Juniors in Energy Finance (JiEF) 30 Under 30 Awardee Profiles

Juniors in Energy Finance (JiEF)
30 Under 30 – 2017 Awardees

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Juniors in Energy Finance (JiEF) is a national non-profit professional networking
organization for early to mid-career energy financiers across the energy finance sector.
Juniors in Energy Finance Overview
• JiEF’s membership is primarily composed of
500+ Analysts, Associates and Vice Presidents,
as well as Directors and Managing Directors
who are interested in connecting with and
helping to develop our members as they build
their careers.
• Membership consists of every bulge bracket
bank, major boutique banks and a number of
notable hedge funds and private equity firms,
all working across each industry subsector.
JiEF is committed to providing for the professional interests and needs of young energy financiers to aid our
members in establishing positive and lasting careers.
Membership
Mission
Leadership
• JiEF is led by a Board of Directors, comprised
of active members working to further the
group’s mission.
• JiEF’s executive team is comprised of
Executive Director, John Richardson, a national
Board of Directors and Regional Directors,
Jason Steinberg (NYC) and Mark Engstrom
(SF).

Signature Events
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Lunch Hour
Speaker Series
Quarterly
Happy Hour
• A lunch hour speaker series with distinguished energy sector professionals, some of whom advise
the network as it grows.
• Focus: industry current events, career development and advice from senior industry executives.
• The inaugural call was held with Ken Daly, President of National Grid New York.
• Frequency: Quarterly
• The Quarterly Happy Hour is JiEF’s signature event aimed at bringing together future leaders in
energy finance.
• Hosted at centralized venues, in private and semi-private spaces.
• Frequency: Quarterly
• JiEF held its inaugural 30 Under 30 awards in 2017 to honor our growing membership base and
acknowledge their contributions and achievements in the sector.
• The JiEF 30 under 30 Awards seeks to recognize exceptional individuals in our membership base.
The awards showcase the emerging energy finance leadership that JiEF brings together.
• Frequency: Annually
JiEF’s focus is the continued success of premier networking events and the creation of
new programming and resources tailored to our membership’s needs and interests.
30 Under 30
Awards

Signature Quarterly Happy Hours
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• JiEF was founded in 2015 as the result of a
successful proof of concept.
• The group’s membership has grown 150%+ over
the course of 2016 to 300+ members in NYC and
200+ in SF after its kick-off event in June 2016.
• JiEF’s focus on early to mid-career energy
finance professionals remains unrivaled by other
networking organizations.
Photos from JiEF’s NYC Event at Refinery
Rooftop, featuring 100+ existing and new
members.

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30 Under 30 Program Overview
Purpose:
The JiEF 30 Under 30 program seeks to recognize early career professionals making an impact in the
energy finance sector.
Selection:
The awardees were selected by JiEF’s 30 Under 30 Selection Committee based on their
accomplishments and contributions to energy finance. Members’ work includes investing, advising,
research and other relevant roles within the sector.
Future:
JiEF’s inaugural 30 Under 30 class will form the basis of an internal network for promoting the
organization and advancing members’ careers in the energy finance field.
JiEF 30 Under 30
Lucas Bifera, Alexa Chu, Kamal Daghistani, Mark Engstrom, Billy Malone, Alex Morgan, Jason Steinberg
Steering Committee

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NRG Energy
Dan Abbott
San Francisco, CA
Senior Analyst, Project Finance
Personal Information
• Hometown: Ridgewood, NJ
• Dartmouth College – B.A. Engineering Sciences
modified with Studio Art, 2010
• UCLA Anderson School of Management –
M.B.A. Finance, 2016
• Work Experience: NRG, Citibank and
SunEdison
• Affiliations: Grid Alternatives
“I think there’s a big opportunity at the intersection
of energy and finance to more efficiently connect
sources of capital with renewable energy
investments, and I would like to help optimize that
connection to drive the widespread adoption of
renewable energy globally.”
JiEF 30 Under 30 Awardee

6
Cypress Creek Renewables
Michael Baker
San Francisco, CA
Energy Storage New Market Development Associate
• Hometown: Singapore
• Duke University – B.S. Mathematics, 2015
• Affiliations: The Community Empowerment
Fund – 2015 Advocate
“Michael has been a leader in energy finance from
day 1. He rallied for the creation of a Sales Analyst
team at Stem, developed various creative solutions
to complicated large-scale project pricing requests,
and has continued to lead with conviction and
positivity.”
“I wanted to work in energy because I don’t think
there’s a more exciting industry to be in today. Not
only is energy fundamental to our society (no other
industry could function without it), but it is
undergoing such a rapid and extreme
transformation - especially driven by the growth in
new and renewable sources of power.”

7
U.S. Bank
Douglas Baker
New York, NY
Assistant Relationship Manager
• Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
• Wake Forest University – B.A. Economics &
Political Science, 2014
• Affiliations: U.S. Bank Development Network
“I love how energy finance is connected to
geopolitics.”
“I work to lend money and provide other financial
services (debt/equity issuances, treasury services,
cards, etc.) to help our oil & gas clients grow their
businesses.”

8
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Lucas Bifera
New York, NY
Energy Reporter
• Hometown: Albany, NY
• Fordham University – B.A. International Political
Economy, Chinese, 2013
• Affiliations: Bike New York, Fordham Mentor
“If energy is the lifeblood of society, then the ways
we as a society put capital behind energy has
major implications worldwide. When I realized this, I
wanted to position myself as best I could to
understand the nuances behind energy finance
both professionally, but also as someone who is
endlessly curious about what motivates people and
markets to transact in the age of climate change.”
“Millennials have only known the energy and capital
markets in a period of relatively abundant supply.
As our careers advance, I think our main challenge
will be adjusting our perspectives and being
creative when the cycle shifts into a period of
limited supply.”

9
Siemens Financial Services, Inc.
Thomas Boeje
Atlanta, GA
Senior Risk Manager, AVP
• Hometown: Long Island, NY
• SUNY Albany – B.S. Business Administration,
2011
• Affiliations: CFA Program – CFA Level II
Candidate
“Since starting in energy finance over 6-years ago, I
have remained committed to continuous learning
and improvement. Many parts of this industry are
significantly complex forcing investors to rely on
countless expert reports (legal, technical, market,
etc.), with each of these experts having minimal to
no risk in the transaction. In every transaction I try
to gain a deeper understanding of the issues that
drive these reports in order to make informed
investment decisions for my institution.”

10
Sustainable Capital Finance
Steven Campbell
San Jose, CA
Project Manager
• Hometown: Park City, UT
• Westminster College – B.S. Physics, 2014
“Steve began his career working as a solar installer
at Intermountain Wind and Solar. He started as an
entry level Solar Installer responsible for the
installation of commercial and residential solar
systems. Steve joined the Sustainable Capital
Finance team to provide technical installation and
design expertise in a dynamic and high tech market
during their financing process.”
“Steve is interested in finance and economics and
enjoys amateur securities analysis. Specifically,
Steve watches global trends and how they affect
the renewable energy industry.”

11
Capital One
Alexa Chu
New York, NY
Commercial Portfolio Manager
• Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
• Yale University – B.A. Political Science, 2011
• Affiliations: Capital One Women’s Network
“Energy finance is an exciting, growing industry that
is crucial to our future. Day to day, you can see the
tangible impact of your work. I have the opportunity
to innovate throughout the process, including the
type of deals I close, the financial structure used,
the technology involved, and the deal closing
process.”
“I built the Alternative Energy business line from the
ground up, developing the deal process, writing the
policies and procedures, and tailoring the market
strategy to maintain a competitive edge.”

12
Capital One
Kamal Daghistani
New York, NY
Project Finance Analyst
• Hometown: Miami, FL
• University of Miami – B.A. Finance, 2014
“Kamal has a strong desire to accelerate the clean
energy transformation, creating a positive social
impact through improved environmental, health and
economic issues.”
“I go beyond my responsibilities at work to achieve
a sustainable future by taking on personal tasks
that accelerate clean energy deployment (e.g.
conducting pro-bono research, collaborating to
share and spread ideas).”

13
Brookfield
Andrew Ehrlickman
New York, NY
Associate
• Hometown: Ridgefield, CT
• Pennsylvania State University – B.A. Finance,
2011
• Affiliations: Youth Inc.
“I had a concentration in college in engineering
entrepreneurship, which compounded my move to
the industry. As a Senior Associate at Citi, I worked
in a principal investing and lending arm. The group
analyzed principal investments, specializing in the
power, energy and alternative energy markets.”
“I believe a personal highlight has been to expand
upon my experience focusing on mostly power and
renewables at Citi and expanding further into
broader infrastructure at Brookfield.”

14
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Bethany Gorham
New York, NY
Product Manager, Renewable Energy
• Hometown: Laguna Beach, CA
• Texas Christian University – B.B.A. Finance and
Marketing, 2013
• Harvard University – M.L.A Sustainability and
Environmental Management
• Affiliations: Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC), National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL)
“The complexity, volatility, and continuously
transforming nature of energy systems means that
by choosing a career in energy finance I will never
stop learning, I will constantly be challenged, and I
will always get to play some pinnacle role in helping
markets transition towards sustainable energy
futures.”

15
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Kyle Harrison
New York, NY
Analyst
• Hometown: Basking Ridge, NJ
• University of Colorado, Boulder –
Environmental Studies, 2013
“I have had a passion for clean energy my whole
life, and affordable energy access is one of the
most pivotal issues in both developed and
developing economies today.”
“I have advised large corporations on purchasing
clean energy, and have met with major
stakeholders in emerging economies such as
Liberia and Rwanda to advise them on ways to
catalyze investment into their energy sectors.”

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Yale School of Management
Kris Holz
New Haven, CT
MBA/MEM Join Degree Candidate
• Hometown: Oakland, CA
• UCLA – B.S. Environmental Science, 2012
• Yale University – SOM & FES, Focus on Energy
Finance & Policy, 2018
“Long-term, I hope to develop the skills and
expertise to move the national conversation around
renewable energy finance forward. I’ve worked at
many different touch points of energy finance, from
policy at the CPUC, development at SunEdison, VC
during my last summer internship with DBL
Partners, and now to structured and project finance
with the Green Bank. I hope to continue this
approach, developing a well-rounded base of
knowledge with which to approach the problems
facing the energy industry and find solutions that
support the well-being of energy’s diverse set of
stakeholders.”

17
Advanced Microgrid Solutions
Vishvesh Jhaveri
San Francisco, CA
Director, Project Finance & Strategy
• Hometown: Mumbai, India
• Mumbai University – B.S. Mechanical
Engineering
• Stanford University – M.S. Management
Science & Engineering
“I have consciously built a career trajectory to get a
unique experience of developing and financing
solar, wind and energy storage projects to place me
in an interesting situation to capitalize on the
growing influence of energy storage to accelerate
the next stage of renewable energy penetration.”
“My long term goal is to develop to run a renewable
energy company in India and working in project
finance gives me a wide angle lens into a wide
variety of aspects in the energy industry. I believe
that access to capital is going to be a major driver
to the renewable energy future we want to
achieve.”

18
Cypress Creek Renewables
Michael Johnson
San Francisco, CA
Associate, Project Finance
• Hometown: Manor Park, NY
• Cornell University – Applied Economics &
Management, 2011
“Prior to working in energy finance, I worked at a
bank helping manage trading book risk…ultimately
I didn't feel like I was having the impact on society
that I wanted through my career. Eventually, I
taught myself how to build a solar proforma
financial model and decided to move to San
Francisco to work for SunEdison.”
“Being in an industry that has proven to change on
a weekly (if not daily) basis, it's difficult to forecast
specific goals. I want to promote environmentally
sustainable energy solutions that can stand on their
own two legs through an economic lens. As long
as my career continues to grow on that path, I'll
consider it a success.”

19
New Island Capital
Thomas Lee
San Francisco, CA
Private Equity Associate (Impact Investing)
• Hometown: Anaheim, CA
• University of California, Berkeley – B.S.
Business Administration & B.A. Economics,
2014
• Affiliations: Clean Energy Leadership Institute
“My work and leadership experiences have allowed
me to develop a multi-disciplinary perspective to
energy finance. Impact investing is unique in the
sense that it sits at the intersection of finance, the
private sector, government, and nonprofits…I have
refined my finance knowledge and understanding of
corporate strategy. Additionally, I completed a
fellowship and hold a leadership position at the
Clean Energy Leadership Institute, where I studied
public policy and analyzed the renewable energy
market.”

20
Citi, Alternative Energy Finance
Jerry Li
New York, NY
Senior Associate
• Hometown: State College, PA
• Penn State – B.S. Economics & Statistics, 2012
“I've worked on both sides of the table in financing
renewable energy project, with sponsors as an
advisor to raise capital and as an investor in
sponsor/projects.”
“As a provider of capital to renewable energy
projects, my goal is to help push renewable energy
further in the generation mix across America.”

21
Ares Management (Ares EIF)
David Lynch
New York, NY
Vice President
• Hometown: Cleveland, OH
• Harvard University – B.A. Government, 2012
“I’m an energy nerd. Whether in a car, train or on
sitting on a plane, I’m constantly pointing out the
power plant within sight to whoever is next to me
(much to their dismay). While most people take
electricity for granted, it is everywhere and
essential to our national security and economy. To
work in this industry, it requires hard work and
perseverance. To learn something is not always
straightforward and that makes it all the more
rewarding.”

22
Karbone
Roshni Mali
New York, NY
Director
• Hometown: Montreal
• McGill University – Environmental Science
• Columbia University – M.S. Sustainability
Management
“I have always wanted my work to have far-
reaching benefits. The energy sector has one of the
largest impacts on climate change and I felt it would
be a great industry to make a difference. Capital is
necessary to facilitate change. I'm excited to play a
hands-on role in acquiring and managing
renewable energy assets and to be part of the
sector's accelerated growth.”

23
Siemens Financial Services
Michael Moreno
Hoboken, NJ
Associate Vice President
• Hometown: Norfolk, MA
• Villanova University – B.S.B.A. Finance &
International Business, 2011
“Mike is an invaluable resource on Siemens
Financial Services Energy Risk Management team.
He is motivated, eager to assist in any project and
provides an excellent quality of work.”
“I strongly believe that with hard work and focus,
anyone is capable of achieving any goal. As a
result, my goal is to one day be a member of
Siemens' Managing Board.”

24
Boston Consulting Group
Kedar Reddy
Dubai, U.A.E.
Associate
• Hometown: Branchburg, New Jersey
• London School of Economics – BSc
Management, 2013
• University of Cambridge – M.Phil Real Estate &
Finance, 2014
• Affiliations: Board Member Easter Seals NY
“Energy Finance is one of the most important
industries with significant economic and geopolitical
implications. It is an industry that is constantly
changing, especially in the Middle East where I am
currently based.”
“I was part of the transaction execution team for a
large Middle Eastern national oil company (NOC)
that is planning on going public. From a learning
perspective, I was able to get a thorough
understanding of the operational requirements
needed to take a large company public.”

25
CohnReznick Capital
Adrian Ruiz-Grossman
San Francisco, CA
Senior Associate
• Hometown: Madrid, Spain
• European University of Madrid – B.B.A.
Business Administration
“I like the fact that we are building a more
sustainable future for the future generations, while
at the same time, working in an intellectually
challenging environment.”
“I would like to continue to grow my professional
skills in the energy finance sector with the ultimate
goal of bringing clean energy to the developing
world.”
“Adrian has lead the complex financial modeling
efforts for our team, proving himself to be a
valuable asset to any transaction we take on.”

26
Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Nathan Serota
New York, NY
Senior Analyst, U.S. Solar
• Hometown: Miami, FL
• Princeton University – A.B. Geosciences, 2014
• Regularly provides pro-bono feedback to the
U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. research
universities.
“I believe that, when done correctly, clean energy
infrastructure development is both an attractive
long-term investment proposition and the most
practical climate change solution available today.”
“I work on teams of analysts tasked with answering
complex questions about the future of the U.S.
solar energy industry: How might a ‘trade war’ with
China impact the next five years of domestic solar
installations? Can electric utilities swap solar for
coal power without increasing customer bills?”

27
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Gina Spilatro
New York, NY
Assistant Vice President
• Hometown: New Jersey
• St. Lawrence University – B.A. Economics &
Environmental Studies
• Affiliations: Water.org, Australian Cattle Dog
Rescue Association, Eleventh Hour Rescue
“I have always been passionate about the
intersection of the environment and economics,
stemming from my love of the outdoors and
household discussions that revolved around the
family business (a ski, pool, and patio
store)…When it came time to choose a career path,
it was clear that energy finance would be a good
fit.”
“Tax Equity is one of the most complicated
positions in the project finance capital structure. I
enjoy the daily challenges of negotiating and
underwriting highly structured transactions that
bring renewable energy to the grid.”

28
CohnReznick Capital
Michael Tatarsky
New York, NY
Vice President
• Hometown: Wayne, NJ
• Brandeis University – B.A. Economics
Business, 2012
• Affiliations: CFA Program – CFA Level III
Candidate
“Mike became one of our youngest Vice Presidents
in the firm's history this year. His maturity, poise
and dedication to clients has helped to achieve a
large number of successful outcomes for our
clients.”
“I fell into energy finance by chance, but I decided
to stay in renewable energy finance and I’m
thankful that I did. This is a lifelong vocation.”

29
Stem
Tom Thunell
San Francisco, CA
Manager, Business Development
• Hometown: Columbia, SC
• Brown University – Economics, 2010
• Affiliations: America SCORES
“At Stem, I focus on utility business development,
partnerships, and new market development. While
there, I have led transaction structuring and
execution with some of the largest utilities, retailers,
and corporate customers in the U.S.”
“It is an incredible time to be in the energy industry,
and in particular the energy storage industry, given
the rapidly evolving and growing market.”

30
StormHarbour Partners, LP
Evan Turner
New York, NY
Director & Head of Oil and Gas
• Hometown: Wilton, CT
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges – B.A.
Geoscience and Environmental Studies
• Affiliations: Independent Petroleum Association
of America, Society of Petroleum Engineers,
Young Professionals in Finance, ADAM-
Houston, Central Park Conservancy, New York
Road Runners, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center
“It is the most important industry. You can't do
anything without energy. You need finance to bridge
the gap to get these large-scale projects to
operation.”
“Evan is exception, he brought the largest deal to
StormHarbour in the firm's history - $1.0 billion+. As
a young guy he’s achieved quite a bit”

31
Morgan Stanley
William Vijverberg
New York, NY
Vice President
• Hometown: Dallas, TX
• Stanford University – B.A. Economics, 2010
• Stanford University – M.S. Statistics, 2010
“At Morgan Stanley, I have worked in both the
commodities group (2010-2016) and the investment
banking group (2016-2017). I was a power
originator and led (as principal) hedge off-take
negotiation on over 2,000 MW of greenfield wind
and natural gas facilities. In the investment
banking group, focused on advisory and financing
opportunities across the power and utilities market,
with key concentration around renewable / clean-
tech alternatives.”

32
U.S. Bank
Hamish Weerasinghe
New York, NY
Associate, Loan Sales & Trading
• Hometown: Lower Hutt, New Zealand
• Bradley University – Accounting
• Affiliations: Minds Matter
“I thought energy finance was the best environment
to learn the credit side of banking, as it is dynamic
and constantly changing. Everyday I get to perform
credit analysis activities for the investment grade oil
and gas portfolio at U.S. Bank.”
“In the future, I’d like get my MBA and work to start
my own business.”

33
Wells Fargo
Bari Wien
San Francisco, CA
Assistant Vice President, Environmental Finance
• Hometown: Woodmere, NY
• Dartmouth College – B.A. Environmental
Studies & Economics, 2010
• University of California, Berkeley – M.B.A.,
2015
• Affiliations: Team in Training, The Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society
“I’m passionate about the environment, reducing
emissions/combatting climate change. At the same
time I enjoy quantitative, transactional work
resulting in high quality renewable energy
infrastructure.”

34
CohnReznick Capital
Michael Yurkerwich
New York, NY
Vice President
• Hometown: Fairfield, CT
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology – B.S.
Materials Science & Technology
“Mike's constant solutions oriented approach to
transactions and his ability to create in-house
structures to solve future transaction challenges led
to him being named one of the firm's youngest Vice
Presidents.”
“I have been passionate in my pursuit of energy
and finance throughout my career as I originally
targeted my studies at MIT towards earning
degrees in both Materials Science and Engineering
as well as Finance.”

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