Finance Catalyst

Hester is a consultant and project management specialist with experience in the renewable energy field. She has five years of experience in monitoring, evaluation, KPI-reporting, process facilitation, project initiation, procurement and project management of complex international ventures. She has worked in various types of private sector companies, ranging from local start-ups to multinationals.

In the renewable energy market, her experience is largely in solar energy and biofuels. As a consultant, Hester researched the relationship between the Brazilian soy- and biodiesel markets to inform a Dutch cattle feed company, and delivered a thoroughly-researched business plan to set up a one-stop-shop for solar energy solutions for Dutch households. In addition, she advised renewable energy clients of a major European utility company on how to reduce their energy footprints.

Recent examples in the field of M&E and reporting include monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of a shared, digital procurement system for the Dutch government, as well as monthly KPI-reporting for the set-up of a new department at Samsung. Hester is based in Amsterdam and holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).

Zach Bloomfield is an international development finance advisor with a track record in resource mobilization and investment catalysation for companies in emerging markets, especially Africa. He is an expert in energy project financial design and project development advisor. His experience includes successful sourcing of complex financing from (international) development banks, finance product design and accessing climate finance and blended finance. His thematic expertise includes renewable energy, energy efficiency, energy access (off-grid/mini-grids), climate change mitigation and adaptation, financial sector development, and inclusive finance. Zach is a seasoned project manager and relationship manager, and an adept data analyst and visualizer.

Albert Boateng is an experienced renewable energy finance expert and transactions advisor. He is the Regional Coordinator for the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) for West-Africa and was the regional director and manager of several clean energy investment companies. He oversaw investment appraisal, transactions structuring and implementation of exit/liquidation strategies. As part of a pioneering team of a venture capital fund, he helped fund several businesses. He has organized several Project Development and Financing Workshops for clean energy entrepreneurs. He has supported and advised several projects from development to financial closure. He has worked in several countries in West Africa including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal.

Janos has 25+ years broad banking experience in emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America in the field of corporate and project finance, financial institutions finance, and restructuring, work-outs, of which 15+ years specialist (renewable) energy structured finance and project development. He has broad experience and an extensive network in the DFI and commercial banking sector at high level. His specialties are financing private and private/public power sector transactions and RE solutions. Janos has a vast network in the (Renewable) Power Sector in Europe, Africa and Asia. Focus of the network of Janos are DFIs, Commercial Banks, Investors, Developers, Financiers, Specialist Advisors (Legal, Technical, E&S, model/tax reviews). Janos has been in lead roles in structuring of complex finance transactions covering pre-financial close development equity investments (USD 2-3 million transactions) and arranging long term DFI project finance (USD 20-200 mezzanine/senior debt million transactions). He has had advisory roles for developers & financiers. His approach is target driven, high quality, accountability, integrity, team work, bringing parties together, looking for opportunities and solutions, taking challenges in difficult markets. Janos has extensive experience with financing the power technologies in the field of thermal LCO/gas, wind, solar, hydro’s and geothermal.

Trained in 1990 in capital market and corporate finance by ABN Amro, Marc brings 30 years experience in (development) finance from public and private institutions. He is passionate about bringing renewable energy to emerging markets and has been doing so since 1995, initially through structuring and down-selling renewable energy loans (hydropower, geothermal) from IFC to commercial banks, including project finance skills and model transfer, on behalf of ING Barings (the “Emerging Markets”-bank at the time). After 2005 he performed these services to project developers in emerging markets for free in order to help standardise credit applications, mostly with European development banks. He is the architect of ElectriFI (he advised the European Commission in 2013-2016 on ‘an equity instrument for the private markets’ including approval of all 28 member-countries) and he is initiator of finance catalyst services (RECP-FC, now GET.invest) conform his IFC-experiences and approach and training of private sector funding sources. From a foundation (the BankabilityLab Foundation) he prepares credit proposals for (distributed) crowdfunding. He makes his independent financial model available which has been in use since 1995 and through which 1,000+ infrastructure project propositions have been re-modelled. He part-time implements EU-Horizon 2020 projects that support this approach of distributed crowdfunding through a standardised securitisation approach working backwards from this 25-year seasoned financial model, hence, every credit application works from an this end-product and reduces throughput time tremendously. At GET.invest he mostly had inspirational impact. Marc operates out of Amsterdam.

Jeannetta is an energy, public-private partnership (PPP) and legal consultant based in Kigali, Rwanda. She has over 9 years of experience in advising governments, lenders, donors and private developers on large-scale infrastructure transactions across various sectors and jurisdictions. Jeannetta served as a transaction advisor for Power Africa where she assisted projects and developers across East and Central Africa. She also served as the Lead Transactions Advisor for the PPP unit of the Rwandan Government, where she structured and negotiated over USD 800 million in investments.
In her legal career, Jeannetta spent time as a project finance associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP representing banks, sponsors, Fortune 500 companies and other institutional investors in cross-border transactions, as well as within the legal departments of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the UN.
Jeannetta holds a Juris Doctorate from Boston University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Wake Forest University in Political Science and Japanese.

Ad is a senior sustainable energy consultant specialised in small- and medium scale renewable energy projects, with an engineering and economics focus. In his 20 years of work in the region, he was engaged by e.g. European utility companies, World Bank and Power Africa. He has a wide experience in project preparation, capacity building and developing lending components of projects, all to accelerate renewable energy investments. Recently Mr. Dankers served as the executive director of Energy Access Partnership, a not-for-profit company that worked to increase energy access in Southern Africa, including the implementation of a rural electrification programme (combined grid extension and solar home systems) that covered a service area of 10,000 people. Mr. Dankers is a citizen of the Netherlands, working out of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Valérie is a seasoned expert on private sector development.
She holds a PhD in International Law and has considerable and renowned experience in advising on international trade to companies, including investment and services in Africa as well as in the Caribbean.
Valérie has wide experience in private sector development and in institutional capacity building for intermediary organisations. She has active knowledge of international, multilateral and regional funding mechanisms available to SMEs and of specialised financial intermediaries for renewable energy projects.
She also has good skills in the area of communication. She is a native French speaker and also speaks English and Spanish.

Bregje has four years of experience in managing complex, international renewable energy and sustainability projects. As sustainable energy policy officer at the Dutch Embassy in Malaysia, Bregje managed a project aimed at assessing the viability of waste-to-energy solutions from oil palm residues for a consortium of Dutch technology companies and knowledge institutes. This helped her develop significant knowledge of renewable energy solutions, as well as strong coordination, networking and reporting skills. Bregje broadened her sustainability knowledge and IT management skills at the global environmental reporting platform CDP in Berlin. Being responsible for CDP’s Forests programme in Europe, she coordinated the reporting process for over 50 European companies. Additionally, she developed and ran trainings on deforestation in commodity value chains for European investors and companies. Bregje is based in Amsterdam and holds an MSc in International Relations.

Michael is based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has accumulated over 20 years experience in VC and infrastructure finance and focusses his work on assisting RE developers with reaching financial closure. Michael has been instrumental in the financial closure of the first commercially viable (4.6MW) biogas plant in South Africa. He has also acted for the French Development Agency (AFD) assisting in the disbursement of €120m in long-term loans to RE and EE projects (SUNREF I) via three South African banks. Michael has conducted training in RE project finance in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia for bankers and developers. He has also advised a multitude of RE projects in Southern Africa through his long-standing affiliation with the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN). Michael holds an MBA in Finance from Erasmus University in the Netherlands.

Daniele operates out of Cortona, Italy. He is an economist with a wealth of experience in sustainable energy and energy access, mostly focusing on market uptake and policy aspects, serving private sector as well as institutional clients. He acquired profound expertise in RE project investment feasibility analysis, business planning, due diligence, finance structuring and facilitation, technology transfer, export management, and M&E. He has worked on solar, biomass, biofuel, waste-to-energy, and energy efficiency projects. He advised on rural electrification planning and uses and linkages between sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. Daniele designed and supported rural energy development in 13 countries in Africa and has been collaborating with the PFAN network since its early days: scouting ventures, coaching clean tech entrepreneurs, inducting financiers and taking part in pipeline selection panels. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics & Policy, a Masters degree in Environmental Policy (Tufts University) and a BSc degree in Economics.

Emiel is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He has over 20 years experience in the sustainability and renewable energy sector, specifically biomass and bioenergy. He has been working in the field of renewable energy in emerging and developing countries since 2004 and has advised and assisted many businesses. He has been involved in several renewable energy market and feasibility studies and supported international and local businesses getting access to funding and finance. Emiel has field experience in Cape Verde, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria and South Africa. He holds two MSc degrees: one in environmental policy and management and one in physics, both at the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Emiel is founder and shareholder of Partners for Innovation BV.

Mark Hankins has been a pioneer in rural electrification and renewable energy in East and Southern Africa for over 25 years, based out of Kenya. He has worked for private, public and multilateral clients and funds. In the PV sector, he specializes in coaching, commercial market development and project development. He is an author of 5 books on solar energy and renewables, and he has worked on off-grid electrification projects in over 20 countries in Africa. Mark is a Certified Energy Manager who has conducted audits for scores of commercial clients and PV system designs.

Julia is based in London, UK. A native Swedish speaker, she has built up a broad skill set and network, having worked in London’s financial industry for 9+ years in advisory and investment roles.
Julia is an expert financial modeller and advisor within renewable energy. Her specialities are valuation, project finance, corporate finance, and risk management, with a focus on Power and Infrastructure in Africa and the Middle East.
She has worked on transactions of varying sizes, for several organisations, including the range up to EUR 70 million that the GET.invest Finance Catalyst addresses. She has held numerous training courses on financial modelling and valuation approaches across the world.
Her approach is geared towards finding solutions to complex problems. She combines an analytical mindset with a joy for presenting on topics she is engaged in.
Julia holds a MSc in Economics and Business, Finance, Stockholm School of Economics, as well as an MA in International Management, CEMS MIM Program, London School of Economics.

Patrick has more than 30 years of experience working in the private sector, having worked in financial services, manufacturing, private equity, and venture capital sectors. Residing in Harare, Zimbabwe he has extensive work experience in the country and in the Southern African Region. Since 1996, Patrick has worked in the PE/venture capital sector occupying key positions. He has hands-on experience in business development to assist entrepreneurs in getting investor-ready. He boasts vast experience in identifying investment opportunities, financial & legal due diligence, deal structuring and managing and exiting portfolio entities. He is a founding partner and Chief Investments Officer of the Vakayi SME Fund, a Zimbabwe-focused fund, with regional ambitions that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Patrick has a vast network of local, regional, and international business contacts in both public and private sectors. His network comprises senior figures in the DFI community, Financial Institutions, Renewable Energy Experts, Tax & Legal Experts, ESG and Impact Consultants to name a few.

Samuel Martin has more than 16 years of professional experience renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries. He is a specialist in rural electrification and biomass energy. Samuel has worked in Africa, Asia and South America for consulting firms and the United Nations amongst others. In this context, he developed and implemented programmes and projects for energy access for the poor, reducing emissions and promoting more efficient use of energy in industries. In recent years, Samuel has been involved in off-grid market assessments, developments of financing mechanisms for the off-grid private sector, and capacity building of off-grid project developers. Samuel has been based in Malawi since 2016.

Julio has 33 years of experience in the field of renewable and rural energy in emerging markets. Over the last years, he worked mainly in Africa to increase energy access in rural areas, with e.g. improved cookstoves, biogas, renewable electricity and mini-grids). Julio has led multidisciplinary teams for business and market development and has worked with banks and micro-financing institutions, setting up financing schemes to overcome the first-cost barrier to scale-up access to affordable clean energy technology.

Chai has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance and advisory working in Southern Africa on transactions including IPO’s, M&A’s, valuations and capital raising among others for some of the leading corporations in the region particularly Zimbabwe. He has been involved in advising renewable energy entrepreneurs for over 10 years in particular solar and mini-hydro projects, liaising with the regulator and government and also assisting with capital raising. He has been involved in major hydro and thermal projects in the country as in-country lead for the financial advisory team. He currently is CEO and founding partner of Vakayi Capital that manages an SME-focused fund investing in Zimbabwe and the region. Chai is based in Harare, Zimbabwe and is focused on the Southeast African region.

Kofi Nketsia-Tabiri is a seasoned entrepreneur and advisor in the clean energy sector in Africa, operating from Accra. Kofi is the Founder and Director of XpressGas, a pioneering and transformative LPGas marketing and distribution company, that seeks to make LPGas the cooking fuel of choice to underserved households in both remote and urban communities in Ghana and across Africa. Kofi founded Patient Capital Partners Limited, a boutique SME advisory and project development company. Kofi’s primary focus and passion is to support the development and financing of innovative business models for modern energy fuels and products for underserved communities in Africa. Kofi also advises the Africa Renewable Energy Scale Up Facility (ARESUF), a facility to develop innovative projects in renewable energy and boost electrification in Africa, which is implemented by Micro-Energy International and managed by PROPARCO. Prior to starting Patient Capital Partners and Xpress Gas, Kofi was the Regional Director for E+Co investment operations in Africa where he led the mentoring and financing of over 20 early stage clean energy companies in 8 Africa countries. Kofi is a member of the inaugural CATTO Fellows of the Aspen Institute, a Cordes Fellow of Opportunity International. He has a background in Mechanical Engineering from University of Science and Technology (Ghana) and Corporate and International Finance from Durham Business School of the University of Durham (UK).

Caroline Nijland has since 2000 been involved in rural electrification with solar energy in Africa and Asia, and has set up and managed medium scale electricity companies (DESCOs) in Africa (total 250 staff). Until May 2018, she was General Director of FRES, establishing and monitoring 5 medium-scale, commercial electricity companies in Africa. Her principal responsibilities were attracting and managing funds, public relations and the implementation and operation of rural electrification activities, resulting in 70.000 solar home systems and 15 solar/hybrid mini-grids. Caroline has also dealt with many governments regarding tariffs negotiation, exemption of various taxes and licenses for concessions.

Jerry has significant energy infrastructure project development and finance experience in Africa, as a direct investor/sponsor as well as an advisor to private and public sector clients. Jerry’s expertise has a thematic core of providing investment, finance and transaction structures for the development of renewable energy projects, small business development and capacity building. Jerry has co-developed and invested in, with own funds, several renewable energy projects in East Africa. He has also consulted and advised extensively to African governments and private sector firms. His work includes financial modelling; business model articulation; preparation of project “teasers” and identification of and presentation of projects to potential investors.

Gregor Paterson-Jones is a independent fund establishment expert in the Renewable Energy and Development Finance sectors. He acts as a Board member, investment committee member and advisor with clients including the European Investment Bank, the European Union, the UNCDF, Mergence, The African Development Bank and a number of Sovereign Wealth Funds. With a robust career that spans over 23 years and many proven successes as a principle investor in renewable energy funds and infrastructure investment banking sectors, he now focusses on advising development banks, governments and international organisations on fund establishment and deal execution across several key industries. He was previously managing Director the UK Green Investment Bank, and CEO of Sterling Waterford.

Maurice is a consultant on renewable energy (RE), business development and development aid. He has over 12 years of technical and project management experience in solar PV, hydropower and biomass projects. He is a shareholder in two RE companies and has worked as an expert advisor and consultant to GIZ, KfW, the World Bank, BTC, the Government of Rwanda and other clients. The focus of his work is the development of private sector support programmes and public-private partnership frameworks. Recent country experience includes Madagascar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Tanzania and South Africa. Maurice holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering (MEng) from Imperial College, London and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Open University, UK.

Daphne worked as an investor, business mentor, project developer and consultant in the renewable energy sector and cookstoves sector in Africa and Asia. Over the last years, she has worked on assignments for investors such as ElectriFI, TCX, Lendahand, SIMA Fund, and sector organisations and accelerators such as GOGLA, GSBI/Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, Rockstart Smart Energy, and SENDEA. Her focus has been on Renewable Energy and Energy Access. Her work has also been in other sectors such as sustainable value chains, true pricing and clean drinking water.

Marcus Rother is an international expert on renewable energy with 20 years of experience in industry and finance, leading project development, raise project-funding and lead investor relationships.
Heading business development teams for SunPower and FirstSolar in Cape Town, he successfully closed over 600M USD solar and wind IPP projects in emerging markets. As a lead advisor for Voltalia he oversaw their sub-Saharan Africa portfolio and created alliances to jointly develop successful projects under bidding programmes in Madagascar, Zambia and Malawi.
As a senior Investment Officer at EU impact fund ElectriFI, he focused on catalytic private sector investments in renewable energy companies in the IPP, Minigrid and Solar Home System sector in Africa.
Holding a PhD in Technology Policy from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Spain, and a MSc in Physical Engineering from RWTH Aachen, Germany, his advisory focus is on fundraise structuring.
Marcus also collaborates in Master programmes on sustainable energy systems with University of Madrid and University of Stellenbosch as a guest lecturer and sits on the advisory board of Edulink Participia, an EU programme for academic knowledge transfer.

Peter is based in Helsinki, Finland. He is a seasoned financing professional, specialised in developing countries and transition economies with significant expertise in renewable energy as well as other infrastructure sectors. He has held senior positions with major European banks and project developers and has over 20 years experience of working on multi-disciplinary advisory and financing mandates and of structuring and developing projects. Peter is a Global Coordinator of the Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN). PFAN is a multilateral public-private partnership which connects Clean Energy projects with investment in developing countries.

Menno is a development economist specialised in monitoring, evaluation, and learning, in particular complex international projects. In Uganda, he carried out a quantitative impact assessment for a project in the field of system development within agricultural value chains. Menno furthermore has five years of working experience at insurance companies where he gained significant knowledge on finance and insurance topics in a corporate environment. As a member of various multidisciplinary projects, Menno provided insights into customer needs and data management. He holds an MSc in Management, Economics and Consumer Studies (Wageningen University) and a BSc degree in Science and Innovation Management (Utrecht University). Menno is based in Amsterdam.