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Liudmila is the Executive Assistant to CEO Martin Haupts. She is responsible for providing support to the CEO’s office such as handling high profile incoming and outgoing communication, maintaining complex filing systems and databases for confidential information, scheduling internal and external meetings, and important document review and preparation for sign-off. She also organizes travel itineraries and logistics, predominantly in Africa and the Middle East.

Liudmila has a wealth of experience in coordinating projects, corporate agendas and itineraries, monitoring day-to-day corporate activities and overall team support from her time as an Executive Assistant for Tishkovo, Industrial Construction Investment and Martena Engineering Construction Holding, a leading construction and engineering firms based out of Moscow, Russia.

She holds a Bachelor’s in Government and Municipal Administration from the Institute of State and Municipal Administration in Moscow, Russia. She has also earned the Certificate of Trade Economy Management from the Trade-Cooperative College in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan.

Cherry is an Assistant to the Directors for Phanes Group. She is responsible for supporting the leadership team, handling high-profile incoming and outgoing communication, maintaining complex filing systems and databases for confidential information, scheduling internal and external meetings, and important document review and preparation for sign-off. She also organizes travel itineraries and logistics.

Cherry started in Phanes Group as Office Manager & Team Assistant and also brings significant experience from her time as an Office Assistant at Dubai Sky Clinic Dental Center, a recognized dental clinic in the UAE.

She managed the office corporate expenses and patient invoices and maintained important filing systems for patients’ medical history. Additionally, she ensured the friendly interaction between the patients and colleagues. Furthermore, she also gained medical knowledge through her nurse training at the West Visayas State University Medical Center in the Philippines.

Cherry holds a Bachelor's degree in Science, specialty Nursing.

Guillaume is a Junior Project Development Manager for Phanes Group. He is responsible for developing international PV business in Africa by analyzing, assessing and recommending activities towards successful commercialization. Moreover, he is supporting the submission of projects developed through Requests For Proposal (RFP) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

Guillaume brings a wealth of experience from the sub-Saharan African region. He worked in Morocco, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Madagascar, Togo and Benin. 

He was involved in the early-stage development process of a utility-scale PV plant while he was working for Novapower. In addition, during his time with Canopy, Guillaume was responsible for the development, management, sourcing, and installation of various off-grid PV systems working closely with the local team and stakeholders.

Guillaume holds a Master’s of International Affairs and a Master’s of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Technology of Belfort-Montbéliard (UTBM) in France.

Thomas is a Director of Structured Finance for Phanes Group, heading up all equity and investment related activities for the group.

Thomas defines and develops the investment strategy within Phanes Group, heading up investment analysis activities and ensuring efficient investment related decision-making by running the Investment Committee (IC) process.

Furthermore, he co-operates closely with Investors, PE Funds and Development Finance Institutes (DFIs) to secure (equity) funding on group and on project level.

Prior to joining Phanes Group, Thomas acted as CFO for US based renewable energy project developer Convalt, and as Head of Group Treasury and Tax for Norwegian company REC in Singapore. Before that, he built up and headed the Project Finance team for REC Systems in Munich.

Thomas gained over 10 years in banking/project finance experience at UniCredit in Munich and London before joining the solar industry.

Thomas holds a degree in Law from Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), Germany.

Jamal is a Senior Legal Manager – Project Finance for Phanes Group. Jamal is responsible for managing contractual negotiations for international PV business in MENA & sub-Saharan Africa regions. He is involved in a wide range of commercial and finance agreements including EPC contracts.

Jamal is a French qualified lawyer with over ten years of extensive experience. He worked previously in various countries, including France, Belgium, UK, Denmark, Luxembourg, Morocco and Spain.

Jamal brings a wealth experience having worked in private practice as well as an in-house counsel. Before Joining Phanes Group Jamal served as the Head of Legal and Compliance to Japan Tobacco International in North Africa acting as a General Counsel for the North African entities of Japan Tobacco International . 

He also worked as Senior Legal Counsel and Contract Manager for Siemens Wind Power AS, as Legal Manager for a French subsidiary of Société Générale Group and as an Associate for the following law firms: Clifford Chance LLP, Simmons & Simmons LLP and Eversheds LLP.

Jamal holds a Master in Law from the university of Paris La Sorbonne and has graduated from the Law School of Paris (Ecole de Formation des Barreaux de la Cour d’Appel de Paris). 

Valerio is a Project Development Manager for Phanes Group.  He is responsible for developing Phanes Group's international PV business, working on permitting and development process for key projects in sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, he is supporting the preparation and submission of commercial proposals for solar-diesel-hybrid-systems.

He brings 8 years of experience in the PV solar sector as business and project development manager, being involved in several countries across Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.  

Valerio held different positions across the entire solar value chain, developing a pipeline of 100 MW of utility-scale PV plants while working for Medenergy Global in South Africa, and offering EPC solutions for utility scale projects across sub-Saharan Africa when working as Business Development Manager for Powerway in South Africa.

He moved to the UAE in 2016, working on off-grid solar-diesel hybrid solutions, before joining Phanes Group.

Valerio holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering from Tor Vergata University (Rome, Italy).

Nina is a HR Executive for Phanes Group. She is responsible for handling the full life-cycle of the recruitment process, from the identification of possible candidates with the recruitment agency to the final selection with our management team. She has successfully identified candidates from different technical backgrounds and nationalities, accommodating very niche positions. Furthermore, Nina is the first point of contact for all human resources related matters and establishes all team-building events in line with the company’s strategy.

Nina gained significant interpersonal and communication skills from her time as a Client Relations Executive for the Jumeriah Group, a leading hospitality firm in Dubai operating a world-class portfolio of luxury brands. 

She was the first point of contact for clients and successfully coordinated their itineraries and acted as a facilitator to enable all the essential information. Moreover, she was in charge of expertly solving clients complaints and ensuring their overall positive experience. She also brings important office administrative experience from her time as an Secretary for Royal Offices in Dubai, UAE (United Arab Emirates).

Nina holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management from the Russian International Academy.

Vera is a Project Development Manager for Phanes Group. She is responsible for developing our international PV business in Africa -particularly in the sub-Saharan region- by analyzing, assessing and recommending activities towards successful commercialization. Moreover, she is supporting the submission of projects developed through RFP (Requests For Proposals) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

Vera brings in substantial solar PV knowledge from her time in Martifer Solar, a global player in development, EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) and O&M (Operation & Maintenance) services and distribution.

She was responsible for analyzing and assessing solar PV projects by conducting technical and economic feasibility studies and due diligence processes, as well as carrying out business development activities such as commercial prospecting, supporting grant applications and preparing business proposals. 

Furthermore, she also gained significant experience in the energy sector through her role as an Energy Management Engineer in Coca-Cola Portugal.

Vera holds a Master’s in Environment and Energy Engineer from Faculdade de Ciências Universidade de Lisboa , Portugal.

Christian is a Junior Business Development Manager at Phanes Group. Supporting the Business Development team’s commercial activities, he conducts market intelligence research, and assesses potential opportunities for entry into new African markets. In addition, Christian supports Phanes Group’s collaboration with African sub-regional government agencies, while collaborating closely with the PR & Marketing team on the Phanes Group Solar Incubator initiative.

Christian brings to Phanes Group a wealth of experience in African markets. As a Project Analyst at the Office of the ECOWAS Community Development Program (CDP) for Priority Projects, he worked on attracting private sector investment within the areas of energy, infrastructure, and agriculture.

Prior to this, he served as an Economic Development Consultant – conducting in-depth analysis reports for sustainability of industries in collaboration with the Institute of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana and the Planning Team of the Greater London Authority (GLA), working under the Office of the Mayor of London.

Christian holds a Master’s of Science in Urban Economic Development from the University College London and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Goldsmiths, University of London.

Arezou is an AVP Senior Manager Legal, Compliance & Regulatory Affairs for Phanes Group and works alongside the legal team on all regulatory and compliance matters.  She is responsible for implementing the company’s policies and procedures and monitors compliance in all the company activities. 

Arezou brings a wealth of experience in commercial management and compliance in the renewable energy, legal and financial services sector, including setting up compliance procedures and contract management. Before joining the company, she was Commercial Manager for Low Carbon Contracts Company, where she managed a large portfolio of high net worth renewable energy contracts for the UK government’s Contacts for Difference scheme. 

Prior to this she worked as a Legal and Compliance Manager in companies such as SKB Global and Woodgrange Solicitors in the UK, where she implemented compliance standards according to prevailing regulatory standards. 

Arezou holds a Bachelor’s in Law (Hons) from London South Bank University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from BPP Law School, both obtained in the UK. Additionally, she has a Fellow Award from the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives and is a qualified solicitor of England and Wales with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Ricardo is a Logistics Coordinator and Document Controller for Oryx Solar System Solutions, a Phanes Group company. He is in charge of all material movements from suppliers (foreign and local) to production site. Additionally, he handles all activities related to document controller procedures, including technical documents, drawings, registers for detail engineering or construction engineering project and maintains specifically assigned project database.

He gained significant project experience working with First Solar’s 13MW solar PV power plant project for DEWA (Dubai Electricity & Water Authority) Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, he worked in other projects, the 20 MIGD SWRO Water desalination plant project for SEWA (Sharjah Electricity & Water Authority), and “3+7” MIGD SWRO Water desalination plant project for FEWA (Federal Electricity & Water Authority).

Ricardo is a US Certified International Supply Chain Professional (CISCP) from Blue Ocean Academy in Dubai, an accredited subsidiary of International Purchasing and Supply Chain Management Institute (IPSCMI-USA). He holds a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering at the Holy Angel University in the Philippines.

As Chief Technology Officer at Phanes Group, Dr. Rainer Gegenwart leads a multi-disciplinary, international team and oversees projects from origination through the realization and execution phases. He is responsible for the development and realization of a diverse pipeline of utility scale ground-mounted and rooftop PV projects with focus on the sub-Saharan and MENA regions. Rainer also leads the project and technical team to develop off-grid and hybrid solar energy solutions such as solar powered mini-grids for rural communities.

Other projects include utility-scale systems in the Caribbean, commercial rooftops in the MENA region as well as residential applications for UK housing associations.

Rainer began his career in 1986 at Leybold, a company specialized on the field of glass coatings, solar and display technology working in R&D of thin film processes and equipment. He then took on the role of Product Section Manager for Display technologies. 

After 1997, he became Managing Director at ANTEC Technology, the first industrial scale manufacturers of thin film PV modules based on Cadmium Telluride. His team developed the related processes and equipment and took them into production. 

Between 2003 and 2005, he took charge of the set up and development of First Solar in Germany, now a global market leader in thin film technology.  From 2005, Rainer joined Colexon Energy, an EPC company active in utility scale and industrial rooftop PV systems. In 2008, he  became Managing Director and CEO at Masdar PV, responsible for the development of the company and its production facilities in Germany and Abu Dhabi. He also founded and acted as Managing Director of cleantech advisory and project development boutique Heliosmax.

Andrea is a Senior PR & Marketing Manager for Phanes Group. She is responsible for managing day to day PR & Marketing operations and ensuring corporate communications strategy implementation and delivery. 

Andrea brings a wealth of experience from her time as Country Director for Oxford Business Group, managing all aspects of business intelligence reports in 7 different markets, across 3 continents. She planned and implemented all strategic public relations and local marketing initiatives, and managed partner and client relations; especially in the MENA region (Egypt, Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia). 

Furthermore, she worked as Junior Law Clerk for the Supreme Court of Argentina drafting legal resolutions and applying Court precedents.

Andrea holds a Law degree (Honours) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina and is currently pursuing a Global MBA at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain.

Muhammad Fayyaz Khan is an Office Manager/PRO for Phanes Group. He manages the day-to-day office logistics while providing operational support to the team. He is responsible for the smooth transition of documentation for the group, including employment visas and business licensing, among others.

He brings experience from his time at Alezan by SK as a PRO. He supported day-to-day operations of the company involving document control processes, payment follow-ups, bank transactions, filing and assisting with the general office administration.

Muhammad also worked at The Royal Stables in Abu Dhabi as an Assistant to Instructor, handling client relations and providing training assistance when required.

Muhammad holds a Diploma of Associate Civil Engineering from Board of Technical Education in  Peshawar, Pakistan.

Thomas is a Project Manager for Oryx Solar Systems Solutions, a Phanes Group company. He is responsible for supporting the largest solar distributed rooftop project in the Middle East for DP World and our CSR solar powered school containers for Africa. He provides overall technical expertise, manages permitting with DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) and Trakhees, oversees contractors and consultants electrical and mechanical design activities while also carrying out provisional and final acceptance inspection activities.

He brings a wealth of experience from his time at Verger et Delporte, a UAE (United Arab Emirates) MEP (Mechanical and Electrical Plumbing) and switchgear company. He started as Project Engineer (IT division) and then moved on to be a Project Manager, Renewable & Energy Saving.

He carried out business development activities, solar PV tendering processes management, contractors and supplier selection, as well as provided technical training to clients and partners

He is a DEWA Approved Solar PV Expert and holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Strathclyde in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Additionally he earned a Master’s of Science in Electronic Engineering, Architecture and Integration of Electronic Systems from ESIEE Paris, France.

Hubert is the PR & Marketing Manager at Phanes Group, where he supported the set-up and development of the company’s communications functions. Having started with the company in 2015 as a Business Analyst within the Business Development department, he brings to the role experience in Phanes Group’s key Middle East & North Africa (MENA) and sub-Saharan Africa markets.  

Hubert comes to Phanes Group from a background in consumer marketing, where he honed his project management skills working in the United States, Asia, and Europe. His previous experience has been in the luxury goods and FMCG sectors, working for Cartier, Christian Dior, and Time Inc.

Hubert holds a MBA (Masters of Business Administration) from HEC Paris School of Management in France, and a Bachelor’s in History from Columbia University in the U.S.

Kimberly is an Accountant for Phanes Group. She is responsible for supporting the finance team with the daily transactions of the company and is currently in charge of handling accounts payables and employees expense claims.

She worked as an Accounting Assistant for three years in a trading company focused on engineering services and product solutions in Dubai, UAE. She handled the day to day accounting operations of the company from making invoices, following up on payments, bank transactions, organizing the company’s files and assisting in general office tasks.

Furthermore, she worked as a Cash Management Staff for a manufacturing company in the Philippines, where she managed the daily transactions of the treasury department of the company.

Kimberly holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Accountancy from Bataan Peninsula State University, Philippines.

Matt is a Construction/O&M Manager for Oryx Solar Systems Solutions, a Phanes Group company. He is responsible for overlooking the construction of the DP World distributed PV solar project- largest solar rooftop in the Middle East. He supervises the Engineering Procurement and Contractors (EPC) of the project during the execution to ensure adherence to design requirements, quality of the construction, budgeting requirements and delivery on time while managing internal and external relations on-site.

Matt brings over 20 years of experience in installation and management of solar AC systems and approximately 10 years in the solar roof top field in Europe and Australia. He was a site manager with National/Architects managing projects and driving them through the delivery phase (construction start to grid connection) while being exposed and assisting during the planning and development phases for a distributed solar installation in Queensland and Victoria, Australia.

He also gained significant experience in the construction industry as a Project Manager for Fachklinik St. Blasien Hospital and AT Hormann GmbH, Germany.

He holds a Master’s in Electrical Services from Federal Technology Centre for Electrical Engineering and Information Technology in Oldenburg, Germany, and is currently studying for his Project Management Professional Certification (PMP).

Michal is a Senior Project Development Manager for Phanes Group. He is responsible for company project development activities in its key target markets, MENA & sub-Saharan Africa.

Michal has over 8 years proven track record in business and project development of PV solar projects from his time in ET Solutions, a premium EPC provider for turnkey photovoltaic systems in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to this he gained significant experience as a Key Account Manager working for AU Optronics (BenQ Group), a PV solar module manufacturer in Taiwan, where he was managing OEM/ODM accounts.

He has cutting-edge competence to analyze the energy markets, its regulations, key stakeholders, negotiate PPAs, conclude technical, environmental and social studies, obtain essential permits & licenses and drive the project towards successful financial closing.

Michal holds a MBA from the National Taiwan University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economy and Management from Commenius University in Bratislava. 

Marina is a Purchasing & Project Manager for Phanes Group. She is responsible for the project management of the company’s projects, EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) selection, and managing the bidding processes for the main equipment and materials. She is also in charge of optimizing EPC budgets, and managing the legal requirements and contracts.

Marina has 12 years of experience in the industrial and renewable energy market, focusing on several procurement projects. She has gained in-depth expertise in procurement management (purchasing, expediting, inspection and logistics) as a Purchasing Manager for worldwide conventional and renewable energy projects (PV solar and CSP, combined cycle and wind power). Additionally, she was responsible for purchasing equipment, materials, subcontracts and services, and expediting and logistics. 

She was involved in large projects of over 1 mln USD such as, Norte III Combined Cycle Power Plant in Mexico (924 MW), Lesedi & Letsatsi large scale PV Plants (75 MW each one) in South Africa, Atacama I in Chile and CSP Xina Solar One in South Africa (100 MW). During this time, she held several positions in some leading companies in this market such as Gestamp, Abengoa, ABB or Gransolar.

She holds a Master’s in Organizational Industrial Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, as well as a Degree in Mechanical Industrial Engineering both from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain. Additionally, she has earned a Certificate in Project Finance ICADE Business School Madrid, Spain.

Said is a Construction Manager for Oryx Solar Systems Solutions, a Phanes Group company. He is responsible for overlooking the construction of the DP World distributed solar PV project- largest solar rooftop in the Middle East.  He supervises the Engineering Procurement & Construction (EPC) contractors of the project during the execution to ensure adherence to design requirements, quality of the construction, budgeting requirements and delivery on time while managing internal and external relations on-site.

Said brings a wealth of experience from his time in REC-Renewable Energy Cooperation, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of photovoltaic panels, as the Head of Engineering & Sales Support – Middle East. He was in charge of project coordination and structuring, managing sub-contractor, procurement, Lead Role in Design & Estimation of all Bids and provide Technical Inputs. 

Furthermore, he also gained significant experience in the Middle East as a Project Manager for  Belectric Solar, the EPC world market leader on large-scale photovoltaic projects and at AREVA GmbH, a French multinational company based on nuclear and renewable energy.

He holds a Graduate Electrical Engineer with a specialization in energy engineering and renewable energies from Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen – University of Applied Science in Germany.

Subrahmanyam is a Financial Modeller for the Structured Finance team at Phanes Group. Subrahmanyam is managing the quantitative evaluation of proposed financing arrangements and assists senior management in negotiations with Investors, PE Funds, Development Finance institutions (DFI’s) and banks. He works closely with project development, execution, legal, finance and strategy departments to ensure highest levels of diligence and accuracy for Phanes Group’s investments.

Subrahmanyam has 6 years of project relevant experience in building financial models, feasibility studies, financial analysis, bid evaluations and performing risk assessments.

He was part of complex project finance transactions across India, Qatar, Dubai and MENA. He has previously worked with KPMG, EY and Fortress Financial Services.

Subrahmanyam holds a Bachelor's in Statistics from Andhra Loyola College and Postgraduate Diploma in Management of Business Finance (MBF) from Indian Institute of Finance (IIF), both obtained in India.

Scott is a Solar Engineer & Monitoring Specialist for Oryx Solar Systems Solutions, a Phanes Group company. He is responsible for conceptualizing and preparing solar PV module system layout, electrical and mechanical design as well as carrying out site surveys for verification. He is currently involved in the DP World project- largest distributed solar PV rooftop in the Middle East- and our projects in Africa.

He brings a wealth of experience and niche Oil & Gas piping design expertise from his time as a Mechanical/Piping Designer at Petrokon Utama in Brunei Darussalam and as a PDS Piping Designer at Worley Parsons, Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He was responsible for conceptualizing equipment and piping layout, carrying out site surveys for gathering of design data, verification and as-building of existing plant facilities (offshore and onshore), producing mechanical/piping deliverables in Front End Engineering Design (FEED), Conceptual Design (CD) and Detailed Design (DD).

Scott holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Batangas State University, Philippines.

Haytham is a VP Business Development Manager for Phanes Group. He is supporting the business development actions in MENA and sub-Saharan Africa.

Before joining Phanes Group, Haytham was Head of Strategy and Business Development for Gaia Energy, with a special focus on MENA renewable energy markets, and a Business Development Manager for Abengoa, prospecting -Water, Energy and Environment- opportunities in North and West Africa where he worked on one of the major solar (PV and CSP) projects in the region.

He also gained experience in the energy sector through several business and engineering positions for Vortex (AST&T), while based in Morocco. 

Haytham holds a Bachelor’s of Telecom Engineering and obtained an MBA with a Major in International Business from Al Akhawayn University in Partnership with Copenhagen Business School.

Marcelo is a Design Engineer - Photovoltaic System for Oryx Solar Systems Solutions, a Phanes Group company. He is responsible for the overall electrical and mechanical design of PV systems (DC & AC) during project planning, implementation and delivery for Africa and the Middle East. He is also in charge of liaising with electrical consultants and EPC contractors (Engineering, Procurement and Construction), reviewing construction plans while maintaining rules and legal guidelines and ensuring that all information is documented and secured.

He brings a wealth of technical expertise from his time as a Project Engineer – Solar PV for Enviromena Power Systems, a leading developer of photovoltaic projects in the MENA region based out of Abu Dhabi.

He was responsible for solar PV systems overall design, technical due diligence and providing engineering support to the Project Management team and subcontractors. Furthermore, he also gained significant experience as a Senior Engineer while working for Epson Precision Philippines and as a Service Engineer in Automated Technologies Incorporated, both located in the Philippines.

Marcelo holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Lyceum of the Philippines University in Manila.

Ami Williams is the Business Manager for Phanes Group and is responsible for supporting the smooth day-to-day running of the business as well as strategizing key additions and improvements towards realizing our growth potential. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and senior experience within international industries to support the wider team; including technical consulting on IT infrastructures, growth strategies and accredited process driven implementations.

She is an experienced leader with over 11 years' experience within operations, business management and HR with a successful track record in leading, managing and supporting a variety of businesses and teams. 

A proven relationship manager at all levels with a keen eye for employee investment and engagement.  A strong strategic thinker, negotiator, and forecaster of business and project needs with an ambitious and proactive ethos.

She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Media, a postgraduate certificate of study in Business and has training in Leadership, Managing Change, Employee Empowerment and Facilitation.