Raúl Suárez

CEO Nedgia, S.A. Spain

Raúl Suárez is Chief Executive Officer of NEDGIA, S.A. since December 2022.

He started at the Naturgy Group in 2000, undertaking work in Electrical Distribution and Construction Projects in Spain and Nicaragua.

He initially focused his career on the field of Grid Development, before taking on the role of Head of Projects and Logistics in the GAS NATURAL FENOSA Shared Regulated Business Services Department, between 2009 and 2014.

In early 2014, he was appointed as Director of Gas Natural Andalucía, the multinational’s distribution subsidiary in Andalusia, managing the Spain Gas Distribution System Management Department.

In 2018, Mr Suárez took the role of Director of UFD, the department in charge of the group’s electricity distribution.

Raúl Suárez is a Senior Civil Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and has several postgraduate degrees in energy business management.

Paolo Gallo

CEO Italgas Italy

Paolo Gallo is Chief Executive Officer and General Manager at Italgas as well as Chairman of its main subsidiary, Italgas Reti.

Born in Turin in 1961, he received his degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Turin. He subsequently earned a MBA from Turin University. From 2014 to 2016 he was the Chief Executive Officer of Grandi Stazioni S.p.A, of which he previously oversaw the privatization. From 2011 to 2014 he worked at Acea S.p.A., firstly as Chief Operating Officer and then as Chief Executive Officer. Listed at the Milan stock exchange, the company is one of the main Italian multi-utilities. From 2002 to 2011 he was in the Edison Group, initially as Head of Strategy and Innovation. He was then (2003-2011) Chief Operating Officer and eventually Chief Executive Officer of Edipower.

He started his career in Fiat Avio S.p.A. in 1988, holding several roles and responsibilities over 13 years. In 1997, he began working in the energy field, developing new initiatives in Italy, India and Brazil. He eventually recollected all Fiat Group’s electricity generation activities in Fiat Energia – of which he was Chief Executive Officer until 2002. Through Fiat Energia, Fiat Group acquired Montedison in 2001.

Between 1992 and 1993 he was dean of the MBA programme at the School of Business Administration of the University of Turin, where he lectured “Industrial Investment Economical-Financial evaluations” until 2002. He is also co-author of relevant publications in the sector.

Dan Pantilie

CEO Distrigaz Sud Retele Romania

Dan Pantilie has been CEO of Distrigaz Sud Retele since 2008. He has a long-standing experience in the natural gas field as he has started his career in this sector in 1984. He held different management positions within Distrigaz Sud, the natural gas distributor and supplier for the south part of Romania before the activities’ unbundling in 2008; among the most important ones, the positions of development director (1998-2002) and deputy general director (2005-2008). Between 2002-2005, he was chairman of the Romanian Regulatory Authority in the Natural Gas Sector (2002-2005).

Dan Pantilie graduated from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest and earned a Ph.D in engineering sciences on the topic “Contributions regarding the study of the mechanism of explosions”.

Gabriel Sousa

CEO Floene Energias Portugal

Gabriel Sousa is Chief Executive Officer of Floene Energias since November 2016, after becoming member of the Board and General Manager in August 2015.

In January 2013, he joined Floene Energias as Head of Third Party Access Management.

With more than 20 years in the natural gas distribution sector, before arriving to the Holding Company, he has been CEO of Lusitaniagás (the biggest Portuguese DSO in volume of natural gas distributed) since September 2007 and Head of Commercial Management of the same DSO between 1999 and 2006, after joining the company in 1995, since the beginning of the natural gas project development in Portugal.

Before entering the natural gas sector, he worked in the automotive and metallurgical industries, during two years.

Gabriel Sousa holds a Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidade de Coimbra and an Executive MBA from AESE/IESE.

Laurence Poirier-Dietz

CEO GRDF

Laurence POIRIER-DIETZ started her career at EDF GDF Services, then joined GRDF in 2004 notably in the Western region then the headquarters where she contributed to the setting-up of the business development and the territorial relations metiers.

In 2012, she was appointed Chief Executive Officer of CLIMESPACE, the company operating the district cooling system of Paris.

In 2016 she was appointed Deputy CEO of ENGIE Ineo, a subsidiary of ENGIE specialized in the domain of electrical installations, the smart city, and smart networks, before joining the Industry Business Unit of ENGIE Solutions in 2020 as Deputy CEO.

Since the 1st of June 2021, she is Chief Executive Officer of GRDF, the main French gas Distribution System Operator.

Denis O’Sullivan

Managing Director of Gas Networks Ireland

Denis O’Sullivan is the Managing Director of Gas Networks Ireland.  Previously Head of Commercial with the company, Denis had responsibility for managing, developing and delivering the business’s commercial growth and innovation strategies with key focus on maximising the utilisation of the gas network and diversifying its use with gas in transport and renewable gas.

Prior to this, Denis worked with Bord Gáis Energy and Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners as Head of Development with responsibility for delivering one of Ireland’s largest wind energy portfolios. Denis holds an Engineering Degree and has over 20 years’ experience in development and management roles across the renewables energy and gas sectors.

Leonidas Bakouras

General Manager of EDA THESS

Leonidas Bakouras is the General Manager of EDA THESS, the Gas Distribution Company in Thessaloniki and Thessaly. In his 20-year professional course, he contributed decisively to the implementation of a long-term and efficient investment plan for the market development and the natural gas penetration. He also worked on the issuance of the technical regulations as a member of the committees of the competent Ministry and on shaping of the country’s regulatory framework governing the gas market.

Prior to his current position, he was the Deputy General Manager and COO of EPA Thessaloniki & EPA Thessalia from 2014 to 2016. During several years, he occupied the position of Manager of Commercial Activities for these two companies.

Leonidas Bakouras holds a master’s degree in marketing from the Hellenic Management Association, a B.A in Business Administration and a MBA in Strategic Management from the Winchester University.

Jeroen Sanders

CTO Enexis

Jeroen Sanders (b. 1973) is the company's Chief Transition Officer (CTO). In this position, he focuses entirely on the energy system of the future and the role of digitization and data in it. Jeroen has held various management and board positions in the Enexis Group, including the position of IT Director from 2017. Prior to that, he was Managing Director of Endinet, Sustainability Manager at Fudura and held various management positions at Edon and Essent.

Daan Schut

CTO Alliander

Daan Schut has been a member of the Management Board and CTO since 1 April 2019. Previously he served as Director of Asset Management from 2014. From 2014 to 2009 he held various management positions. Before Alliander, Daan Schut worked as an adviser at KPMG. Daan Schut studied IT Auditing at Erasmus University Rotterdam and Business Economics at HAN University of Applied Sciences. In addition, he attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at INSEAD. Supervisory board memberships/relevant other positions:

• Board member of Next Generation Infrastructures

• Board Member of Stichting USEF (Universal Smart Energy Framework)

• Board Member of Stichting ElaadNL

• Member of the Supervisory Board of GOPACS

David Peters

CTO Stedin

David Peters (b. 1980) was appointed member of the Board of Management as Chief Transition Officer with effect from 1-1-2018. Since May 2015, he held the position of Strategy Director at Stedin and was responsible for strategy and innovation. Until May 2015, he worked at Boston Consulting Group in the Netherlands and abroad on strategy and organisation issues, especially in the energy sector. He was a member of the National Think Tank in 2006. He studied Applied Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology and Applied Ethics at KU Leuven.