Archives: Prelegenci

Dane prelegenta

Jakub Kupecki

  • Professor, DSc (Eng.)
  • Director of the National Centre for Nuclear Research; in 2022–2025 Director of the Institute of Power Engineering – National Research Institute.
  • Coordinator, principal investigator and contributor to over 70 energy-related projects funded by the European Commission, the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), the National Science Centre (NCN), the Ministry of Science and Higher Education / Ministry of Education and Science, the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), the European Space Agency (ESA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), the U.S. Department of State (DoS), as well as directly by industry.
  • Participated in projects related to nuclear reactors in Poland (IEN-PIB, NCBJ) and Sweden (KTH).
  • Author and co-author of several dozen expert reports for industry and public administration; over 300 publications and conference presentations; holder of 8 patents and patent applications, the majority of which have been commercialised.
  • Two-time Fulbright Commission and NAWA scholarship recipient.
  • Holds degrees from the Warsaw University of Technology (Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering), the University of Iceland, the University of Akureyri, as well as a certificate from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, in the commercialisation of research and the management of research teams.

Jennifer Tyldesley

  • Chargé d’Affairs a.i. British Embassy in Warsaw.
  • Jennifer Tyldesley has been Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Warsaw since June 2025.
  • Before that, from August 2023, she served as Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs at the same embassy.
  • Prior to these roles, she was Deputy Director of Economic Security at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In this role, she was responsible for the UK’s semiconductor strategy, investment screening in the technology industry and an Expert Led Review of the Future of Compute.
  • Jennifer joined the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in 2010 on the economic track. During her career, she has covered climate change, trade and technology issues, including through a posting in China. She also spent two years coordinating the UK’s China policy from the Cabinet Office.
  • Jennifer studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics.
  • She spent two years working as a health economist in Eswatini before joining the FCDO.

Natalia Kunowska

  • Country Lead Amentum Poland
  • Natalia Kunowska brings extensive experience in strategic business development and international collaboration across the energy sector.
  • As the Country Lead for Amentum Poland, she oversees key business initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and the expansion of capabilities in nuclear energy projects.
  • She played a pivotal role in establishing and developing Amentum Poland’s Nuclear Center of Excellence – an initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of nuclear experts and strengthen Poland’s long-term technical capacity in the sector.
  • Natalia’s background includes significant contributions within the energy industry, including influential roles at Shell Poland.
  • Currently, she is focused on driving Amentum’s business development efforts within Poland’s defense sector, supporting the country’s evolving security and technological priorities.
  • Natalia holds a Master of Science in Engineering in Oil and Gas from the AGH University of Krakow

Emmanuel Brutin

  • Director General, nucleareurope (Forum Atomique Européen) since March 2025. As such, he leads the association’s strategic direction and represents the European nuclear industry towards the EU institutions and stakeholders.
  • Emmanuel has worked in Brussels on energy and climate policy issues for nearly 20 years.
  • He was previously Public Affairs Director with CEMBUREAU, the association of the European cement industry, where he oversaw the public affairs and communication activities of the association, with a focus on the European Green Deal. Before joining CEMBUREAU in 2019, he headed up the Brussels office of National Grid, the UK energy transmission company (2013- 2019). At that time, he also chaired the EU Affairs Group of the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E).
  • Prior to that, Emmanuel worked in various public affairs position for UNIFE, the Association of the European rail industry (2008-2012), and the lobbying consultancy Grayling (2005-2007).
  • A graduate from Sciences-Po Lille, a French Grande Ecole of political sciences, Emmanuel completed a Master in European Public Affairs in Paris.
  • Emmanuel is a lecturer at Sorbonne University, and has regular speaking engagements in various forums.

Marek Woszczyk

  • President of the Management Board of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ sp. z o.o.)
  • An experienced executive associated with the energy sector almost since the very beginning of his over 30-year professional career.
  • For more than 18 years, he has managed entities that are key to the energy sector in Poland.
  • From 2016 to 2025, he served as General Director of PGNiG Upstream Norway, where he was responsible for developing and implementing the company’s growth strategy. During this period, the company expanded its business portfolio by increasing its stakes in key fields.
  • While working at Deloitte, he also provided strategic advisory services based on multi-criteria analyses for companies in the energy sector.
  • Previously, he held the position of President of the Management Board of Polska Grupa Energetyczna.
  • He has been involved in the project of Poland’s first nuclear power plant since 2014. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PGE EJ1, he oversaw management activities and provided guidance for the investment process, including site assessment and obtaining the necessary administrative decisions.
  • He is the author of numerous publications on the energy sector and financial issues.
  • A graduate of the Maritime University of Gdynia, the National School of Public Administration, and the Executive MBA program at Kozminski University.

The Honourable Yasir Naqvi, E.C.O., M.P

  • Yasir Naqvi is the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre and currently serves as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and Secretary of State for International Development.
  • A seasoned public servant and advocate, Yasir brings deep expertise in international trade law and policy. Prior to entering politics, he practiced international trade, competition, regulatory, and administrative law at major Canadian law firms and worked with the Centre for Trade Policy and Law.
  • He has advised government, corporate, and nongovernmental clients on NAFTA (now CUSMA/USMCA), WTO agreements, and regional trade and investment frameworks. Yasir has supported clients in trade negotiations, offering sector-specific policy guidance, and has appeared before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Federal Court of Canada, and NAFTA dispute resolution panels on matters including trade remedies, subsidies, procurement, and export controls. He has also taught international trade law at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law and published extensively in the field. Previously, Yasir served as Ontario’s Attorney General, Government House Leader, and Minister of Labour and Community Safety and Correctional Services.
  • As a former CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, he led efforts to foster civic engagement and inclusion among newcomers. A tireless advocate for human rights and inclusive economic growth, Yasir remains focused on strengthening Canada’s global trade relationships, expanding market access for Canadian businesses, and ensuring international development efforts align with Canadian values. 

Maria Oksa

  • Dr Maria Oksa is currently working as Research Team Leader at VTT in the nuclear energy field.
  • Especially on materials performance, mechanical behaviour, and the operational lifetime of nuclear power plants.
  • Dr Oksa acts as project manager for several EU projects. E.g. during 2020-24 Predisposal management of radioactive waste, a project that gathered 47 European partners and 25 End users world-wide to improve and develop efficient management of waste streams. 

Nathan Reich

  • Department of Energy Office Director and Energy Attaché at the US Embassy in Warsaw.
  • In this role, he works to support cooperation between the United States and Poland in the energy sector, with a particular focus on civil nuclear energy partnerships as well as the physical and cybersecurity protection of critical energy infrastructure.
  • He worked on Central and Eastern European energy security issues for the U.S. government for nearly twelve years.
  • Prior to joining the federal administration, he worked in the private sector as an energy consultant.
  • He holds advanced degrees from the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Chicago.

Massimiliano Tacconelli

  • Vice President, Nuclear Energy and Director of Large Scientific Projects – TOSTO Group
  • Vice Chair, TWG3 Supply Chain – EU Industrial Alliance on SMRs
  • Member of UNI
  • Over 27 years of experience at Walter Tosto SpA.
  • He began his career in the technical and proposal departments;
  • later advancing to the positions of Product Manager and Division Technical Manager;
  • since 2009, he has been leading the Nuclear Business Unit.
  • He has developed innovative solutions for the manufacturing and quality control of complex components;
  • supports nuclear policy development through active participation in Nucleareurope and other nuclear associations;
  • author of technical publications on fusion energy component manufacturing and a member of UNI;
  • regularly participates in international nuclear conferences as a supply chain representative;
  • advocate of the “Artisanal Intelligence” concept in the age of artificial intelligence.

Kaupo Viitanen

  • M.A. (psych), is currently working as a senior scientist in VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
  • His research and consultancy work focuses on topics such as:
  • safety culture assessment and improvement,
  • safety management and leadership,
  • organizational resilience,
  • organizational learning, and human performance.
  • He works in various safety-critical industries, primarily in the nuclear.