Caribbean Energy Conference

Mr. Anderson is the Executive Director, Energy & Utilities of the Utility Regulation and Competition Office (OfReg) of the Cayman Islands. He provides leadership and guidance in the economic regulation of the energy and water sectors including guiding utility executives, stakeholders, and board members in making strategic business and policy decisions. He has a diverse 32+- year career that includes various strategy, operations, sales & marketing, regulatory compliance, and risk management roles in both the financial and telecoms industries. Prior to joining OfReg, he developed and directed growth strategies, risk management, anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing programs, policies, procedures and projects. He received his undergraduate honors degree from the Anglia Ruskin University, UK, earned an MBA from Queens University, School of Business, Canada, is a Certified Management Consultant and also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. He received the Canadian Securities Certificate (CSC) from the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI).

Mr. Blenker is a veteran renewable energy executive with more than 25 years of experience sourcing, developing, and managing infrastructure projects, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean. He has developed renewable energy projects, vertically-integrated utilities, and sustainable infrastructure in Honduras, Uzbekistan, Nigeria, Mauritania, Colombia, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Dominica, and the U.S. Robert graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in wildlife management and journalism and earned an MAIA in business and development economics from Ohio University.

Ms. Brathwaite is a Commercial Advisor for the Energy Marketing and Trading Division of The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited. She is responsible for LNG trading as well as business development involving regional LNG supply and small scale LNG supply. She has almost 20 years of experience in the natural gas industry. She worked at various levels on the gas management systems for the company’s natural gas pipeline network, and business development activities for the domestic downstream gas sector in Trinidad and Tobago. She also worked for two years via secondment in LNG operations and trading at Trafigura Pte. Ms. Brahwaite graduated from the University of the West Indies with a BSc in Economics and a Master in Business Administration.

Mr. Calcaneo is an Executive Director in IHS Markit’s Midstream Oil & NGL group (now part of S&P Global). He has over 20 years’ industry and consulting experience. Prior to joining IHS Market, he was a manager for Consulting Delivery with EAG Services Inc., where he advised clients and provided consulting services for multinational energy companies. Previously he conducted research on international trade, energy policy, and global economics to support the design of policy solutions for the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics and Public Policy. He has worked as a consultant for the OAS in Washington DC. Mr. Calcaneo holds a BA from Texas A&M University, a certificate in Advanced International Affairs and an MPA from Texas A&M University, and a graduate certificate in Data Science from Harvard University.

Biography coming soon.

Mr. Carassale is the Chief of the Infrastructure & Energy Division at IDB Invest since September 2020. As head of the Division, he leads the private sector agenda of IDB Group in the infrastructure space with a focus on Transportation, Energy, Water & Sanitation, PPPs and Social Infrastructure (Education & Health). A citizen of Argentina, Gian Franco has more than 20 years of experience in the private sector, banking and international organizations. He started his career in medium-sized companies in Buenos Aires and then joined the IDB Group. Since 2009, he has worked at IDB Group in arranging financings to private sector clients to develop energy and infrastructure projects and in providing advice to governments and state-owned companies to shape, launch and finance infrastructure programs across Latin America and the Caribbean. Mr. Carassale holds a Master’s degree in Finance from Universidad Torcuato Di Tella and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Universidad de Buenos Aires both located in Argentina.

Mr. Cutshaw began his professional career in 1982 as an Electrical Engineer with Mississippi Power Company after graduating from Auburn University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. While at Mississippi Power Company, he served as an Electrical Distribution Engineer in various technical and supervisory roles throughout southeast Mississippi. In May 1991, he accepted a position with Florida Public Utilities Company and served as General Manager for the Northwest Florida Division until moving to the Northeast Florida Division in 2006. Chesapeake Utilities Corporation acquired Florida Public Utilities Company in 2010. In August 2013, he was moved to the position of Director of System Planning and Engineering which included the initial development and planning of the Eight Flags Energy, LLC Combined Heat and Power project along with several large electric and natural gas projects. He currently serves as Director, Generation for Chesapeake Utilities with primary focus on the development of both Combined Heat and Power Generation and Solar Photovoltaic energy projects.

Ms. Engllehardt is Director of Investment Banking for CIBC FirstCaribbean, which she joined in 2007. She has over 17 years’ experience in the financial sector including banking, financial advisory, capital raising in various industries, regional, and international She has led a wide range of transactions regionally, in industries such as hospitality, real estate, energy, utilities, sovereign and infrastructure. Prior to joining CIBC FirstCaribbean, she worked at companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers in the execution of complex management consulting and corporate finance engagements in various sectors. Ms. Englehardt holds a master’s degree from the University of Tiburg, Netherlands.

Mr. Filsinger has been active in the energy industry for over 25 years and is recognized globally as a leader and turn-around specialist in the energy sector. As a consultant and interim executive leader, he guides electric utilities through bankruptcy, restructuring and reorganizations, and develops complex strategies for renewable energy producers, oil and gas entities and merchant power companies. From 2000 to 2009, he was a partner and led PA Consulting Group’s global energy practice, where he was active in the development of critical strategies for utility and merchant energy sectors and advised on generation risk, competition, deregulation, power market prices and utility valuations. In 2008, Mr. Filsinger was named interim chief operating officer of Calpine Corp. Filsinger was Calpine’s head of commercial operations, which included oversight of trading, origination and structuring activities and budget management as it emerged from bankruptcy. In 2009, he was named co-chair of the Coalition for the Green Bank (CGB). In 2010, he founded Filsinger Energy Partners to provide administrative management, engineering, accounting, research, policy and management services to the energy industry. In 2017, he was hired as Chief Financial Adviser to the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) to lead the utility through its restructuring process after hurricanes Irma and Maria destroyed the electric infrastructure on the island.

Mr. Fleming was born and raised on St. Croix, USVI. He began his career as a senior engineer and then director of mechanical engineering for a start-up energy storage company in Boston. In 2016 he returned to St. Croix and took on the role of Director of Operations for ProSolar Systems on St. Croix, USVI. During his tenure with ProSolar, he designed, contracted, and managed the installation of over 700 kW of distributed solar and 1+ MWh of distributed battery storage systems throughout the island of St. Croix. Following Hurricane Irma and Maria, Mr. Fleming’s efforts relieved the dependence on generators for many Virgin Islanders suffering through the extended black-out, by transitioning homes to renewable energy solutions. Mr. Fleming plans to continue this effort and much more as the Director of Virgin Islands Energy Office. During the first phase of his tenure as Director he has focused on developing policy that promotes resilient renewable energy adoption and energy industry workforce development throughout the Virgin Islands. Mr. Fleming has a BA degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and a MS in Energy Systems and Northeastern University.

Mr. Gallegos has more than 25 years’ experience in wind energy in North America, Central America, South America, Europe and Africa. He has developed, planned and directed organizations for business development, construction, long-term operations, and asset management. His experience in the energy sector in emerging markets includes introducing wind power in a number of different countries, promoting plans for incentivizing renewable energy, leadership in best business practices and social transparency. Since 2016 he has held the position of director general of energy, with the vision of developing businesses that make a difference, through renewable energy power generation in the Caribbean and Central America. For over eleven years, he was the CEO of Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy, where he promoted powe generation based solely on wind power. Mr. Gallegos is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the University of Seville, and he studied finance at Harvard University.

Biography coming soon.

Mr. Koebel has been with Solar Turbines for 8 years as Sales Account Manager for Power Generation Applications covering various territories in the US and Mexico. Currently he overseas Business Development and Sales of Gas Turbines and Power Solutions including cogeneration for the Central South US and Gulf Coast states (Colorado to Florida). Prior to Solar, since starting his professional career in 2002,he has occupied various positions with Siemens in Sales and Project Management in Germany, France, China and in the US in their Automation Division and Industrial Power division with a focus on industrial applications. Mr. Koebel was born in France and enjoyed a dual engineering education in France and Germany with a Master in Industrial Automation Systems from National Engineering School of Mechanics in Besancon, France and a BSc from Institute of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Mr. Levy has worked in the power and energy industry for more than 35 years. Prior to founding BMR Energy, he was the CEO of International Power’s North American IPP business, responsible for over 7,000 MW of oil, gas, coal, wind and solar power generation throughout the region. Before IP, he served as CFO of GPU, Inc., an electric utility company serving over 2 million customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He also previously served as President and CEO of GPU International, a non-regulated subsidiary of IP that developed, acquired and operated generation and utility systems through the U.S., South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Mr. Levy has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from City College of New York, an MBA in Finance from New York University and is a licensed Professional Engineer.

Biography coming soon.

Biography coming soon.

Mr. Moreno has more than 25 years of experience in executive positions in the energy sector, with international experience worldwide (USA, Mexico, Panama, Qatar, Indonesia, the Philippines, among others). It has also been awarded in the LNG sector with 2 prestigious awards: S&P Global Platts "Emerging Technology of the Year 2018" and American Energy Engineer Association "2018 Innovative Energy Project of the Year." Mr. Moreno is former Head of Engineering and Technology at Naturgy LNG and currently Head of LNG and Renewable Gas at IDOM.

With 15 years of international experience in energy market research, Ms. Nguyen leads the global oil supply and Latin American crude oil markets services at S&P Global Commodity Insights (formerly IHS Markit). Before joining IHS Market, she worked as a consultant and researcher for the energy consulting firm, Purvin & Gertz. She has worked on several refining market studies, merger and acquisition support, replacement cost projects, crude oil valuations, due diligence support, and LP modeling. Mr. Nguyen holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Houston.

Biography coming soon.

Mr. Piñón is Director of The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy - Latin America and Caribbean Energy and Environmental Program. He began his thirty-two-year career in the energy sector when he joined Shell Oil Company’s supply and transportation organization. He was President and CEO of Transworld Oil USA prior to joining Amoco Corporation as president of Amoco Corporate Development Company Latin America. He served as president of Amoco Oil de México and president of Amoco Oil Latin America, based in Mexico City. As vice-president and member of the board of directors of the American Chamber of Commerce of Mexico Mr. Piñon received the “Yiacatecutli” award for distinguished service in the promotion of U.S.-Mexico business relations. After the merger between Amoco and BP, he was transferred to Madrid, Spain, to manage BP Europe’s western Mediterranean petroleum supply and logistics operations. With international experience in business development, joint ventures and relationship management in emerging and transitional markets, and a network of senior energy contacts in Latin America; he is recognized as an independent analyst of regional energy issues, as well as the politics of oil and natural gas in Latin America. He has conducted research and country energy risk assessments as a Visiting Energy Fellow at the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy, Brookings Institution and Florida International University’s Latin American and Caribbean Center. Mr. Piñon holds a degree in Economics and a certificate in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida.

As Director of New Business Development, Mr. Porter is in charge of a portfolio of projects with more than 700 MW and potential acquisitions in Mexico and across Central America and the Dominican Republic, for the largest private renewable energy company in Central America. He is also in charge of the commercial operations of ION and EON in Guatemala and El Salvador, as well as energy sales of less than 800 MW for power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. He participated in the successful location of the $700 M Bonos Verdes project, the largest renewable energy project in the Caribbean and Central America to date, marking the entrance of the company into international capital markets for the largest and most diversified private energy portfolio in the region. Mr. Porter has a bachelor’s in Political Science and Economics from Oakland University and a master’s in International Relations with a specialization in international economics and Latin American development, from the University of California – San Diego.

Biography coming soon.

Since 1980, Mr. Reinoso has established himself as a subject matter expert in the energy sector, especially as it relates to infrastructure for generation and distribution. He advises on electricity sector reforms, privatization, regulation, policies, investment analysis, and business opportunities in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Policy analysis and strategic planning for the energy sector technical assistance teams and the donor community on engineering, economic and institutional policies relating to private sector participation in the power sector, restructuring/privatization of existing thermal power generation and distribution facilities. Consulting for the World Bank, Mr. Reinoso worked in sub-Saharan Africa, (Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and South Africa,) assessing performance of D&R utilities, product/service quality, commercial effectiveness, financial viability, and management of other corporate resources. With InterEnergy Services, he consulted by analyzing the structures of electricity markets in Panama, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, and Colombia). He served as the National Superintendent of Energy for several years and since 2020, serves as Executive Director and Board member for the Electrical Distribution Companies of the Dominican Republic.

Mr. Rovito has over 20 years of experience in developing and financing U.S. and international IPP and energy infrastructure projects at leading industry firms. Prior to joining BMR Energy, Andy co-founded Development Partners Group, a private-equity-sponsored development company. As a principal, he has raised more than $4 billion in financing both domestically and internationally, representing $6 billion in overall project capital cost. He has also held positions at LS Power Group, InterGen, Ogden Energy and Prudential Power Funding, where he was responsible for development, acquisition and financing activities. Mr. Rovito has a BBA from George Washington University and an MBA from Seton Hall University.

Biography coming soon.

Mr. Smith was named the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer in January 2022. The Authority is a vertically integrated utility that operates electric generating capacity on St. Thomas and St. Croix and transmission and distribution infrastructure that provides electricity service to over 50,000 customers. The Authority also produces potable water via reverse osmosis facilities on St. Thomas and St. Croix and distributes water to approximately 15,000 customers. Prior to joining the Water and Power Authority, Mr. Smith served as a consultant to the utility industry focusing on financial best practices. Prior to his consulting role, Mr. Smith served as Vice President of GenOn Energy where he was responsible for Financial Planning & Analysis and worked closely with the Chief Financial Officer on financial strategy. Prior to joining GenOn Energy, Mr. Smith held positions of Vice President Financial Planning and Analysis and Managing Director of Investor Relations at Dynegy, Inc. from 2013 until Dynegy’s merger with Vistra Energy. While at Dynegy, Mr. Smith was part of the leadership team that grew the company from annual revenue of approximately $1.5 billion to almost $5 billion. Earlier in his career Mr. Smith worked for JP Morgan, Lazard, Entergy, and Chevron. Mr. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in finance from Louisiana State University.

Mr. Tronche leads S&P Global Platts’ cross-commodity engagement efforts in Europe and Africa, based in London. He previously led the Americas crude oil and Americas residual fuel oil and bunker fuel teams from Houston. He joined S&P Global in 2010 and has also reported on refined oil products, electric power and natural gas. Mr. Tronche has a BA in Journalism from Texas Christian University.

Biography coming soon.