The Organisation
Governance Structure

Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board is responsible for EAE’s budget, appointment and strategy.
- Max van den Berg (Chairman) | former Commissioner to the King of the Groningen Provincial Board
- Sibrand Poppema | President Board University of Groningen
- Henk Pijlman | Chairman of the Board Hanzehogeschool Groningen
- Ulco Vermeulen | Member Executive Board and Director Business Development & Participations Gasunie
- Jan Willem van Hoogstraten, CEO EBN
Managing Board
Energy Academy Europe is led by our Managing Board, André Faaij, Academic Director, and Bert Wiersema, Managing Director. They are responsible for implementing the vision of the Energy Academy Europe, for the optimal collaboration between the various participating organizations and for providing leadership that will yield excellent education, research and innovation.
Strategic Partners Council
The Strategic Partners meet twice a year to discuss the priorities for the EAE’s activities for education, research and innovation. The interaction between private and public partners from different energy-related sectors supports the system approach which EAE applies. Together with the Managing Board, the Strategic Partners also actively monitors the EAE’s long-term development in view of its mission.
Regional Advisory Council
The role of the Regional Advisory Council is to advice EAE and Foundation Energy Valley about the energysector of the Northern Netherlands. Its members are:
- Gertjan Lankhorst (Chairman) | CEO GasTerra
- Ferd Crone | Mayor Leeuwarden
- Douwe Faber | Director Ekwadraat
- Paul Korting | Director Chairman ECN
- Gerald Schotman | CEO Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V.
- Henk Pijlman | Chairman of the Board Hanzehogeschool Groningen
- Sibrand Poppema | President University of Groningen
- Harm Post | Director Groningen Seaports
- Ulco Vermeulen | Member Executive Board and Director Business Development & Participations Gasunie
- Ron Wit | Directeur Public Affairs Eneco Groep
International Advisory Board
The International Advisory Board (IAB) gives guidance to the educational and research programmes of Energy Academy Europe, promotes Energy Academy Europe abroad, and aspires to attract students and lecturers. In addition the Board facilitates collaborations with universities abroad, research institutes, governments and companies. More information can be found below.
Funding Agencies
Energy Academy Europe acknowledges the contribution of our funding agencies: the Northern Netherlands Provinces (SNN), the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Province of Groningen and the Municipality of Groningen.

International Advisory Board
The International Advisory Board (IAB) gives guidance to the educational and research programmes of the Energy Academy Europe, to promote the Energy Academy Europe abroad, and to attract students and lecturers to the Energy Academy Europe. The Board also facilitates cooperation with foreign universities, research institutes, governments and companies. For more information you can download the press release.
Current members of the International Advisory Board
Joan MacNaughton
Chair of the International Advisory Board and former Director General of Energy, United Kingdom.
Nawal Al-Hosany
Director of Zayed Future Energy Prize and Executive Director at Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company)
Hans Peter Beck
Chairman Energie‐ forschungszentrum Niedersachsen (EFZN)
Ken Koyama
Chief Economist and Managing Director at the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ)
Tatiana Mitrova
Director at the Energy Center, Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO
Petter Nore
Chief Energy Analyst at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Malcolm Wilson
Vice-President at New World Orange Biofuels, Canada
Pradeep Monga
Deputy Executive Secretary at the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Doug Arent
Executive Director of the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis (JISEA) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the United States.