TOP 10 Most Read Thought Leaders of 2022 in Hydrogen

Discover also our 2024 ranking of the Most Read Thought Leaders in the Carbon, Climate Change, Energy, Energy Transition, Environmental Sustainability, ESG, Green Tech, Nature, Social Responsibility, Sustainable Business and Sustainable Finance, or enjoy our Thought Leader rankings of 2022 on Biodiversity, Carbon, Climate Change, Energy, Energy Transition, Environmental Sustainability, ESG, Power & Utilities, Renewables, Sustainable Business, Sustainable Governance and Overall. 

The hydrogen economy is rapidly expanding, with a growing number of industries recognizing its potential as a clean and sustainable source of energy. From transportation to power generation, hydrogen is poised to play a significant role in the decarbonization of our energy systems and in our fight against climate change. Today, we are honored to recognize and thank the most-read experts and change-makers who are shaping the debate on Hydrogen, Green Hydrogen, and Blue Hydrogen and other related topics on illuminem.com.

Please help us congratulate our TOP 10 Hydrogen Thought Leaders of the year:

1️⃣ Noé van Hulst - Special Advisor Hydrogen & fmr. Chairman of the Governing Board, International Energy Agency (IEA)
Country: Netherlands
Latest Thought Pieces: How to Kick-start the North-West European Clean Hydrogen Market
Profile: Noé van Hulst is a globally renowned hydrogen expert. He currently serves as Special Advisor Hydrogen to the IEA, Hydrogen Advisor to infrastructure-company Gasunie and as a Senior Fellow at Clingendael International Energy Programme. He has also been vice-Chair of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, Dutch Ambassador to the OECD, Chairman of the IEA Governing Board and Director-General for Energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands.

2️⃣ Nicola De Blasio - Senior Fellow, Harvard University (Belfer Center)
Country: United States of America
Latest Thought Piece: The Future of Renewable Hydrogen in the European Union: Market and Geopolitical Implications
Profile: Nicola De Blasio leads Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center research on energy technology innovation and the transition to a low carbon economy. Nicola is an expert in navigating the challenges of strategic development toward sustainable commercial success. He serves as board member and adviser to various companies and startups and is also Senior Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). Previously, he was Senior Research Scholar in the faculty of SIPA at Columbia University, Program Director Technology and Innovation at the Center on Global Energy Policy and Vice President and Head of R&D International Development at leading energy company ENI.

3️⃣ Simon Gupta - Founder, BroadPeak & Partner, Investment Associates AG
Country: Switzerland
Latest Thought Pieces: Exclusive Green Hydrogen Trilogy

1. Part 1: Fueling the Future: Is 2023 the year that green hydrogen delivers on its promise?​ ​

1. Part 2: Fueling the Future: Can green hydrogen decarbonise the transport sector?​

1. Part 3: Fueling the Future: Can green hydrogen help decarbonise energy-intensive industries?​

Profile: Simon Gupta is the Founder & Managing Director of Broadpeak, an International Advisory company specialized in Impact Finance. He has 20 years of experience in development finance in Latin America, Africa and Asia. He is also a Partner at Investment Associate AG, where he leads social and environmental impact investing. Simon has been involved in the set-up of multiple blended finance structures on the LP side as well as the GP side. Before founding Broadpeak, he worked for financial institutions DEG, KfW and ResponsAbility Investments AG.

4️⃣ Michael Barnard - Board Advisor, Flimax & Chief Strategist, The Future Is Electric Strategy 
Country: Canada
Latest Thought Piece: Hydrogen shipped for energy would be at least five times as expensive as LNG
Profile: Michael Barnard is a member of the Advisory Boards of electric aviation startup FLIMAX, Chief Strategist at TFIE Strategy and co-founder of distnc technologies. He spends his time projecting scenarios for decarbonization 40-80 years into the future, and assisting executives, Boards and investors to pick wisely today. Whether it's refueling aviation, grid storage, vehicle-to-grid, or hydrogen demand, his work is based on fundamentals of physics, economics and human nature, and informed by the decarbonization requirements and innovations of multiple domains. He previously served as Advisory Board Member at Electron aviation and as a Strategic Advisor at Agora Energy Technologies.

5️⃣ Erik Rakhou - Associate Director, BCG & fmr. Member of the Board of appeal, European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER)
Country: Netherlands
Latest Thought Piece: Deflating Hydrogen risk: How can financial risk carriers start evaluating complex hydrogen investments and insurance solutions?​
Profile: Erik Rakhou is a leading expert in international energy markets, regulation and strategy development, with 20+ years of experience in energy systems and policy development globally. He is an Associate Director at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he supports clients on their energy transition journey with a focus on hydrogen and decarbonizing gas markets. He co-authored the book “Touching Hydrogen Future”. He was formerly appointed as an alternate member of the ACER, EU energy regulator, and Board of Appeal from 2016-2021.

6️⃣ Dr. Venera N. Anderson - Strategy Advisor, Harvard Business Review Advisory Council
Country: United States of America
Latest Thought Pieces:

1. Decarbonizing global energy systems: Technological opportunities and challenges

1. Part 1: Geography matters: coastal green hydrogen hub as a key to building a hydrogen economy​

1. Part 2: Geography matters: coastal green hydrogen hub as a key to building a hydrogen economy​

Profile: Dr. Venera N. Anderson is a global strategy advisor on sustainability and climate issues. She creates and implements innovative solutions that address the world’s most pressing issues, such as climate change, economic development, and humanitarian challenges. She is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. Venera is a co-author of the "Touching Hydrogen Future" book (2nd edition). She is also an International Expert at Women in Green Hydrogen, a global network which strives to increase the visibility and amplify the voices of women working in the green hydrogen sector, and a Speaker at Tech Up for Women and the Wall Street Green Summit about her vision for coastal U.S. green hydrogen hubs.

7️⃣ Paul Martin - Founding Member, Hydrogen Science Coalition & Fmr. Senior Fellow, Zeton
Country: Canada
Latest Thought Piece: Hydrogen to Replace Natural Gas - By the Numbers
Profile: Paul Martin is a chemical engineer with 30 years of experience in chemical process technology development. He is a founding member of the Hydrogen Science Coalition, a coalition of academics & engineers bringing an evidence-based view on hydrogen's role in the energy transition. He offers independent consulting services through Spitfire Research Inc. Paul was also for 25+ years at Zeton Inc., the world's largest designer and builder of pilot and demonstration plants for the chemical process industry. He is a lifelong environmentalist, earnestly interested in accelerating the decarbonization of our economy.

8️⃣ John Poljak - Founder, Keynumbers 
Country: Australia
Latest Thought Piece: Hydrogen vs LNG, choices for Europe
Profile: John Poljak is the founder of keynumbers, a website dedicated to analyzing energy and economic issues. He holds degrees in commerce and computing from the University of Western Sydney. Prior to starting keynumbers, he had an international career working as a consultant in the Oil & Gas industry including stints in West Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

9️⃣ Francesca Sartor - Sustainability and Climate Change Senior Consultant, KPMG
Country: Italy
Latest Thought Piece: The role of hydrogen in the decarbonisation path
Profile: Francesca Sartor is a Sustainability and Climate Change Senior Consultant at KPMG, where she helps companies measure their carbon footprint and implement decarbonisation strategies. She is a member of CSRnatives - the first Italian network of young sustainability professionals.

🔟 Alejandro Nuñez-Jimenez - Senior Researcher, ETH Zürich & Advisory Board Member, Yes Europe
Country: Spain
Latest Thought Piece: The Future of Renewable Hydrogen in the European Union: Market and Geopolitical Implications
Profile: Alejandro Nuñez-Jimenez is a Senior Researcher at ETH Zürich where he focuses on Energy & Innovation policy. He is also an advisory Board Member at Yes Europe, a network connecting aspiring & young energy professionals. He was previously a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard Belfer's Center Environment and Natural Resources Program (ENRP) and the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program (STPP) where he investigated the role of hydrogen in the decarbonization of energy systems across different countries.

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