Former Energy Boss Joins Advisory Board of Erasmus Centre for Future Energy Business
Two decades of high-level experience from deep within the integrated energy business have been added to the <link research centres future-energy-business>Erasmus Centre for Future Energy Business (ECFEB) at ERIM, with the appointment of Volker Beckers as Chairman of the specialist research centre’s Advisory Board.
The appointment was announced by <link research centres future-energy-business centre advisory-board>ECFEB Director, Professor Wolf Ketter on Friday, 1 November 2014. “Volker Beckers’ extensive experience of the European energy business and market is extremely valuable and covers all points in the value chain, from generation to the point of use, and within regulated and non-regulated business such as transmission and the distribution grid. His knowledge of commercialising and bringing new and alternative technological developments to commercial maturity is important as the ECFEB seeks to develop the business foundation for tomorrow's energy markets,” said Prof. Ketter.
“I’m delighted to welcome him to the <link research centres future-energy-business centre advisory-board>ECFEB Advisory Board. Not only has he extensive knowledge of the energy sector, but he is a real and recognized leader within the whole industry. Tapping into the industry network will enable more efficient collaboration and targeted projects,” said Prof. Ketter.
New Advisory Board Chairman Volker Beckers said: “I’m looking forward to supporting the ECFEB by informing and supporting the debate on the changes in energy markets, and by bringing together research and commercial realisation.” He thanked his predecessor in the ECFEB chair, Jan Christian Koenders, CEO BMW Netherlands.
Beckers’ role on the ECFEB Advisory Board is to help the Centre to bring together energy practitioners, policy makers, and researchers from economics, computer science, behavioural sciences, and management sciences to guide and shape the transformation of the energy sector.
Commenting on this announcement, Steef van de Velde said: “The ECFEB will benefit from Beckers’ guidance to make sure its scientific research is relevant in the real world. And thanks to Beckers’ extensive contacts, the worlds of business and politics will also hear much more about the work of the ECFEB. We’re proud to have him on the ECFEB Advisory Board.”
Volker Beckers is former Group CEO of UK-based electricity and gas supplier RWE Npower, and is a non-executive director with the UK government’s HM Revenue & Customs. He holds positions at various financial companies and at ELEXON Ltd. ELEXON compares contracts to buy and sell electricity in the Great Britain wholesale market with actual volumes, ensuring everyone is paid accurately and fairly for any differences. Volker Beckers was also recently appointed Chairman of Albion Community Power PLC, a renewable power generation and investment firm, and was a keynote speaker for ECFEB at its <link research centres future-energy-business erasmus-energy-forum erasmus-energy-forum-2013>Erasmus Energy Forum in Rotterdam in June 2014.
In announcing Beckers’ appointment for a three-year term, Prof. Wolf Ketter also thanked the previous advisory board chairman Jan Christian Koenders, CEO BMW Netherlands for his great work. Although stepping down from his position as ECFEB Chairman, Koenders will remain an active member on the ECFEB Advisory Board.
- <link research centres future-energy-business>Visit the Erasmus Centre for Future Energy Business (ECFEB)
