Official Opening Intersolar South America Conference

Dr. Florian Wessendorf is Managing Director of Solar Promotion GmbH and Solar Promotion International GmbH. He is responsible for the global conference program and exhibitions in North America, South America and India. He has deep expertise in the solar industry, and formerly served as Managing Director of Photovoltaic Equipment at VDMA, where he was responsible for strategic development, market research and technology scouting, advocacy and policy advice, events, PR and marketing.

Abigail Ross Hopper is the President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, the national trade organization for America's solar energy industries. She oversees all of SEIA's activities, including government affairs, research, communications, and industry leadership, and is focused on creating a marketplace where solar will constitute a significant percentage of America's energy generation. Before joining SEIA, Abby served as Director of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), Energy Advisor to Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, and Deputy General Counsel with the Maryland Public Service Commission. Before embarking on a career in public service, Abby spent nine years in private practice. Abby graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland School of Law and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dartmouth College. She is the very proud mom of three children and loves to read and ride on her Peloton.

David Wedepohl, Managing Director International Affairs David Wedepohl is a radio journalist by training who studied and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. He holds a master's degree in Journalism and Public Affairs which he achieved as a Fulbright scholar. His professional experience included working for the German embassy in Washington, DC as a senior press and public diplomacy officer. He first came in touch with the solar industry while working for an American consulting company before taking up his job as director communications and markets at the German Solar Association, also serving as the organization's spokesperson. He now holds the position of managing director international affairs and is responsible for the association's international activities.

CEO and Founder of CELA, with 21 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, including bioenergy, wind energy, solar PV and green hydrogen. Camila currently also serves as Investment and Green Hydrogen Vice-President of the Board of Directors of ABSOLAR (the Brazilian Solar PV Association), Non-Executive Director of the Board of Administration of Brazilian Rare Earths, member of the Advisory Board of the Federation of Industry of São Paulo (COINFRA - FIESP) and is a Finance Expert at the Clean Energy Finance Solutions Center (NREL - USA). Prior to founding CELA, she was Country Manager and Head of Latin America at Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF), where she advised clients with research and analysis of renewable energy sectors and markets, and trends in the region. She has also worked in the past at PricewaterhouseCoopers, ERB - Energias Renováveis do Brasil and Infinity Bio-Energy. Camila holds a Master's and Bachelor's degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Celso L P Mendes - Consultant, he was general manager of Klöckner-Moeller for South America and general manager of Siemens in the area of Industrial Electrical Energy Systems. For more than 30 years, he has worked in Brazil and Germany on equipment and installations for the basic and manufacturing industries. A member of the NBR 5410 EC since 1990, he has published several works on the standard. He is a Life Senior Member of the IEEE, a senior member of the VDE, and a member of the IAFSS - International Association for Fire Safety Science, London. He is a consultant on Modern Electricity and PhotoVolt, and senior advisor to the Intersolar South America congress.

Ronaldo Koloszuk is President of ABSOLAR (Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association), 2nd Secretary Director of FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo) and Commercial Director of Solar Group.

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Rodrigo Lopes Sauaia is co-founder and CEO of ABSOLAR (Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association), the national association representing Brazilian solar PV companies and professionals. He is co-founder and a governing board member of the GSC (Global Solar Council), a non-profit body representing regional and national solar associations on international issues. Rodrigo holds a PhD in Materials Engineering and Technology from PUC-RS (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul), a Master's degree in Renewable Energies from Loughborough University (UK), a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from USP (São Paulo University), and has collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Germany) and with ETH Zürich (Switzerland).