Speakers 2024: from V to Z
Click on the speaker’s name to read his/her biography
Nicolas VALLIN
Senior Consultant , Dassault Systemes
• 7 years as Global Battery Industry Consultant in charge of developing strategy, solution portfolio and supporting customer projects on Battery sector @Dassault Systèmes • Background in Corporate Strategy in Energy, Materials and Natural Resources • Member of the Digitalization Task Force for BatteRIes Europe (2020) • Advisory board member of LiPLANET (2021) • Member of COS - Conseil d'Orientation Strategique - of French PEPR (2024) Title abstract: Virtual Twins and digitalization to foster collaboration and accelerate battery design and manufacturing
Gert-Jan VAN DER HAVE
DEKRA
With expertise in battery testing and certification, e-mobility, energy storage, and waste treatment & circular economy compliance, Gert Jan integrates strategic vision and practical experience across product lifecycles, including batteries and Energy systems. Globally seasoned, he thrives on solving intricate challenges in the sustainable economy, actively contributing to their resolution. Prior to joining DEKRA, he was active in management and compliance roles within the battery industry.
Eric VANLATHEM
Senior Application Engineer, Dow
Eric Vanlathem holds a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the Brussels University, obtained on high temperature superconductors. He joined Dow Corning in 1994. After 3 years in a R&D role, he moved to a technical customer interface function, touching varied markets and applications such as microelectronics, optoelectronics, automotive, data network, specialty coatings for consumer market. He then focused for five years on the power electronics market, with global reach. In 2014, he is the Global Technical Support Engineer to Bosch, providing Bosch with newest silicone technologies and supporting high impact projects. With high focus since 2020, he is technically supporting the newly developing market of Batteries and e-motors for EVs. Title abstract: Battery Fire Protection: Mitigating the Hazards of Electric Vehicle Thermal Runaway Events
Grégory VIALLARD
Sales Development Manager, CRITT M2A
Title abstract: New and advanced testing solution for swelling
Yann VINCENT
CEO, Automotive Cells Company
Yann Vincent is Chief Executive Officer of ACC since its creation in 2020. Prior joining ACC, Yann was Industrial and Logistics Director of PSA Group, Member of its Executive Committee (2014-2020). From 2009 to 2014, he was Director of Operational Performance and a Member of the Executive Committee at Alstom Transport. In 1982, Yann Vincent joined the Renault group where he held the posts of Plant Director, Programme Director, Group Quality Director and Director of Renault in Russia (AvtoVAZ). Yann Vincent is a graduate of the Ecole Centrale de Paris (1980) and holds an MBA from INSEAD (1989). He also holds a Certification on Companies’ Board Directorship from Sciences-Po Paris (2024).
Weimin WANG
Product Manager, Sila Nanotechnologies
Tutorial: Powering the Future of EV Vehicles: Replacing Graphite with Sila's Titan Silicon Anode
Lukas WEHRLE
Application Specialist Battery Simulation, Batemo Gmbh
Dr.rer.nat. Lukas Wehrle studied Chemistry with focus on chemical technology, catalysis and electrochemistry. He completed his doctorate on multiscale modelling of the electrochemical-thermal processes in solid oxide cells at the Institute for Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry (ITCP) at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In 2023, Dr.-Ing. Lukas Wehrle joined Batemo as Application Specialist for Battery Simulation. As such, he develops customer specific solutions for companies from different industries such as power tools, light mobility, automotive, aerospace, industrial and cell manufacturing sectors. Title abstract: Battery Cell Design Revealed – Why Batteries Are Built The Way They Are
Lena WEIGOLD
Product Manager, RETSCH
Philipp WENZ
BASF Battery Materials and Recycling
Philipp Wenz is Head of Key Account Management Battery Recycling at BASF Battery Materials. He holds a diploma in Chemical Engineering from technical university Dortmund (Germany), where he graduated in 2001. Philipp joined BASF in 2006 as Application Development Engineer and CAE Engineer. During his 18-year career with BASF, Philipp held various positions in Sales and Key Account Management. He has diverse experience and expertise in areas such as business development, negotiation, market intelligence, and sales leadership and has a strong focus on driving sustainability and innovation. The cornerstone of his expertise lies in steering key account relationships and guiding international teams towards groundbreaking achievements in the battery recycling sector. Under Philipp's leadership, his team's mission at BASF is to innovate and drive sustainability, which they contribute to by forging strategic partnerships and executing sales initiatives across Europe and Asia. Title abstract: Building a sustainable battery value chain
Nils WIECZOREK
Head of Research and Development, Stiftung GRS Batterien
Dr.-Ing. Nils Wieczorek is Head of Research and Development at the Stiftung Gemeinsames Rücknahmesystem Batterien (GRS Batteries Foundation). After receiving his PhD, he worked at the Hamburg University of Technology as a senior research associate in the field of resource economics. As part of his dissertation and work as a research assistant, he managed the Innovation Center Hamburg. The center's research focused on novel refinery concepts and renewable energies. Nils Wieczorek studied environmental engineering and biochemistry engineering. Title abstract: A sustainable recycling concept for lithium batteries: Status, challenges, and prospects
Bill WILLIAMS
Global Director-Business Development-EV Battery, Baltimore Aircoil Company
For the past 25 years Bill has held executive positions, specifically in the electric vehicle industry. Bill was the Director Commercial Sales at Proterra, Inc. - focusing on Commuter Shuttle/Transportation solutions at all Airports, Universities and Corporations. He was responsible for growing Proterra’s airport business from 1 to 13 airport partners including deployments at JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, as well as SFO, San Diego, Sacramento, & San Jose airports. He also was responsible for Electric buses and infrastructure added to the fleets at Harvard university and university of Georgia, and a full bus fleet electrification of Alabama A&M. Prior to joining Proterra, he spent 6 years working on EV infrastructure for airports, workplace and universities as well as smart city projects. Bill convinced Elon & the SpaceX team to install 30 level 1 chargers in their parking structure for employees. He has presented at the Pentagon, Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Energy. Bill continues to be a passionate and knowledgeable, (“EVangelist”), spokesperson for the EV Industry. Title abstract: We are now proudly and efficiently Cooling more than 40 Giga Factories worldwide.
Martin WINTER
Scientific director, MEET Battery Research Center, Univeristy of Münster
Martin Winter has been researching in the field of electrochemical energy storage and conversion for more than 30 years. His focus is on the development of new materials, components and cell designs for advanced energy storage systems. Martin currently holds a professorship for “Materials Science, Energy and Electrochemistry” at Institute of Physical Chemistry at University of Münster, Germany. He is founder and scientific director of MEET Battery Research Center at Münster University and of Helmholtz-Institute Münster (HI MS) “Ionics in Energy Storage”, a division of Forschungszentrum Jülich (National Lab in Germany). Among more than 60 awards and recognitions, he is an elected member of National Academy of Science and Engineering, the State Academy of Sciences and Arts, is an officer of the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class of Germany and spokesperson of German Battery Research. Title abstract: Polymer-based high energy density batteries: opportunities and challenges
Sebastian WOLF
COO, PowerCo
Sebastian Wolf is Chief Operating Officer of PowerCo and has been appointed as Executive Board Member in May 2022. Previously, he served as the Chief Operating Officer Battery Cell Production in Volkswagen AG and Head of Operations Battery Cell from August 2021 to Mai 2022, before foundation PowerCo. Before joining Volkswagen, Sebastian was Regional President Europe and Vice President in the Automotive Business Unit of Farasis Energy from May 2020 to July 2021 and as Senior Director Operations and Managing Director of Farasis Energy from August 2018 to May 2020. He also worked for Boston Consulting Group as Advisor and Global Lead Expert Battery Production and Electromobility from October 2017 to July 2021. Sebastian has lived in several cities and different countries among which Aachen, Stuttgart, Istanbul, Columbia and Shanghai. He now lives close to Salzgitter, Germany, together with his wife and two children. He has a passion for sports cars, Chinese food and pushing for scale up of electromobility as a contribution to a more sustainable world.
John WOZNIAK
Founder, Energy Storage and Power Consulting
Zhen WU
Founder & general manager, CinoApex Thermo Technology (Suzhou) Co
Dr. Zhen Wu, the founder and the general manager of CinoApex Thermo Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd, is an industrial veteran for inorganic materials. After completed academic education in Tsinghua university in China, He studied material science in University of Minnesota in U.S. and got Ph.D. degree in 2007. After graduation, he pursued his professional career in several famous international companies, growing from a principal scientist to a business leader for cathode material division. With a kiln expert together, they founded CinoApex in 2021 to develop an innovative kiln system to improve productivity and reduce energy consumption remarkably for the calcination of battery active materials. Title abstract: An Innovative Tunnel Kiln: The Next Generation of Kiln for Battery Active Materials’ Calcination
Gautam YADAV
Chief Technology Officer, Urban Electric Power
Dr. Gautam Yadav is the Chief Technology Officer at Urban Electric Power (UEP), where he is responsible for the development its core technology and scaling up its production. Prior to UEP, he led the developmental efforts of the zinc|manganese dioxide, zinc|nickel and lithium-ion technology at the Energy Institute at City University of New York. He is the lead inventor of the 2nd electron technology and high-voltage (>2.5V) zinc|manganese dioxide technology. He has published >30 peer-review papers in leading journals like Nature Communications, ACS Energy Letters and Advanced Energy Materials, 3 book chapters and patented >20 innovations licensed to UEP and other institutions. Title abstract:Progress with Manufacturing and Deploying Zn|MnO2 Batteries for Grid-Scale Applications
Marina YAKOVLEVA
Director, R&D and New Business Development, Arcadium Lithium
Yettie YI
Vice-President, Shanghai Metals Market
Yettie Yi is a seasoned business leader with over 10 years of experience in strategic consulting and market intelligence. She has extensive experience in market entry strategy, global footprint strategy, due diligence and business planning, with industry competence in Battery Materials, Recycling business, Metals & Mining industries. Prior to that, Yettie used to work for a German Strategy Consulting firm as a Project Manager, specializing in Chemicals and Mechanical industries.
John ZHANG
CTO/CSO, Polypore International LP
John is recognized as the leading authority on lithium-ion battery safety and separators. He is a leader in establishing lithium-ion battery industry standards (P1625, P1725, and CTIA) through the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He has chaired and/or organized more than 60 international conferences and delivered more than 60 invited keynote or plenary speeches at various international conferences. John has published more than 192 patents, >150 papers, and 4 book chapters, including the first ceramic coating separator patent (US 6, 432, 586) and some of the most cited papers (Chem. Reviews, 2004 and Li-ion safety papers 2006-now). Dr. Zhang received Ph.D. in Material Chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Tutorial: Enabling High Energy Density, The secrete of battery separator (Definition, Measurement and Progresses)
Bob ZOLLO
Solution Architect, Keysight Technologies
Bob started at Hewlett-Packard in 1984. During his 38 years with HP, Agilent, and now Keysight, Bob has been part of the company’s marketing and R&D organizations for power supplies, electronic loads, power analysers, data acquisition equipment, and test systems. Now, as a solution architect, Bob is responsible to create Keysight’s battery testing solutions roadmap by researching customer and industry trends and developing plans to meet emerging customer needs. He was product manager for several generations of power supplies, including the first modular power system introduced by HP in 1989. He has also managed Agilent’s power supply test systems business, wireless power business, and battery test systems business. Bob holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. Title abstract: Digital Twins for Design and Test