Utilities Summit Theme: Smart Utilities for Better Future

Eng. Haitham Harras is the Founder CEO of Penta-b, a GIS specialized company that focuses on GIS professional services provision and the owner of the first GIS products in middle-east.

Haitham was graduated from the faculty of computers & information sciences, Ain-Shams university , 2004 and started his career in ESRI until 2012; through his work in ESRI, Haitham has moved in different position starting from technical development, going through team leading, products management and projects management and moved for some time to work in the core team in ESRI US.

Haitham Founded Penta-b in 2013 with a vision to be the first GIS vendor in Middle-east and has succeeded to develop a clear foot print in the market with clear competitive edges, Penta-b owns a ready-made state-of-the-art off the shelf product from the technical and commercial perspectives. Penta-b was founded with 3,000 USD capital and now valued with more than 20 M USD with success track record in huge enterprise governmental accounts in Egypt & Gulf.

Narendra is a leading expert in the geospatial sector, adept at leveraging transformative technologies to deliver enterprise GIS solutions globally. His strategic leadership has been crucial in defining iSpatial's business approach, driving operational effectiveness, and spearheading innovation. Under his direction, IST has emerged as a frontrunner in providing cutting-edge GIS, AI, IoT, and Data Analytics solutions to a global clientele. Narendra's vision extends to crafting strategic alliances and pioneering new paths in the geospatial industry, with significant achievements in Smart Cities, Utilities, National Mapping, and Spatial Data Infrastructure projects. Known for cultivating an innovation-centric culture at iSpatial, he is committed to developing solutions that tackle complex challenges, enhancing both community and industry standards.

Dimitris Mentis, Lead of the Energy Access Explorer at WRI, spearheads data-driven strategies for universal energy access. Specializing in open-source geospatial tools, he aids governments and institutions in identifying priority areas for energy expansion, ensuring socio-economic development. Formerly leading Sustainable Energy for All at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Dimitris developed the Open Source Spatial Electrification Toolkit (OnSSET) in collaboration with global partners. With a PhD in Energy and Environmental Systems, he contributed to mapping renewable energy potential and assessing the climate-land-energy-water nexus. Beyond work, Dimitris enjoys family time, exploring new places, and engaging in sports like biking, football, and squash.

Raghu has over 30 years of experience providing geospatial-driven solutions across Electric, gas, and water Utilities. He is also an expert in developing navigation and imagery solutions using photogrammetry, remote sensing, and Lidar technologies. Over the years, Raghu Babu has handled large multi-year programs in these domains, covering operations and project management for global clients.

Raghu is an Engineering graduate from BITS, Pilani, and holds a Master's degree in Sales/Mktg.

Jan has more than 25 years experience in GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and asset management projects in utilities (water, electric, gas), telecom and the public sector (transportation, environment, cadastral services). He is a recognized expert and thought leader in his domain. In the utilities sector, he also gained experience in related subjects (Workforce Management, Project Management, Asset Lifecycle Management). As an enterprise architect, he has developed conceptual and logical system architectures for several clients and helped them formulate their integrated enterprise GIS-EAM vision. He demonstrated his ability to translate a vision in a feasible implementation plan. He also acted as programme manager, managing multiple implementation partners and took full project management responsibility of development and integration projects in larger organisations.

Strong in motivating and coaching people, he successfully acted as unit manager for many years with responsibilities ranging from presales to delivery and including recruitment and career management for his teams.

Cheng-Kai collaborates closely with domain experts, creating digital solutions to address pressing issues like achieving a net-zero society, transitioning to sustainable energy, and climate adaptation. He seamlessly integrated geospatial expertise with urban building energy modelling by employing a pragmatic data-driven approach. Cheng-Kai plays a pivotal role in incubating geospatial web applications for real-world projects in energy transition and climate adaptation, with one solution contributing to 30 Dutch heat transition projects and facilitating over 70 feasibility quick scans for district heating systems.

Otto Ballintijn is Managing Director and a founding partner of Reduct NV. Since its inception, Mr Ballintijn has managed the growth of Reduct from a start-up company to a global leader in the development of inertial measurement systems for pipes and ducts. Initially focused on providing solutions for the HDD and telecom markets, Reduct now offers a wide range of systems for virtually all utility pipes and other buried assets.

Prior to joining Reduct, Mr Ballintijn was Vice President Business Strategy for GTS, a pan-European telecom firm. Mr. Ballintijn started his professional career at KPMG. Mr. Ballintijn holds an MBA degree from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.