Andrew has lived in London, Hong Kong and New York. He is a graduate of Clark University, where he was executive editor of The Scarlet.

Vera Songwe is Chair of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility. Songwe is co-chair ofthe High Level Panel on Finance for Climate Action. She is member of the Global Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). She is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Songwe was previously Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Songwe has been recognized as one of Africa’s 100 most influential people in 2022 and was a recipient of the All Africa Continental Leadership Award, Songwe was named one of the nominees for Forbes Africa 50 Top Women in 2023. She recently co-authored a book entitled "Régional Integration in West Africa: Is There a Role for a Single Currency?" She has spent the last three years championing the cause for additional liquidity for emerging markets and the need for a new global financial architecture fit for the 21st century’s development challenges. She has held a number of senior positions at the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation. Her main areas of interest are financial stability, macro-prudential policy, fiscal and monetary policy, innovative financing mechanisms for development, climate finance, agriculture, energy, and economic governance. She has extensive experience working in Africa, East Asia, Europe and Central Asia and South Asia regions. Prior to joining the Bank, Dr. Songwe was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Dr. Songwe holds a PhD. in Mathematical Economics from the Center for Operations Research & Econometrics from the Catholic University of Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium. She holds a BA in Economics and a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Kavita Sinha is the Director of the Private Sector Facility. Previously she was with the European Climate Foundation, where she was the programme director for energy transition in Asia and also helped set up the Southeast Asia Clean Energy Facility; and was the interim director for Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership.Prior to ECF, she spent more than 15 years in leadership roles in the corporate world–from start-ups to multinational corporations across multiple sectors. She co-founded and successfully exited start-ups in clean energy and infrastructure services. She also worked for nearly a decade with the U.S. Agency for International Development where she held several program management roles including in climate impact. She has an MBA from Rutgers Business School, USA and an honors degree in Chemical Engineering as well as graduate studies in energy systems from leading engineering schools in India. She has also received training in sustainable investing, international relations, and political economy.

Omar Vargas is the Vice President, Head of Global Public Policy at General Motors (GM). In this role, he leads GM’s global engagement of government officials and public policy. Prior to joining GM in August of 2021, Omar held senior government relations roles with 3M, Praxair and PepsiCo. In the early 2000s, Omar was as an appointee of President George W. Bush to the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served in a variety of capacities. His portfolio included a broad range of law enforcement, civil rights, national security, and immigration policy matters, including violence against women and human trafficking victim services programs. His government service was preceded by work at Cooper & Kirk, PLLC, the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He earned a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law and School of International Service and a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish Literature from Seton Hall University in 1995. At Seton Hall University, Omar received the University’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal of Honor, in recognition of his academic achievements and community leadership and was awarded with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, a full academic scholarship intended to honor and promote the memory of the slain national leader. Omar is committed to various philanthropic efforts outside of his professional work. He serves as co-chair of the Meridian Center’s Executive Committee and as a board member for Fiscal Note, Executive Institute Advisory Board and the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Previously, he held various board engagement positions including Fords Theater Board of Trustees, the Hispanic National Bar Association Legal Education Fund, the Deuville Building Relief Fund, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Omar’s volunteerism with community-based organizations and advocacy on behalf of asylum seekers has earned him recognition by the New Jersey State Assembly and the Washington College of Law. Omar has also earned recognition from the University of New Mexico School of Law U.S.-Mexico Law Institute, the Hispanic Bar Association of the District of Columbia, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Institute on Lobbying and Ethics (2020 Top Lobbyist), The Hill (2019, 2020 Top Lobbyist), and Washingtonian Magazine (2022 Most Influential).

Thilan Wijesinghe, is Chairman and owner of an investment bank in Sri Lanka, TWCorp. He is widely acknowledged as a pioneer and specialist in executing public private partnership(PPP) transactions in Sri Lanka. He has been the former Chairman of the Board of Investment, the foreign investment promotion agency of Sri Lanka, and the National Agency for Public Private Partnership. Under Thilan’s leadership, Sri Lanka executed many first-time PPP transactions in renewable energy, port terminals, telecommunication, middle income housing, healthcare, education and digital infrastructure. In a period spanning 26 years, Thilan has played a leadership role in financially closing approximately USD 2.25 billion in PPP projects in multiple sectors, and his company in the last 3 years has advised Governments of Maldives and Bangladesh on PPP policy and transaction management. He currently advises the Minister of Power and Energy of Sri Lanka on reforming and restructuring the power sector. This involves the unbundling of the vertically integrated electricity board into separate generation, distribution and transmission companies, with plans to attract private investment into generation and distribution assets. He is also entrusted with creating the enabling environment to attract new private local and foreign capital to migrate Sri Lanka’s power generation to renewable energy from current levels of 45% to 70% by 2030. This poses unique challenges for a country that is undergoing a sovereign debt restructuring. So, a key aspect of Mr. Wijesinghe’s responsibility as an adviser to the Ministry of Power is to bring required expertise to create a policy and regulatory environment for private investors to raise financing and achieve financial closure in renewable energy and electricity transmission projects, while the restructuring process is being implemented concurrently. Thilan Wijesinghe has degrees in Business Administration from the State University of New York and Industrial Engineering and Economics from Cornell University.