Chair
Henrik Olsén
Environmental Technologies Fund (ETF)
Henrik is the Managing Partner of the Environmental Technologies Fund (ETF). In addition to managing the firm day-to-day, he focuses on new investments and also represents ETF on the Boards of a number of portfolio companies.
Prior to founding ETF, Henrik spent 13 years at GE. Most recently he was a Managing Director of GE Equity, General Electric’s private equity business, where he successfully invested in high growth businesses across Europe since 1996. Previously, he worked for a number of different industrial businesses within GE, where he focused on mergers and acquisitions as well as post-merger integration and operational management.
Henrik is a Swedish national and has an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics, which included a scholarship exchange with the New York University Stern School of business.
Board
Jean-Marc Bally
Aster Capital
Jean-Marc launched Schneider Electric Ventures (now renamed Aster Capital) in 2000. Jean-Marc previously spent 3 years in Schneider Electric Corporate Finance and holds a degree in Mathematics and an MBA from the Grenoble Business School. In 2006, he was promoted to General Partner of the fund. Jean-Marc is responsible for managing the investments in Solaire Direct, ConnectBlue, Ordinal, Tronics Microsystems, Tracetel, HBA, Netasq, Microbridge and Jet Metal.
Nicolas Chaudron
IdInvest Partners
Nicolas Chaudron joined IdInvest (formerly AGF Private Equity), the venture capital arm of Allianz, in 2001. Since 2006 he has been focusing on the cleantech sector and he led IdInvest’s investments in cleantech, including Odersun (thin-film solar cells) and Akol Energies (solar IPP). He is a founder of the Club Cleantech AFIC (French Private Equity Association), a platform to foster the entire cleantech ecosystem in France. Prior to that, Nicolas led investments in the sectors of IT and semiconductors. Between 2001 and 2005, he was also a board member of Siriatech and Vizelia, two start-ups pioneering cleantech in France.
Before joining IdInvest, Nicolas started his career in venture capital at Europatweb, the internet investment company founded by Bernard Arnault in the late 90s. In addition to his involvement in the operational launch of Europatweb, he participated in various investments and led the one in Webhelp (LBO exit in 2007).
Nicolas Chaudron is an alumnus of the Ecole normale supérieure (Paris, France) and of the Peking University (Beijing, China). He holds an MSc in mathematics and MBAs from the CDI and the Wharton School.
Gina Domanig
Emerald Technology Ventures
Ms. Domanig has over 20 years of international business experience including banking, M&A (mergers & acquisitions), strategic development, and venture capital. Currently she is the Managing Partner of Emerald Technology Ventures, formerly SAM Private Equity which later spun out of SAM Sustainable Asset Management, an independent asset management company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Upon joining SAM in 2000, she launched the private equity business and established SAM Private Equity as the largest European cleantech venture capital fund and the only such fund with a transatlantic strategy. In early 2007, Ms Domanig and her team spun the entire business out of SAM and thus created Emerald Technology Ventures. Currently, Emerald manages 2 funds and 2 mandates with combined assets of over $350 mio. The team consists of 16 professional, enjoys an international reputation as a pioneer in its field and is the initiator of first European energy venture fair. Emerald has offices in Zurich and Montreal and invests primarily in Europe and North America.
Prior to joining SAM, she was senior vice president at Sulzer Ltd., a Swiss-headquartered multinational, responsible for strategic planning and M&A. During her ten year tenure, Ms. Domanig built up a team of 12 international professionals which completed approximately 45 transactions including acquisitions, divestitures, initial public offerings and joint ventures. Also during her tenure the corporation was transformed from an expansive conglomerate with over 30 divisions to a focused medical and industrial technology corporation with 6 divisions. She was member of the corporation’s 5-person strategy committee which dealt with all strategic issues of the corporation, which then had about CHF 6 billion in revenues and over 25,000 employees world-wide.
After completing graduate school, Ms. Domanig began her career in banking at Swiss Bank Corporation (now UBS) in Chicago and New York. She holds dual MBA degrees from Thunderbird in Arizona and ESADE in Barcelona and an undergraduate degree in finance from Arizona State University.
Olivier Dupont
Demeter Partners
Olivier Dupont has twenty-two years of senior management experience in Private Equity. Since 2005, he is the founder and chairman of the Executive Board of Demeter Partners. Demeter Partners is an independent French P.E. Management Company specialized in the management of private equity funds exclusively investing in unlisted SMEs within the eco-industries (water, air and waste treatment, site remediation…) and eco-energies (renewable energies, energy efficiency, green transportation…) sectors. Demeter Partners currently manages € 310 million through two investment funds spon¬sored by the CDC and the IFP Energies Nou-velles, and subscribed by around twenty French and foreign institutional investors. Demeter Partners has offices in Paris, Madrid and Berlin.
Prior to DEMETER Partners, Mr Dupont was Managing Director of Fonds de Promotion pour le capital-risque” (CDC Entreprises) from 2001 to 2005, the Head of Private Equity at Société Générale from 1997 to 2000, the Director of Financial Engineering and Investment at Crédit du Nord from 1995 to 1997, CEO of BTP Capital, a Fund dedicated to Environment from 1991 to 1995 and the CEO of SNVB Participations (Groupe CIC) (1987-1990).
Olivier Dupont’s industry experience includes being an Export manager at SOFRETU and SCHNEIDER Group (1974-1987). “Ingénieur civil des Ponts et Chaussées” (Paris 1973), DES Sciences Économiques ( Paris I Sorbonne 1974). Mr Dupont is the Chairman of the training committee of AFIC and Chairman of the Compliance Committee and a former member of the EVCA’s Investor Relation Committee, as well as “Conseiller du Commerce Extérieur”. He is the author of «les PME et le marché de l’environnement» (1995) and «Ajustement de prix et capital-investissement» (2002).
Dr. Alexander Georgieff
Georgieff Capital
Dr. Alexander Georgieff has many years of experience in corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions (M&A), both as an investment banker and as a lawyer. He has advised on many of the largest and highest profile corporate transactions involving a German company.
Prior to founding Georgieff Capital in 2005, he headed the investment banking business of Deutsche Bank in Germany. Before this Dr. Georgieff held senior positions at JP Morgan and Schroders in London and Frankfurt and worked for the US law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York.
Dr. Georgieff studied law in Germany, Switzerland and the US. He advises several venture capital firms, is on the board of a European real estate investment manager, and chairs a charitable foundation.
Frank Kueber
Clariant
Frank Kueber has been Head of New Business Development at Clariant since March 2010.
Prior to Clariant he held various management and senior consultant positions at Sagentia, Scientific Generics and JH Lillian & Co in Germany and the UK where with a focus business development & technology consulting as well as corporate venturing in the chemical, materials and energy industry.
He started his industrial career in catalysis research at the former Hoechst AG followed by a position as venture manager at Aventis Research & Technologies.
Frank Küber studied chemistry at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main and holds a PhD in chemistry.
Bjarne Henning Jensen
Vækstfonden
Bjarne Henning Jensen is the Investment Director in charge of the cleantech investment portfolio of Vækstfonden. He was previously the Vice President of technology/R&D and co-owner in Anhydro Group, executive director in Elsam, CEO for Elsam Engineering. He was the Divisions Director for COWI’s energy-og industrial activities and the General Manager of Sorption Process Technology in FLSmiljø. Mr Jensen graduated with a M.Sc (eng.) and Ph.D. from the Technical University of Denmark. He also holds a B.Comm from Copenhagen Business School.
Iyad Omari
Frog Capital
Iyad began his career in product marketing at Advanced Micro Devices before moving into equity research at Quartz Capital Partners. In 1999, he joined Kennet Venture Partners investing in growing technology businesses before moving into venture development for two semiconductor start-ups. Iyad joined Frog Capital in 2006 to focus on the cleantech sector, and has a particular interest in advanced industrial processes, materials recovery and recycling, water and waste water treatment, energy efficiency and next-generation energy transmission/distribution. Iyad is involved with SiC Processing AG, Oxsensis Ltd, Hydrodec Plc and Solar Century Ltd. He holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the London Business School.
Dr. Jos B. Peeters
Capricorn Venture Partners NV
Dr Jos B. Peeters is founder and managing partner of Capricorn Venture Partners NV, a Belgian based general partner to venture capital funds investing in early stage, technology based growth companies. Capricorn’s latest fund, the Capricorn Cleantech fund, focuses on start up, early and development stage investments in clean technology based growth companies in Europe. For Capricorn, cleantech embraces a diverse of range of products, services and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce and optimize the use of natural resources, cut or eliminate polution and toxic waste and add economic value by significantly lowering cost and improving profitability.
In addition to being Capricorn’s managing partner, Dr, Peeters is the co-founder and chairman of Quest for Growth NV, an investment company quoted on the Brussels Stock Exchange specializing in investing in quoted and later stage unquoted technology based growth companies. Jos Peeters was one of the founders of the EASDAQ stock market. Currently he is a non executive Director of Borse Berlin and Easdaq which are launching Equiduct as a pan European secondary trading platform.
Dr. Peeters has a PhD in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium. He was co-founder and first chairman of the Belgian Venturing Association. He has been a member of the Board and in 1989/1990 he was chairman of the European Venture Capital Association (EVCA). Dr Peeters is a Fellow of the Hogenheuvel Institute at the Applied Economics Department of KU Leuven, a Fellow of Science@Leuven and a member of the International Advisory Board of the London Business School. He is co-editor of “Realizing Investment Value” and of “The Venture Capital Handbook” both published by Pitman – Financial Times Publishing.
Samer Salty
Zouk Ventures
Samer has 22 years of experience in venture capital, investment banking, and technology in Europe, the Middle East and the United States. Throughout his career, he has kept a clear focus on technology and entrepreneurship. Samer founded zouk ventures in 1999 and has successfully raised two technology venture funds including its current fund, Cleantech Europe. Samer built zouk into one of the leading European firms investing in Clean Technology. Samer has considerable management experience and has spent the last nine years building technology businesses. Prior to founding zouk, Samer worked on M&A and private equity transactions within the Telecom, Media and Technology Group at JP Morgan. He was also head of Global Markets for the Middle East region, structuring large corporate finance and derivatives transactions with institutional clients. Before JP Morgan, Samer spent seven years designing and implementing communications and computer systems for the FAA of the US Government and a number of other international civil aviation authorities. Amongst others, he worked with Martin Marietta, Lockheed, AT&T and Hughes Aircraft.
Samer holds a BS in Electronic Engineering specialising in fiber optics from CalPoly and a MS in Finance from MIT. He is on the Dean’s International Council of the University of Chicago Harris School of Public policy and is on the International Council of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government Belfer Center. In addition, he is Chairman and co-founder of World Links Arab Region, a non-profit organization focused on integrating technology in the education process of the Arab world. He also helped launch The Arab Region Initiative for Social Entrepreneurship for Ashoka. Samer represents zouk as board member for Orb Energy and Solarcentury.
Allison Berry Spinner
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Allison Berry Spinner is a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, specializing in corporate and securities transactions and corporate governance matters for public and private companies, venture capital and private equity firms, and investment banks.
Allison has extensive transactional experience in venture capital and public and private equity and debt transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions involving both public and private companies. She has worked with companies in a variety of industries, including software, networking, wireless communications, clean technology, semiconductor, Internet, consumer goods, and retail.
Allison is actively involved in the firm’s business development efforts in representing companies and entrepreneurs with ties to Israel. She is currently a member of the advisory board of Cleantech Group Europe/Israel.
Prior to joining the firm, Allison clerked in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Education:
- J.D., Columbia University Law School, 1996 Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar; Managing Editor, Columbia Law Review; B.A., Political Science, Stanford University, 1993 With Distinction
Vivek Tandon
Aloe Private Equity
Dr. Vivek Tandon is an experienced international executive with in-depth background in building technology start-up companies. He is currently Founder and General Partner of Aloe Private Equity, an investment group which currently manages two Energy & Environment Funds and has offices in London, Paris, Stockholm, Beijing and Hyderabad. The Funds develop and provides capital injection into companies with Environmentally Sustainable Technology or Service Offerings, whose market growth and share-holder value would benefit from establishing strategic relationships with Chinese or Indian Partners.
Vivek is currently Vice Chairman of Allied Technology Group (an environmental engineering group with revenues of over €90m in 2006 and growing at 25% per year) and sits of the Board of Greenko (a Indian based clean energy company, Recupyl (an International Recycling Company) and Maxsys (a European based Energy Fuel Saving Company targeting large Boilers).
Simon Walker
Taylor Wessing
Simon is a partner in the corporate department at Taylor Wessing. He is head of the Venture Capital Group and co head of the Renewable Energy Group. He has advised on many venture capital investments, both for funds and companies, on various acquisitions, including a number for US companies and on flotation’s and fundraising by public companies, particularly on the AIM market.
He has been the lead corporate partner advising Climate Exchange plc and Trading Emissions plc since their admission to AIM and on subsequent transactions, including for CEP the merger with Chicago Climate Exchange, Inc and for TEP raising in aggregate of £410 million. Simon is also the relationship partner for Ceres Power Holdings plc and CMR Fuel Cells plc.
Adam Workman
Carbon Trust
Adam Workman is Investment Manager at the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust is one of the leading investors in UK clean technology start-ups. Our business incubators and links to world class R&D ensure a strong deal flow. We invest on strictly commercial terms and have co-invested in deals with a total investment of £23 million raised, one of which has resulted in a successful IPO.
Adam has led the investment for several key deals for the Carbon Trust, including Whitfield Solar and Exus Energy. Recently he co-authored the Carbon Trust’s report into investment trends the UK Clean Technology Sector (2000 to 2004) which identified Cambridge as one of the leading clean technology centres in the UK. He designed and created a £5m investment fund for Salix Finance Ltd. which assists the public sector to accelerate the uptake of low carbon technologies. Adam formerly worked with 3i and Shell in the UK. He has an MA in Natural Sciences and a Postgraduate diploma in Computer Science from Cambridge University.