Archives: Speakers

A former Chief Government Advisor on Infrastructure to the Dutch government from 2008-2012, Ton Venhoeven (b. 1954) founded VenhoevenCS in 1995. During his time in government he advised on sustainability of infrastructural, urban and regional planning. Prior to this he was a Professor of Architectural History and Theory at Eindhoven University of Technology (2005-2009), where his design research focused on the pedestrian city of tomorrow. Alongside his work as an architect and urban designer, Ton is an international consultant for Smart MicroCity and Healthy City, integrated planning, multimodal mobility networks and transit-oriented development. Among his clients are national and international governmental organizations, NGO’s and foundations.  Sustainability is in Ton’s DNA: ever since the publication of Limits to Growth in 1972, he has made it a point in both his professional and private life to contribute to a sustainable, equitable world in which all life can thrive. His latest focus is on biodiversity and nature inclusive design. 

Hélène Chartier is the Director of Urban Planning and Design at C40, the network of global mega-cities committed to the fight against climate change.  

The team she leads develops various programs to support cities across the world to accelerate sustainable and resilient urban planning policies and design practices, and to bring together cities and progressive players in the built environment industry in order to accelerate the decarbonization of buildings and urban development. Hélène’s team especially leads the C40 Land Use Planning network which supports cities to institutionalize climate action through urban planning regulations; the Reinventing Cities competition that delivers decarbonized and resilient urban regeneration projects across the world; as well as the Green and Thriving Neighbourhoods program and C40’s workstream on 15-minute City. In the past, Hélène was advisor to the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, she also worked for the Paris urbanism agency and the global consulting firm, Arup. Helene has a Master’s degree of Science and Engineering from the renowned French College, Ecole Centrale, with a specialization in building and civil engineering. In the past 15 years, Helene has lived and worked in Paris, London and New York. 

Adam has built his career in the commercial workplace industry, working at various scales, and in a range of locations around the world. But most importantly, there is a driving force behind all his designs – creating democratic workplaces that are sustainable for the future. 

As we spend the majority of our day working, Adam is passionate about delivering places that make people happier, and better able to do their job. Coupled with this, he is keenly aware that as a society we are using too many resources, and he aims to limit his impact on the planet through environmentally responsible design. 

His care for the environment goes beyond his working life too. As a sustainable and healthy way to travel, he is an advocate of cycling, and believes it will be the future of commuting for most people. For Adam, it is a great way to get in some exercise, drop his kids off at school, and still get into work with time to spare! 

Ms. Olorunnisola is currently VP – Innovation, Marketing & Digital in the Avantor Services business unit. She leads Innovation, Marketing and Digital Solutions for the Supply Chain (Lab) Services and Clinical Services.

She has over 15 years of experience in the Medical Device and Life Science industry developing and executing digital and go-to-market strategies.

Additionally, she has led the development and deployment of large-scale enterprise solutions. Ms. Olorunnisola received her BA in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Gonzalo FERNANDEZ COSTA is policy officer on energy security and energy storage at the European Commission, DG ENER, Unit B4. Prior to joining the Commission, he was head of service on electricity markets, system operation and grids at the Ministry for Ecological Transition in Spain, Deputy DG for Electricity. He is an engineer with a major in electrical engineering from the Technical University of Madrid (UPM).