Karim Barbir is Director, Gas Chain Activities at ENGIE, a global energy company that operates in close to seventy countries. In his role Mr. Barbir develops the strategic vision for the company's positioning along the gas value chain. He also promotes natural gas solutions including distributed offerings such as small scale LNG, biogas, and gas infrastructure in support of renewable power, initiatives tied to sustainability and the energy transition. Mr. Barbir has over 25 years of energy experience. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Honors) from McGill University in Montreal, and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley.
CEO of Gaznat SA/ Switzerland since 2008, René Bautz is also Chairman of the World energy Council – Global Gas Centre based in Geneva. René Bautz studied electrical engineering and holds a Master of Science degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). He dedicated his entire professional career to the energy sector. The first 10 years of his career were spent at the power company Electricité Neuchâteloise (ENSA) as Head of the studies and construction. As part of his training, he completed an internship on behalf of Brown Boveri Canada in Montreal where he participated in the development of a test platform for electric generators. He further completed his training in the field of business economics and management.
Thierry Bros was appointed Senior European Gas and LNG Analyst for Société Générale in 2010. He joined SG in 2007 as a Senior Financial Analyst to provide recommendations on listed pan-European gas stocks. From 2002 to 2007, Thierry was a Senior Oil & Gas expert at the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry. Prior to that, Thierry was Head of Internal Communications at the French oil & gas research institute. Since 2015 Thierry is an advisor for the World Energy Council - Global Gas Centre. Thierry obtained a large recognition in the industry, notably accredited as best European gas analyst for four years in a row (2013-2016).
Taylor Ruggles is the U.S. Department of State's Regional Energy Counselor for Africa, based in Kigali, Rwanda. He leads the State Department's engagement with the countries of sub-Saharan Africa on energy policy and reform, and helps lead President Obama's Power Africa initiative. Prior to assuming this position, he was a Deputy Executive Secretary at the White House National Security Council. From 2011 to 2014 he was Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Durban, South Africa. He previously served in the White House National Security Staff as a Senior Advisor for Middle East Affairs working on the Maghreb and, prior to that, he was Vice President Biden's Special Advisor for Europe and Eurasia.