Speakers at the Summit include:
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Shai Agassi
CEO
PROJECT BETTER PLACE |
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Shai Agassi is the founder and CEO of Project Better Place, a company focused on the early 21st century’s biggest challenge - a scaleable and sustainable personal transportation system. In this role, Agassi works directly with governments, finance, automobile manufacturers and technology companies to install, scale, and operate a regional and global infrastructure necessary for electric vehicles.
With a personal passion in solving large-scale social and environmental issues, Agassi believes in utilizing technology and capital markets to address the challenges of sustainability and climate change. With Project Better Place, he will manage the operation of international electric vehicle fleets by investing in, installing and operating countrywide charging infrastructures for electric cars, as well as working with partners to make the cars available.
Agassi was formerly president of the Products and Technology Group at SAP AG and a member of the SAP AG Executive Board (2002 - 2007). In these roles, Agassi was responsible for both the global development of the SAP product line and SAP's portfolio of industry-specific solutions. While at SAP AG, Agassi spearheaded the development and release of SAP's successful platform strategy; led innovations that helped the company grow into a market leader, and set the stage for the future of business software.
As a serial entrepreneur, Agassi has developed and cultivated several technology companies. During his career, Agassi founded Quicksoft Media and QuickSoft Ltd. as well as TopTier Software and TopManage, which were both acquired by SAP.
Agassi is an active member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum where he focuses on climate change and transportation issues. Agassi also pens a blog titled "The Long Tailpipe," where he discusses enterprise software and alternative energy innovations.
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Mark Aubry
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
SMITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES |
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Mark’s experience in commercial airline fleets along with major transportation/fleet operations, leasing and sales gives him the expertise as a speaker in our panel. Mark is responsible for the North American expansion of Smith Electric Vehicles which provides all-electric, zero emission commercial delivery products, expecting to begin production in July, 2008 at the California Headquarters.
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Charles W. Botsford, P.E., M.S., Chemical Engineering
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT CENTER
AEROVIRONMENT, INC. |
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Mr. Botsford is a professional chemical engineer (California) with 27 years experience in engineering process design, distributed generation, and environmental management. He has a wide range of experience relative to fuel cells, renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, power electronics, and air quality issues. Mr. Botsford is a Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP), Emeritus.
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Tom Z. Collina
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
2020 VISION |
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Tom Z. Collina is Executive Director of 2020 Vision in Washington, DC, a national membership organization focused on finding realistic solutions to oil dependence and climate change. He has 20 years of experience in energy and security issues, most recently as Director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Before that he was Executive Director of the Institute for Science and International Security and Senior Research Analyst at the Federation of American Scientists. Since starting at 2020 Vision in 2003, Tom has initiated numerous energy-related projects such as the National Summit on Energy Security, the PowerShift National Tour, the Energy Security Briefing Series for congressional staff, and a national education campaign on plug-in vehicles. He has published over 50 articles in major magazines and journals and has appeared frequently in the national media (print, radio and TV), including the New York Times, CNN, and NPR. Tom has briefed congressional staff on numerous occasions and testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on energy security. Tom has a degree in International Relations from Cornell University and serves on the Boards of Directors of the Scoville Peace Fellowship and the Janelia Foundation.
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William Doelle
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
MODEC |
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William Doelle is currently President North American Operations of Modec Electric Vehicles. After graduating from Brunel University William worked in the non-profit sector for many years before joining the corporate world. Thenceforth Willliam has shown a great passion for Electric Vehicles covering aspects such as Research, Market Analysis as well as Strategic Business Development.
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Raffaele Domeniconi
DIRECTOR
INFOVEL |
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Raffaele Domeniconi is executive director of the Excellence center for sustainable mobility – infovel in Mendrisio since 2001.
Between 1995 and 2001 infovel promoted electric vehicles at municipality level through a large fleet test and built al large knowledge base on this topic. After 2001 the focus was extended also to low emission vehicles while the geographical area of influence of infovel has grown to regional and national level.
Raffaele Domeniconi is president of ecocar www.ecocar.ch, vice president of e’mobile www.e-mobile.ch , the Swiss association promoting electric and efficient vehicles and President of Citelec www.citelec.org , european association of cities promoting electric vehicles. This roles helps him to influence technical and political decisions at national and international level.
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James W. Frierson
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
ADVANCED TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE |
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Jim Frierson is executive director of the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute, a national non-profit organization promoting the development of electric, hybrid-electric and other clean transportation technologies that encourage a healthy environment and energy independence.
He has served since 2005 as director of programs for the National Council on Readiness and Preparedness, a community-based grassroots organization that has developed a national blueprint for homeland security that includes first responders, business and civic leaders.
In 2001, he founded Kruesi Center for Innovation, a program to identify breakthrough companies that reinforce competitiveness in the regional economy. The family-supported Kruesi Award, given by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s first community-based award for innovative products, technologies and services.
From 2000 to 2001 he was the editorial and perspective correspondent for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the daily newspaper of his hometown. He served as chairman and director of the Tennessee World Trade Center from 1998 to 2000. From 1996 to 1998, Jim was director of strategic initiatives at RiverValley Partners, the public/private entity driving the economic renaissance of the Chattanooga, Tennessee area.
From 1995 to 1996 in Chattanooga, he worked in affiliation with Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell, the state’s largest law firm. With former U.S. Senator Bill Brock of Tennessee, he co-founded The Brock Group, Ltd., an international trade and investment strategy consultancy in Washington, DC in 1989.
As an appointee of President Ronald Reagan’s administration, he worked directly with two cabinet officers, Bill Brock and Clayton Yeutter, at the Office of the United States Trade Representative from 1981 to 1989, serving as the chief of staff from 1985 to 1989. In that capacity, his team helped craft and negotiate U.S. trade policies that launched the first bilateral free trade agreements and the World Trade Organization.
Jim has a special background in Japan, where he has lived and worked on three occasions, with J. Osawa & Co., a trading company (1969; Yanagida and Sakuragi, a law firm (1977) in Tokyo; and on the faculty of the Institute for International Studies and Training in Fujinomiya (1973).
Earlier Washington experience includes staff positions with the Republican National Committee from 1978 to 1981, as well as the Department of Justice in 1975 and Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee in 1968. He received an A.B. degree in History from Princeton University in 1973 and a J.D. degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1977.
Reflecting a wide spectrum of public policy interests, he is Vice Chairman of the Tennessee District Export Council, appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Jim serves as President and as the sole public representative on the board of the Tennessee Architecture Foundation. He is currently a board member of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation, the Tennessee Biotechnology Association and the Chattanooga Technology Council.
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Daniel P. Gabel, P.E.
FLEET SERVICES MANAGER
COMMONWEALTH EDISON COMPANY
EXELON CORPORATION |
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Dan is the Fleet Services Manager for ComEd, which provides electric services to approximately 3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois. ComEd is the largest electric utility in Illinois, and a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation.
Under Dan’s leadership, the Fleet Services organization maintains over 4,200 ComEd vehicles, and sets the environmental, equipment specification, and procurement strategies for ComEd’s fleet.
Dan has 18 years of experience in the electric utility industry, including previous roles in metering, engineering, and project management. He has a bachelors degree in electrical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a masters degree in project management from Keller Graduate School of Management.
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Tom Gage
CEO
AC PROPULSION INC. |
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Tom Gage is President and CEO of AC Propulsion, Inc. where he has worked since 1995 developing and commercializing electric propulsion for automobiles. Mr. Gage has particular expertise in the energetics of automobiles and in the ways public policy can affect automotive technology and market trends. He gained experience in these areas as a manager in the Product Planning and Regulatory Strategy Office at Chrysler Corporation in Detroit, and as a senior consultant in the Global Automotive Practice at SRI Consulting in Menlo Park, CA. At SRI he led projects on topics including the future of the automobile and automotive transportation, electric vehicle commercialization, intelligent transportation systems, and neighborhood vehicles.
Mr. Gage’s automotive career has also included work as a project engineer for fuel and emission control systems, owner of a high-performance turbocharger installation company, race car driver, and dealership mechanic. He holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. He is a 25-year member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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Nancy Lee Gioia
DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY TECHNOLOGIES AND HYBRID VEHICLE PROGRAMS
FORD MOTOR COMPANY |
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Nancy Lee Gioia is Ford Motor Company's director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs. Appointed to this position Nov. 1, 2005, she is leading efforts develop and implement Ford's current and next generation of sustainable products including today's Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid.
In addition, Gioia oversees research, development and ultimately deployment of other sustainable mobility technologies such as hydrogen internal combustion engines and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
Prior to this assignment, Gioia was Director of Current Model Vehicle Quality for North America where she was responsible for overall current model quality performance. Gioia has held several key management and executive positions within Ford Product Development, including valuable experience in electronics architecture design and integration in vehicles. She also was Chief Engineer for the Ford Aeromax class-8 truck line and the 2002 Ford Thunderbird program. She went on to direct engineering for all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury passenger cars in North America before taking on her current assignment.
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Britta K. Gross
MANAGER, HYDROGEN & ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE STRATEGIC COMMERCIALIZATION
GENERAL MOTORS |
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Britta K. Gross is Manager of Hydrogen and Electrical Infrastructure Development and Strategic Commercialization for General Motors. In this role, she is responsible for steering the development of both the hydrogen and electrical infrastructures required to support the deployment of GM’s rapidly developing electric propulsion vehicle technologies, based on fuel cells and plug-in batteries. She brings to this position an extensive and diverse background in both the Automotive and Aerospace industries in areas including Advanced Technology Development, Systems Engineering, Planning and Program Management.
Ms. Gross began her career in 1983 as a systems engineer with Hughes Space & Communications in Los Angeles, California. At Hughes she held various roles in the Government Satellite Programs area including Lead Mission Designer and Lead Systems Engineer, and subsequently as Technology Development Manager in Commercial New Business Acquisitions. In 1995, she was selected for international assignment on a joint Hughes/GM team to develop program management and systems engineering at Opel AG in Ruesselsheim, Germany. After returning from international assignment in 2002, Ms. Gross joined GM North America Planning as Group Manager of the Design Center and Global Vehicle Development Strategy organization. Britta joined GM’s Research and Development organization in 2004, in support of the Fuel Cell Program. She received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and studied language arts at the University of Wuerzburg in Germany.
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Dr Willett Kempton
SENIOR POLICY SCIENTIST
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE |
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Willett Kempton teaches and conducts research on emerging zero-carbon technologies and environmental policy at the University of Delaware. He is Associate Professor in the College of Marine and Earth Studies. With coauthors, Kempton published the first proposal for what is now called Vehicle-to-Grid power (V2G) in 1997, and the basic equations for V2G power and V2G markets in 2005. Kempton and industry partners have created the Mid-Atlantic Grid-Interactive Cars (MAGIC) Consortium, seeking to establish commercial-scale V2G implementation. In addition to his articles and reports on V2G, Dr. Kempton has published on offshore wind power, the beliefs and values that citizens and policymakers apply to environmental issues, labeling and feedback to stimulate energy efficiency, and factors which move citizens to environmental action.
See www.udel.edu/V2G and www.ocean.udel.edu/windpower.
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Edward Kjaer
DIRECTOR OF ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON |
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Since 1999, Edward Kjaer has been Director of the Electric Transportation Division at Southern California Edison. In his role, Mr. Kjaer is responsible for all facets of the ET Division’s electro-drive activities including; system impact and assessment of Battery EV, Hybridization and Fuel Cell technologies, customer education, ET load management and energy efficiency programs, ET rates and incentives, EPACT Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) fleet compliance, and operation of the industry leading Electric Vehicle Technology Center (EVTC).
From 1996-1999, he was Director of the Automotive Division of Edison EV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Edison Enterprises, established to build charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in California. Prior to joining Edison, Mr. Kjaer held a number of marketing and advertising positions in the automotive industry spanning over 15 years. From 1988-1996, he was the Creative Advertising Manager and Corporate Marketing Manager at Mazda Motor of America. From 1985-1988, he worked on the Acura Automobile advertising account at Ketchum Advertising. Prior to this, he ran the Nissan Advertising account in New Zealand and was a senior member of the Datsun/Nissan “Name Change” Team.
Mr. Kjaer participates in a number of electro-drive related industry organizations, including Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Edison Electric Institute (EEI), he is a member of Governor Schwarzenegger’s Hydrogen Highway Advisory Panel and he is on the boards of Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA), and the California Electric Transportation Coalition (CalETC).
In addition, Mr. Kjaer also sits on the Board of the Orange County Discovery Science Center, a non-profit organization providing science related educational resources to school children and teachers in Southern California.
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John Marrone
DIRECTOR GENERAL
CANMET ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE - OTTAWA |
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John Marrone is the Director General of the CANMET Energy Technology Centre in Ottawa, the leading energy S&T organization in the Canadian federal government. The Centre works with industrial partners to develop energy efficiency, renewable energy and other clean energy technologies for buildings and communities, transportation, electric power generation and industrial processes.
His responsibilities include managing government-funded projects in alternative transportation fuels, hydrogen and fuel cells and is currently managing an industry-led exercise to develop Canada’s technology roadmap for electric vehicles.
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Mahi Reddy
PRESIDENT
SEMACONNECT, INC. |
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Mahi Reddy graduated from Bangalore University, India, and has over 20 years of work experience in the information technology industry, both in India and in the US. He is a serial entrepreneur and he spent the last 9 years with a company that he co-founded, CBay Systems (www.cbaysystems.com), Annapolis, MD, where he served most recently as President. At CBay, which is a healthcare IT service provider, he built its processing base of over 3000 people in India, started and scaled the physician practice services division of CBay in the US and was responsible for architecting and implementing the company’s core technology by creating and leading a team of 70 software and network engineers in delivering a world class IT platform for speech and text processing. CBay’s current annual revenue is $65 million and it is listed on the London Stock Exchange (AIM ticker symbol: CBAY).
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Jim Saber
DIRECTOR, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
NEXTENERGY |
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Jim Saber serves as Director, Program Development for NextEnergy. He is responsible for development of collaborative AET Research, Development, and Demonstration programs as well as leading the technology development and consulting services within NextEnergy. Prior to NextEnergy, Jim spent over a decade in the energy storage industry, holding product development and business development positions with fortune 500 and start up companies. Jim graduated from Lawrence Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
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Peter Van den Bossche
SECRETARY OF IEC TC69
IEC |
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Peter Van den Bossche graduated as electrical engineer and promoted as Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel on a thesis covering the evolution of electric vehicle standardization 'The Electric vehicle, raising the standards'. He is currently lecturer at the Erasmus University College Brussels and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Since more than 15 years he is active in several international standardization committees, currently in ISO TC22 SC21 and IEC TC69, acting as Secretary of the latter. He is also closely involved in the activities of CITELEC, association of European cities interested in electrically propelled vehicles.
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| AeroVironment, Inc. join Electric Vehicle Markets Summit as Co-Sponsor . . More |
Shai Agassi, CEO, Project Better Place
John Marrone, Director General, CANMET Energy Technology Centre (CETC) Natural Resources Canada
William Doelle, Business Development Director, Modec
Raffaele Domeniconi, Director, Infovel
Tom Gage, CEO, AC Propulsion
Ed Kjaer, Director
Electric Transportation, Southern California Edison
Nancy Gioia, Director Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programs, Ford Motor Company
Dr Willett Kempton, Senior Policy Scientist, Delaware University
Mark Simon, Director, Alternate Fuel Programs,
New York City Department of Transportation
Peter Van den Bossche, Secretary of IEC TC69, IEC
Jim Frierson, Executive Director, Advanced Transportation Technology Institute
Tom Z. Collina, Executive Director, 2020 Vision
Charles W. Botsford, P.E., Business Development, Energy Systems Development Center, AeroVironment, Inc.
Mahi Reddy, President, SemaConnect, Inc.
Daniel Gabel, Manager, ComEd Fleet Services, Exelon Corporation
Mark Aubry, National Sales Manager, Smith Electric Vehicles
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