Our Team

Aarushi will manage the EAP, LCR, MNA and ECA regional portfolios, and support the team in donor relationship management.  Aarushi is a seasoned international development professional with over a decade of experience in donor funded program management, evaluation, and partnerships. Her career spans multiple sectors, including digital transformation, private sector development, regulatory reform, textiles, and agriculture. Prior to joining ESMAP, Aarushi worked within the World Bank's Digital Development (DD) and Finance, Competitiveness, and Innovation (FCI) Global Practices, where she specialized in portfolio, results, and grant management. Aarushi holds a Master of Public Policy from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor of Economics (Honors) from Miranda House, Delhi University. 

Adwoa joined the Bank as a Young Professional in the Africa region in 2018 as an Energy Specialist focusing on: (a) sector reforms; (b) energy access; (c) regional trade; (d) renewable energy development; and (e) utility reforms. She brings a solid track record of experiences in developing and delivering complex operations in sector and utility reforms, access, power generation, network rehabilitation and reinforcement and regional integration.  Her work in ESMAP will focus on co-leading the Energy Subsidy Reform facility and Electricity Access.

Adwoa holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Durham – UK having researched on electricity sector reforms, electricity access, market design and competition. She also holds an Msc in Energy Economics and Policy from the University of Surrey- UK.  Prior to joining the Bank, she founded and managed an energy consulting firm AA Emery Energy and petroleum Consult which worked to facilitate energy projects into Ghana. Adwoa is a Management Committee Member for Access for Women in Energy and was fellow at the Durham Energy Institute. She tutored macroeconomics and environmental economics to undergraduate and master’s students at the University of Durham. In addition to her core research interests, she also worked on smart electricity systems and was seconded to Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A.  in Greece where she worked in a team to explore regulatory challenges of smart grid development and deployment.

Adwoa has extensive operational experience having worked in Eswatini, Tanzania, the West Africa Power Pool, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Liberia, Vietnam, Ghana, Liberia, Comoros, Burundi, and Burkina Faso.

Anders will focus on enhancing the ESMAP’s Energy Data Platform and will support ESMAP and operational teams in conducting socio-economic assessments of coal mine closure and coal power plants, among other activities.

Anders joins the World Bank from the World Resources Institute (WRI), where he served as Resource Watch Director, leading a multidisciplinary team that developed open data and geospatial tools to support energy and climate risk initiatives across programs and country offices throughout the institute.

Before WRI, he served as Senior Open Data Officer at Natural Resource Governance Institute where he worked with governments in countries such as Ghana, Tanzania, Tunisia, and the Philippines to increase transparency and improve fiscal governance in the extractives sector. Anders is a dual national of Denmark and the United States. He holds a MSc and a BSc in Political Science from the University of Copenhagen and has a Data Science Certificate from Georgetown University. During his studies, he completed additional coursework in law and political science at McGill University (Canada) and the University of Iceland. He is fluent in English and Danish. 

Ashish leads the Integrated Electrification Strategies and Planning team and is a member of the Mini Grids team at ESMAP. His work focuses on geospatial least-cost electrification planning and optimizing the rollout of grid, off-grid and mini grid solutions towards universal electricity access, including the development of the Global Electrification Platform. Ashish is responsible for the development of mini grid portfolio planning methodologies and their implementation in World Bank operations and is also supporting energy access projects in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Sudan. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked at the public utilities commission in Massachusetts. Ashish holds a BA in Economics from Hamilton College and an MA in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University.

As part of the ESMAP energy access team, Barbara supports the work on providing energy access to displaced persons, marginalized and host communities as well as linking this work humanitarian settings. Barbara also supports the operationalization of the ESMAP’s Leave None Behind program, as well as support the coordination with internal Bank colleagues in the Fragile Conflict and Violence Team as well as with external stakeholders at the UN and NGO actors active in this space.

Barbara has over 10+ years of experience in years of experience in international development & project and program management in the fields of energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy, e-mobility, social & environmental framework, climate change mitigation, gender & social inclusion. She has supported various World Bank operations and engagements in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Colombia, India, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Vietnam, Zambia.

Barbara holds a Master in Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change at the Polytechnic University of Marche, Italy.

Bente leads the Hydropower Program under the Energy Transition workstream.  Prior to joining ESMAP, Bente held the position of Senior Mechanical Engineer, Project Manager and accredited Dam Safety Specialist for hydraulic steelworks and penstocks at a consultancy firm. Her work focused on hydropower greenfield projects, rehabilitation, modernization, and hybrid projects across a spectrum of low to high-income countries. Bente brings a comprehensive understanding of hydropower projects ranging from 1 MW to 1300 MW, with hands-on experience in all stages of project development. This includes analytics, advisory services, scoping studies, detailed design and engineering, tendering, contract management, manufacturing, construction, commissioning, and operation and maintenance. Bente holds a particularly strong expertise in turbines and electromechanical equipment, as well as in rehabilitation projects. 

The inspiration for Bente to specialize in hydropower stems from a profound passion for sustainable renewable energy solutions and a commitment to tailoring flexible hydropower and its energy storage to sustain and enhance power system resilience and energy security. Additionally, she is particularly interested in optimizing the performance of hydropower plants to provide essential energy services that support the expansion of variable renewable energy sources.

Bente holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in fluid dynamics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Besnik is part of ESMAP’s Energy Access team, focusing on electrification and innovative financing for expanding energy access. Within the World Bank, Besnik has provided technical support to projects related to off-grid electrification,  electricity demand stimulation, clean cooking, and economic analysis of electricity access projects. Prior to the Bank, Besnik was a researcher with the Natural Resource Governance Institute. Besnik holds a BA degree in International Relations from Stanford University and a MA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. 

Bryan is part of the ESMAP SEforALL Knowledge Hub team, focusing on the Multi-Tier Framework. He also serves as the focal point for ESMAP’s work on geospatial electrification planning and supports Lighting Global activities. Previously, as a consultant, Bryan was a field coordinator for the Multi-Tier Framework energy access global survey in Rwanda, Uganda, Myanmar, and Cambodia; supported the power-agriculture nexus component in the Africa Geospatial Electrification Planning activity and an assessment of mini-grid operators in several countries; and was a member of the Nigeria electrification project team. Prior to this, Bryan worked in the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia region on energy subsidy reform and the impact of cross-subsidization on industrial competitiveness. Bryan holds two MAs in Public Policy and Political Science from Georgetown University (USA) and Kyunghee University (Korea).

Claire is a member of the power system planning team.  Her primary focus is to support the Africa program, as well as maintenance and development of the Electricity Planning Model and growing climate resilience-related work for energy infrastructure.

Before joining ESMAP, Claire worked in the Sustainable Development Chief Economist’s office for almost 2 years focusing on Climate Change mitigation and decision making under deep uncertainty. She provided cross-support to the Energy Global Practice, mostly on projects involving power planning, and to the Environment Global Practice to help teams and clients take long-term uncertainties into account in the preparation of projects and strategies.   Prior to the World Bank, Claire worked for four years in the oil refining industry as a strategic marketing engineer.

Claire holds a PhD in economics on “Robust energy and climate modeling for policy assessment’ from Nanterre University (France), an engineering degree from ENSTA ParisTech, and an M.Sc in Economics from Ponts ParisTech.

Claire is the author of a forthcoming book on “How much is needed? Infrastructure investment for sustainable development.”

Clemencia will be leading the ESMAP’s Global Facility on Mini Grids (GFMG), a key part of ESMAP’s electricity access program.  She brings extensive operational experience in dealing with a wide range of issues in the electricity sector, from rural and peri-urban electrification, developing regional transmission networks, to supporting reforms of electricity utilities and leading country policy dialogue and energy programs in several countries.

Clemencia previously worked in the Middle East and North Africa, Latin American and the Caribbean, and Africa regions in operations, on analytical work, and sharing of knowledge in DEC and PPIAF.  In addition to her work on the electricity sector, Clemencia worked several years on a broader infrastructure agenda, and on the best ways to tap on private sector participation in the various sectors.  Clemencia holds a master’s degree in political economy and a Ph.D. in Economics from Boston University.

Deb leads ESMAP’s Power Systems Planning team. The team undertakes analytical work for the Energy and Extractives Global Practice including least cost planning analysis and technical/economic analysis at project level to support operations. He is a power system engineer and economist with significant experience on energy market design and analysis to address market operation, planning and policy issues.

Deb's work also encompasses a range of other economic issues around electricity supply reliability, design of electricity markets, nodal pricing of electricity, portfolio risk analysis, commercial assessment of carbon capture and storage, cost benefit analysis of smart metering and analysis of renewable energy policies. He is also currently an Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering (Power System) at the University of Queensland, and an Honorary Fellow of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering of the University of Melbourne.

Previously, Deb was a Director with leading consulting firms Charles River Associates (CRA) and Deloitte since late 2000 before becoming an independent consultant in 2012. He has taught electricity modelling and quantitative methods at University of Canterbury as a Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor between 1997 and 2000. Deb has done a significant volume of work on impact of climate change on the energy sector since 1990 and has done extensive work on marginal cost of carbon reduction, change in generation mix and impact on alternative fuel prices, and economic assessment of low carbon projects.

Deea joins the ESMAP energy access workstream to focus on the adoption and expansion of mini-grids.  She joined the World Bank in 2017 and brings over seven years of experience in energy access, covering both grid and off-grid, regional energy integration, energy sector reform, and climate finance.  Deea’s work has encompassed several regional and country programs across West and Central Africa, East Africa, and the MENA region. Deea is passionate about promoting equitable energy access and is interested in how public and private sectors can work together to improve infrastructure for better service delivery and economic development. 

She holds a master’s degree in international economics and development from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Deea is also a member of the Global Women’s Network for the Energy Transition (GWNET), where she serves as a mentor in the Women in Energy Empowerment Program, and she has been recognized as a Women Leader in Energy and Climate Fellow by the Atlantic Council.

Defne is the co-lead of the Energy Subsidy Reform Facility. Prior to joining ESMAP, Defne worked as a Senior Energy Specialist in the Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice in the South Asia Region, focusing on energy sector reform, policy and regulation, energy efficiency, sustainable cooling, and agriculture-water energy nexus topics in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.  

Defne previously worked in the East Asia and Pacific Region focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy, rural electrification, regional power trade, and energy sector policy and reform engagements in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam.  Before joining the World Bank, Defne worked for the Energy Market Regulatory Authority of Turkey; in a private international energy major in Houston and an international policy think tank in Washington DC.  Defne has an MA from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), with a concentration in energy and international finance.

Dolf Gielen is the lead for the Green Hydrogen Program in ESMAP. Prior to joining the World Bank, Dolf worked for IEA, IRENA and UNIDO. He has 30 years of experience in energy and climate policy, with emphasis on innovation, technology and economics. Dolf has advised many senior public and private sector players in various settings. This includes CEM, G7, G20, MI, SE4ALL, UNFCCC, SE4ALL and WEF, amongst others. He was part of the management team that established IRENA as a new intergovernmental agency.    

Dolf has a PhD from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands in energy and materials systems modeling. He studied chemical engineering and environmental sciences. Dolf has written more than 150 peer reviewed scientific papers, books, and reports. At the center of his work is the support for better informed energy and climate decision making.

Learn more about Dolf:  Researchgate | Google Scholar

Frank joins ESMAP as Advisor, seconded from the Netherlands for two years. He is a leader in the energy access space and in the field of energy climate finance. Frank studied electrical energy engineering, specializing in international energy policy. He was CEO of a solar manufacturing company, lead an international NGO network on energy and poverty, and coordinated the Energy for All partnership for ADB. Twelve years ago, Frank consciously made the step from private to public sector and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he became responsible for the energy access portfolio and the climate finance team. He has been member of the ESMAP CG, CIF governance, and the SDG7 Technical Advisory group. 

Jenny is a senior energy specialist, leading the cross-sectoral Efficient, Clean Cooling program which focuses on efficient and climate friendly solutions for space cooling and cold chains in the health and agriculture sectors.

Prior to joining ESMAP, Jenny worked in the Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice in the Africa regions for over 10 years, where she managed various energy sector country dialogue and investment lending and analytical projects on energy access, energy efficiency, and renewables in countries such as Liberia, South Sudan, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Jenny has also worked extensively on regional integration, energy finance, utility performance improvement, and power sector reforms and led regional program such as the Lighting Africa Program, Africa Electrification Initiative, and the Africa Energy Efficiency program.

Jenny started her career at the World Bank in the Liberia Country Office where she supported the infrastructure portfolio of the Urban, Transport and Energy Global Practices. Jenny holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.

Juliet is co-leading the Energy Storage Partnership Program. She has over 20 years operations and management experience at the World Bank and prior senior positions in the Government of Ghana working on energy sector policy, energy access, renewable energy, slum electrification, power sector reforms, utility regulation, access to modern cooking solutions, gender, as well as the design of results-based financing incentives for access to infrastructure services. Her educational background includes a Masters degree in Public Policy with a specialization in regulation and industry analysis from Harvard University, USA and a Masters degree in Energy and Environmental Economics from ENI Corporate University in Milan, Italy.

Kabir leads the Utilities for Energy Transition program focusing on enabling utility digitalization, data driven decision-making and adoption of innovative business models across the globe in World Bank client countries.  Kabir is also part of the core team for the Markets, Connectivity, and Trade program and leads the World Bank’s regional integration and power trade engagement with the Eastern Africa Power Pool.

Prior to joining ESMAP, Kabir worked in the Bank’s Energy and Extractives Global Practice in the East and Southern Africa regions, where he managed various energy sector country dialogue and investment lending and analytical projects on utility strengthening, electricity access, cross-border power trade, and renewables.

Kabir holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Maryland and a MA in Economics from the University of Delhi.

Kasun joins the ESMAP Portfolio Team as a Program Assistant. He has worked with the World Bank Group since 2020 gaining extensive experience in administration, operations, human resources, and project management. In addition to his current role, Kasun has developed specialized expertise in statistics, data, and gender-related initiatives.

Kasun’s career spans across various United Nations agencies, including UNFPA, FAO, UNESCO, and UN Women, where he contributed to mission-critical projects. His diverse experience also includes roles in government and the private sector.   Academically, Kasun holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in Project Management from Cardiff Metropolitan University. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in International Relations from the University of London, with academic direction provided by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Additionally, he earned a certificate in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Bristol, highlighting his multidisciplinary academic background.

Kenta is a seasoned renewable energy and access professional. Since Kenta joined the Bank in 2014, he engaged in operations and advisory work for eight countries in East and Southern Africa. He led greenfield engagements in some of the most challenging countries, including the Board delivery of the very first energy lending operation in South Sudan, energy sector reengagement in Sudan, and turnaround of geothermal and energy access projects in Ethiopia. He engaged complex sector reform dialogue such as fuel/electricity subsidy and legal framework reform, and designed energy access interventions in highly fragile and conflict-prone environment. In his capacity as a TTL, he has mentored a number of colleagues new to the Bank operations. 

Prior to joining the Bank, he has worked at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris as a Policy Analyst, and at Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan as Energy and Climate Researcher. He holds MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics, and BA in International Liberal Studies from Waseda University. 

Lucie has 24 years of experience in communications, with 16 years at the World Bank Group, including assignments with IFC in Nairobi and Dakar.  She has worked on environmental and social policies, transport and climate change, and trade and investment climate issues. 

As ESMAP’s communications lead, she is responsible for advising ESMAP teams on messaging and communication of ESMAP global knowledge products and program results; raising ESMAP’s profile in international forums and enhancing ESMAP’s digital presence; and supporting regional teams on energy subsidy reform communications.

Marie-Gisele provides integral support to the Energy Access and the World Bank Power System Planning teams. She has acted as the Sr. Executive Assistant in the Office of the Director and Sr. Director of the World Bank Energy & Extractives Global Practice.  Marie-Gisele's experience expands numerous World Bank operation systems, monitoring and evaluation, trust fund administration, and human resources related matters. Marie-Gisele is fluent in both French and English.

Marj implements front- and back-end development and oversees the overall design of the ESMAP website, subsidiary sites, activity databases, and other online platforms. She designs and produces the monthly electronic newsletter; writes news for the web; and maintains ESMAP’s external contacts database.  Marj leads the coordination of all ESMAP’s Donors’ Consultative Group Meetings and all International knowledge exchange and global outreach events, such as: ESMAP Knowledge Exchange Forums in Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom; Mini Grids Learning Events in Ghana, Kenya, Myanmar, and Nigeria; and the ESMAP Geothermal International Conferences. She also implements ESMAP’s social media campaigns.

Michelle is passionate about knowledge and data-driven products for strategic decisions, with over 17 years of experience in the energy sector. Enthusiastic about innovation and policy adaptation for Just Energy Transition, working toward a zero net emissions industry that can deliver universal access to energy services. She has experience in promoting, designing, and evaluating clean cooking programs.

Michelle was a senior Economist and the Knowledge Coordinator at the Energy Division of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Responsible for leading the knowledge agenda, analytical products, databases, and dissemination, and developing the area, the funding, and the team from the beginning. Recently, she led the Energy HUB for Latin America and the Caribbean, a collaborative tool for data gathering and knowledge-sharing for Latin America and the Caribbean Energy Transition. And she led the development of a unified agenda for clean hydrogen at the IDB. 

Michelle was also an advisor on energy industries related matters for governments, regulatory authorities, utilities, and industrial associations in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. She has worked as an independent consultant and as part of consulting companies, think tanks, and ONGs. She has been actively involved in educating senior professionals and young researchers; she also serves as an Energy Policy Advisor at the Florence School of Regulation, and editor and peer reviewer of academic journals. She is a regular speaker in workshops, seminars, and conferences. As a result of her research interest, she has co-authored twenty-nine articles in peer-reviewed journals and eight book chapters.

Michelle has PhD in Economics from the University of Paris Sud XI and she was a Jean Monnet Fellow at the European University Institute.

In her new role in ESMAP, Michelle will be leading the Clean Cooking Fund.

Wali is primarily responsible for trust fund administration and financial management/reporting in the ESMAP and Energy Climate Finance programs.  He comes to us from the Afghanistan Country office where he was working on the Bank’s largest single country multi-donor trust fund, the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). Wali has extensive experience in financial management, Bank’s operational policies and procedures, disbursements and trust fund management. Over the last one year, Wali was with the South Asia Regional Integration Unit and the FCV Group on Development Assignment managing regional and global trust funds.

Senior Program Assistant

Peace will support the SRMI team in developing and implementing renewable energy programs. This includes providing advisory services, technical support, and capacity building.

During the past six years, Peace has developed expertise in utility operations, risk management, and electricity regulatory affairs at the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL). Her previous role as a Junior Investment Analyst at PROPARCO in Paris involved project finance for energy solutions across Africa.  Peace began her career as an Audit Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Uganda. Passionate about advancing Sustainable Development Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), Peace is committed to making a positive impact in the energy sector.  She holds a Specialized Master’s in Infrastructure Project Financing from École des Ponts in Paris and is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Perla will support the M&E functions and financial and budget activities of the Energy Transition team. She has previously worked for ESMAP as a consultant since 2020 supporting the Portfolio Team on the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities, including updates on ESMAP’s results framework and preparation of reporting to donors as wells as Progress Reports. 

Perla has also worked with ESMAP donors reviewing their LogFrames for consistency with ESMAP’s results framework and Business Plans. Previously, she worked in the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) focusing on grant portfolio management and key thematic donor’s reports. In 2008, Perla worked with the World Bank operational team in the Latin America and the Caribbean on project-cycle management of urban, water and sanitation projects. 

Prior to joining the World Bank, Perla worked in the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia, where she led the design and implementation of a M&E system for research programs focused on agriculture. Perla has also worked in the private and public sector and academia in Nicaragua. 

Rafael has been with the Bank since 2012 and had the chance to work first time with ESMAP as STC, contributing to the publication of “Bringing Variable Renewable Energy Up to Scale - Options for Grid Integration Using Natural Gas and Energy Storage”. In 2015 he became part of the CIF team, where he worked mostly on the SREP program and, in partnership with ESMAP, co-led three knowledge-exchange events on minigrids in 2016 and 2017. In 2019 he joined the LAC Energy operational unit, focusing on the decarbonization agenda in Central America, being the green hydrogen focal point for the region and playing the role of ESMAP RC. 

Prior to the Bank, Rafa had worked already a decade on renewable energies (mostly wind and solar PV), green hydrogen and fuel cells, both at the Spanish Institute of Aerospace Technology and at international private companies. He studied chemical engineering and holds a master’s degree on Renewable Energy and Energy Markets from the EOI, Madrid.

In his current position, Rafa will be supporting the ESP, Green Hydrogen y Climate Finance teams.

Raihan joined ESMAP as Lead Energy Specialist from the Africa Energy Practice.  Raihan brings 25 years of Bank operational experience from two regions – Africa and South Asia. He has worked extensively in electricity sector policy, regulation, utility reforms, regional integration, energy finance, guarantees, renewable energy, and energy access. He has supported client governments introduce new policies, implement public private partnerships and design innovative projects to push the boundaries of energy sector development.

Raihan is a thought leader in promoting innovative technologies and disruptive business models to help countries achieve their development targets in a faster and sustainable manner. Before moving to ESMAP, Raihan was managing the Energy Access Flagship and the Lighting Africa Program.  He helped the Lighting Africa Program evolve to support electrification of productive uses, and public institutions to contribute to broader Bank objectives of human capital development.  These lessons were effectively used in the Uganda Electricity Access Scale Up Project (EASP - P166685) and Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project (ROGEAP – P160708) to provide electricity access to more than 10 million people. In South Asia, Raihan played a significant role in the design and development of the Bangladesh solar market which electrified about 18 million people.

In addition, Raihan has extensively worked on energy practice areas such as hydropower, geothermal energy, grid connected solar PV, regional transmission interconnections, utility performance improvement, and power sector reforms. He has authored numerous livewires and policy research working papers.

Rutu is part of the energy access team, leading the work on providing energy access to displaced persons, marginalized and host communities as well as linking this work humanitarian settings. She works with task teams to operationalize this work as well as coordinate with internal Bank colleagues in the Fragile Conflict and Violence Team as well as with external stakeholders at the UN and NGO actors active in this space. Her focus is on implementing ESMAP products in the field.

She also leads several World Bank projects and operations in East Asia Pacific and Africa and has worked previously on projects in the MENA region, ECA region as well. Her work focuses on energy access, energy efficiency, climate change and clean cooking. Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked at the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), focusing on mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development. She also at the European Commission at the Directorate General Trade’s Sustainable Development Unit and at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. She has studied at the University of East Anglia UK; Wageningen University, the Netherlands and Yale University and Harvard University, USA.

Sabine Cornieti, Senior Energy Specialist

Renewable Energy | Solar | Wind | Climate Change

Sabine is part of the Renewable Energy team and co-founder of the Sustainable Renewables Risk Mitigation Initiative (SRMI), leading global solar and wind deployment operations in Burkina Faso, Indonesia and Vietnam as well as providing strategic advice to over 25 SRMI countries. Previously, Sabine worked with the World Bank’s Climate Change Group engaged in renewable energy policies.

Before joining the World Bank, Sabine was an Associate Business Developer for EREN Renewable Energy in Jakarta, a large wind and solar independent power producer. She focused on market analysis, project acquisition due diligence, financial modeling, and technical development of solar and wind projects developed under feed-in-tariff and auctions schemes in Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. She also worked with GIZ in Indonesia on renewable energy policies, and with UNDP in New York on evaluating post-conflict programs. She holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Nottingham, UK, a MSc in Economics from Sorbonne Paris 1, and specialized in Renewable Energy Policies at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, USA.

Samantha leads the gender program within the access workstream.  Her experience expands the Poverty & Equity Global Department and Energy & Extractives in the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as Social Protection and Jobs in the Africa Western and Central region.  Samantha has worked with task teams on strengthening gender equality across the clean energy value chain, ensuring equity in efforts around decarbonization and promoting productive uses of energy among women and marginalized groups. 

Samantha has also supported strategic and operational policy dialogue, client engagement, and partnerships for Investment Project Financing, Program for Results operations, and Analytical products. She has delivered capacity-building programs, covering cross-cutting gender topics such as childcare, digital inclusion and women’s leadership.  Select publications include Women’s Entrepreneurship in Climate Tech: Insights from Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia (2024), Toward More and Better Jobs in Energy for Women in MENA (2022), and Gender in Energy Interventions in Fragile and Conflict States (2020). Prior to her work in the MENA and Africa region, Samantha served as Associate Director at the Wolfensohn Center for Development at the Brookings institution. Samantha received her MA in International Affairs: Middle East and North Africa Comparative and Regional Studies from American University, Washington DC. 

Sandeep is a Senior Energy Specialist with 3 decades of experience in energy infrastructure, extractives, and finance, in both the public and private sector contexts. He has served on the ground in Africa and South Asia and handled significant assignments in East Asia and Latin America.  Most recently he covered energy and green growth issues in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region, with focus on Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Ukraine (before the war). His extensive experience includes designing, negotiating, financing, and operating complex energy projects, nurturing multi-sectorial and institutional dialogue around decarbonization (as co-lead Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) for Kazakhstan), scale-up of energy-efficiency, supporting energy storage infrastructure for renewables integration, assessing financial viability of a national Transmission System Operator,  and engagement in industrial modernization through deep dive assessments and deployment of innovative clean technologies under public-private partnerships. 

He holds degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, Cornell University in Ithaca, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and the French Petroleum Institute (IFP) in Paris. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with practical understanding of project finance and power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Satyaki joins the ESMAP team to lead the technical and analytical work on Energy Storage systems under the Transitions Workstream.  He previously consulted with the South Asia Region and Africa Energy teams where he provided technical guidance on large grid-connected solar and battery energy storage systems. 

Prior to joining the World Bank, Satyaki worked both in heavy engineering Industry as an International Bid Manager and Project Controller for a global wind energy OEM handling the life cycle of setting up large grid-connected wind power projects from concept to commissioning (c2C) and Revenue management of $600 million annually. Post- industry, Satyaki worked as Strategy Manager for a niche business consulting firm providing business diversification advice to large corporates and state-owned enterprises on their decarbonization strategy and financing, focusing on acquisitions of large wind and solar generation assets and diversification of their energy mix using a pool of corporate PPAs and group captive assets. 

Satyaki holds a Bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration focusing on Finance and Business Economics from Asian Institute of Management, Manila.

Snorri leads the Geothermal Program under the Energy Transition workstream. Prior to joining ESMAP, Snorri held the position of senior geologist/geochemist at Reykjavik Geothermal working on geothermal development projects in various locations worldwide, in low to high income countries. This includes surface exploration in green field projects, resource assessment, drilling strategy, project revisions and due diligence. 

Snorri holds a joint PhD degree from University of Iceland and Paul Sabatier III, in Toulouse France in geochemistry, researching water rock interaction with relation to CO₂ mineralization.

Tamara Babayan is a seasoned expert in sustainable energy policy, planning, technology, and finance. She is experienced in design and implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, development of financing mechanisms for renewable energy investments and for energy efficiency in public and residential buildings. During the last three years, Tamara Babayan has been a Senior Energy Specialist in the Europe and Central Asia region of the World Bank, leading projects in Central Asia and Western Balkan Countries, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania, covering overall energy dialogue, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon pricing.

Tamara is a skilled project manager with nearly twenty years of experience in managing a portfolio of projects in the areas of heating, energy efficiency, small hydro, geothermal, solar PV area while working with governments, communities, private sector, local and international financial institutions, academia, and civil society.  Before joining the World Bank, Tamara led the R2E2 Fund (Armenia Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund) for 12 years (2006-2017); she was a consultant working with various countries and international organizations (ADB, AFD, EBRD, EIB, EU, WBG, UNDP/GCF); and served as Technical Advisory Group expert of ESMAP and CIFs Strategic Climate Fund Committee and SREP Sub-Committee member for several rounds. 

Tamara graduated from Yerevan State University (Physicist). She has a master’s degree in public administration. 

Tarek is part of the Accelerating Decarbonization, Energy Storage, Innovative Solar, and Utilities for the Energy Transition teams. He serves as ESMAP’s technical backbone for electric mobility, coordinates the knowledge work on battery sustainability, and contributes to the efforts on distributed photovoltaic systems. Tarek supports the World Bank operations on transport electrification and decarbonization in Europe, Southeast Asia, and in the MENA region. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked for the German development agency GIZ on various sustainable energy projects in Africa and the MENA region. Tarek holds a Master’s degree in Electric Engineering and Information Technology from the Technical University of Munich.

Tatia is part of the Energy Access team, with a focus on integrating mini grids and off-grid solar into electrification programs. Previously, Tatia spent nearly six years in the World Bank’s Africa region, working on mainstreaming grid-based, mini grid, and off-grid energy access solutions into lending projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, promoting regional power integration in West Africa, and supporting the energy efficiency agenda in Energy and Extractives Global Practice. Before joining the World Bank, Tatia worked with Sidar Global Advisors, where she oversaw research and business intelligence in the energy and infrastructure sectors for Eurasian public and private sector clients. She holds an MA International Economics, International Affairs and Energy Policy from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, and an MSc in European Political Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Xiaoping joins the ESMAP Energy Transition workstream where she will focus on energy transition and climate finance. Xiaoping has worked extensively in the energy sector, including sector reforms and policy dialogue, renewable energy, energy efficiency, transmission and distribution, utility performance, energy access and regional integration. 

Most recently, she was Program Leader for infrastructure and oversaw infrastructure engagement in Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea. Xiaoping has also worked in South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and taken field assignments in Bangkok, Kathmandu and Addis Ababa. During her first stint with ESMAP in 2012-17, she led the setup of the SE4ALL facility and its implementation as well as led the power sector resilience agenda. 

Yaejun is part of the Energy Transition team focusing on the Hydropower Development Facility with extensive experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to support energy transition. Before joining ESMAP, he spent seven years at the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Region (ECA) Energy Group where he engaged in energy transition dialogues with governments and implementation of energy operations for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Serbia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Türkiye, and Kyrgyz Republic. 

Prior to joining the World Bank, Yaejun also worked in the private sector as an IPP developer where he facilitated private sector investments, focusing on market analysis, project acquisition feasibility studies, due diligence, financial modeling, and the technical development of renewable energy including solar, biomass, hydro, and waste-to-energy projects through non-recourse Project Financing.  Yaejun also served as a CDM project manager overseeing GHG abatement facilities and securing carbon emission reduction credits under UNFCCC. He holds MSc in Sustainable Forest Management from the Oregon State University, and BS in Environmental Material Science from the Seoul National University.