Dr. Jonathan Pershing
Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Energy Policy
and Systems Analysis, Department of Energy
Dr. Jonathan Pershing is the Principal Deputy Director of the Office of
Energy Policy and Systems Analysis. In this role, he supports DOE’s domestic policy agenda.
Prior to joining DOE, Dr. Pershing was at the U.S. Department of State, where he served as the Deputy
Special Envoy for Climate Change and the lead negotiator representing the United States at meetings of
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Before his appointment to the Obama Administration,
he spent six years as the Director of the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program at the World Resources
Institute (WRI), a Washington, D.C., think tank; five years as the Head of the Environment Division at the
International Energy Agency in Paris; and for nearly a decade in the 1990s, served the Science Advisor and
Deputy Director of the Office of Global Change in the U.S. Department of State.
Dr. Pershing holds a Ph.D. in geology and geophysics, and has also held positions in the private sector as a
petroleum and mining geologist, and as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota and at
American University. He has published and lectured widely on climate and energy issues, and has served as
a lead author, review editor and contributor for reports of the Nobel-prize winning Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Kateri Callahan
President
Alliance to Save Energy
Kateri Callahan brings more than 25 years of experience in policy
advocacy, fundraising, coalition building and organizational
management to her position as the president of the Alliance to Save
Energy. The Alliance to Save Energy is a premier non-government
organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Alliance has
worked for more than three decades to advance energy efficiency worldwide to achieve a healthier
economy, a cleaner environment and greater energy security.
Serving as president of the Alliance since January 2004, Callahan leads a staff of nearly 40; oversees a
budget of approximately $8 million annually; and serves as an officer of the Alliance Board of Directors,
which includes Members of Congress, state and local officials and top corporate and NGO executives.
Under Callahan’s leadership, the Alliance conducts policy, communications, research, education, and
market transformation initiatives. The Alliance also conducts international conferences, summits and
other education and outreach forums to further its mission.
Callahan is the principal spokesperson for the Alliance, appearing regularly before the Congress and the
media, and addressing conferences and gatherings around the world. She is a trusted source for credible
information on energy efficiency and its role in addressing the environmental, economic and national
security issues associated with the use of energy.
Callahan also serves as a “C3E Ambassador” – a group of 20 distinguished senior professionals who share
an interest in broadening the recruitment, retention and advancement of highly qualified women in the
field of clean energy. She also currently serves as a member of the Board of the Business Council for
Sustainable Energy. She also serves on advisory councils to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 21st Century
Energy Institute and the Institute for Electric Efficiency. In June 2009, Callahan was among the
23 inaugural inductees to the new Energy Efficiency Hall of Fame established by Johnson Controls Inc.
and the United States Energy Association. Callahan also serves on the Advisory Board of Duke’s Center
for Energy, Development and the Global Environment (EDGE) and the Advisory Board for the UC Davis
Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy.
Prior to joining the Alliance, Callahan served for 11 years as the president/executive director of the
Electric Drive Transportation Association. She also has served previously as a director of government
relations for a nonprofit organization, as a non-lawyer professional at a Washington, D.C.-based law firm
and as a legislative assistant to a U.S. senator.
Clay Nesler
Vice President, Global Energy and Sustainability
Johnson Controls
Mr. Clay Nesler is the vice president of global energy and sustainability for the
building efficiency business of Johnson Controls. In this role, he is responsible
for energy and sustainability strategy, policy, marketing, education, innovation,
operations and NGO relationships on a global basis. He also serves on the
company’s global environmental sustainability council. Since joining Johnson
Controls in 1983, Mr. Nesler has held a variety of senior leadership positions in
research, product development, marketing, consulting and strategy in both the
United States and Europe.
Mr. Nesler has served on the Wisconsin Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming, the Leadership Group
of the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, the Task Force on National Energy Policy and Midwestern
Regional Competitiveness and the Climate Registry Advisory Committee. He serves on the board of the
World Environment Center and the Wisconsin Climate Change Action Initiative and is on the advisory
board of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of International Studies and the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering.
Mr. Nesler received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign and is a co-inventor on ten U.S. patents.
Arturo Echeverria
Vice President of International Affairs, Asociacion de
Empresas para el Ahorro de la Energia en la Edificacion,
A.C.
President of the Board and Chief Executive Officer,
Aislantes Minerales, S.A. de C.V.
Mr. Arturo Echeverria is the former president and a founding member of
the Nacional Energy Efficiency Commision (CONUEE), Asociacion de
Empresas para el Ahorro de la Energia en la Edificacion, A.C. (AEAEE). He now serves as the vice
president of international affairs.
In 2010, Mr. Echeverria organized a Mexican government-sponsored side event for the COP-16 in Cancun.
With relevant stakeholders of the building sector and the Mexican government, he showcased net-zero
energy housing projects in Mexico and around the world. Other international participants were
Environment Canada, Alliance to Save Energy, the International Energy Agency, the Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), and the North American Insulation Manufacturers
Association (NAIMA).
Mr. Echeverria has worked to expand the energy efficiency code programs in Mexico through active
participation in the board of directors and as a building energy efficiency consultant to Calidad y
Sustentabilidad en la Edificación, A.C. (CASEDI). CASEDI is developing the Mexican Energy Conservation
Code, IECC-Mexico. This code will become the “model code” for the implementation of energy efficiency in
buildings in Mexico’s more than 2,000 municipalities.
Mr. Echeverria is a member of the NAIMA board of governors of and the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE)
Energy Efficiency (EE) Global steering committee and participates actively on the boards for Espumados
de Estireno and EPS de Michoacan. He also serves as president of the board and chief executive officer of
Aislantes Minerales, S.A. de C.V.
Mr. Echeverria was born Mexico City is married and a father of four. He holds an MBA and a bachelor’s
degree in business administration.
Adriana Salazar Cajero
Director of Energy and Environment Grupo Salinas
Adriana Salazar represents Grupo Salinas, a Group that encompasses
companies of diverse sector such as banking, retain and TV and
communications. The Group has over 100,000 employees and has
presence in México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, Honduras
and the US.
With over 18 years experience, Adriana has occupied diverse positions within Grupo Salinas. She currently
acts as Director of Energy and Environment where she has implemented important project in energy
savings and efficiency in Mexico and Latin America. This has brought recognition from the Mexican
Government as well as Institutions from the United States and United Kingdom.
She has been a speaker at several energy efficiency conferences at the national and international level.
Under her management, and with support from her team, she has accomplished savings of 16% the annual
consumption of Grupo Salinas. We currently have 4 sites supplied with solar energy and several with wind
energy.
Most recently, she has been named head representative in the Social Responsibility Committee on Behalf
of Banco Azteca in the Mexican National Banks Association.
Odón de Buen
Director General, CONUEE
Odón de Buen is currently the Director-General of the National Commission
for Energy Efficiency (Conuee), which is a decentralized administrative
organization of the Ministry of Energy, which aims at promoting energy
efficiency and sustainable use of energy. Mr. de Buen has a bachelor´s degree
in engineering from Mexico´s National University (UNAM) and Master of
Science degree on Energy and Resources from the University of California at Berkeley. From 1995 to 2003,
he was the Director-General of the National Commission for Energy Conservation of México (Conae) where
he led the implementation of more than a dozen energy efficiency standards, programs for public buildings
and Pemex, and led a number of international activities which positioned Conae as a point of reference on
energy efficiency and renewable energy issues in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. As part of his
responsibilities at Conae, Mr. de Buen also began the promotion for the establishment of state energy
agencies in México. Mr. de Buen has written a number of articles, reports and documents related to
energy and environment policy issues in Mexico, and has collaborated with several organizations in several
projects related to energy-efficiency issues, climate change mitigation and energy and environment related
policies in Mexico and Latin America and the Caribbean. His work has included the collaboration with
organizations such as the Interamerican Development Bank, the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for
International Development, the International Copper Association, the United Nations Development
Program, and the International Energy Agency.
Benoît Lebot
Executive Director
International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation
As the executive director of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency
Cooperation (IPEEC), Mr. Lebot has had an extensive career in the fields of
energy efficiency, climate change mitigation, and clean energy policies. Mr.
Lebot began his career as a research engineer in the energy efficiency division
of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, where he worked
from 1987 to 1990. Between 1990 and 1997, he was part
of the French National Energy and Environmental Agency (ADEME), where he led numerous background
technical studies for the first directives related to the promotion of energy efficiency in the European
Union, which ignited his international career. From 1997 to 2003, Mr. Lebot worked at the International
Energy Agency (IEA) as an advisor within the Energy Efficiency Policy Analysis Division. In 2004, he began
work as a climate change and sustainable energy policy advisor for the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), where he provided technical leadership on activities designed to address climate
change and sustainable energy policies in developing countries and emerging economies. He also
developed and managed the UNDP’s portfolio on climate change mitigation projects in sub-Saharan Africa
with a specific focus on energy efficient public policies that included legal, fiscal, and technical measures.
Mr. Lebot is a civil engineer from France’s National School of Public Works (1986) and holds a master of
science in mechanical engineering from the University of California in Berkeley (1987).
Raúl Eric Talán Ramirez
Director General
Fideicomiso para el Ahorro de Energía Eléctrica (FIDE)
Dr. Raul Talán Ramirez began his career as a professor in ESIME and the
School of Commerce and Administration (ESCA) of the National Polytechnic
Institute (IPN). Between 1985 and 1988, he assumed responsibility for the
IPN Directorate General. From 1988 to 1994 and 1997 to 1998, he was
appointed Secretary of Education and Technological Research of the
Ministry of Public Education (SEP). In recognition of his career and service to the IPN, he was granted an
award for academic merit, “Lazaro Cardenas,” in 1989.
Dr. Talán’s extensive experience allowed him to assume various positions, including general manager of
Distribuidora CONASUPO, SA, from 1994 to 1996. He has been closely linked to the field of energy saving
and efficient use of electricity and began his service in the Trust for Electric Energy Savings (FIDE) in
2004. He was appointed coordinator of the IPN Specialized Technical Advisory Electromechanical
Construction Line 12 Mixcoac-Tláhuac the Public Transport System Project in 2009 and served in this
capacity until 2013.
He has participated in various professional societies, such as the Mexican Association of Industrial
Engineers and the Mexican Union of Engineering Associations (UMAI), where he was named president
and vice president, respectively.
Dr. Raul Talán Ramirez graduated as an engineer in electrical and electronic communications from the
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (ESIME) of the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN). He
completed postgraduate studies at the master’s level in electrical engineering at the Center for Research
and Advanced Studies of the IPN and obtained a PhD in engineering from the University of California, Los
Angeles.
Diego Lizana
Executive Director, Agencia Chilena de Eficiencia Energetica
Diego Lizana Rojas, is Forestry Engineer, University of Chile, Master in
Renewable Energy Resources Research Center and Energy Consumption of
the University of Zaragoza, Spain.
He has worked in the professional area in energy management, alternative
renewable energies and climate change. He specializes in designing and
implementing energy efficiency programs and energy management.
Within professional achievements include the implementation of Energy Management System in Minera
Collahuasi, which allowed the company to be the first ISO 50001 certification of its production
processes; Driving the first tender for Non-Conventional Renewable Energy in Chile associated with mining
which allowed the construction of the first solar photovoltaic plant on an industrial scale in northern
Chile. And its key role in establishing measuring carbon footprint within Minera Collahuasi allowing the
company to be recognized as a leader in this field nationwide.
Much of his career has been developed in Compania Minera Dona Ines de Collahuasi role as
Superintendent of Energy Efficiency, manager of the Energy Management System and Greenhouse Gas,
Carbon Footprint. He also served as Vice President of the Mining Bureau of Energy Efficiency; member
observer in the National Mirror Committee who worked on the development of the International Standard
ISO 50001.
Also noteworthy is the recognition for academic excellence awarded by the College of Forestry Engineers.
Diego Lizana Paula is married and the father of Emilia 3 years and takes charge of the Chilean Energy
Efficiency Agency in October 2014.
Dr. Mauro Borges Lemos
Chief Executive Officer
Companhia Energética de Minas Gerais (CEMIG)
Dr. Borges Lemos has a degree in economics from the Federal
University of Minas Gerais and a doctorate of economics from the
University of London, and he was a postdoctoral fellow at the
University of Illinois, USA, and the University of Paris. In 1980, he
began his post as a professor in the department of economics of the
Federal University of Minas Gerais. He was president of the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development
(ABDI) from 2011 to 2014. Dr. Borges Lemos served as minister in the Ministry of Development, Industry
and Foreign Trade between February 2014 and January 2015.
Mr. Santiago Creuheras
Director General for Energy Efficiency and
Sustainability, SENER Mexico
Chairman for the International Partnership for Energy
Efficiency Cooperation, IPEEc
Mr. Creuheras is currently the Director General for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at the Ministry of
Energy of Mexico. Formerly, he worked as a Senior Advisor to the Minister of Energy and as a Senior
Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico.
Previously, Mr. Creuheras served as Adjunct Director General for Foreign and Domestic Policy at the Office
of the President of Mexico. He has also served as Director General of Training at the Ministry of Labor and
Social Welfare. Mr. Creuheras holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of the AmericasPuebla, a Master of Liberal Arts in Government and a Master of Liberal Arts in History from Harvard
University, and a Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership from the University of Cambridge.
Peter Sweatman
Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Climate Strategy &
Partners, G20/IPEEC Energy Efficiency Finance Task Group
Peter Sweatman is the Chief Executive of Climate Strategy & Partners
(www.climatestrategy.com), a strategic consultant in Clean Energy, Clean
Technology, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Strategies. For 5 years
directly prior to this Peter was Managing Director responsible for Iberia and
Latin America for Climate Change Capital, one of the world’s leading specialist fund manager and advisors
in the low carbon economy. Peter holds a Masters degree in Engineering and Management Studies from
Cambridge University. In 1991, he joined JPMorgan in Corporate Finance where he spent 9 years
responsible for client business mainly in debt capital markets for Iberia and Latin America from London and
then New York. In the year 2000, Peter became a social entrepreneur joining with other ex-bankers to
found and run three NGOs : Charity Technology Trust (www.ctt.org), New Philanthropy Capital and
Catalyst Climate Change Trust. Peter is a visiting professor at IE University in Madrid, an active member of
the Ashoka Support Network, a member of the JCI Institute for Energy Efficiency global Expert panel,
lecturer at IIT-Comillas University and an advisor to the UK Trade & Industry in Spain. Peter regularly
presents at public forum on the economics, markets and regulatory matters pertaining to climate change,
clean energy and energy efficiency.
Maria Tapia
Sr. Investment Officer, Financial Markets Division
Maria Tapia is a Structured & Corporate Finance Senior Specialist in the
Financial Markets Division at the Inter-American Development Bank
(IDB). She is the capital market coordinator for the Latin America and Caribbean region in IDB. Maria Tapia
has 15 years of experience in the debt capital markets industry specializing in green bonds. Maria Tapia
holds a degree in Finance from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey and a
Masters in Science degree in Global Environmental Change from IE University School of Biology.
Josué Tanaka
Managing Director for Operational Strategy and
Planning, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development
Josué Tanaka is the managing director responsible for the operational strategy and planning function of
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and for leading the Bank’s energy
efficiency and climate change activities. Dr. Tanaka joined the EBRD at its creation in 1991 to start its
municipal and environmental infrastructure financing activity.
In 1993, Dr. Tanaka was appointed country director responsible over time for the Bank’s activities in
Romania, Croatia, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Ukraine. From 1998 to 2007, Dr. Tanaka served
as corporate director and was responsible for strategy, planning, and budgeting, including coordination of
the strategic planning function, formulation, and monitoring of the annual business plan and budget, and
for operational and strategic portfolio management analysis. In 2006, he was appointed corporate director
of energy efficiency and climate change, leading the EBRD climate change mitigation and adaptation
financing activity, including the formulation and implementation of the Sustainable Energy Initiative (SEI).
Prior to joining the Bank, Dr. Tanaka worked at the World Bank, where he was special assistant to the
president. He worked in various positions on strategic planning, agricultural projects, and forest
conservation in Madagascar and on the development of the environmental programme for the
Mediterranean.
A national of France and Brazil, Dr. Tanaka graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor of science
in engineering and holds a master of science and Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT).
15