Events

Tomokazu Ayukawa

Director of the Office of Fluorocarbons Control Policy , Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan

Mr. Ayukawa joined the Environment Agency in 1995. He was in charge of climate change policy, waste management, air pollution policy and nuclear safety. Mr. Ayukawa currently works at the Japanese Ministry of the Environment. He holds the position of the Director of the Office of Fluorocarbons Control Policy at the Climate Change Policy Division in the Global Environment Bureau.

Rolf Christensen

Senior Product Portfolio Manager, Industrial Equipment, Alfa Laval

Dr. Rolf Christensen holds a M.Sc. in Heat and Power Engineering and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Lund Institute of Technology. He also holds an Executive Master in Technology Management from Chalmers University. His professional experience includes three years as an Engineer in the merchant marines and over five years as a Consultant for heat and power plant engineering & energy conservation. For six years, Dr. Christensen also held a position as an Associate Professor in heat and power plant engineering at the Lund Institute of Technology.

Dr. Christensen has been with Alfa Laval since 1998 and has worked in various specialist and management positions, such as Manager for the heat & mass transfer department, testing laboratory, new concept development and concept portfolio management. He has also held a position as a Business Development Manager for refrigeration and Product Portfolio Manager for industrial refrigeration. He has been driving the development of plate heat exchangers for transcritical CO₂as well as plate heat exchangers for ammonia heat pumps and evaporation.

Ian Crookston

Manager, Energy Management, Sobeys Inc.

Ian Crookston is responsible for national utility (electricity, heating fuels and water) lifecycle (procurement, consumption and conservation) spend optimization. Sobeys (www.sobeys.com) is one of Canada's two national retail grocery and food distribution companies with annual revenues of more than $23.9 billion (CAD). Sobeys is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited and owns or franchises more than 1,500 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper, Thrifty Foods and Lawtons Drugs as well as more than 370 retail fuel locations. Ian is a Professional Engineer with a Masters of Applied Science from the University of Waterloo. He is also a Certified Energy Manager and a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Bjorn Felgenhauer

Application and Technology Manager, SWEP

Björn Felgenhauer is the Application and Technology Manager for SWEP with over 10 years of experience in the heat exchanger world in different application areas. Björn Felgenhauer has studied mechanical and chemical engineering and gradated from the University Hannover. Furthermore, he has done postdoctoral work at the University of Aachen in the field of Reformer for Fuel cells. For the last three years the focus has been on looking at the life time performance of heat exchanger.

Abel Gnanakumar

Vice President, Refrigeration (Asia), Emerson

In 2000, Abel Gnanakumar joined Emerson Climate Technologies' Asian head quarters as the Manager of the Hong Kong engineering center, where he led several engineering research and development projects in the advancements of HVAC systems, compressor testing and development. In 2007, he took the position of Director of the Refrigeration Marketing (Asia) before becoming Vice President of Refrigeration (Asia) in 2015.

Armin Hafner

Professor Refrigeration Technology, NTNU

Professor Dr.-Ing. Armin Hafner has recently started at NTNU Department of Energy and Process Engineering in Trondheim, Norway, as a professor in refrigeration technology. During the past two decades Armin has been working at SINTEF with research topics related to CO₂ refrigeration technology applied in various applications.

Tetsuro Homma

Managing Director, Member of the Board, Panasonic Corporation

Tetsuro Homma has been involved in the industry since joining Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. in 1985. In 2006, he joined AVC Networks Company (part of Devices Business Group) as the Director of the Media Business Unit. After one year as the General Manager of the Corporate Strategy Division at the Corporate Planning Group, Homma joined Panasonic Corp. as an Executive Officer. He served as Senior Vice President in the Appliances Company there, where he was in charge of the Cold Chain Business, and as the Director of the Refrigerator Business Division. In April 2014, he took charge of the Cold Chain & Home Appliances Business. In 2015, Mr. Homma became President of Applicances Company, and was the Managing Executive Officer before taking on the role of Managing Director and Member of the Board at Panasonic Corporation.

Toshiaki Hosono

Chief Engineer of Research and Development Department, YAMATO

Mr. Hosono holds many responsibilities within brine-ice storage equipment for Ultra Eco-Ice System (Energy and Money Saving System) using CO₂ refrigeration. He is in charge of the research of fundamental points such as the amount of appropriate CO₂ refrigerant and the behavior of CO₂ refrigerant and oil and generation of brine-ice, as well as the research of piping construction for CO₂ refrigerant. Hr. Hosono is also responsible for the design and assembly of the evaporation for brine-ice generation and the design and demonstration of brine-ice storage equipment using CO₂ refrigeration.

Junya (Joe) Ichikawa

President, SANDEN Environmental Products Corp.

Mr. Ichikawa’s background is in automotive AC business as COO of Sanden USA & Europe as well as in the vending machine business as CEO of SandenVendo Europe. Having those experiences, he is responsible for CO₂ refrigerant related business at Sanden since April 2013. ES Business Division was established by him to be at the core of the company's growth. Now he is leading a newly established company for furthering the business growth of products using CO₂ refrigerant.

Emiko Iida

Operating Office & General Manager of International Dept., Patine Leisure Inc.

Ms. Iida is engaged with the sales, marketing, planning and coordination of various ice skating rink projects mainly in South East Asia since 1988. She is also heavily involved with ice rink management and the development of a skating school program since 1987, while also serving as the Regional Director of the Ice Skating Institute Asia, based in Hong Kong. She received the 2008 International Merit Award from the Ice Skating Institute in USA.

Oliver Javerschek

Project Manager, BITZER

Oliver Javerschek joined BITZER in 2001 and now holds the position of a Project Manager. He is in charge of various projects in the field of CO₂ applications. He wrote his diploma thesis at Sintef Energy Research in Trondheim. Since 2008 he has published several papers at various conferences and for different journals.

Haruko Kanamaru

Head of the Environment and Social Responsibility Department, Aeon Co., Ltd.

Since September 2013, Haruko Kanamaru has been the head of the Environment and Social Responsibility Department (Corporate Citizenship Department) for the AEON Group. Kanamaru's previous work experience includes serving as the head of the AEON Management Talent Development Committee Office in 2012 and as the head of Customer service for AEON, as well as the head of the AEON Retail Customer Service Department in 2011.

Kuniaki (Nick) Kawamura

Executive Director, Mayekawa

Kuniaki Kawamura has a degree in Applied Physics from Waseda University, Japan. He has been working for Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd since 1973 for the development of screw compressors, screw expanders and heat pumps. In 2002, Kawamura became the Executive Director of the Japanese company.

Kawamura is the Vice President of the Japanese Society of Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (JSRAE) and he is the President of Commission D1, IIR. His main areas of interest include the development of NH₃ refrigeration systems with misible oil, as well as the development of CO₂ heat pumps and air cycle for low temperature applications.

Masanori Kobayashi

Director of Kyoto Mechanisms Promotion Department/International Projects Department, NEDO

Mr. Masanori Kobayashi is the Director of Kyoto Mechanisms Promotion Department/International Projects Department of NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, Japan). He has been coordinating and promoting energy and environment demonstration projects with related studies in the area of energy efficiency and conservation, renewable energy, clean coal technology, and 3Rs in the recent decade. He is now a focal point of JCM (Joint Crediting Mechanism) promotion in NEDO, to enhance bilateral collaboration between Japan and developing countries in order to deploy low carbon technologies and tackle climate change.

Anshu Kumar

Technical Advisor, MPU/Chemicals, Bangkok Regional Hub, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Anshu Kumar began his career in 1983 as Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Service Technician and now holds a Ph.D. degree in Training. From 2000 onwards he has been working on the phase-out of Ozone Depleting Substances. Anshu has many years of practical experience working with hydrocarbons. He has served as a Consultant to different agencies such as UNICEF, INFRAS, GIZ Proklima, UNDP, UNEP, BEE, ICPCI & Ozone Cell and MoEF India, and was responsible for the training activities on ODS phase-out in India and abroad. In 2012 Anshu joined the UNEP CAP-ROAP Team in Bangkok. He worked in India on the HCFC Phase-out activities and travelling across Asia handling the respective training workshops. Anshu has co-authored the “Guide for Trainers on Good Servicing Practices in the Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Sector for HCFC Phase-out". From January 2017 he is working as Technical Advisor, MPU/Chemicals, Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP.

Stan Mah

Representative Director and President, Coca-Cola Tokyo Research & Development

Stan is the Representative Director and President of the Coca-Cola Tokyo Research & Development Incorporated, a subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). Based in Tokyo, Japan, Stan leads the initiative pipeline development of product, package and equipment for the Japanese market in partnership with the Japan Business Unit management team. In this role, Stan focuses on the Japanese product portfolio that includes Sparkling Soft Drinks, Hydration, Coffee, Tea, Juice and New Growth Platform categories. Stan also serves as the R&D GM for the global development of the tea and coffee categories.

Nina Masson

Chief Strategy Advisor, Special Projects, shecco

Nina has been working with shecco for 11 years in various roles, including Deputy Managing Director shecco SPRL and Chief Market Development Officer shecco group. Today, as Chief Strategy Advisor for Special Projects, she is responsible for EU and UN projects for natural refrigerants and sustainable HVAC&R solutions. She holds two Masters’ degrees in Business Management and in Environmental Management. Nina has been the lead author on various publications. She serves as an independent expert for UN and EU agencies on policy analysis, capacity building, renewable energies and energy efficiency.

Atsuhiro Meno

Director, Fluoride Gases Management Office, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry

Atsuhiro Meno currently works for the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as the Director of the Fluoride Gases Management Office in the Manufacturing Industries Bureau.

Tetsuji Okada

President, Japan Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Industry Association

Mr. Okada is the President of the Japanese Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA). JRAIA represents all of the major manufacturers of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment in Japan. Prior to being the President of the JRAIA, Mr. Okada worked on the technical design of air conditioning equipment at Mitsubishi, where he had a distinguished career, including responsibility for Mitsubishi in Europe.

Georgios Patkos

Former Director Technical Department Delhaize, Delhaize Group

Mr. Patkos worked as Delhaize's Director of the Technical Department until the end of July 2015. In this role, he was in charge of all the new constructions projects, remodelings and maintenance of all the stores and warehouses in Belgium and Luxembourg. He was appointed as the Contract Manager at Delhaize in November 2005. His primary responsibility was to streamline all existing maintenance and service contracts in all EU banners.

Before joining Delhaize Group, he worked for Johnson Controls, as a global market leader in automotive systems and in facility management and control as a Refrigeration Manager. In that position, he took care of the account management for, among others, Delhaize, Carrefour, Cora and Shell. Before that, he was CEO of Schatten for several years until the merge with Johnsons Controls in 2002.

He studied refrigeration in Greece, where he was born, and also at the Institut of Arts et Métiers in Brussels. Mr. Patkos followed a management course at the Solvay Business School and has been Vice President of the “Union Belge des Frigoristes” for many years.

Hoang Minh Quan

Policy Officer, Vietnam National Ozone Unit

Mr. Quan is an officer of the Vietnam National Ozone Unit, Department of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change. He has been engaged in ODS phase-out activities since 2007. Mr. Quan holds a Master's degree in Climate Change and Bachelors in International Studies from the Vietnam National University based in Hanoi.

Tsutomu Saito

Manager of the Environmental Policy Promotion Group, COOP Mirai

Mr. Saito currently serves as the Manager of the Environmental Policy Promotion Group at COOP Mirai.

Yohanes Santoso

Operation Director, Midi Utama Indonesia (Alfamidi)

Born on 3^rd of September 1975, Yohanes Santoso holds a Bachelor of Law from the University of 17 August in Jakarta. He began his career at Alfa Group companies in 2001.
In 2014, he joined PT Midi Utama Indonesia Tbk as Operation Director and is responsible for monitoring revenue margins and employees productivity, as well as implementing new directives for growth of the company. He also ensures that Alfamidi functions run smoothly.

Inderpal Saund

Food Retail Business Development Manager, Danfoss

Indy has a background in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning trade from Australia and the UK. After completing a diploma in Process Controls, Indy pursued a career at Danfoss in Sales of Electronic Controls and Industrial Refrigeration products. Indy has been at Danfoss for 10 years maintaining various roles with the Electronic Controls side of the business. Over the years, Indy has been active in promoting CO₂ technology within the Refrigeration industry throughout the APAC region. He has been involved in a number of first installations within Australia, Thailand and China.

Olaf Schulze

Director Energy Management, METRO AG

Olaf Schulze is the Director Energy Management at Metro AG. From 2005 to 2013, he was the Managing Director of Metro Proper-ties Energy Management GmbH. Previously, Schulze has worked at Europower Energy GmbH as the Head of Legal and Human Resources and at Geberit Mapress GmbH as the Head of Legal and Insurance.

Tadao Sekiguchi

Sales Manager, CAREL Japan

After spending 18 years at Cabot Corporation and 19 years at Emerson Japan, both in sales within the country, Tadao Sekiguchi now works at CAREL Japan as a Sales Manager, focusing on electronic expansion valves.

Sidi Menad Si Ahmed

International Chief Advisor, shecco

Recently retired from his position as the Director of the Montreal Protocol Branch at UNIDO, Mr. Si Ahmed is shecco's International Chief Advisor.

Originally a meteorologist with a specialisation on numerical forecast, he graduated from the Institut Hydrometeorologique de Formation et de Recherche of Oran (Algeria) and the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (atmospheric pollution).

Before joining UNIDO as a Protocol Coordinator, and later as a Director of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements Branch, Mr. Si Ahmed was the Director on Environmental Studies at the Ministry of Environment in Algeria. He was also a lecturer on Environmental Impact Assesment at the University of Algiers.

Hiroshi Soma

Dr. Eng., Manager of Engineering Development Dept., Chemical Grouting

Dr. Soma serves as the Manager of the Engineering Development Departement at Chemical Grouting, Co.,Ltd. He studied new methods and machines for soil improvement and thermal flow. He received his Dr. Eng. focusing on the theme of the geothermal heat pump utilizing CO₂ in 2012. He joined Chemical Grouting in 1996.

Ryouhei Suzuki

Head of Plant Sales Department, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Mr. Suzuki joined Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Corporation in 2011. Since then he has been in charge of plant sales department.

Masahiro Takatsu

Project Assistant Manager, DENSO

Mr. Takatsu graduated from Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Engineering. He began working at DENSO in 2004 and has since then been engaging the CO₂ refrigerant cycle for the non-automobile section.

Hiroji Takeda

Senior Engineer, Cold Storage Headquarters, Yokohama Reito Co. Ltd.

Hiroji Takeda has over 20 years of experience in freezing and cold storage, starting at the Nagasaki Freezing Factory in 1993 and moving to Sasebo Freezing Factory in 1997. In 2003, he moved to Fukuoaka Logistics center before moving to Cold Storage Headquarters as a senior engineer in 2012. He served as a technical supervisor for THAI YOKOREI from 2013-2014, before resuming his position of senior engineer at Cold Storage Headquarters.

Kazunari Tanaka

Director, Marukyu

Mr. Tanaka joined Marukyu in 1980 and became Director in 2012.

Shinichiro Uto

Architect, Energy Management, Lawson

Mr. Uto is in charge of the Store Development Division within Lawson, a Japanese leader in CO2 transcritical refrigeration systems installed in convenience stores (CVS). Mr. Uto's role encompasses the construction planning and promotion of Lawson's stores featuring the latest environmental technologies. Besides a specialty in CO2 refrigeration systems, Mr. Uto also carries out other energy saving measures in Japan and overseas.

Ardi Wijaya

General Manager Fish & Seafood, Deputy Business Head Development, PT Adib Global Food Supplies

Ardi Wijaya has 20 years of experience in marketing and in export-import of food products, mainly seafood and agricultural products. ‎He is especially interested in sales, marketing‎ and product development.

Yukio Yamaguchi

General Manager, Sales & Marketing Dept., SANDEN

Since 2004 Mr. Yamaguchi has been working for the CO₂ refrigeration system as a project leader in vending and showcasing. Since 2015 he has held the position of General Manager within the Sales & Marketing Department of CO₂ Refrigeration at SANDEN Environmental products Corp. He has worked for SANDEN for a total of 29 years.

Klara Zolcer Skacanova

Market Development Manager, shecco

With a background in public affairs and economics Klára joined shecco in 2011. She leads the company’s market development team focusing on market research, policy analysis, funding projects and specialised campaigns with the objective of accelerating the adoption of climate friendly technologies across different world regions. She has co-authored several extensive market and policy publications focusing on the current use and future potential of natural refrigerants. Prior to joining shecco she worked at the European Commission and a European association for small and medium-sized businesses.