SPEAKERS

Luca Pedretti is a seasoned entrepreneur in the renewable power sector. As Co-Founder and COO of Pexapark, he has helped build the industry’s leading price-intelligence platform for clean energy, supporting hundreds of market participants across Europe and the United States. With nearly two decades of experience in trading, origination and renewables, he is recognised for his business-building mindset, deep expertise in risk management and clear thought leadership.

He is also a keynote speaker, podcaster and writer, sharing practical insights on PPAs, storage and the evolution of the next-generation IPP.

Laurent Villiers is a dynamic energy professional at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, serving as Associate Director in Global Procurement – Energy Sourcing Lead. Amongst other responsibilities, he specialises in global energy procurement and sustainability strategy, managing complex sourcing programmes across Europe and advising colleagues globally. He shapes renewable power contracts aligned with Merck’s decarbonisation roadmap.

Known for his negotiation skills, analytical rigour, and visionary leadership, Laurent leverages data-driven insights to develop innovative strategies and anticipate future challenges. His forward-looking approach balances creativity with awareness of short-, mid-, and long-term impacts, fostering agility and sustainable outcomes. 

Laurent’s career spans industrial and high-tech sectors, including procurement roles in manufacturing, IT, pharmaceuticals, and biotech. He holds an Executive Master in Energy Management from ESCP London (2022), a Clean Energy Solutions certificate from MIT (2024), and a Master in Business & Management earned in the mid-1990s.  

Based in Lyon and married, Laurent enjoys the arts, as well as swimming and badminton. A skilled handy person, he works with various materials, restores vintage cars, and rides his motorbike for track. He is a proud father of three, with his children working in Vancouver or pursuing their studies in Maastricht and Toulouse.

Jasmin is an experienced energy consultant with over four years at E&C Consultants, where she plays a key role in both the Belgian and German teams. She supports clients across Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and also serves as the coordinator for several large international accounts. In her work, Jasmin advises companies on energy procurement strategies, and the implementation and execution of those.

She holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability Science, Policy and Society from Maastricht University, which has equipped her with a strong understanding of the broader environmental and policy context in which today’s energy challenges unfold. While her professional focus is on energy markets and risk management, she remains passionate about integrating long-term, responsible thinking into client strategies.

In addition to her consulting role, Jasmin serves as a CSR Champion within the company—leading internal initiatives related to corporate social responsibility and promoting employee well-being through sports and health-related activities.

Outside of work, Jasmin is a dedicated sports enthusiast with a background as a semi-professional soccer player. She now enjoys running, Pilates, and yoga. A passionate advocate for healthy living, she enjoys cooking and baking plant-based meals and recently earned a certificate as a health coach to share this passion with people around her and promote holistic well-being.

Benedict graduated as a Master in Philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven. Writing a thesis on the philosophy of Karl Popper applied to the science and politics of climate change sparked his interest in energy transition and energy markets.

He started his career in 2000 in sales at GfE, an energy & environmental consultancy where in 2004 he became the manager of the environmental consultants team.

In 2005 he co-founded E&C and his professional bio as of then obviously highlights the main events in the history of the company. Benedict started as an energy procurement consultant, practising the basics of negotiating contracts, helping clients to hedge and checking invoices. As the team grew, Benedict started to focus more on helping the ever larger clients to develop and implement energy procurement strategies, conceiving and finetuning E&C’s unique risk management approach.

He also became a globetrotter, travelling all over the planet to set up offices, develop business and service clients. After becoming the majority shareholder in E&C in 2019, he focused on making E&C a scale-up company, enthusiastically putting in place teal management principles.

He also translated his experience in energy markets in the making of the ePoint product, acting as a product owner in the first years of the ePoint 3 and eCore data platform project. Together with co-CEO Jens, an inspired management team, the partners and the whole E&C family, Benedict is currently gearing everything up to make the company a leading global energy services business.
The many insights gathered during his unique professional experiences and encounters can also be found in the many blog articles and white papers authored by Benedict.

When he’s not working he is a passionate angler, finding inspiration for energy markets and E&C and personal balance on the banks of small lakes. 

Dina Karamarko is a dynamic and results-driven energy professional who has been with E&C since 2015. Specializing in international energy procurement and energy transition, she has expertly managed both European and global accounts. In 2024, Dina took on the role of Lead Partner, where she drives the strategic development and deployment of E&C’s innovative energy transition services.

Dina is known for her creativity, strategic planning, and strong time management, balancing complex projects while delivering impactful, solutions-oriented results. She thrives on new challenges and fosters a collaborative approach to problem-solving. At the core of her leadership is a deep commitment to motivating others and cultivating a positive attitude.

Passionate about empowering the next generation of consultants, Dina is equally dedicated to championing women in the energy sector. As an advocate for diversity and inclusion, she believes in the transformative power of a diverse workforce and actively works to create opportunities for women to step into leadership roles within the industry.

Her academic background includes a master’s degree in business management from the University of Zagreb and a second master’s in sustainable development from the University of Utrecht. Dina’s international perspective is further enriched by living in several European countries. Now based in the Netherlands, she continuously seeks new travel experiences that inspire both her personal growth and professional endeavours.

Outside of her work in the energy sector, Dina finds balance in creative activities such as cooking, gardening, photography and interior design, passions that provide relaxation and fuel her drive for excellence.

Jens Lievens is since 2024 co-CEO at E&C Consultants. While he defines the general strategy of the company together with Benedict, he supervises the daily operations with a focus on business development. Since August 2025, Jens is based in Toronto, Canada, to ensure the constant growth of E&C in North America.

After securing a bachelor's degree in French and English in 2006, Jens pursued his childhood dream into the professional handball arena, playing in Germany, France, and as the captain of the Belgian National Team. Returning to Belgium in 2015, Jens seamlessly transitioned his knowledge of languages and competitive spirit into a role as international business developer at E&C.

Jens is passionate about translating E&C’s visionary insights into clear and compelling presentations and messages. Whether he's addressing internal teams, a client's boardroom or a conference, Jens has become a sought-after speaker, leaving everyone both enlightened and uplifted.

When he's not shaping the future of E&C, Jens finds joy in spending quality time with his family. He also hits the gym a few times a week, embodying the same energy that he brings to the business arena.

Carolina is currently the Team Leader of the Consultants team and Lead Partner at E&C, with a deep passion for the energy sector and an insatiable curiosity for continuous learning.

She joined E&C in 2016 as a consultant for the Iberian and Latin American markets. Since then, she has played an active role in expanding E&C’s presence in these regions, contributing significantly to its growth into a global energy consulting firm.

For the past four years, Carolina has been leading the global team of consultants with a proactive, open-minded, and flexible approach. She places great importance on communication and people management, consistently fostering a positive and productive team environment. Carolina is driven by the opportunity to inspire others and guide them toward achieving shared goals.

Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in Energy and Mining Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, and a second Master’s in Leadership Principles from Harvard Business School. Her engineering education has equipped her with a solid analytical mindset, enabling her to solve complex challenges with creativity and efficiency.

Carolina thrives in multicultural environments, leveraging diverse cultural insights to develop innovative and tailored solutions. Based in Madrid and traveling extensively for both business and personal enrichment, she finds inspiration in diversity−through discovering new cultures, countries, and people. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new sports, artistic activities, and restaurants, always eager to step out of her comfort zone and try something new.

With a Bachelor of Science degree under her arm, Kathleen Peters started her journey at E&C Consultants 8 years ago. Primarily focusing on the Dutch and German markets, she extended her portfolio to the UK and Ireland clients after only one year as a result of her excellent performance.

Over these 9 years, Kathleen has made impressive strides in the roles and tasks she has undertaken. Starting as a country consultant, Kathleen stepped up to coordinate international clients before expanding and intensifying her expertise in green energy. She led the first PPA tender for Germany, and, since 2023, has embraced a full-time focus on energy transition at E&C.

This interest in sustainability is reflected in the part Kathleen plays in the execution of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility, an area in which Kathleen is constantly innovating to introduce initiatives aimed, on a smaller scale, at reducing our negative impact on the planet.

German native, Kathleen lives in The Netherlands, where she enjoys spending her time hiking.

Bart Verest has and educational background in International politics & diplomacy and Energy law at Ghent University, Belgium.

He has worked at E&C Consultants for more than 11 years as International energy procurement and sustainability consultant, coordinating European and global accounts. In the meantime he’s lead partner within E&C Consultants, responsible for energy policy and regulatory affairs. In this context, he’s involved in the ongoing regulatory evolution of the renewable and natural gas markets and the establishment of EAC’s for renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO’s).

In addition, he is co-founder of Navitas, an energy cooperative based in Belgium.