The Energy Transition and Decarbonization Symposium

Michael Skelly

Michael Skelly is a pioneer in the U.S. renewable energy industry and is the founder and CEO of Grid United, an early stage transmission development company. Skelly was previously the founder and president of Clean Line Energy, a company that successfully permitted some of the longest transmission lines in the U.S. in the last 50 years. Prior to Clean Line, Skelly led the growth of Horizon Wind Energy, now part of EDPR, one of the largest renewable energy companies in the US. Skelly applies his expertise in developing infrastructure projects to enhance transportation options and increase access to parks in his adopted hometown of Houston, Texas. In 2012, he led the “Parks By You” campaign, which resulted in the passage of a $150 million bond measure to fund over 100 miles of trails along the city’s bayous, an effort in which Skelly remains deeply involved. Skelly sits on the boards of the Houston Bike Share, the Houston Parks Board, LINK Houston, Greentown Labs Houston, and Form Energy. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame.

Gabriel Alonso

As Founder and Board member of 547 Energy, Gabriel Alonso defines the company’s strategy. Moreover, as Founder, President & CEO of 547 Energy, Gabriel sources, evaluates, executes, and optimizes investment opportunities across the energy transition space while overseeing the daily operations of the company. Gabriel is a 25-year veteran of the renewable energy industry with experience across the globe. Prior to founding 547 Energy, Gabriel was CEO of EDP Renewables North America and Executive Member of the Board of EDP Renovaveis S.A. Gabriel also served on the Executive Committee and Board of the American Wind Energy Association (today, American Clean Power) for close to 10 years and chaired its Board of Directors in the 2012-2013 period. Gabriel holds a law degree with specialization in economics from the University of Deusto in Spain, and an Advanced Management Program from the University of Chicago.

George Berczely

George Berczely is an executive with British and Austrian nationality, with a long international career focused on the transformations of service companies. He has worked at DHL and McKinsey&Company and highlights that “SEYSES is at a perfect time. The world has accepted the need to find a solution to climate change, and many technologies have just reached a point of maturity where this is feasible. The complex ecosystem of players in renewable energy needs specialists like SEYSES to manage their processes and minimize risks."

Michael DePompei

Michael DePompei is a partner in the Tax Practice Group in the Dallas office of Haynes and Boone. His practice focuses on complex tax matters in the partnership, real estate, and tax-exempt areas. Michael provides federal income tax legal advice to a wide variety of clients, including partnerships, real estate investment trusts, tax-exempt organizations, corporations, and individuals. He drafts partnership agreements incorporating concepts such as special allocations, targeted capital accounts, and compliance with the fractions rule of Code section 514(c)(9)(E). Before joining the firm, Michael was a Director in the Washington National Tax Practice Group of Deloitte LLP and advised Deloitte practice offices worldwide regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of partnerships, real estate investment trusts, and tax-exempt organizations. He structured business transactions to maximize tax efficiencies, such as the use of a RIDEA structure in the acquisition of a portfolio of over 100 properties valued at $3.4 billion total by a real estate investment trust.

Sammy Haroon

Mr. Haroon is a startup entrepreneur and corporate executive with over 25 years of experience in creating and monetizing opportunities in advanced information technology, software, data analytics, design, and science by delivering products and services across various sectors, including Oil & Gas, E-Commerce, CPG, ERP, Banking, Finance, SmartGrid, and Electronics. He has held a variety of executive leadership and technology consulting positions with Fortune 100 companies, including Procter & Gamble, GE, and Delta Airlines. Most recently at Baker Hughes, he was the Director of the Palo Alto Innovation Center and the Director of Enterprise Data Analytics. He is currently an advisor Silicon Valley Alchemist Accelerator and to the CEO of Riphah International University and RAK College of Dental Sciences. He is the Chairman of the Committee on Technology and Innovation at Bilateral US-Arab Chamber. Previously, he was on the Board of Advisors of Saffron Technology, a cognitive analytics company bought by Intel. Mr. Haroon has a Bachelor's Degree in Nuclear Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is based out of San Jose, California.

Brian Hayes

Brian Hayes is the CEO of Key Capture Energy, joining the company in January of 2024. Prior to KCE, Brian held the position of Executive Vice President of Asset Operations and Transmission at EDP Renewables where he oversaw a team of 500 and over 70 operating assets totaling more than 9,000MW. Brian was instrumental in turning EDPR into a leading developer, owner and operator in the renewables space during his 18-year tenure. Brian has been active with various organizations and entities including Black Girls Do Engineer, a member of Texas A&M’s Industrial Engineering Advisory Council, and American Wind Energy Association now American Clean Power Assocation (ACP). Brian holds an MBA from Duke University and B.S. in industrial engineering from Texas A&M. Prior to entering the renewables space, Brian spent 6 years as a management consultant focused on the energy industry at a top-tier firm.

Iván Higueras

Iván Higueras began his professional career in 1995 as a Project Analyst. He worked at NECSO as Construction Manager until 2001 when he joined Unión Fenosa until 2005, when he became Management Director at Ingenia. In 2008 he joined the Board of Directors of Gransolar as Managing Director and in 2022 he became CEO of the Group.

Rebecca Hofmann

Rebecca Hofmann is an accomplished finance and compliance leader with over 20 years of experience in the energy industry. Her past operational assignments have covered the development and improvement of processes over governance and compliance to support onshore and offshore operations. She is the founder and visionary behind the Blockchain for Energy consortium — where she is the standing CEO and served as chairman of the board two years prior. Hofmann’s many industry awards and accolades include the 2018 GRIT Award for Creativity and Innovation, the 2019 GRIT Award for her team’s work in emerging technologies, and the 2021 Global Supply Chain Leaders Blockchain CEO of the Year Award. She has also authored several thought leadership articles related to blockchain technology.

Nathaniel Karp

Nathaniel Karp was appointed BBVA chief U.S. economist in 2004 to assist the Group’s management in the expansion strategy in the U.S. market. His main responsibilities are conducting in-depth analyses of macroeconomic variables, monetary policy, and regional and industry trends for BBVA Compass. Karp reports to President and CEO Manolo Sánchez. Karp’s team develops econometric tools and models, and performs rigorous and objective assessments on several topics relevant to the group’s operations in the U.S. The team publishes numerous documents on the U.S. economy and frequently presents them to customers and communities served by BBVA Compass. Karp regularly provides media interviews and has appeared on Bloomberg TV and MSNBC. Karp is a member of the American Bankers Association Economic Advisory Committee, a noted group of economists that formulate perspectives on the U.S. and local economies for policymakers. In 2010, Bloomberg News named Karp and his team the top forecaster of 10year Treasury yields. In 2011, he earned a sixth-place ranking in unemployment forecasting. Karp ranked among the top five for non-farm payroll forecasting in 2010 and 2011. Karp joined BBVA Group in 1999 after working for the University of Warwick, the World Bank, Republic Bank, Mexico’s Ministry of Education and Advance Technology for Trade Information and Services. Previously, Karp worked at BBVA Bancomer as director of financial and banking research. Karp earned an undergraduate degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México and a Ph.D. from the University of Warwick in England.

Kay McCall

Kay McCall, with a distinguished tenure as a former CEO in the renewable energy sector and presently serving as a board member/chair, is renowned for her strategic acumen and pragmatic approach. She is invigorated by challenges necessitating innovative solutions and boasts a profound understanding of the energy industry, encompassing both molecules and electrons. Her extensive expertise spans project finance, development, operations, growth, and restructuring, garnered from her tenure in esteemed private equity and Fortune 100 entities. She exudes a profound passion for empowering and nurturing the forthcoming cohort of energy leaders. Noteworthy is her recent leadership in initiating the Renewable Energy Alliance - Houston, a nonprofit endeavor designed to foster connectivity, promotion, and advancement within the renewable energy domain in the Greater Houston area. Prior to this, Kay McCall held the distinguished position of CEO at a private equity-backed wind energy IPP. Recognized for her collaborative and constructive governance style as a board member, Kay McCall also offers invaluable advisory services to institutional investors.

Borja Moreno

Borja Moreno is a seasoned professional with over six years of experience at Wallbox Chargers, a prominent player in the electric vehicle (EV) charging industry. Currently serving as the Director of Sales - North America, West, Borja leads strategic initiatives and sales operations in the Western region, contributing significantly to the company's growth and success. His background in Political Science and deep interest in sustainability align well with his role, emphasizing the importance of EV infrastructure in driving the energy transition towards a greener future. Borja brings valuable insights into innovative clean energy solutions and the role of EV infrastructure in decarbonization efforts. His commitment to sustainability and expertise in the EV charging industry make him a respected figure

Christopher Olson

Christopher was appointed by Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2018 to serve as the Director for Trade and International Affairs for the City of Houston. In this role, Christopher leads the City’s international business development efforts as well as engagement with foreign governments and international organizations Internationally recognized leader in building and leveraging complex global relationships in diverse economic and political environments. Manage large teams and advise CEOs, C-Suite executives, and senior government officials on strategy and critical political and business matters to inform investment decisions, shape policy, mitigate risk, develop communication strategies, and increase return on investment.

Miguel Angel Prado

Miguel Prado is Chief Executive Officer of energyRe. Mr. Prado oversees the management and expansion of energyRe's generation and transmission assets to meet the growing demand for reliable, resilient and responsive renewable energy solutions with domestic sources that create economic and community benefits in American cities. Mr. Prado joins energyRe from EDP Renewables, a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the world’s fourth largest producer of wind energy, where he most recently served as CEO of North America. Under his leadership, EDPR NA tripled its growth, and quadrupled the value of the company’s publicly traded shares. Mr. Prado was a key driver of the company’s growth to the 4th largest wind generation company in the world. Mr. Prado managed EDPR’s 1,000 U.S. based employees, and oversaw the company’s 8.8 GWs of renewable projects under management, more than $11 billion of assets and a development pipeline of more than 15 GWs. As CEO, Mr. Prado was a member of the global management committee and oversaw corporate procurement. In his 19-year tenure with EDP renewables, Mr. Prado also held the title of Head of Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions investing more than $18B in significant acquisitions in 14 different countries. Mr. Prado holds PhD in Business and Management from the University of Oviedo and Bradford, UK and an Executive MBA from Instituto de Empresa, Madrid, Spain.

David Ramos

David has led Repsol’s Geological Low Carbon Solutions Direction since its inception in July 2022. His worldwide responsibilities include all business, commercial, and technical aspects related to CCS. This direction also covers geothermal and H2 subsurface storage solutions. With over 28 years of experience, he has developed his professional career in Repsol within the Exploration Organization, working on international assignments in Egypt, the U.S., Indonesia, and Spain. He is currently based in Houston. Within Repsol, David has held positions as Director of Exploration Eastern Hemisphere (Madrid), Director of Exploration Central Functions (Madrid), Senior Exploration Manager SE Asia (Jakarta), Exploration Manager Alaska, and Exploration Manager GOM (Houston). David holds a B.S. in Geology and an M.Sc. in engineering geology from the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain).

Mercy Renteria

Mercy is a seasoned Energy Sector professional with over fifteen years in the industry with a background in project management, strategic business development, and technical sales. She currently leads the National CCS and Hydrogen segments for Endress and Hauser , contributing to the Energy Transition efforts of the industry. Throughout her career, Mercy has forged strong relationships with leaders in the largest energy companies in the world and have held prominent positions advancing technologies for oil and gas, as well as being co-author in patents for energy technologies. This diverse background involving reservoir analysis, offshore engineering, chemicals, digitalization, and clean energy, has given her a unique perspective for dialogue surrounding Energy and Energy Transition. Mercy’s educational background includes a BBA from the University of Texas Pan American, Marketing from Harvard University, advanced studies from Harvard Business School.

Santhosh Shankar

Dr. Santhosh Shankar has 12 years of techno-commercial industry and management consulting experience in carbon removals, carbon reductions & CCUS and energy sustainability across technology, policy, regulations and markets. He is currently Expert Engagement Manager- Carbon & Energy Sustainabilitys in McKinsey & Company. He previously spent 10 years in Shell innovative research and development organization leading efforts across carbon capture and utilization technology development. Santhosh has authored many peer reviewed journal articles, reports and reviews in carbon capture and utilization, technology deployment, computational flow modeling, numerical simulations, and high-performance computing. Santhosh is passionate about mentoring students and takes every opportunity to encourage young minds to pursue a career in energy. He strongly believes that the energy challenge is not only about needing to provide clean energy, but also more of it so those living in energy poverty today can enjoy a better quality of life tomorrow.

Hugh Tucker

Hugh Tucker is a partner in the Energy, Power and Natural Resources Practice Group in Haynes Boone’s Houston office. His practice focuses on energy transactions involving the oil and gas, chemical, real estate and energy industries, including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and project development and financing. He advises on M&A, project development and joint ventures in both domestic and cross-border settings.” Chambers Global, Chambers and Partners 2022 stated: "He's hard-working, a strong performer and steeped in the industry." Hugh's oil and gas practice focuses on acquisitions and sales of refineries, oil and gas companies, unconventional (shale, CBM, tight sands) and conventional exploration and producing properties through stock acquisitions, asset acquisitions and mergers, exploration and development programs, farmouts, joint operating arrangements, joint ventures and other investment vehicles. He has extensive experience in auction processes from seller and buyer perspective, gas sales, processing and transportation arrangements; public and private financings of refineries and oil and gas assets and companies; expansion, construction, and acquisition of refineries, gathering and processing facilities and pipelines; acquisition of pipeline rights-of-way; ethane and other NGL sales and transportation agreements; biofuels alliances, coal to liquids and gas to liquids project development and other alternative fuels projects and investments. Hugh is experienced in project development and financing work related to several independent power, chemical, coal to liquid, gas to liquids, refinery, NGL and infrastructure projects in the U.S. and internationally, including structuring of investments, bid preparation, host government arrangements, site acquisition, development and EPC arrangements. Hugh’s chemical industry practice has focused on the sale of business units and subsidiaries; formation of joint ventures for specialized product lines and sale of chemicals and other products; financing of chemical facilities, inventory and receivables; steam and electricity agreements with adjacent cogeneration facilities; purchase of feedstocks, logistics and other transportation issues (rail, pipeline, truck and barge); integration and sharing of services, utilities and fuel streams with adjoining plant owners; and management of real estate and pipeline assets. Hugh has been actively involved in all facets of the development, operation, leasing and financing of Class “A” real estate projects in cities across the United States as well as several international cities, including land assemblage; negotiation of construction and service contracts; negotiations with governmental authorities; negotiations with anchor tenants (including cash flow participation and equity participation in the ownership of the project); negotiation of debt and equity financing by life insurance companies, national banks, public and private pension funds, REITs, and other U.S. and international institutional investors; formation of partnerships and limited liability companies; and renegotiation of arrangements with lenders, equity investors and other partners.