At our business school we work with ambassadors. These professionals are leaders in their field and bring attention to our company, vision and values to external partners and regions. Increasing our impact nationally and internationally. With their in depth expertise they act as lecturers in our programmes and represent us at key events.
With the knowledge of our services and portfolio, and an extensive network, they are a valuable extension of our team!
Yanos Michopoulos Board Chair & Director • Board Mentor & CFA ESG Practitioner
Dr Yanos Michopoulos is one of the greatest authorities in the gas world. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of DESFA, the newly privatised gas transmission operator in Greece. Next to that he is active as expert and ambassador for Energy Delta Institute, works with the UK’s Institute of Directors and other training organisation as leadership course leader, mentor, coach, and guest speaker for MBA and executive education.
With a PhD in Physics (Durham University) and over 30 years of senior international experience in various energy and related sectors, including oil & gas, renewables, infrastructure, shipping, and private equity, Yanos has a wide variety of expertise. He has led major change projects, including major organisational and cultural transformations, financial and performance turnarounds, introduction of new products and services, and new market entries. He has led, mentored, and coached large and diverse teams, operating across different functions, and distributed in various locations, countries, and cultures.
Dr. Volko de Jong is an international energy transition expert with many years of experience. He is the owner of GGNI, an international business development group. He is leading business development and knowledge transfer initiatives in Europe, Mexico, the Middle East, Russia, and East Africa.
Volko was the program director of the Mexican Dutch Energy Executive Training Program from 2017 till 2019 and started his career in 1979 as a professor at the Econometrics Department at the University of Groningen and the Computer Science Department at Western Washington University. From 1988 till 1997 he worked in the IT industry as managing director, ICT architect, global account manager and business consultant.
Volko has been involved with the business school since the beginning, as he was the first Managing Director of Energy Delta Institute (EDI) over 20 years ago. At EDI he developed training programmes including a Master of Gas Business, a Master of Petroleum Business Engineering, and the Energy Transition and Leadership programme. All these programmes were developed in cooperation with leading knowledge institutes such as Oxford IES, ESMT Berlin and Skolkovo Moscow. His career with the business school has now come full circle in the role of Ambassador.
Patrick Cnubben is a visionary in hydrogen energy, driving sustainable solutions with over two decades of experience. As the mind behind Hydrogen Architects and the esteemed ambassador of the New Energy Business School, Patrick specializes in developing Hydrogen Valleys to power energy transitions and stimulate regional economic growth.
With expertise in crafting hydrogen strategies, Patrick’s work spans onto diverse sectors: industry, transport, maritime, and aviation. His focus on innovation and investment positions him as a pivotal figure in connecting stakeholders and integrating advanced hydrogen technologies.
From the heart of Europe’s first Hydrogen Valley, Patrick, and his team at Hydrogen Architects are at the forefront of creating a cleaner, greener future.
Prashanth Shanmugan President, Australian Council on Foreign Relations • Lecturer, University of St. Gallen
Prashanth Shanmugan is an academic, corporate diplomat, and global business advisory specialist whose career spans the intersection of geopolitics, energy, and storytelling.
A former member of the Global Scenarios team at Royal Dutch Shell, he has sustained and deepened that expertise over the years bringing both the rigour of long-range strategic foresight and a practitioner’s understanding of how energy systems, policy, and geopolitics interact.
He is President of the Australian Council on Foreign Relations, a Lecturer at the University of St. Gallenin Switzerland, and a Reservist Officer in the Australian Army. He also leads a creative advisory practice working across narrative design, scenarios, and public diplomacy.
He is a recipient of numerous honours and awards including the Centenary Medal, Human Rights Youth Medal, and the Australian Humanitarian Award.
This rare combination spanning academia, creativity, diplomacy, and executive advisory gives Prashanth a multidimensional perspective that few bring to the energy transition conversation.
Based in Australia, he adds a uniquely valuable lens to the NEBS Ambassador network. The Indo-Pacific is one of the most consequential arenas in the global energy transition, a region navigating the tension between energy security, economic development, and decarbonisation at extraordinary scale and speed. It is also a region he knows intimately, shaped by years of engagement across its cultures, institutions, and corridors of power.
