Mr. Russo is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) with 35 years of international results-oriented experience in sustainable energy project development, energy efficiency, smart grid development and application, ESCO operation, and EnPC project development. Prior to founding E3 International, Mr. Russo established the standard for sustainable energy project development and financing in transition economies throughout former USSR countries in 1989, with the implementation of the U.S. Government sponsored Development Credit Authority (DCA) in Bulgaria in which 35 energy efficiency projects where implemented with $10 million in debt financing from United Bulgarian Bank. This DCA program was the catalyst for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to launch its very first sustainable energy finance facility (SEFF) – the Bulgaria Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Credit Line (BEERECL) – which Mr. Russo managed. Based on the success of the BEERECL, EBRD expanded their SEFF (now called Green Economy Finance Facility – GEFF) programs to more than 2 dozen countries/regions, with E3I selected to provide project implementation support to EBRD’s first regional SEFF, the Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility (WeBSEFF) since 2009, with a credit line of Euro 177 million
Mr. Russo recently served as the Team Leader (2014-2015) for AfD’s SUNREF East Africa – Sustainable Use of Natural Resources and Energy Financing – credit facility, which focused on transaction advisory services to 4 local banks and numerous project developers throughout Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to support sustainable energy project development, including 13 grid-connected PV projects totalling 65 MW ($112 million investment). In addition, he has developed 8 grid-connected PV projects ($55 million investment) throughout southeast Europe, including Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and Macedonia. Over the past 5 years, Mr. Russo has served as Project Manager or Transaction Advisor on 5 sustainable energy projects funded under USTDA grants, including wind projects in Bulgaria, biogas projects in Ukraine, smart grid investments in Romania, and wind/solar investments in Belize.
From 2008-2010, Mr. Russo served on the Board of Directors for Greenergy kft in Budapest – an energy service company involved in sustainable energy project development in Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania. Mr. Russo also served as Technical Director of EETEK, a Hungarian ESCO, and was involved with development of EETEK’s business plan, initial capitalization and eventual sale to FondElec. Prior to starting E3I, Mr. Russo was founder and Managing Director of EnCon Services International, Director of International Programs at Electrotek Concepts, and Director of Solutions Development at EnergyWorks (part of Iberdrola Group), responsible for directing solutions development activities for worldwide utility outsourcing activities for institutional and industrial customers.
Ms. Norman is President of E3 International and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional, Building Design and Construction, LEED AP BD&C. She is a results-oriented, collaborative leader with over two decades of strategic advisory and senior management experience—on three continents– helping business, institutional, non-profit, and government clients achieve their goals, by innovatively leveraging and scaling up technology, real estate, sustainable energy and water, and resilient infrastructure investment. She partners with chief executives, government officials, financial institutions, NGOs, climate funds, and diverse stakeholders to forge new green economy opportunities and achieve breakthrough energy and environmental objectives—on time and on budget. Her background includes green economy market assessment, financial framework, and solution planning as well as bankable energy (and water) efficiency and renewable energy project development.
Ms. Norman is an accomplished expert in operationalizing green banks and green finance initiatives to support sustainable economic development, inclusive prosperity, resilience, strategic resource management, energy security, positive health outcomes, and environmental benefits–including restoration of ecosystems. She is a requested international, national, and regional conference speaker on green finance mechanisms to accelerate clean energy and resilient infrastructure investment.
Ms. Norman is a founding board member and elected officer of the Montgomery County (Maryland, USA) Green Bank Corporation (MCGB), the United States’ first private (non-profit) and County-level green bank, serves on the Advisory Group to the Washington, DC Green Finance Authority, and is engaged in advising multiple developing and transition countries on green investment banking and/or finance facility initiatives to achieve national climate and energy-related objectives in support of the Paris Agreement and to advance progress toward United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She recently concluded twelve years of service as a governing board officer of Children’s National Health System in the United States.
Formerly an international corporate real estate services executive with LaSalle Partners Limited (now JLL) and in marketing, strategy, and management with IBM, Ms. Norman received her Master of Business Administration from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business and her Bachelor of Arts from Harvard College.
Mr. Berg, Senior Advisor, Finance and Sustainability, for E3I is a former senior European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) banker with extensive experience throughout the region. Mr. Berg as served as Director of EBRD Offices in Kyrgyz Republic (Bishkek, 2004 to 2007), Albania (Tirana, 2007 to 2010), Bulgaria (Sofia, 2010 to 2015), and Serbia (Belgrade, 2015 to June 2018). In this capacity, in addition to his day to day management and banking responsibilities, he worked with governments, particularly Bulgaria, to address obstacles to investment and improve or restructure rules and regulations regarding renewable energy development. He has also worked with investors to overcome the obstacles to investment in renewable energy systems. He has analyzed numerous investments to ensure they have necessary financial and technical capacity to allow EBRD financing. In Albania and Serbia, Mr. Berg was involved in negotiations of the first renewable energy projects – in Albania, in the form of small hydroelectric power plants, and in Serbia, major wind farm developments.
Since leaving EBRD in June 2018, Mr. Berg has consulted to private and public organizations, including the United Nations, where he co-authored a report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) implementation, particularly relating to the use of blended finance to support SDG acceleration. He is currently working for E3I on an assignment in Serbia for District Heating reforms, improvements, and energy efficiency project implementation.
Ms. Bratic is a marketing expert with 15 years of experience and expertise in marketing, outreach, public relations, communications, media, and education, with extensive experience in supporting EE and RES credit line projects in industry and public sector for financing through local banks. She has been involved internationally in the market assessment of RE and EE technologies throughout Europe and EU transition countries, and in developing public relations and marketing campaigns and programs in Western Balkan Countries for the last 15 years.
As a successful strategist and effective communicator, she has developed marketing strategies and coordinated national public awareness and outreach campaigns throughout the Western Balkans, establishing the networks of info-centers and related tools for capacity building and telephone info-lines to enable information dissemination and education to citizens. Lena is currently serving as the Marketing/Communications Expert for WeBSEFF and Municipal Energy Efficiency Expert for USAID for USAID SEEA as part of her broader responsibilities as Regional Manager for E3I.
Mr. Jovic is a leading land use expert in the Western Balkans with a specialty focus on sustainable resource management, forestry, and biomass. He has degrees in forestry engineering, forest policy, and environmental policy and is widely published. He represents Serbia at the United Nations Forest Forum.
Relevant projects in which he has participated as a Technical Expert include: FAO/UNECE: Global Forest Resource Assessment 2010; FP 6, SEE-ERA.NET: Multifunctional Management of Coppice Forests; Coppice forestry in South-Eastern Europe: Problems and future prospects; The World Bank Project: “Developing and Implementing National Action Plans to Improve Forest Governance and Control of Illegal Logging in ECA Countries”; FAO/TCP/YUG/3201- Wood energy for sustainable rural development; Bosnia and Herzegovina/ Federation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management and Forestry: Forestry Programme of the Federation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina-Project; Belgium/Serbia; Electrawinds-S: Woody Biomass in Serbia-Feasibility Study; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Centre for Energy Efficiency: Effects of the ESCO Concept in Heat Energy Management in the Brcko District-Feasibility Study; World Bank: Sector Study on Biomass-based Heating in the Western Balkans; FAO/UNECE: Global Forest Resource Assessment 2015, (FRA 2015); Bosnia and Herzegovina; WISDOM SERBIA: Spatial wood fuels production and consumption analysis.
Mr. Kalanj is an experienced electrical engineer and developer of information systems including web-based software tools for energy management (data collection tools, reporting tools, etc.), simulations of energy balance (heat losses, heat gains), and verification of energy savings in buildings and industry. He is an expert in the design of management and control systems for heat energy production and distribution systems (22 MW – Prijedor heating power plant, 10 MW – Gradiska heating power plant, 2.5 MW – Livno heating power plant, 0.8 MW – Drinic heating power plant).
Branimir is currently serving as a Senior Consulting Engineer with E3I on the USAID Serbia Energy Efficiency program, responsible for design and implementation of EMS/SCADA systems at four district heating plants (Nis, Pancevo, Jagodina, Cacak). He has designed and implemented intelligent control and optimization of power systems based on application of renewable energy sources, new advanced energy efficient technologies in public lighting systems (emphasis is regulation and management), and intelligent control of HVAC systems.
Ms. Opacic has been a member of the E3 International team for ten years, primarily working on EU/EBRD WeBSEFF and USAID SEEA programs in the Western Balkans. Over the years, she advanced from the position of the Regional Office Manager to the position of Bank Relationship Manager for WeBSEFF and Regional Administration and Operations Manager.
Prior to joining E3 International, Ms. Opacic was a member of the World Bank Employment Promotion Project, International Aid Network, and Trimark Engineering Ltd. (today Laporte Consultants Inc.), earning over 20 years of practical experience in the field of management, administration, finance, logistics, and marketing.
Ms. Opacic graduated from Lethbridge College, AB, Canada, where she studied engineering design and drafting.
Ms. Tosic is currently serving as Project Engineer for E3I under the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD’s) Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility (WeBSEFF), where she is responsible for presenting and explaining energy efficiency programs to commercial and industrial enterprises, performing energy audits for residential buildings and commercial and industrial facilities, recommending energy efficiency improvements, and preparing Energy Assessment reports. She is licensed with the Serbian Chamber of Engineers for energy efficiency in buildings, electrical design, and electrical contracting.
Under WeBSEFF, she has completed energy audits of more than 100 facilities and developed Energy Assessment reports for more than 50 subprojects including rooftop photovoltaics, small hydro, replacement of the equipment and improvement of production lines in wood processing, food processing, plastic and metal industry, heating/cooling/ventilation projects in industry, hotels, business centers, building insulation projects, and replacement of power substations etc.
Daniela is also serving as an Engineer for E3I on USAID’s Serbian Energy Efficiency Activity focused on energy improvements at three district heating companies.
Ms. Vujanovic is a Senior Engineer with E3I with over fourteen years of regional and international experience in the sustainable energy sector, including energy efficiency and renewable energy systems.
She has ten years (2009-until present) of experience in the Western Balkans in the field of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) as Energy Expert and Consultant with E3I, as Project Consultant, for the Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility (WeBSEFF) of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Main activities involve engineering consultancy services and technical support for various small to medium enterprises, for municipal sector entities, for various industrial sectors, for multi-family residential buildings, and for the commercial buildings sector in Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, FYR of Macedonia, and Croatia. Her scope of work within the EBRD WeBSEFF credit lines includes giving recommendations to various companies and facilities for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures that could be applied in their facilities and to their production processes to achieve energy savings and also development of Energy Audits and Rational Energy Utilization Plans (REUPs), technical and financial analyses, and Energy Assessments for the investors and commercial banks.
Besides regular communication and cooperation with energy efficiency and renewable energy sub- project investors in the region, communication and cooperation with commercial banks and their representatives is a large part of regular activities as a support in EE and RE financing. For the past ten years, she has been involved in the successful realization of hundreds of renewable and energy efficiency sub-projects across the Balkan region. Her involvement has included preparation of energy assessments reports, calculation of primary energy savings and CO2 emission reductions and, for most of the projects, monitoring of the projects’ development and implementation
Her prior four years (2005 through 2009) of experience in Serbia, Montenegro, and Russia was in the development of preliminary and main project designs of energy systems within buildings and industrial facilities. The work included calculating heat losses and heat gains and design engineering of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems–mostly for large commercial and retail buildings, municipal buildings, and industrial facilities, as well as for multi-family residential buildings (including also boiler stations and connections to energy supply networks).
