Rob spent the first 10 years of his career working in the finance industry. Known for his expertise in finance and sales management, Rob held various positions overseeing sales teams across continental Europe. His experience involves managing and leading sales efforts, client relationships, and business development strategies.
One of Rob’s notable strengths is his multilingual ability, as he is fluent in Italian, French, and Russian.
In terms of qualifications, Mr. Christoph Hiesgen is a graduate engineer in energy and environmental technologies.
Mr. Hiesgen has been employed by E.ON Energy Infrastructure Solutions since beginning of 2003. He has been active in the energy services business after his university graduation since 1997 and had different leadership roles in Sales being responsible in particular for the business development in different energy intense industrial segments.
Bertel has 16 years of experience working for challenger brands in the healthy and sustainable food space and is currently Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Rude Health. He grew up on an organic farm on the edge of the Brecon Beacons and although farming was not his chosen path, this gave him a deep understanding of responsible, regenerative food production. Bertel has successfully launched 100s of products into the UK grocery market and led the Rude Health team to BCorp certification.
Emma joined the Food and Drink Federation in October 2019 and has led on developing FDF’s work on Net Zero and its new sustainability strategy ‘Ambition 2030’. Emma works across the farm-to-fork supply chain and with other industrial sectors to tackle the shared decarbonisation challenges and to align on industry led solutions across the farm-to-fork supply chain including driving investment into nature restoration. Before joining FDF, Emma held a number of policy and regulation roles with RWE AG, RWE Npower Cogen, Elexon, Sustainable Energy Association, First Utility (now Shell Energy) and National Grid Gas.
Kay Schmidt is a seasoned entrepreneur with deep family roots in business excellence, a legacy that spans more than a century. His family history of entrepreneurship began in 1890 with the founding of Mineralwasserfabrik M. Schöle by Kay’s great-grandfather. Despite the challenges of wars and economic changes, the family business grew and diversified, especially under the leadership of W. F. Schmidt, Kay’s father, who expanded into the oil and gas technology sector. Today, this legacy endures, marked by resilience and successful ventures across a variety of industries. Kay has a bachelor’s degree in business psychology.
Building on this rich heritage, Kay founded BDCG GmbH as a boutique consultancy focused on creating meaningful connections and opportunities for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs). BDCG brings investors together for co-investment opportunities and supports private banks, asset managers, and family offices, facilitating partnerships and expanding financial networks. Kay’s vision and family legacy make BDCG a unique (offline)platform for collaboration, growth, and impactful investments.
Janina Vinklere is a seasoned expert in corporate and startup environments, with a proven track record in driving technology innovation and adoption. Leveraging her extensive experience, she now specializes in supporting family offices and asset managers, helping them make informed decisions about investments in AI and Web3 technologies.
Costanza Barrai is the Senior Analyst for GlobalData’s forthcoming Media Intelligence Centre. Costanza has a background in market research with experience as a media analyst in Sony Pictures Entertainment and market intelligence consultancy The Insights Family. Since joining GlobalData in September 2023, she analyses trends in media and entertainment, specializing in insights into the video content, broadcasting and streaming industries, as well as supporting the development of the new Media Intelligence Center.
