Meet the 2024 Power Play Awards judges!

Afkenel Schipstra

Hydrogen Director, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners 

Afkenel was Hydrogen Business Development lead and H2Maasvlakte 500 MWe Project Manager for Uniper in The Netherlands. She is Non-Executive Director at HydrogenOne Capital, the first renewable hydrogen investment trust listed on the London Stock exchange. She was previously Chief Operating Officer of Energy at First Hydrogen, and Afkenel was SVP of Business Development for Netherlands Hydrogen at ENGIE. She has held senior positions at Gasunie, Shell and NAM. She has delivered hydrogen, heating, and oil & gas projects in the Netherlands and world-wide.

Sarah Bairstow

Chief Executive Officer, Mexico Pacific

Sarah Bairstow holds significant international LNG and energy leadership experience, including unique ‘concept to operations’ LNG project development. As CEO of Mexico Pacific, Sarah is responsible for the development and execution of the US$15 billion Saguaro Energia LNG facility and supporting Sierra Madre pipeline, growth projects and corporate enterprise activities. 

Sarah joined Mexico Pacific in January 2019 as a founding Executive Team member, upon which she developed the Company and Saguaro Energia LNG’s development strategy. Prior to joining Mexico Pacific, Sarah was on the Executive Team of the $18.5bn Gladstone LNG Project in the capacity of Head of Strategic Projects.  Sarah went on to build and run the commercial LNG desk across a range of critical roles.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of International Business from Griffith University. She is a regular plenary speaker at industry conferences and a judge and award winner for the Power Play Awards.

Dena Wiggins

President and CEO, Natural Gas Supply Association (NGSA), United States of America

Dena Wiggins leads the NGSA’s efforts to encourage the supply and use of natural gas. She promotes the benefits of competitive markets to ensure reliable and efficient supply, transportation and delivery of natural gas.   

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. Ms. Wiggins has served as a judge for the Power Play Awards since its debut in 2019.

Hon. Dadi Toka, MBE

Chairman, Motu Koita Assembly Deputy Governor, National Capital District

Hon. Dadi Toka MBE is the Chairman of the Motu Koita Assembly and Deputy Governor of the capital city of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby. He was voted into office in 2018 by the indigenous Motu Koita people of Port Moresby and has delivered multiple infrastructure and community programs for his electorate.  Dadi has over 15 years of experience in the corporate, NGO and public sector in Papua New Guinea and holds a Bachelor of Business Degree majoring in Management & Marketing from Queensland University of Technology.  Dadi’s enterprising skills and credible background has attracted and secured donor funding from the Australian Government (DFAT), USAID, New Zealand Government and other NGO’s, corporate and multi-national companies to support partnerships and collaboration for development.  He is passionate and committed to serving and empowering the traditional landowners of Port Moresby and ensuring an effective sustainable future for the men, women and children of his electorate.

Jane Liao

Vice President, CPC Corporation, Taiwan

Jane Liao is leading LNG Purchase Division of Natural Gas Business, Corporate Planning Division, Joint Venture Division, Accounting Division, International Affairs Division, Green Technology Research Institute, Refining and Manufacturing Research Institute, Lubricant Business Division, and Low-Carbon Business Development Team. She started her career as a Chemist at Exploration & Development Research Institute of CPC. She has led CPC’s LNG business since 1997 and became the Deputy CEO of Natural Gas Business in 2015 and the CEO of Natural Gas Business in 2017.

A trained Chemical Engineer, Jane Liao obtained a Master Degree in Chemistry from National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan. In 2013, she further obtained a Master Degree of Laws (LLM) in International Dispute Resolution and Management from the CEPMLP (Center for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy) of University of Dundee, Scotland. And in October 2016, Jane Liao completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) from Harvard Business School.

Jeanne-Mey Sun 

Jeanne-Mey Sun, Ph.D., has a diverse background that spans sustainability and the energy transition, corporate strategy, management consulting, and economic and policy research. She most recently served as Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at NRG Energy, Inc., where she oversaw the company’s sustainability strategy and worked on developing and growing sustainable products and services for customers like renewable electricity plans and lower carbon footprint natural gas. Prior to joining NRG, Jeanne-Mey was Executive, Energy Transition and Clean Energy Solutions at Baker Hughes Company where she led the development and operationalization of the company’s energy transition strategy and wrote the company’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Jeanne-Mey is active in the Houston, innovation, and clean-tech ecosystem communities including at the Rice University Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the University of Houston Energy Transition Institute, and Greentown Labs Houston. In 2023, she was named a “Top 10 Energy Sustainability Leader” by Energy Business Review.

Jillian Evanko

President and Chief Executive Officer of Chart Industries, Inc.

Jillian (Jill) Evanko has served as President and CEO at Chart since 2018 after joining as CFO in 2017. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Evanko served in leadership and financial positions at Truck-Lite Co., Dover Corporation, Arthur Andersen, Honeywell Corporation and Sony Corporation.

In 2020 she received the Power Play Rainmaker Award, the S&P Global Platts Energy Award for Chief Trailblazer and World LNG Executive of the Year. She was named a 2022 and 2023 Hydrogen Economist Women in Hydrogen 50 (Top 10 for Projects and Partnerships), Institutional Investor All-America Executive Team 2022 #3 Best Mid-Cap CEO Winner, Hart Energy’s 25 Influential Women in Energy (2021) and a 2023 EY Entrepreneur of the Year for the Southeast Region. Ms. Evanko received her BSBA from La Salle University and her MBA from the University of Notre Dame.

Li Yalan

President of the International Gas Union (IGU)

Li Yalan is former Chairperson of the Board of Beijing Gas Group. She is the IGU President 2022-2025. Ms. Li is listed as 40 Energy Leaders in the 40 Years Reform and Opening Up, as a representative of the Chinese energy industry. She has long served as Vice Chairperson of China Gas Association.

She is a renowned expert in the Chinese gas industry, and contributed to the rapid development of the gas industry development in Beijing, with annual gas consumption volume increasing from 180 million cubic meters to 18 bcm over the past three decades. She holds a bachelor’s degree of Engineering from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, majored in Thermal Engineering, and holds an MBA degree from Renmin University of China. She studied in Gaz De France for one year in 1990.

Nilza A. I. Abdula

ENH Snr Advisor, MWE Founder & VP

Nilza A. I. Abdula is Vice-President of the Directorate Council of Mozambique Woman of Energy (MWE). She is also CEO of ENHFLNG 1, SA, Board Director of Coral FLNG, SA, and advisor to the board of Directors of Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH), where she previously was VP for the Engineering and Project Development. Mrs. Abdula has more than 20 years of experience in the ENH Group. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineer, and a postgraduate degree in Business Management and Finance.

Mozambique Women of Energy is a platform of women in all fields of the energy sector with a vision to improve the quality of life in Mozambique by facilitating equal access to energy for all. MWE is driven by the desire to empower women and men in Mozambique and across Africa to become leaders of energy transition, targeting SDGs 5 and 7 towards a sustainable development.

Charlotte Wolff-Bye

Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer at PETRONAS

Charlotte Wolff-Bye is a leading figure in sustainability, serving as the Chief Sustainability Officer at PETRONAS, a Malaysian Fortune 500 company, since 2021. She has been instrumental in translating the company's Net Zero Carbon Emission goal into actionable management plans, fostering decarbonization and social progress. Charlotte engages in venture capital, digitalization, and capability development to propel the sustainable energy transition. Previously, she worked with Equinor, where she crafted the company's first sustainability strategy and represented them in global initiatives like the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative. Her diverse career spans roles at ArcelorMittal, Telefonica, and the Nordic Development Fund. A recognized leader in corporate sustainability, she frequently speaks and writes on ESG and energy issues. Charlotte has received accolades including Devex’s leadership award and ranks among the top 100 Chief Sustainability Officers globally. She is also a trustee of WCMC in Cambridge, UK.