Argus Road Transportation Fuels Europe Conference

Sigurd Jørgensen

Director, Public Affairs, External Communications & Marketing , Yara Industrial Solutions

Sigurd Jørgensen is Director, Public Affairs, External Communications & Marketing in Yara Industrial Solutions. Firmly focused on its mission to “Responsibly feed the world and protect the planet” Yara is the world’s largest producer of AdBlue. Previously Sigurd worked in various sales and marketing roles for Shell in Oslo and London – from where he was one of four Directors who started automotive chemicals company Carix Group Ltd in a Management Buyout backed by 3i in 2000. Following the divestment of Carix to consumer and industrial chemicals group Kemetyl in 2005, Sigurd served in Group Director, Vice President and Managing Director roles there from 2006 to 2013, before joining Yara in 2014. Born in Norway, Sigurd has a BA with 1st Class Honours in Marketing from Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland.

Caroline de Jonge

Business Manager AdBlue/DEF, OCI Global

Caroline is the Business Manager of AdBlue®/DEF for OCI Nitrogen in Europe. She has nearly 18 years of experience in the Automotive sector in various functions ranging from Sales & Export to Business Development management. Currently she is leading the Business of the AdBlue® development within OCI Europe focusing on developing markets and sustainable/decarbonized DEF/AdBlue® related products.

Nico de Wijk

Manager Procurement, Kemetyl Nederland BV

Nico started his career in seafaring and logistics. Since the early 1990s he has held various procurement positions at Nike, Interface, DSM Niaga, BMI and eventually Kemetyl. He has extensive experience in the outsourcing of manufacturing and the procurement of raw materials for industrial purposes. Kemetyl specialises in chemicals for car care, industrial cleaning and leisure use, operates in more than 10 countries, and produces 88mn litres of fluids from its own production facilities, contract fillers and storage facilities around the world. Products are sold in packages ranging from bulk down to small consumer packages. Nico manages the procurement department for Kemetyl in the Netherlands.

Felipe Rodriguez

Deputy Managing Director, ICCT Europe

Felipe Rodríguez is the Deputy Managing Director of the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) Europe, and a global director of ICCT’s Heavy-Duty Vehicle Programme. His work focuses on reducing the climate and air quality impacts of transport through improvements in conventional and zero emission technologies. Prior to joining ICCT, Felipe worked in the automotive industry and in academia investigating the formation of pollutants in combustion processes. Felipe has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MSc in Automotive Engineering from RWTH Aachen University.

Jens Assmann

Business Management Ammonia Value Chain & Operations Amino Resins, BASF SE

Jens Aßmann heads as Vice President the Business Management of BASF’s ammonia value chain in Europe as well as BASF’s amino resins production. He held positions across the areas of innovation, strategy & business management at BASF. For three years, he worked as Staff to BASF’s CTO. Jens studied chemistry at the university of Göttingen where he received his doctoral degree in the field of Physical Chemistry. He founded a start-up in 2002 and joined BASF as a research scientist in 2003.

Robin Futcher

Managing Director, Commercial Fuels Solutions

Robin has over 27 years of experience designing and engineering fuel distribution systems. He is a member of several technical committees for gaseous and liquid fuel systems, including standards bodies BSI and ISO, and has consulted on regulatory and safety topics across petroleum, fuel oil, hydrogen, ammonia and AdBlue. He is responsible for the Energy Institute’s guidance on the correct and safe handling of NOx reduction agent, and is an advocate for minimising the environmental impact of refuelling. Robin is dedicated to advancing hydrogen technology within the commercial sector and ensuring its safe integration. He serves as the technical author for BSI Flex 2073 — a guide for hydrogen fuelling under the Department of Transport-funded Zero-Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator initiative — further demonstrating his role in shaping industry standards and safety for renewable and low-carbon fuels.

Zack Zhang

Director, Lightning Speed

Zack is founder and director of Lightning Speed. Before this, Zack was involved in producing fuel additives and environmental protection equipment, independently operating several full-process projects. He has developed his own fuel additives and devices, and established a production factory for these products. Zach’s aim is to make the world better through his products.

Tim Cheyne

SVP - Global Head of Agriculture, Fertilizers, Ammonia, DEF, Argus

Tim is Senior Vice President for the fertilizer sector at Argus. Tim worked a process manager at an ammonia/urea plant in South Africa before moving to the UK to join KBR (then M.W. Kellogg) as a process engineer in the ammonia technology team. More recently Tim has covered fertilizer and industrial nitrogen as a market analyst.

Bryn James

Analyst - Consulting, Argus Media

Hartfrid Wolff

Director-General Political Staff and Communications, Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Germany

Mr Wolff has been the Political Staff and Communications Director-General at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport since 2022. He was a Member of the German Bundestag from 2005 until 2013 and a Member of the Federal Executive Committee of the FDP between 2009 and 2015. After his admission to practise as a lawyer in 1999, he was appointed an authorised signatory for KPMG in 2002. In addition to his professional activities, Mr Wolff is involved in a wide range of voluntary work, for example in the Advisory Board of the Württemberg DLRG Water Rescue Foundation and in the Advisory Board of the German Firefighters’ Association. Between 2014 and 2022, he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Bar Association in Stuttgart and from 2014 until 2019 President of the Landesverkehrswacht (road safety organisation) in Baden-Württemberg.

Isabelle Weber

Director of Regulatory Affairs , Saipol (Avril)

Isabelle has been Director of Regulatory Affairs for Saipol (Groupe Avril) since 2022. Saipol is the leading French processor of rapeseed and sunflower seeds and one of Europe's leading crushers, refiners of vegetable oils and producers of biodiesel. Isabelle is a lawyer by training, with a master's in European law. She has worked in the agri-food sector for over 15 years, at a law firm and then at Danone as Director of Regulatory Affairs for France. Isabelle is also President of Esterifrance, which represents the interests of fatty acid methyl ester manufacturers in France.

Alemar Reine

Director Transport Development, Volvo Trucks

Reine Alemar, Director of Transport Development, is responsible for commercial future transport development regarding logistics, supply chain, and the sustainable energy transition journey for trucks. He has a managerial background in Engineering, Manufacturing, and Product Planning and has been responsible for commercial Global Product launches within Volvo Trucks. Reine is in frequent interaction with large (worldwide) oil, gas, and electricity companies on a strategic level, with peers in Aviation, Shipping, and Industrial usage, and with authorities regarding societal and policy aspects of future transports.

Lars Purkarthofer

Director of Public Affairs Germany, Austria and Switzerland, UPS

Lars has been UPS’ Director of Public Affairs for Germany, Austria and Switzerland since 2020, having held public affairs roles of increasing responsibility since 2008. He joined UPS on a part-time basis in 2003 while at university and worked in human resources after graduating, before taking responsibility for public affairs in the southern German federal states. In 2011, Lars moved to Berlin to manage UPS´ liaison office. From 2015, he headed the German PA team. With a subsequent organisational realignment, his portfolio was extended accordingly to cover Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He represents UPS in a range of leading industry associations including the Transport Committee at the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) and the National Express Association (BIEK). Lars holds a master’s degree in economics and political sciences from Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen.

Jemima Jowett-Ive

Renewable Gas Origination Manager, Shell Energy Europe

As head of renewable gas origination at Shell Energy Europe and Africa, Jemima is responsible for leading renewable gas trading strategy. Since 2019, she has been at the forefront of building and integrating a robust portfolio of solutions for the sector, crucial for supporting Shell’s ambitious customer decarbonisation strategies. Jemima has successfully achieved revenue growth and established strategic partnerships, delivering cutting-edge solutions to unlocking the full potential of renewable gas.

Scott Nelson

President and Head of Trading Refinery Feedstocks & Products, Reliance International

Scott Nelson is President and Head of Trading Refinery Feedstocks & Products for Reliance International, based in Dubai. Scott traded for Cargill in Singapore and Geneva. He joined Total in Geneva where he traded middle distillates globally before becoming global trading head for Socar Trading SA in Geneva. Prior to joining Reliance, he was President of Oil and gas for BP Middle East & East Africa. Scott has a degree in economics from the University of Melbourne.

Adam Sikorski

President of the Management Board

Adam is a co-founder of UNIMOT Capital Group, one of the largest private companies in Poland’s energy market, and has served as president of its management board since 2018. Before this, he was president of the management board at PZL Sędziszów, a leading domestic automotive filter manufacturer. He has an executive master of business administration and executive doctorate of business administration degree from the Institute of Economic Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. He is also a graduate of the Department of International Economic Relations at the Polonia Academy in Częstochowa and has a PhD in social sciences in the discipline of management and quality from the Faculty of Management of Częstochowa University of Technology.

Jay Morrod

Team Lead – Renewable Gas Analysis, STX Group

With more than a decade of professional experience, Jay has worked in trading, price reporting and analysis, including a four-year spell at Argus. During this time, he gained valuable insights into various products such as carbon, power, biofuels, fertilizers and biomethane. Jay currently provides in-depth analysis of renewable gas markets in collaboration with STX biofuels, carbon emissions and renewable electricity teams.

Xavier Noyon

Secretary General, European Biodiesel Board (EBB)

Brussels-based EBB is the association for companies producing biodiesel (HVO and FAME) in the EU and represents producers using all feedstocks — food/feed crops, waste, residues and other biogenic materials. Xavier has experience from previous roles at PEFC International, the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation, Logos Public Affairs and Orgalime. He holds a master’s degree in European public policy from Institut d’études politiques de Strasbourg.

Marco Lietz

Senior Public & Regulatory Affairs Manager, Neste

Marco Lietz is a senior public affairs professional with a passion for renewable solutions and sustainable mobility. Marco currently serves as Senior Public Affairs Manager for Central and Eastern Europe at Neste. He joined Neste in 2020. Neste is the world’s leading producer of renewable fuels, such as renewable diesel/HVO and sustainable aviation fuels. Before joining Neste, Marco worked as Head of Public Affairs and Communications Europe at the e-scooter start-up Circ (later acquired by Bird) in 2019-20. During that time, he led the launch of e-scooter sharing services in 15 countries in Europe and the Middle East. From 2014 to 2019, he held various positions as a public affairs consultant in Germany, most recently as team leader for energy and mobility at leading international communications firm Burson in Berlin. He studied political science and economics at University of Greifswald, Germany, and European Studies at Maastricht University, the Netherlands.

Maximilian Ruhe

Managing Shareholder, RUHE Biogas

Maximilian Ruhe is an industrial engineer and is responsible for the development and operation of plants that upgrade and liquefy biomethane and carbon dioxide from biogas. He specialises in plant engineering, sustainability management and marketing models for products made from biogas — especially biomethane, bio-LNG and bio-LCO2. After completing his master’s degree in international management, he worked in the start-up scene before setting up a new business division in family company RUHE.

Aleksandra Błazeusz

System Manager, ISCC System

Aleksandra Błazeusz is System Manager at ISCC System, focusing on the certification of sustainable fuels under the RED II (Renewable Energy Directive). With a strong background in environmental policy and a keen focus on social and ecological sustainability criteria, Aleksandra has been at the forefront of further developing sustainability requirements for the production and use of agricultural and forest biomass under ISCC certification.

Tobias Block

Head of Strategy and Content, eFuel Alliance

Tobias is an industrial engineer and Chief Strategy Officer at industry group the eFuel Alliance. He is an all-rounder when it comes to technical, economic and political challenges at the interface between renewable energies and the automotive industry. He studied energy and environmental management at the University of Flensburg, before obtaining a doctorate on eFuels business models at the University of St Gallen. He then worked for German automaker Audi, after which he joined the German Association of the Automotive Industry, where he co-ordinated the group’s renewable fuel activities.

Inga Landgrebe

Public Affairs Manager, GP JOULE Hydrogen GmbH

Inga Landgrebe is a public affairs expert with a special emphasis on hydrogen and mobility. Before joining GP Joule as Public Affairs Manager, Inga worked for many years at the German Bundestag, most recently heading the office of Federal Minister Cem Özdemir. Before that she worked as an economic policy adviser for the Green parliamentary group and as an adviser for various members of parliament. Inga studied in Maastricht, Seoul, Lisbon and Frankfurt (Oder) and has an MA and BA in European Studies.

Kai Bueber

Global Category Leader Diesel/Oil - Group Energy Procurement, Heidelberg Materials AG

Kai took on the position as Global Category Leader Diesel/Oil in 2023, with responsibility for the group-wide procurement of oil products such as diesel, heating oil, marine fuel, gasoil, bitumen, lubricants and petroleum coke. He started his career as a trainee in group energy procurement at Heidelberg Materials, formerly known as HeidelbergCement. After familiarising himself with a wide range of energy products and energy markets, he soon became responsible for the company’s oil-based liquid fuels portfolio. He studied Business Management (Entrepreneurship) at Edinburgh Napier University.

Magdalena Streijffert

Public Affairs Manager, Preem

Magdalena Streijffert has been Member of the Swedish Parliament, Secretery General for Fairtrade Sweden after that leading Fairtrade Internationals Advocacy work. She has been working as a Senior Consultant at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs and prior to her job at Preem she was Senior Public Affairs Manager at Neste covering Scandinavia.

Detlef Evers

Managing Director, Mittelstandsverband abfallbasierter Kraftstoffe e.V. (MVaK)

Detlef Evers has been working for the MVaK since 2015; a Berlin-based association representing the interests of key companies operating along the value chain for the production of waste-based and advanced biofuels. The members of the MVaK are based in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. He has been working in the field of biofuels since 1995. Before he joined the MVaK he worked for Archer Daniels Midland in different management positions. His first task in the biofuels segment was to market biodiesel produced by the first large-scale German biodiesel plant in Leer.

Frédéric Aertsens

Sector Group Manager for Sustainable Fuels, Cefic

Frédéric Aertsens is Sector Group Manager for Sustainable Fuels. Cefic represents Europe’s major fuel ether producers — MTBE, ETBE, TAME and TAEE. Cefic members support and disseminate scientific research on the benefits and impact of fuel ethers on vehicle performance, health and the environment, and advocate for science-based policy making, through active cooperation with regulators, legislators, industry, NGOs and the academic community. Frédéric is based in Brussels and has a background in EU environmental and energy law. He started his career at the European Commission before joining government affairs consultancy Dentons Global Advisors, where he oversaw the mobility practice, advising clients on EU and global emissions and vehicle safety policies.

Daniel Kaddik

General Manager, Bundesverband freier Tankstellen (BFT)

The BFT association represents a network of 530 companies in the field of fuel for cars and homes. Daniel is also part of the directors' group of the association of SME Energy Germany — Mittelstandische Energiewirtschaft Deutschland. Over the past 15 years he has he worked with national and local governments, politicians and non-governmental organisations in Germany, India, Russia, central Asia, southeast Europe and the EU. Daniel has degrees in Governmental Studies from the University of Erfurt, European Studies from the University of Hamburg and International Studies from the University of Birmingham.

Hanspeter Tiede

Chief Financial Officer, Lother Group (eFuel GmbH)

Hanspeter has spent 20 years working in the oil industry, firstly with BP and since 2005 with Germany energy company Lother. In his current role, Hanspeter is responsible for Lother’s financials and future business prospects, including solar energy, future fuels, e-mobility and sustainability.

Elmar Baumann

Managing Director, VDB

Elmar holds an engineering degree in biotechnology, with a focus on process engineering, and a Master of Industrial Engineering with advanced training in investment/financing, logistics and innovation management. Elmar has been working for the German Biofuel Industry Association since 2007. He originally served as a specialist for technology, economics and sustainability. Since 2009, Elmar has been the managing director of the association, where he has been representing the interests of the member companies in their dealings with politics and administration at national and EU level. Lately, he has engaged in the RED III energy directive, the CO2-fleet target regulation and the ETS II in Brussels.

Kevin Schaefer

SVP – Germany and Central Europe, Argus Media

Hagen Reiners

Editor – Oil Products, Argus Media

Hagen Reiners heads the Argus editorial team in Hamburg. He manages the O.M.R. Fuels and O.M.R. Intraday services. Since 2015 he has been working with the German oil products industry. He oversees the Argus coverage of the German markets for heating oil, diesel, gasoline, GHG quota, biomethane, AdBlue and Rhine freight. Before working at Argus, he worked as a journalist for various media such as Handelsblatt and Deutschlandfunk. He holds a Masters in Journalism from Brunel University in London and a Bachelors from Cologne University.

Benedict George

Deputy Editor - Oil Products, Argus Media

Benedict George is the deputy editor of the Argus European Products report. He began by assessing diesel prices when he joined Argus in 2019 and has since spread his coverage across the European products, during the disruption of the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He leads Argus’ coverage of the European refining industry in particular.