This year, the conference was supported by an Advisory Board consisting of:

Ewald Breunesse
Organisation: Shell Netherlands
Function: Manager Energy Transitions

Ewald Breunesse (1955) holds a masters’ in spatial- and business economics of the Free University in Amsterdam. In 1995 he obtained his Ph.D. on the thesis “Vision of pensions in the 21st century”. He started his career in food retailing, followed by retail banking and joined Shell in 1983. In Shell he was subsequently head marketing research, strategist in the Shell Pension Fund, corporate strategist in Shell Netherlands and change manager Retail. From 2000 to 2005 he was business manager of Shell’s electricity business in the Netherlands. His current position is Manager Energy Transitions. He is also communications focal point for Shell Netherlands on Shell’s long term scenarios in the media, for government, companies and (knowledge) institutes.

G.J. Lankhorst
Organisation: GasTerra
Function: Chief Executive Officer

Gertjan Lankhorst was born in Amsterdam on 22 December 1957. He worked at the VU in Amsterdam from 1982 to 1986. In 1986 he took up a position at the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the General Economic Policy Department. He held a number of positions at the ministry, including Director for Oil and Gas (1996-1999), Marketing Director (1999-2003) and Director-General for Energy (2004-2005).

Hansch van der Velden
Organisation: N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie
Function: Head of Corporate Communications

Hansch van der Velden (1965) holds a doctorate in the Dutch Language and Literature (University of Leiden). He started his career as a journalist for various newspapers in the Netherlands. Van der Velden then holds various management positions in both the commercial and public sector. In 1999 he was appointed Head of Communications at the Netherlands University Foundation for International Cooperation. In 2001 he entered the energy sector as Manager Marketing & Communications at Westland Energy Group. End 2005 he accepted the position of Head Corporate Communications at NV Nederlandse Gasunie, a European gas infrastructure company. Van der Velden is author of Elementaire Communicatie, a communications handbook much used in Higher Vocational Education/University in the Netherlands.

Ton Spoor
Organisation: VEMW
Function: Chairman of the Board