Past event summary

SANJEEV DUTTA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - COMMODITIES & FINANCIAL SERVICES

DMCC

Sanjeev Dutta is the Executive Director of Commodities and Financial Services at DMCC. He oversees DMCC’s commodities vertical, and directs the development, implementation and regulation of the organisation’s financial products, platforms and services.

An expert on trade finance and commodity markets, Sanjeev is responsible for identifying new business opportunities for DMCC and nurturing existing commercial partnerships. He was instrumental in establishing the DMCC Tea Centre, DMCC Coffee Centre and the award-winning DMCC Tradeflow platform, and now tasked with enhancing the trade of agri and softs, precious metals and stones through Dubai.

Sanjeev is a senior member of DMCC’s executive leadership team and supports the general management, strategic direction and growth initiatives of the organisation. Sanjeev devised and implemented the organisation’s Code of Corporate Governance, and established its comprehensive risk management protocol.

Joining on its inception, Sanjeev has held a number of senior roles within DMCC and previously served as the Chief Financial Officer of Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DCGX). A distinguished speaker, Sanjeev regularly represents DMCC at international industry events and is an expert on trade, commodities and Islamic Finance.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Sanjeev has over two decades of multi-industry expertise in auditing, financial controls, consulting, risk management, corporate governance and general management with both PwC and KPMG.

DARREN WALSH
PARTNER

DWF LLP

A Legal 500 and Chambers Tier 1 ranked Energy Partner with over 20 years experience in the regulated energy and low carbon sectors. Darren is a leading individual according to Chambers and the Legal 500 and is recognised by Acritas as an “Acritas Star” in his field. Darren was also nominated by Legal 500 as Individual of the Year (2020) for his work in the Energy Sector.

Darren is a senior partner in the Commercial Division of DWF Law LLP. Darren’s principal area of practice is low carbon energy: covering renewables, decentralised and demand-side energy generation and nuclear power.

ALEX MARTINOS
MANAGER IN THE RESEARCH & ADVISORY/EDITOR

ENERGY INTELLIGENCE/ENERGY INTELLIGENCE PREMIUM

Alex Martinos is a manager in the Research & Advisory arm of Energy Intelligence, and also serves as Editor of Energy Intelligence Premium. Based in London, Mr Martinos co-leads Research & Advisory’s work on the Energy Transition, delivering analysis of oil and gas companies’ responses to climate-related risks. He also conducts wider research into related policy and technology trends, and supports modelling and analysis of future demand dynamics. In addition, Mr Martinos edits the Energy Intelligence Premium weekly report bringing together the best of Energy Intelligence news and analysis, providing clear, concise insights into energy markets, geopolitics, corporate strategy, and the energy transition. Before joining Energy Intelligence, Mr Martinos worked for Boston Consulting Group as an energy analyst and previously covered the energy sector working in financial research and also as a journalist. Mr Martinos studied diplomatic history and international relations, holding degrees from Yale University, the LSE and Cambridge University.

ROBIN MILLS
CEO

QAMAR ENERGY

Robin Mills established Qamar Energy in Dubai in 2015 to meet the need for regionally-based Middle East energy insight and project delivery. He is an expert on energy strategy and economics, described by Foreign Policy Magazine as “one of the energy world’s great minds”.

Robin worked for a decade for Shell, concentrating on new business development in the UAE, Qatar, Iraq, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries. He subsequently worked for six years with Dubai Holding and the Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC), where he advanced business development efforts in the Middle East energy sector.

He is non-resident fellow at the Columbia University SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy, spent two years as the Non-Resident Fellow for Energy at the Brookings Institution, is a Senior Fellow of the Iraq Energy Institute, and the author of two books, The Myth of the Oil Crisis, and Capturing Carbon.

He holds a first-class degree in Geology from the University of Cambridge, and speaks Arabic, Farsi, Dutch and Norwegian.

DR. ANDREA LOVATO
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

ACWA POWER

Dr. Lovato is a seasoned industry expert in the power utility space with focus on Independent Power and Desalination Projects (IWPP), developed, financed constructed and operated through concession or utility outsourcing contract models.

Since 2009 Dr. Lovato has worked on the development of several IPP and IWPP projects in the region and internationally, with special focus in the recent years to renewables (CSP/PV/Wind).

He has secured financial closing of various industry’s landmark projects, including the NOORo projects in Morocco and the DEWA projects in Dubai and KSA.

He is leading ACWA Power business unit for Hydrogen.

Dr. Lovato received a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in Copenhagen and has been based in the UAE since 2005.

OLIVER KLAUS
DUBAI BUREAU CHIEF - HEAD OF CLIENT ENGAGEMENT (EASTERN HEMISPHERE) & NEWS EDITOR (EASTERN HEMISPHERE)

ENERGY INTELLIGENCE

Oliver Klaus is a media professional with more than 15 years of experience in business journalism and communication. He is presently the Dubai Bureau Chief and News Editor and Head of Client Engagement for the Eastern Hemisphere at Energy Intelligence, a leading independent provider of objective insight, unbiased analysis and reliable data for the energy industry for over 60 years. In his present roles, he drives and covers Middle East energy and geopolitics for the company’s weekly and daily publications, and coordinates daily news and client engagement activities in the Eastern Hemisphere.

He was previously an associate editor with strategic consultancy Gulf Intelligence and prior to that the head of media relations in the Middle East at Germany's Siemens, where he managed the engineering and electronic giant's press work across the 16-country-spanning Siemens Middle East region. Prior to his role at Siemens, Oliver held the positions of acting managing editor and assistant managing editor for the Middle East at Dow Jones Newswires in Dubai, managing and covering regional news for publication on the Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal platforms, and contributing with expert comment on business developments including on the U.K.'s Sky News TV channel. Oliver also worked as Dubai-based energy correspondent for Dow Jones Newswires, covering OPEC as well as regional energy affairs, and for Bloomberg News & Television in London in 2006, where he covered energy and commodities. He started his career with the esteemed Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) in 2000, where he held the roles of staff writer, Gulf correspondent and news editor.

Mr Klaus was educated at the University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), where he read a Bachelor (Honors) degree in Arabic and Economics, at the University of Alexandria in Egypt and at Germany's University of Cologne (Köln). He also completed PwC's University of Northampton accredited mini MBA program in Dubai.

SAMER MERHI
SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER - EVENTS

DMCC

Samer Merhi is the Senior Marketing Manager of Events at DMCC, the world’s leading Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.

Joining DMCC in 2012, Samer is responsible for delivering the organisation’s event programme in line with corporate marketing strategy and business objectives.

Technically knowledgeable and professionally qualified, Samer forges strategic relationships with partners around the world to deliver an ever-growing DMCC calendar of events both physical and virtual.

In a career spanning 15 years, Samer has managed some of the region’s largest and high-profile live events and conferences, as well as diplomatic meetings and industry gatherings.