GO-Biz
Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis was sworn in as the 50th Lieutenant Governor of California by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 7th, 2019. She is the first woman elected Lt. Governor of California. A native Californian, she visited each of the state’s 58 counties during her historic campaign.
From 2010 to 2013, Kounalakis served as President Barack Obama’s Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary. Kounalakis was the first Greek-American woman – and at age 43 one of America’s youngest – to serve as U.S. Ambassador. Her highly acclaimed memoir, “Madam Ambassador, Three Years of Diplomacy, Dinner Parties and Democracy in Budapest” (The New Press, 2015), chronicles the onset of Hungary’s democratic backsliding.
Governor Jerry Brown appointed Kounalakis to chair the California Advisory Council for International Trade and Investment in 2014. Kounalakis was a Virtual Fellow at the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR)between 2014 and 2017, specializing in international trade and immigration. She is currently a director of the Association of American Ambassadors and a National Democratic Institute (NDI) “Ambassadors Circle” advisor.
Prior to her public service, Kounalakis was president of one of California’s most respected housing development firms, AKT Development, where she worked for 18 years. She built master-planned communities and delivered quality housing to the Sacramento region’s working families – recognizing her as one of the capital region’s most prominent businesswomen. Passionate about early childhood development, Kounalakis served as a member of California’s First 5 Commission and the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.
Eleni Kounalakis graduated from Dartmouth College in 1989 and earned her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in 1992. She holds an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the American College of Greece. She is married to Dr. Markos Kounalakis and the couple has two teenage sons, Neo and Eon.
Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis
Lieutenant Governor of California, State of California
GO-Biz
Emily Desai is California’s Trade Representative for Europe, MEA, and India. In her capacity at GO-Biz she oversees trade and commercial engagement with California’s U.S. government and foreign partners in those regions. She brings more than a decade of experience in international issues from the public and private sectors. Most recently, she worked in international affairs and trade sectors serving the U.S. Congress as a Senior Project Manager at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She has a BS in Public Administration with honors from the University of Arizona and an MPP from U.C. Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth, economic development, and business assistance efforts. Our teams are comprised of experts that span industries, geographies, and business backgrounds.
Emily Desai
Trade and Investment Representative for Europe, MEA & India
GO-Biz
Diana joined the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) as the Special Advisor for International Affairs and Trade in October of 2015. Diana manages the export strategy of GO-Biz’s International Affairs and Trade team with Senior Advisor Kaina Pereira. Diana is also the primary manager between GO-Biz and the California Department of Food and Agriculture in overseeing the implementation of California State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) funded activities. She works closely with regional specialists at the U.S. Commercial Services, Foreign Consulates, industry trade associations and country contacts to promote California exports of goods and services, as well as encouraging the location and expansion of companies from around the world into California.
Diana formerly served as the International Special Projects Manager at the Northern California Center for International Trade Development (CITD). As the Special Projects Manager, Diana organized export/import seminars and foreign training delegations. She assisted the Director to lead over one hundred trade missions to and from California. In 2010, Diana served as the Statewide Ag Co-Coordinator to implement the Memorandum of Agreement the CITD entered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Diana Dominguez is a resourceful leader with more than eight years of experience in coordination of international market development activities, program implementation, and preparation of federal and state government grant proposals. Diana earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in international relations from the University of California, Davis.
The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) serves as the State of California’s leader for job growth, economic development, and business assistance efforts. Our teams are comprised of experts that span industries, geographies, and business backgrounds.
Diana Dominguez
Special Advisor for International Affairs and Trade
Kallman Worldwide, Inc.
Thomas J. Kallman is the President and CEO of Kallman Worldwide, Inc. an international marketing and exhibition management firm headquartered in Waldwick, New Jersey, with affiliate offices in Washington, DC; Charleston, SC; Dallas and Houston, TX; Santiago, Chile; London, UK and Tokyo, Japan. In 1989 Tom joined the predecessor company, Kallman Associates, founded ifby his father Jerry Kallman Sr. in 1963, and created the Aerospace Division. Under his direction, the company succeeded in organizing the largest-ever U.S. Pavilions at the Paris Air Show in successive events beginning in 1997 through 2019. Similar marks were set at the Farnborough Air Show from 1998 through 2018, and at other aerospace industry events spanning the globe. Over the last three decades, Tom has applied the same successful formula for portfolio growth to other industry sectors, recruiting and assisting U.S. companies in healthcare, environmental, mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, water, maritime & security, agricultural equipment and food. Kallman Worldwide presently supports nearly 1,500 companies each year in destinations around the world, often partnering with the U.S. Department of Commerce and other federal and state government agencies. Kallman Worldwide’s work with the aerospace industry grew out of Tom Kallman’s love of flying nurtured during four years at the U.S. Air Force Academy. A graduate of the Class of 1981, he went on to tally over 1500 flying hours in the T-33 and nearly 1000 hours as an F-15 instructor pilot over his nine-year tour of duty.
Tom is married with four children and four grandchildren. He is active in the International Association of Exhibition and Events, the Society of Independent Show Organizers and The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI).
For more than 55 years, Kallman Worldwide has made it our business to successfully connect U.S. exporters with international buyers through international trade shows, supplemented by briefings held either prior to the show via webinar, or during the show, via live in-person events mounted in our Forum facilities. The COVID pandemic has created significant challenges for industry SME’s to connect with international decision-makers and influencers, and conversely, for these decision-makers to connect with potential new suppliers. Given the cancellation and postponement of so many international trade events, Kallman Worldwide, has focused more attention on creating ongoing opportunities for U.S. industry to engage with selected agencies and individuals in proven overseas markets under the banner “Kallman Connects”. Kallman Connects Digital Trade Forums and Digital Trade Missions give US companies the opportunity to interact with key industry contacts in a public setting and then facilitate that interaction into private one-on-one conversations between buyers and sellers. These digital trade forums and missions aim to connect U.S. exporters with actual buying entities, and then ensure those conversations initiated during these events create and nourish relationships that lead directly to business success for both sides.
Tom Kallman
President & CEO
U.S. Commercial Service- American Embassy – Madrid, Spain
In September 2018, Mr. Werker began a four-year tour as the Commercial Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain. From January 2015 to July 2018, Mr. Werker served as the Principal Commercial Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Foreign Commercial Service in Shanghai, China. Between July 2011 and December 2014, Mr. Werker served as the Regional Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, with regional responsibility for the Commercial Service offices in Panama and Peru while also administering the Partner Post agreement in Quito, Ecuador.
Prior to Colombia, Mr. Werker served as the Regional Senior Commercial Officer for three years in the U.S. Commercial Service office in Belgrade, Serbia with regional responsibilities for both Serbia and Montenegro. His tour of duty in Belgrade ended August 2010. Prior to Serbia, Mr. Werker served as a Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, China for 4 years covering the ICT Sector.
Mr. Werker joined the Commercial Service in 1999. His first assignment was to the U.S. Export Assistance Center in Boston, MA. While there he assisted U.S. companies with all matters related to the export of their products. He served as a board member of the New England Environmental Business Council, as well as a regional team leader for the Commercial Service’s Rural Export Team.
Mr. Werker joined the Department of Commerce in 1993. For six years, he worked in Import Administration as an International Trade Specialist administering the U.S. anti-dumping duty law. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Mr. Werker worked as the Marketing Manager of an Indian agricultural company in New Delhi, India. Prior to that, he served as a trade analyst at the International Trade Commission in Washington, DC.
Mr. Werker holds a BA in International Marketing from Colorado State University.
Cameron Werker
Commercial Counselor
U.S. Commercial Service- American Embassy – Madrid, Spain
Carmen Adrada is Senior International Trade Specialist at the U.S. Commercial Service in the American Embassy, Madrid, Spain. Ms. Adrada has more than 30 years of experience in assisting U.S. companies exporting to Spain and Europe, advocating on behalf of U.S. firms with foreign governments, defending U.S. interests abroad and supporting foreign direct investment into the U.S., as well as helping foreign companies import U.S. products and goods into Spain and other European countries. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Commerce, Carmen worked at the UN Habitat (Nairobi, Kenya), in the Asia, Pacific and Caribbean Unit projects, mainly in the Spanish and French speaking countries of those regions. She also worked with NCR (Kenya) as freelance programmer. Prior to that, she was a Spanish language teacher in the Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Arts in Bangkok (Thailand). Ms. Adrada holds a BA degree from Strathmore University (former Kianda College), an Advanced Management MBA from Instituto de Empresa (IE) Business School and MIT Beyond Smart Cities Professional Education Certificate. She is fluent in Spanish, English and French.
Carmen Adrado
Senior International Trade Specialist
ACCIONA
Joaquin Castillo has extensive experience in the energy sector & utilities worldwide, with a focus on clean technologies and renewable energies. He has an engineering background complemented with different areas of expertise: project management, business development, origination, planning & control, M&A, KAM, financial modelling. Joaquin specializes in Business development, origination, M&A. He received his education from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and IESE Business School - University of Navarra. Joquin has proudly worked for ACCIONA Energia close to a decade. For the past 5 years he serves as Senior VP Global Business Development.
Joaquin Castillo
Senior VP Global Business Development
ADENE, National Energy Agency for Portugal
Nelson Lage has a degree in Political Science - International Relations and an Executive Master in Management and Leadership Development (Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics). He has 15 years of experience in the public sector in the areas of energy, innovation and international relations. He served as an adviser in several Portuguese governments and, more recently, he was Adviser to the Secretary of State for Energy (2018-2019) and Adviser as well as Deputy Chief of Cabinet to the Deputy Minister and Secretary of State for Energy (2019-july 2020).
In 2011 he joined ADENE - Portuguese Energy Agency and he is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of ADENE and Chairman of the Board of Directors of OLMC – Energy Logistics Operator Switching. On a voluntary and pro bono basis he is Executive Director of the Intercultural Dialogue Network - Reach Alliance Global Network, member of the board of the Foundation Alliance of Civilization and member of East West Bridge International Foundation.
Nelson Lage
Chairman of the Board of Directors of ADENE
APREN, The Portuguese Renewable Energy Association
Pedro Amaral Jorge graduated in Mechanical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico, and also has an EMBA with focus on Finance and Operations, from IESE / AESE.
In his previous professional experience, he worked as a specialist in structuring and financing projects in the private sector investment aspect for the African Development Bank (AfDB), in the areas of Infrastructure, Energy and Water and Sanitation in Africa, focusing on the sub-Saharan region.
In addition to his career, Pedro Amaral Jorge also has a history of developing projects for public service concessions and BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) as well as financing, planning, construction and management, accumulating more than 15 years of international experience, having worked and lived in different markets, especially in Europe, South America, Africa and the Middle East.
He has a total of 20 years of professional experience in top management positions, assuming functions as Director of Business Unit, Member of the Executive Committee, Executive Director and CEO in companies such as Mitsubishi / METITO Utilities, Indaqua / Mota-Engil Group, SACYR / SOMAGUE and IDOM.
Pedro Amaral Jorge
President/CEO
Club Espanol de la Energia
Arcadio Gutiérrez Zapico is President of the Agustín de Betancourt Foundation, President of the Civil Engineering Foundation and Director General of the Spanish Energy Club and President of the Agustin de Betancourt Foundation of Civil Engineers. Among other positions, he has been Director General and President of the Engineering division of Gas Natural Fenosa now called Naturgy, as well as member of the Board of Directors of SOLUZIONA, PROINTEC, GHESA, and Empresarios Agrupados, and President of the Spanish Association of Engineering, Consultancy and Technological Services (TECNIBERIA). He has more than 40 years of experience in the energy sector where he started in the nuclear field in 1976. In 1987 he became a member of the technician body of Spain´s Civil Administration, where he was Deputy Director of Labour and Social Security and Industry and Energy.
Arcadio Gutiérrez Zapico
Director General
EDP
Civil Engineer, MBA from Porto Business School, AMP/ Advanced Management Program from Wharton Business School USA), IDP/International Directors Program from INSEAD (France), is presently an Adviser to the Executive Board of EDP – Energias de Portugal, after being a member of that Board from 2006 to 2021.
He began his career as an Assistant Lecturer at Engineering Superior Institute of Porto in 1976, joining EDP some years later, where he worked between 1981 and 1989.
After his MBA, he moved to the financial sector, becoming a General Manager at Bank Millennium BCP and member of the Executive Boards of MBCP’s insurance, pension and asset management companies (1989-2003). During part of that period (1999-2002), on the international side, he was also Director of Eureko BV insurance group (Netherlands) and Vice President of the Executive Board of PZU insurance group (Poland).
Returning to the energy sector, he became CEO and Vice-Chairman of the Board of EDP Brasil (São Paulo, 2003-2007), assuming afterwards the position of Chairman and CEO of EDP Renewables North America (Houston, Texas, USA, 2007-2009) and being a member of EDP Renewables Board of Directors from 2008 to 2012.
He is currently President of AMCHAM Portugal, Vice President of Proforum (Association for the Development of Portuguese Engineering) and Vice president of APGEI (Portuguese Industrial Engineering Association) and member of several Boards of Business Schools in Portugal (AESE, ISEG, ISCTE, PBS, Fundação Alfredo de Sousa/Nova SBE).
ANTÓNIO MARTINS DA COSTA
President, AmCham Portugal and EDP
EDP
Miguel Padro is the Chief Operating Officer of EDP Renováveis, S.A. for North America and CEO EDP Renewables North America LLC. He has worked in EDP and EDPR for nearly 18 years, investing more than 18 Billion by executing a significant number of relevant acquisitions in 14 different countries. During the last five years, Mr. Padro has led positions as the Head of Investments Mergers and Acquisitions, leadership of the asset rotation strategy and member of EDPR Group Investment Committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of EDP Renováveis, S.A., member of the Management of EDP Renováveis, S.A and responsible for Corporate Procurement at EDP Renováveis, S.A. Prior to EDP, Miguel managed the finance department at Arthur Andersen/Deloitte Corporate. He received an Executive MBA by the IE (Instituto de Empresa, Madrid) and PhD in Business and Management by the University of Oviedo and Bradford (UK).
EDP
Pedro Vinagre is currently board member of EDP Comercial, leads the development of e-mobility and of the energy transition business, including solutions for distributed generation, storage, energy management, among others. Pedro is also responsible for the Field Services of EDP Comercial, that besides the field force operations also includes full responsibility for the supply chain and asset management.
Between 2014-2018 Pedro was responsible for the Customer Care, Commercial Cycle Operations, IT Infrastructures and Data Management. In the first 4 years with the EDP Group (2010-2014), Pedro led the relationship management of the Portuguese DSO with the B2C segment. Graduated from INSEAD MBA in 2009 (Singapore/France), before joining EDP, Pedro worked mainly in the Consulting and the Automotive industries.
Pedro Vinagre
Executive Board Member
Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE)
Since June 2020, Victor Marcos Morell is Director of Renewable Energy and Electricity Market of the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE).
He is an Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Madrid and a member of the State Corps of Industrial Engineers since 2016. He has more than 10 years of experience in the energy sector, and specially in that of renewable energies. He has held various positions in the renewable industry, mainly as a risk analyst in financing, sales, refinancing and project promotion. Within this experience, he has participated in projects of almost all renewable technologies (photovoltaic and concentrated solar, wind, waste, etc.) both nationally and internationally.
In 2016, he joined the General Sub-Directorate of Renewable Energies and Studies within the Secretary of State for Energy. He has participated, among other projects, in the preparation of the Spanish National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (NECP). He has also a wide experience in energy prospective, analysis and regulatory development, and has developed works related to these issues for the Renewable Energy Directive and the Governance Regulation of the Energy Union.
He had represented the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge in several national and international forums.
Victor Marcos Morell
Renewable Energy and Electric Market Director
Naturgy
Jorge Cabal Alonso contributes to the Global Business Development at Naturgy. He focuses on renewables strategic planning, business development, international growth identification and analysis of opportunities definition of the corporate development strategy. In addition he contributes to the establishment of the company network, institutional representation, search and analysis of investment opportunities at Naturgy.
Jorge Cabal Alonso
Global Business Development
U.S. Embassy Lisbon, Portugal
Rafael Patiño joined the United States Department of Commerce in 2010 and is currently the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.
Immediately before assuming his current responsibilities Mr. Patiño was attached U.S. Commercial Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, with responsibility for U.S. trade promotion across the Caribbean. Prior to this he served in the Los Angeles (Downtown) U.S. Export Assistance Center where he assisted U.S. companies expand and enter new overseas markets. Additionally, he has served on detail to the Department of Commerce Office of European Country Affairs and as Deputy Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Israel where he was responsible for the management of the U.S. Government’s commercial support programs in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Prior to joining the Department of Commerce in 2010, Mr. Patiño was Vice President for Bank of America in Los Angeles, California, administering a significant project and operational portfolio in the Home Mortgage division; this included management of all Cyber-Security development programs, Home Loan systems for the Bank, and M&A implementation of Countrywide Bank InfoSec systems. At the Bank, Mr. Patiño also managed compliance programs for the Home Mortgage division. In addition to his extensive management and project delivery experience, Mr. Patiño was a founding member of an Information Security Consulting firm and a Manager for Deloitte, a global management consulting and accounting firm, where he led Data Security and Privacy consulting engagements at leading companies, including: E*Trade, Blue Shield, Hughes, Boeing, MONY, Intel, Cisco, and others.
Mr. Patiño attended the Merage School of Business at the University of California, Irvine (M.B.A., 1996), the University of California, Irvine (B.A., Comparative Literature, 1993), and has a certificate in European Legal Studies from Tulane University (1994). He speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
Rafael Patiño
Senior Commercial Officer
U.S. Embassy Lisbon, Portugal
Pedro Ferreira is the Senior Commercial Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. Pedro joined the U.S. Commercial Service in 1999 and has had several roles over the years including System Administrator, IT Manager for Europe, Commercial Assistant and Commercial Specialist. Pedro covers a wide range of sectors, namely aerospace and defense, energy, information and communications technologies.
Mr. Ferreira was born and raised in Lisbon and lived in Washington, D.C. for a period of seven years before returning to Portugal. Mr. Ferreira attended Law School at the University of Lisbon. He speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Pedro Ferreira
Senior Commercial Advisor
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