Secretariat

Alexandros Fakas Kakouris
Junior Project Manager - Energy and Policy Systems

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Alexandros Fakas Kakouris

Junior Project Manager - Energy and Policy Systems

alexandros[at]renewables-grid.eu

Alexandros joined RGI in March 2021 to support its Advocacy team. He is a fully qualified lawyer in Greece and prior to RGI worked as legal counsel in law firms and corporate environments in Greece and Germany. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and he is currently pursuing a Master of Business Law (MBL) with a focus on European and International Energy Law at the Technical University of Berlin.

Himakshi Gurnani
Manager - Finance

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Himakshi Gurnani

Manager - Finance

+49 30 7677 19456
himakshi[at]renewables-grid.eu

Himakshi joined RGI in June 2020 and is responsible for the financial management, reporting, and budgeting of RGI. She is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Himakshi has previously held several positions in the private sector within Accounting and Finance Management bringing experience of forecasting, financial statements preparation, and project financing. Her most recent position was as an External Auditor with a large auditing firm where she was solely responsible for the examination of Financial Statements as per the regulatory and statutory requirements.

Léa Hayez
Junior Manager - Energy Systems

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Léa Hayez

Junior Manager - Energy Systems

+49 30 7677 19450
lea[at]renewables-grid.eu

Léa joined RGI in January 2022 as a Junior Manager, working mostly on the PAC 2.0 project. She studied Electromechanical Engineering (BA) and specialised in energy systems (MA), at École Polytechnique de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium and Royal Institute of Technology KTH, Sweden. Léa dedicated her Master thesis to power system resilience and further continued this research topic in cooperation with the ULB.

Liam Innis
Manager - Energy Ecosystems

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Liam Innis

Manager - Energy Ecosystems

+49 30 7677194 55
liam[at]renewables-grid.eu

Liam joined RGI in June 2019 as part of the communication team. As of 2021, he is responsible for the coordination of two national TSO/NGO collaboration projects in Germany and one project in Ireland. He is also the contact person for topics relating to nature protection and ecosystem restoration. He has previously worked in public relations, research, teaching and sustainable development. Liam holds degrees in Modern Languages (BA - German, Spanish and French with Dutch) and Environment, Development and Policy (MA) from the Universities of Newcastle and Sussex (UK) respectively.

Sylvia Kessler
Office Manager

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Sylvia Kessler

Office Manager

t: +49 30 7677194 50
f: +49 30 7677194 59
sylvia[at]renewables-grid.eu

Sylvia has been part of the RGI secretariat since September 2011 and is in charge of administrative works. Until December 2013 her position also included office management for the Smart Energy For Europe Platform (SEFEP). Sylvia spent several years in Johannesburg, South Africa, working as a secretary for the industrial department of Mannesmann Anlagenbau and the AEG Industrial Dept. During the last 7 years before joining RGI she was in charge of sales and general administration for a Spanish trading agency in Germany. Sylvia has the Spanish nationality and grew up in Germany. She speaks English, German and Spanish fluently.

Madlie Le Bihan
Project Manager - Offshore Energy and Nature

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Madlie Le Bihan

Project Manager - Offshore Energy and Nature

+49 30 7677194 52
madlie[at]renewables-grid.eu

Madlie Le Bihan joined RGI in December 2021 as a project manager working on the Offshore Coalition for Energy and Nature. She previously worked in the environmental sector on projects related to the energy transition, mitigation and adaptation to climate change. She also conducted policy and advocacy work on topics such as indigenous rights, deforestation and trade. She has a background in law and holds two Masters degrees, in International Relations and Sustainability from Université Paris Sud and Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne respectively.

Roland Lleshi
Project Manager - Offshore Energy and Nature

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Roland Lleshi

Project Manager - Offshore Energy and Nature

+49 30 7677194 52
roland[at]renewables-grid.eu

Roland joined RGI in March 2021 and now works as a junior project manager. Previously, he worked in the nature conservation sector as project manager for safeguarding endangered avifauna linked to human-induced conflicts in his home country, Albania, and as lecturer assistant at Polis University in Tirana. He has studied Forestry and Urban Environment Management and recently graduated from an M.Sc. in Global Change Management from Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE), Germany, focussing on natural resource management under global change.

Eston McKeague
Junior Manager - Communication

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Eston McKeague

Junior Manager - Communication

+49 30 7677 19450
eston[at]renewables-grid.eu

Eston joined RGI in April 2022 as a Junior Manager - Communication. His primary responsibilities are graphic design, social media management, website management, and event planning. Previously, he worked as a freelancer helping NGOs and social-enterprises design communications and public affairs strategies. Eston has a BA in Global Affairs with minors in Economics and Religion & Culture from Western Washington University (USA). Additionally, he has an MSc in Political Science: Public Policy and Governance from the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Anna Maldryk
Personal Assistant to the CEO Antonella Battaglini

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Anna Maldryk

Personal Assistant to the CEO Antonella Battaglini

t: +49 30 7677 19450
anna[at]renewables-grid.eu

Anna Maldryk joined the Renewables Grid Initiative in September 2022 as Personal Assistant to the CEO. Prior to joining RGI team, she worked for the private sector, state authority, and Council of Europe office in Ukraine.
Anna has a Master’s degree in International Relations from Kyiv University, and a Master’s degree in Public Management from the University of Potsdam, Germany.

Ana Miljanović Rusan
Junior Project Manager - Offshore Energy & Nature

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Ana Miljanović Rusan

Junior Project Manager - Offshore Energy & Nature

+49 30 7677 19450
ana[at]renewables-grid.eu

Ana joined RGI in June 2022 as a Junior Project Manager in the Offshore Energy and Nature team. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a research student assistant at Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change. She studied Environmental Sciences (BSc) at Faculty of Science in Zagreb and Environmental Planning (MSc) at the Technical University in Berlin.

Charlotte Mueller
Junior Manager - Communication

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Charlotte Mueller

Junior Manager - Communication

t: +49 30 7677194 50
charlotte[at]renewables-grid.eu

Charlotte joined RGI in April 2022 as a Junior Manger with the communications team. Prior to joining RGI, Charlotte completed internships with the GIZ and Canadian agricultural ministry working on topics including energy, agriculture and water security, trade policy and climate communication. Charlotte studied History and Economics at Carleton University in Canada and she holds a Master’s degree in Politics and Public Administration from the University of Konstanz in Germany.

Damiano Ottavi
Project Manager - Energy Systems

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Damiano Ottavi

Project Manager - Energy Systems

+49 30 7677 19450
damino[at]renewables-grid.eu

Damiano joined RGI in July 2022 as a Project Manager – Energy Systems. He has a technical background as he has studied Energy Engineering in Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi (Rome, Italy) and he has done an experimental thesis on a research fast nuclear reactor, in collaboration with ENEA, in Rome. He has also worked for several years as a Project Engineer in HVAC systems related field for residential and civil buildings.

Nathália Pimentel
Junior Manager - Communication

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Nathália Pimentel

Junior Manager - Communication

t: +49 30 7677 19457
nathalia[at]renewables-grid.eu

Nathália joined RGI in November 2022 as Junior Manager within the communication team. Previously, she worked for the private sector, as well as GIZ Brazil and the European Union's International Urban Cooperation Program in Latin America and the Caribbeans (IUC-LAC), mainly involving tasks of project management, event organization and reporting. Nathália studied in the Federal University of Goiás (UFG) in Brazil, and the University of Pécs (PTE) in Hungary. She holds a Bachelors' Degree in International Relations.

Manon Quetstroey
Junior Project Manager - Energy & Nature

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Manon Quetstroey

Junior Project Manager - Energy & Nature

+49 30 7677 19450
manon[at]renewables-grid.eu

Manon joined RGI in July 2022 and is currently working as a Junior Project Manager in the Energy and Nature team. Prior to RGI, Manon worked as an ecologist in a consulting office in Berlin, engaged in the protection of bat populations in Europe in the context of Wind energy projects. She also worked on diverse projects in Africa, particularly in the protection and conservation of African mammals. Manon holds a Master’s degree in Biodiversity management from Université de Perpignan in France and completed her Master’s thesis in South Africa.

Mara Radulescu
Manager - Communication

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Mara Radulescu

Manager - Communication

t: +49 30 7677 19437
mara[at]renewables-grid.eu

Mara joined the Renewables Grid Initiative in 2021. Her main responsibilities at RGI encompass communications and media work as well as event management. She previously worked as a training coordinator at the Center for International Peace Operations in Berlin and at the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) within the European University Institute. At the FSR she was also responsible for donor relations and policy events. Mara studied in Sibiu (Romania), Salzburg (Austria) and Berlin (Germany) and holds degrees in German and English Philology (BA) and Arts and Media Administration (MA).

Photo taken by fotostudio-charlottenburg.

Antina Sander
Deputy CEO

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Antina Sander

Deputy CEO

t: +49 30 7677194 58
m: +49 173 7196066
antina[at]renewables-grid.eu

Antina Sander joined RGI in March 2012. She is responsible for the instigation and coordination of national TSO/NGO collaboration projects, for providing feedback to EU grid development processes and RGI's organisational planning. In 2011, Antina has finalised an MSc in Environmental Management and Policy at Lund University, Sweden where she has written her master thesis about grid expansion and public acceptance. The thesis "From 'Decide, Announce, Defend' to 'Announce, Discuss, Decide'" won the first prize of the "Ökostrom für Alle!" Award in 2012. Antina furthermore holds an MBA and has been working for seven years in the private sector (strategic management consultancy and in the consumer goods industry) and with the United Nations.

Amanda Schibline
Junior Manager - Socio-Energy Systems

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Amanda Schibline

Junior Manager - Socio-Energy Systems

amanda[at]renewables-grid.eu

Amanda joined the RGI team in October 2020 as a Student Assistant. After completing an MBA program in Building Sustainability at the Technische Universität Berlin, she collaborates in the stakeholder engagement of two Horizon Europe projects: SENTINEL and WHY, that look at energy modelling optimisation. She brings expertise in energy efficiency from both private and non-profit sectors, and has additional past experience in teaching, advocacy, and research. She studied Political Science and Environmental Policy (BA) at Linnaeus University in Växjo, Sweden and University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire in the United States.

Cristina Simioli
Programme Manager - Offshore Energy and Nature

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Cristina Simioli

Programme Manager - Offshore Energy and Nature

t: +49 30 7677 194533
cristina[at]renewables-grid.eu

Cristina Simioli is responsible for RGI's portfolio of offshore activities, which have the objective of finding solutions to reconcile energy and nature in renewable and grid infrastructure development. She has extensive experience in the instigation and coordination of national, regional and European cross-sectoral collaborations and in participatory and stakeholder engagement techniques. Before joining RGI, she worked on climate and nature protection for an environmental NGO, a UN agency and an engineering consultancy.

Hindia Yaghi
Office Assistant

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Hindia Yaghi

Office Assistant

t: +49 30 7677 194531
hindia[at]renewables-grid.eu

Hindia Joined RGI Team in September 2022 as an Office Assistant. She is a scholarship holder of the International parliamentary scholarship at the German Parliament of Economy & Energy committee and worked as a multimedia journalist at the DP World Flow pavilion during Expo 2020 Dubai. Hindia holds a degree in Journalism and Communications (BA) from the Lebanese University in Beirut and studied Diplomacy and Conflict Management at the Eastern Mediterranean university in Cyprus.

Trouble
Senior Director - Networking and Wellbeing

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Trouble

Senior Director - Networking and Wellbeing

Although he may sound like a lot of trouble, quite the opposite is true. Trouble is the well-behaved, friendly and compassionate office dog that knows how to put a smile on every person’s face. Trouble often hangs around the coffee machine and entices anyone to stay that is trying to grab a quick beverage or just simply walking by. Before you know it, Trouble has brought together people in discussion on various topics ranging from climate change to the de-stressing effects on humans brought on by canine interaction. Due to his long experience, Trouble also has direct responsibility for the recruitment of staff into RGI's expanding team.