ABOUT
Message from our Chairman
“Most of us on earth are now part of a new, ephemeral movement, to restore our planet to its natural countenance. Catastrophic symptoms of our excesses are mounting, not the least of which the externalities of the fossil fuel century. All the individuals who toil to prepare DECADE for your knowledge and prosperity are firmly rooted in the belief that we must all be participants in the salvation of our planet.
The greatest emergency is our dwindling access to fossil fuels for energy and manufacturing of all products. “Without energy nothing works”, states Dr. Hermann Scheer in his yearly, two hundred speaking engagements around the world. Oil depletion is our greatest emergency because there is still no new energy system adopted worldwide. Propaganda about great quantities of oil and gas endure. Debates about nuclear power are thriving as the petroleum paradigm begins to erode. Too much economic hardship and loss of life will occur while we adopt a patchwork of ideas this decade--we are already experiencing early symptoms in the failure of industrial sectors and food shortages. This begs the question, “Why are we not adopting proven and endless energy systems now?”
The political debates obfuscate the reality that cheap, fast, limitless, clean, renewable energy is here. We have the knowledge. We have the technology. We have the proof that renewable energy is reliable and powerful in our many wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and wave installations. There are also great breakthroughs in waste biomass. Electrical vehicles and solar products are emerging.
We have the proof that 100% of the energy required around the world can be generated by proven renewable systems without losing a beat. Alas! If we do not mobilize our endless natural and industrial assets immediately we may not have the opportunity for a transition without global catastrophic effects. The greatest superpower on earth is the public will; the political will has fallen behind.
Godspeed to us all."
Marie Germain, Chairman
DECADE For A Renewable Planet
OUR CORE VALUES:
- WE believe in complete transparency
- WE present solutions that are proven or new ones that are plausible
- WE desire to restore nature as it was meant to be, having dominion over the earth—not destroying it
- WE desire to relieve suffering and promote enjoyment of life for all
- WE desire to incite everyone to learn, talk and act
DECADE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Marie Germain, Chairman
Marie Germain was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, and educated in both English and French. Later, her studies at McMaster University Social Sciences ended before completion due to the success and demands of her practice.
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Derek Satnik, Deputy Chairman
Derek Satnik is a member of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)'s Real-Estate Committee and "LEED for Homes" committee, a director at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA)
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Kathleen Law
Elected to the Michigan House in 2002, Kathleen Law has brought her extensive experience in local government and her background in science and research to make her mark as one of Michigan's most authoritative voice.
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Miguel Mendonça
Miguel Mendonça is Research Manager for the World Future Council. His background is in forestry, horticulture, geography, history, journalism, social science and environmental ethics.
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Winton Dahlstrom
Winton is the President and CEO of Helix Synergy. He worked as a manufacturing engineering project leader, capital project manager and engineering manager for a number of different Ontario manufacturers for some 25+ years.
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Jose Etcheverry
José is a member of the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University and also a research and policy analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation.
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Mark Salerno
Mark is a recognized expert in sustainable housing and community design and is CMHC's media spokesperson on a broad range of housing issues.
Mark is one of 250 Canadians personally trained by U.S. Vice President Al Gore.
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Dale Dolan
Dale Dolan is the chair and president of the board of directors of Windy Hills Caledon Renewable Energy. He is an executive Chair of the 7th World Wind Energy Conference 2008 (WWEC 2008).
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Elizabeth McDonald
Elizabeth has been executive director of CanSIA since May of 2007. She has taken an active interest in the Association and has worked with the Board of Directors to help move the Association so that it responds to the growth of the industry.
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Volker Thomsen
Volker Thomsen assumed his duties as President and CEO of St. Lawrence College on October 1, 2000. In September 2004 St. Lawrence College Board of Governors appointed Volker Thomsen for a second five-year term.
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Dr. Anil Shreedhar Kane
Member of the CORE Group formed by the Govt. of Gujarat for
implementation of KALPASAR (development of Gulf of Khambhat project)
President, World Wind Energy Association
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Lily Riahi
Researcher at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability in Freiburg, Germany, focusing on local renewable policy frameworks and strategies. She is also a research and policy analyst for the Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance
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Zhouqing Li-Thomsen
Born and raised in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, Zhuoqing Li-Thomsen attended Zhejiang University, was recruited and employed by the Zhejiang Provincial Ministry of Agriculture upon graduation, working as the Project Officer for the Department of International Economic Development
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Derek Satnik
Derek Satnik is a member of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC)'s Real-Estate Committee and "LEED for Homes" committee, a director at the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA), at Community Renewable Energy Waterloo (CREW) and at Local Initiative for Future Energy (LIFE), and a member of the Net-Zero Energy Home Coalition (NZEHC) and of Conestoga College's Program Advisory Committee supporting the development of a renewable energy trades program. Derek participated in three of the five Ontario design teams that competed in CMHC's national "EQuilibrium" healthy housing competition (including the winning Now House team in Toronto), he has been involved with Natural Resource Canada's "Solar Ready" program, and can speak with authority about emerging trends in "green" construction rating systems, especially for the residential sector, and in the renewable energy industries (especially wind and solar).
Derek is an Electrical Engineer by trade, and has worked in the consulting industry in various roles since 1999, most notably with Stantec Consulting Ltd., Enermodal Engineering Ltd, and now Mindscape. Derek’s personal experience ranges from design of power / lighting / communications / controls systems for the commercial, institutional, and industrial sectors, to more general aspects of sustainable design and energy efficiency as a Sustainability Engineer and LEED Consultant.
Derek is directing Mindscape’s involvements with the residential sector, and is supervising corporate activities within the realm of “green” or “sustainable” design.
Winton Dahlstrom
Winton is the President and CEO of Helix Synergy. He worked as a manufacturing engineering project leader, capital project manager and engineering manager for a number of different Ontario manufacturers for some 25+ years. Winton holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Ryerson Polytechnic and has studied at Michigan State University, University of Toronto and taken technical training at Loughborough University in Loughborough, U.K., in commercial wind power development. Winton now operates three wind power development companies in Ontario and Michigan where he is actively involved with regional and local zoning policy development for commercial wind power along with its associated electrical transmission. Winton is a member of CanWEA, the OFA, PURE of Dufferin County, and TREC WindShare.
Marie Germain
Marie Germain was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, and educated in both English and French. Later, her studies at McMaster University Social Sciences ended before completion due to the success and demands of her practice. Germain has been a marketing practitioner all of her adult life starting with the founding of an ad agency in the early eighties.
This agency grew to two bi-coastal offices in Canada and became Canada's leading B2B agency. For a time there was a third office in Montreal and affiliates reaching to NYC and London, UK. For several years Germain honed skills to serve consumer markets, adding TV and radio commercials to its fare. At all times, Germain was Creative Director and earned several awards for her work on a variety of campaigns. After thirteen years and worn by the hours required by this business, she entered the loyalty marketing biz with a handful of investors, launching a points-based loyalty program.
In 1997, Germain founded a knowledge corporation, Brainfood, supported by web properties and live events. At all times except during the loyalty years, Germain has continued to serve clients big and small, on everything from developing brand meaning, values and communications initiatives. Germain continues to speak occasionally on the human needs of consumers; however, almost all her time is now delegated to producing cinematic, live and internet productions for the betterment of our global society, resting on creative talent honed over decades and a keen understanding of the emotions that drive human beings.
Dale Dolan
Dale Dolan is the chair and president of the board of directors of Windy Hills Caledon Renewable Energy. He is an executive Chair of the 7th World Wind Energy Conference 2008 (WWEC 2008). He is a member of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and Town of Caledon Wind Committee and has served on the OPA Transmission Constraints and Generation Options Working Group. He has earned BASc. and MASc. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto, and an Honours BSc. in Zoology and Environmental Science and a BEd from the University of Western Ontario. His research interests include wind power generation, electromagnetics and power electronic applications for distributed generation. He will be completing his PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto shortly and joining the electrical engineering faculty of California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in early 2009 where he will continue his renewable energy research. He is committed to making renewable energy a strong component of the world's supply mix and to this end is currently involved in developing a Standard Offer Program Wind Power project in the local community.
José Etcheverry
Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University
David Suzuki Foundation
José is a member of the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University and also a research and policy analyst for the David Suzuki Foundation, where he has published research on renewable energy (Smart Generation: Powering Ontario with Renewable Energy) and on energy efficiency (Bright Future: Avoiding Blackouts in Ontario).
He also has represented the David Suzuki Foundation in the Alternative Energy Task Force organized by BC Premier Gordon Campbell and in the Climate negotiations held in Montreal (2005) and Bonn (2006).
José represents Dr. Suzuki in the Advisory Committee of Hon. Dwight Duncan, Ontario’s Minister of Energy.
In 2006 José was appointed by Hermann Scheer to become one of the chairs of the World Council for Renewable Energy.
Prior to joining the foundation José worked for the climate change team of the Global Environment Facility in Washington DC and also was an intern for the Mexican Electricity Research Institute.
His current research is focused on renewable energy technology transfer, training and education, climate change and energy policy.
José is also a researcher and Canadian correspondent for the global Renewables Status Reports (2005, 2006, and forthcoming 2007 edition), which are published by Worldwatch Institute on behalf of REN21 (REN21 is a global policy network organized after the 2004 International Bonn Conference on Renewable Energy, for details see www.ren21.net).
The 2005 global overview of renewable energy was released in China at the Beijing International Renewable Energy Conference (November 7-8 2005).
José also has taught environmental policy at Simon Fraser University and the Center for Environment of the University of Toronto. He currently teaches about climate change and sustainable energy policies at the Faculty of Environmental Studies of York University.
He is a Member of the Chairmen Committee of the World Council for Renewable Energy, the Steering Committee of the Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance also a Board Member of the British Columbia Sustainable Energy Association, the Windfall Ecology Centre and of Resource Efficient Agriculture Production (REAP Canada).
Mark Salerno
Mark is a recognized expert in sustainable housing and community design and is CMHC's media spokesperson on a broad range of housing issues.
Mark is one of 250 Canadians personally trained by U.S. Vice President Al Gore to present the live version of 'An Inconvenient Truth' as part of the Climate Project Canada Initiative.
Through CMHC, he works to foster public, private partnerships and coalitions in support of the creation of sustainable housing and communities. In this regard, he has spearheaded many successful sustainable housing demonstration initiatives such as Home 2000, The Sustainable Condo, and most recently the award-winning canühome. Collectively, they have been visited by over 300,000 people and have garnered significant media coverage including CTV's Live Earth telecast, Canada AM, and countless TV/Radio news spots, newspaper/magazine articles.
Through his former CMHC position ('98-'02), Sr Research Consultant, BC/Yukon, he managed over $2 million in research projects related to enhancing the energy efficiency and moisture managment of building envelope assemblies in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia.
Prior to joining CMHC he was a building science professor at Toronto's Seneca College as well as a designer, consultant and project manager on sustainable building design projects.
Mark has a Master of Architecture Degree and a Bachelor of Technology Degree and is a Member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He also is an active and enthusiastic participant in numerous committees and boards as follows:
- Member, CMHC Ontario Management Team & CMHC National Management Team
- Member, Royal Architectural Institute in Canada
- Executive Board Member & Treasurer, Canada Green Building Council Greater Toronto Chapter
- Executive Board Member, EcoSmart Foundation
- Member, Toronto Real Estate Board's Green Task Force
- Member, Ryerson University's Sustainability Certificate Program Advisory Council
- Advisor, George Brown College's Institute Without Boundaries
- Member, George Brown College Architectural Technology Program Advisory Committee
- Member, Humber College Sustainable Energy and Building Technology Program
- Member, Centennial College's Architrectural Technology Program Advisory Committee
- Member, Seneca College's Civil Engineering Technology Program Advisory Committee
- Member, Education Alliance for a Sustainable Ontario Steering Committee
- Member, Social Housing Asset Management Group Steering Committee
- Member, City of Toronto Green Development Standard Cost-Benefit Study Committee
- Member, Towerwise Energy Efficiency Education Action Committee (TEEEAC)
- Member, The Home Depot (THD) Eco Options Product Verification Advisory Committee
- Member, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Expert Advisory Panel
- Member, EnerQuality Corporation Partner Advisory Committee
Elizabeth McDonald
Executive Director,
Canadian Solar Industries Association
Elizabeth has been executive director of CanSIA since May of 2007. She has taken an active interest in the Association and has worked with the Board of Directors to help move the Association so that it responds to the growth of the industry. Since Elizabeth joined the Association, she has been involved in advocacy at both the federal and provincial levels in Canada. Given that the province of Ontario has introduced North America’s only feed-in (RESOP – Renewable Energy Standing Offer Program), a significant amount of CanSIA’s efforts have been focussed on that province. At the invitation of the government of Ontario, in early 2008 she chaired that province’s solar task force which has been asked to develop a strategy to meet a target of converting 100,000 homes to solar domestic hot water. The recommendations of that task force will be delivered to the Ontario Minister of Energy and Infrastructure on October 31, 2008.
Ms. McDonald moved the Association’s annual conference and trade show to Toronto in November 2007 where participation more than doubled from previous years. This event is expected to continue to grow in size and importance in the coming years. Recognizing the need for a trained and certified workforce to meet the demands of a developing industry, Elizabeth has worked with both the federal and provincial governments to upgrade the training programs available for solar across Canada in both official languages. She has recently joined the Board of the federal government’s Electricity Sector Counsel which concentrates on human resource issues. Working with the Electricity Sector Council she launched a labour market assessment of the solar industry across Canada which will be made public at CanSIA’s annual conference to be held in Toronto in December of 2008. She has also provided advice to both federal and provincial governments in terms of the market potential of solar within Canada and around the world.
Prior to joining CanSIA, Ms. McDonald worked with three trade Associations in various senior positions. During her 10 years as President and CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association, she was instrumental in ensuring significant increases to that sector through the introduction of tax credits and other funding mechanisms. She regularly represented the industry in front of Canadian broadcast regulator, the Canadian Radio, Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) as well as other federal and provincial governments’ committees and task forces. She was the voice of the Canadian production industry when it faced trade challenges from other jurisdictions, principally the US creators’ coalition. She helped open new markets and co-production opportunities for the Canadian production sector. Ms. McDonald was active on copyright issues. She represented Canada in the development of the international identifier number for audio-visual works (ISAN and V-ISAN) and she established an extensive national and international mentorship program through a number of both private and public sector partnerships. Elizabeth sat on the Board of FIAPF, the international producers’ association, the Board of Governors of the Banff Television Festival, and the Canadian Television Fund (CTF). Ms. McDonald has also worked as an independent consultant and has extensive project management experience.
Miguel Mendonça
Research Manager, Research Department
World Future Council
Miguel Mendonça is Research Manager for the World Future Council. His background is in forestry, horticulture, geography, history, journalism, social science and environmental ethics. He works in both research and advocacy, focussing on renewable energy policy. He has worked on four continents, campaigning, coalition-building and speaking, and is a member of the steering committee of the Alliance for Renewable Energy, promoting feed-in tariffs in North America. He writes articles, papers, comment pieces and reviews on renewable energy and other sustainability issues, is author of “Feed-in Tariffs: accelerating the deployment of renewable energy” and is co-writing a new book on decarbonising the global economy, entitled “A Renewable World – Policies, Practices, Technologies.”
Kathleen Law
State Representative
Michigan House
Elected to the Michigan House in 2002, State Representative Kathleen Law has brought her extensive experience in local government and her background in science and research to make her mark as one of Michigan's most authoritative voices on protecting the state's land, air and water. She is leading the fight against Canadian and out-of-state trash, sponsoring legislation that attacks the economics of the trash trade. She is a lead sponsor of legislation that will boost the use of renewable energy in Michigan through allowing citizens and businesses to produce renewable energy and feed it in to the power grid. She is also a tireless fighter for working class families and seniors supporting legislation to: extend unemployment benefits, raise the minimum wage and create programs to bulk purchase prescription drugs.
Rep. Law is a former research scientist, retired in 1988; and former mayor pro tem for the city of Gibraltar. She lives in Gibraltar. She and her husband, Richard, have one son and two grandsons.
Volker Thomsen
President and CEO
St. Lawrence College
Volker Thomsen assumed his duties as President and CEO of St. Lawrence College on October 1, 2000. In September 2004 St. Lawrence College Board of Governors appointed Volker Thomsen for a second five-year term, from 2005 to 2010.
Thomsen has more than 30 years experience as a successful founder, shareholder and CEO of a group of companies in the food, natural health products, pharmaceutical manufacturing and marketing sectors. He has, furthermore, during the same period been involved in renewable energy, particularly in Denmark and Germany. He participated in planning wind parks in conjunction with biomass reactors, enabling rural communities to combine energy in a meaningful way and be independent of outside supplies. September 2001, St. Lawrence established its first wind generator at the Cornwall Campus. Presently there are plans for a big wind generator on the Kingston Campus, and the College is engaged in a large-scale community plan for renewable energy. The solar, heat pump and wind fueled SLC Energy House is demonstrator in partnership with the local school boards. Thomsen is one of the visionaries behind the first $410 million wind park in Kingston that will be launched on Wolfe Island 2008/9.
May of 2006, Thomsen spearheaded the foundation of the World Wind Energy Institute; participants from institutes spanning five continents met on St. Lawrence College’s Kingston campus to activate this global network of educational and renewable energy institutes dedicated to student exchange and learning in the field of renewable and sustainable energies.
Thomsen has also been actively engaged in music and in the arts, both in Europe and in Canada. In this capacity he is also the founder of “Festivals on the St. Lawrence.” This international festival in Northern New York and Eastern Ontario is focused on music, art and heritage on both sides of the river.
Volker Thomsen has worked most of his life in his international businesses located in over 20 countries, including Canada. In addition to founding numerous successful international companies, Thomsen has participated on the boards of these companies as a director and as a shareholder. He was also a leading director of a small co-operative bank in his hometown Flensburg, an old Danish city on the German/Danish border, and remained on its supervisory board for fifteen years.
Thomsen's interest in education, adult learning and training began early in his career. Having experienced apprenticeship training first-hand, Thomsen is a strong advocate for apprenticeship programs, vocational programs and community colleges in Canada. He was a member of the Ministers Action Table and of the Ontario MTCU (Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) Training Branch Steering Committee for Reforming Apprenticeships, where he has participated in reforming apprenticeships and in creating a Co-op Diploma Apprenticeship program, an innovative approach which is expanding rapidly. During his membership of the steering committee the annual funding for Training and Apprenticeships in Ontario was increased from annually $ 500 million to $1.2 billion dollar and the intake was almost doubled to 26.000 apprentices annually. He was also the driving force behind SLC creating its first three bachelor degrees, and initiating the first two CITO funded applied research projects.
Thomsen has received numerous awards. Latest examples:
In 2003 the Greater Kingston Area Chamber of Commerce “Business Person of the Year”.
In 2006 he received two MTCU Apprenticeships awards.
In February 2007 He was honoured with the Kingston Technology Council Champion Award.
March 2007 “Klaus Woerner Skilled Trades Hall of Fame“ by Skills Canada in Kitchener.
In the future Volker Thomsen is dedicating his energy to leading and finalizing the World Wind Energy Conference 2008 in Kingston, supporting his wife in building the Thomsen Foundation for a Sustainable Future with the focus on economic development in clean energy, environment and supporting students in needs with training and learning. He is a board member of the World Wind Energy Association, of the World Wind Energy Institute and of the World Council for Renewable Energy and as an advisor for various governments he is involved locally and globally in policy preparation and advancement of energy efficiency as well as clean and sustainable energies and the resulting economic development.
His last book “Canada Enroute to Prosperity” an Inspiration for Innovation and Job Creation was a great success and has been used extensively by policy makers across the country. His next book “The One House Revolution” is an outcome of the conversion of his home to a fully self-contained unit including year round in door and outdoor vegetable growing.
“Winds of Change” the documentary film he has helped to create is in the final editing process and will in September start its virtual presentation tour in Eastern Ontario School boards via the educational program link hosted by local cable stations and from there continue on to the rest of Canada and USA.
Lily Riahi
Researcher
Local Governments for Sustainability in Freiburg, Germany
Lily Riahi is researcher at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability in Freiburg, Germany, focusing on local renewable policy frameworks and strategies. She is also a research and policy analyst for the Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance (www.canrea.org), is finishing her thesis on the International Renewable Energy Agency (www.irena.org) at York University, in Toronto, Ontario and has interned for the office of Dr. Hermann Scheer.
Lily is also working with students at different universities in Canada to develop a Canadian Renewable Energy Student Alliance (in partnership with CanREA) which will focus on providing students interested in the renewable energy industry with the tools, networks and resources to pursue their careers, in whatever sector of the industry that interests and inspires them.
Lily is a member of the steering committee of the Alliance for Renewable Energy (www.allianceforrenewableenergy.org), promoting Renewable Energy Payments (also known as feed-in-tariffs) in North America and the co-founder of LiMe– a consulting company focused on bringing a broader market appeal to renewable energy and green living.
After obtaining her BA in Political Science, Psychology, and Economics from the University of Toronto, Lily went on to gain experience in sales and marketing, creating experiential event-marketing campaigns for Fortune 500 companies like Rogers Communications and Proctor and Gamble. She now applies much of her experience to champion renewable energy and demand management.
Dr. Anil Shreedhar Kane
President
World Wind Energy Association
Born on 18th October 1941. Has
A Basic Degree in Mechanical Engineering, B.E.(Mech.)
A Diploma in Industrial Administration & Management
A Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
An L.L.B. (International Law)
Has more than 41 years experience in various fields:
PRESENT POSITION
1) Member of the CORE Group formed by the Govt. of Gujarat for
implementation of KALPASAR (development of Gulf of Khambhat project)
2) President, World Wind Energy Association
3) Corporate Advisor, Suzlon Energy Ltd.
4) Chairman, Indian Wind Energy Association
5) Director on Board, Paramount Ltd
6) Director on Board, Welspun Syntex Ltd.
7) Director on Board, Champion Jointings Ltd.
8) Governing Body, Babaria Institute of Technology
9) Governing Body, Birla Vishwakarma Mahavidyalay
10) Governing Body, Dakshinamurty Vidyarthy Bhavan
11) On the panel of Indian Council of Arbitration (ICA)
12) Member of International Council of Consultants (ICC)
13) On the panel of FICCI Arbitration & Conciliation Tribunal (FACT)
14) Research Advisory Committee Member, GSFC Science Foundation
15) Member Expert Committee, Vikram Sarabhai Award,Govt.of Guj.
16) Member of the Gujarat Coastal Area Development Board.
17) Member of the Senate of the M.S.University of Baroda
PAST EXPERIENCE
1) Vice Chancellor, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
2) At Suzlon Energy Ltd., Pune as whole-time Director.
3) At Essar Gujarat Limited, Hazira, Surat as whole-time Director.
4) At Finolex Industries Ltd., Pune as President & whole-time Director.
5) At Reliance Industries Ltd., Bombay/Hazira as Dy. Chief Executive looking
after Corporate Affairs & Planning.
6) Operations of the Calico Group of Companies as CEO & Jt.MD.
7) At Gujarat Industrial Investment Corporation Ltd., Ahmedabad as General
Manager (Engg.)
8) At Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd., Baroda
9) At CSMCRI Bhavnagar – A laboratory under the Council of Scientific &
Industrial Research (CSIR).
10) Research Advisory Committee Member – CSMCRI,Bhavnagar (A Laboratory
under CSIR).
11) Governing Body of Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA).
Received 3 National Awards viz.:
NRDC National Award
SS Bhatnagar Research Endowment Award and
The Award by the Federation of Gujarat Mills & Industries for “Research Conducive to the Betterment
of the Society” for his Scientific Research.
Holds four Indian Patents.
He has to his credit 51 Research Papers published in journals of repute in India and abroad.
Zhouqing Li-Thomsen
Founder
Thomsen Foundation for a Sustainable Future
Thomsen International Sustainable Energy Technology (Beijing) Ltd.
Born and raised in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, Zhuoqing Li-Thomsen attended Zhejiang University, was recruited and employed by the Zhejiang Provincial Ministry of Agriculture upon graduation, working as the Project Officer for the Department of International Economic Development back in the 80s.
This position required demanding communication skills with the municipal, provincial and federal governments, as well with the international high-profile politicians and corporate executives.
A few of the projects that Li coordinated were:
- Establishment of Xiaoshan Qianjiang Beer Factory in working with German beer breweries, among others the Maschinenbau Aktiengesellschaft from Bad Kreuznach was directly involved
- Nanhu Dairy Farm Products in Yuhang County of the Province in joint effort with New Zealand Dairy Board and German Arbeitsgemeinschaft Vieh-und Fleischwirtschaft
- Provincial partnership with the province of British Columbia in Canada
- Provincial partnership with the province of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany
In 1988 Li moved to Germany. There she worked with her husband in their own group of companies such as REXIM Lebensmittel GmbH, Volker Thomsen GmbH, in the area of manufacturing and trading of instant products, health food; and Yachtzentrum Nord GmbH, Yachtcentrum Denmark A/S, in the production, sales and services of yachts.
After moving to Spain in 1996, she worked as an entrepreneur and shareholder operating a successful property management firm Tops Thomsen Management Services S.L. with over 70 satisfied property owners as clients from North America and Europe.
In 1999 Li moved to Canada and attended St. Lawrence College, where she graduated from the School of Business with distinction, while raising a young family. During those years Li also got involved in internationally promoting Canadian postsecondary education, skills training for the renewable energy technology. She volunteered for the local and international initiatives for cultural, heritage and sustainability, personally hosting the event of “Celebrating the Creative Spirit”, having made substantial donations to St. Lawrence College and the local communities to infuse advancement.
Li serves as a director of the financial committee with the World Wind Energy Institute, which involves institutes spanning five continents jointly dedicating to students exchange and learning in the field of renewable and sustainable energy.
Li then founded Thomsen Foundation for a Sustainable Future, which has the mandate to provide scholarships to less fortunate young people for better education and international exchange in achieving enhanced inter cultural appreciation, with funds generated from the investments in sustainable and renewable energy.
The Foundation is engaging in various projects in renewable energy, with focus on wind power and training as viable options and crucial ways to reduce emissions, particularly in China. One major step forward has been taken to establish a company in Beijing: TISET Thomsen International Sustainable Energy Technology (Beijing) Ltd.
TISET, Thomsen International Sustainable Energy Technology (Beijing) Ltd., is about building servicing capacity for the sustainable technologies. Currently TISET is focusing on providing specialized engineering services to wind turbines and other renewable energy technologies, with Li being appointed as the China Representative for the German BZEE training standards for wind turbine installation and maintenance that is recognized and supported by the leading wind industry manufactures.
TISET is proud of its team who came from diverse and dynamic backgrounds with solid global experience, creative approach, proactive leadership, and exceptional reputation. Collectively, the TISET team brings with them expertise in both traditional and sustainable energy fields. Furthermore, TISET has established its creditability and reliability with a pool of over 100 engineers currently servicing the complex petroleum top-drive industry in over 30 stations around the world.
With over a decade of experience and proficiency in recruiting, training, promoting, and retaining highly qualified and motivated field engineers, TISET is in the process of transforming its engineering team with a comparable and specialized training in installation and maintenance of wind turbines, solar PV/thermal technologies, and other renewable energy solutions.
Li and her team have been actively supportive to the work of World Wind Energy Association and the Chinese Wind Energy Association. As recently at the 7th World Wind Energy Conference 2008, the pre-conference VIP reception was hosted at her beautiful home that is powered by renewable energy.
With strong adaptive capability and exceptional international experience, being fluent in Chinese, English, German and functional in Spanish, Li has developed a full range of international networks, working with numerous international professionals and leaders from the academic, industrial and political world. The Foundation and TISET are members and supporters of many regional, national and international renewable energy organizations, working together to reduce our ecological footprint and increase the economical value of our resources for many more generations to come.
