Alex Monk is a Portfolio Manager at Schroders working on the Global Resource Equities Team. He is principally responsible for working on the Schroder Global Energy Transition Fund and other sustainable resource equity strategies. Prior to this, he spent two years as a Global Renewables Analyst, accountable for analysing companies across the entire clean energy value chain, and two years as a Sustainable Investment Analyst covering utilities and telecommunications. His investment career commenced at Schroders in 2016. Alex has a BA (Hons) Degree in Geography from Oxford University, where he specifically focused on climate science. He also has an MSc Degree in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he focused on climate policy and environmental finance.

Marc Vanderhaegen, a Belgian national, has 30 years of experience within the European institutions. After working at the European Court of Justice, he joined the Commission in 1998 where he worked on environment and transport policy initiatives and where he was for six years Head of Sector for the inland waterway transport policy. In 2017 he moved on to join the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) which transformed last year into the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). In CINEA he is the Head of Unit responsible for programme support, coordination and communication which also includes financial engineering. His activities cover support to all programmes of CINEA which relate to the European Green Deal.

Varinia Radu is the Deputy Head of CEE Energy Projects and Construction Practice Group, Head of Energy and Projects in Romania and Head of Oil & Gas in CEE. Based in Bucharest, Varinia has twenty years’ international experience and her practice focuses on the electricity, oil & gas and mineral resources sectors.

Varinia is a market leader in the renewables sector in Romania, advising on some of the largest and most innovative energy deals in the market in recent years.

Recently she was involved in the drafting of a number of important legislative initiatives in the energy sector (such as transposition of the Fourth Energy Package for the electricity market, drafting the Contracts for Difference (CfDs) support scheme for low carbon technologies). Varinia has been active in the Romanian energy market through the beginning of market liberalisation and the establishing of a new regulatory framework in preparation for Romania joining the EU (early 2000s).

Varinia advises on all aspects of electricity power generation and climate change sector, particularly in the renewables sector, including decarbonisation and climate risk, energy regulatory, licensing and compliance, energy M&A / finance / disputes, ESG projects, energy storage, EVs, hydrogen and e-Mobility, offshore and onshore wind projects, EPC projects, joint-ventures etc. She extensive expertise on petroleum and mining concessions, development of mature oil and gas assets in Romania, farm-out agreements, M&A financing transactions, tax, procurement, environment, disputes and competition related to the energy and oil and gas business.

During her career, she coordinated various top-notch oil & gas deals and assisted clients in successful applications in public bids for over 20 oil and gas concessions in Romania. Varinia has advised more than half of the active license holders on the market, as well as successfully advising the largest onshore M&A deals in the market. Varinia also contributed to the set up and development of key industry associations such as the Romanian Petroleum Exploration and Production Companies Association, where she serves as a board member.

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Dr. Mugur Popescu, CFA is a seasoned executive with more than 20 years experience in investment management and banking with top tier multinational financial institutions such as Citibank, Unicredit, Aviva, Erste and Raiffeisen.  He is a Board Member of CFA Romania and volunteered for CFA Institute organization in several roles for more than 21 years. He currently works as Investment Director for BCR Pensii managing assets of 2 pension funds amounting c. RON6bn.. He has served as Board Member in several organizations such as:  Private Pension Funds Association, Bucharest Airports, Inland Waterways National Company and National Company of Salt in Romania.

Andreea has 14 years of experience in the financial industry, working both in financial and nonfinancial multinational companies.

She is invested in educational and professional projects acting as a board member for CFA Society Romania and building a long-term partnership with universities and regulators.