Annual Conference

ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2025 | September 12th-14th | Essen/Ruhr
"DECARBONIZING TOMORROW"

PROGRAM

IAAG Annual Conference September 12th - 14th, 2025

Decarbonization is not a choice; it is our only path forward. Decarbonization must shift from a long-term goal to a near-term strategy. From renewable energy to industrial transformation, we need scalable solutions. From finance to policy, every lever must be pulled, and fast. This is about survival, resilience, and justice for all. We must collaborate across borders, sectors, and ideologies. What we do in the next few years will define the next few centuries. Let this be the moment we stop delaying and start delivering. Together, we can turn ambition into action and secure a livable future.

While we gather to address one of the greatest challenges of our time, we also invite you to experience the city that hosts our mission. Essen is more than just a backdrop; it's a living example of transformation, resilience, and sustainable innovation.

Join us for an exciting weekend adventure in Essen. Come and discover one of the greenest cities in Germany, at the heart of the Ruhr region. Beautiful scenery from parks to art, culture and top-notch museums to industrial transformation and heritage at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein – Essen has it all!

Our conference will kick off for Early Arrivals on Thursday afternoon, September 11th, and conclude on Sunday, September 14th, after lunch.

Annual Conference

Program*

Programm AC2025

Early Arrivals Program

We will meet at the Villa Hügel, where we have organised a guided tour for those arriving early. The Villa was home to the industrialist Krupp family from 1873 to 1945. With its 399 rooms, set in the middle of a 40-hectare park overlooking Lake Baldeney, it is far more than simply the residence of a famous entrepreneurial family – it is a symbol of Germany's industrialisation era.

Guided tour

16:15 h - 17:45 h

followed by a walk

through the park

Villa Hügel

Hügel 15, 42133 Essen

Meeting Point: Villa Hügel,

Large house, ground floor

How to get there:

google maps:

For ride sharing:

Meeting point: at 15:30 h in the

lobby of the Sheraton/Essen

Early Arrival Dinner

20:00 h

KohleCraftwerk

Rüttenscheider Str. 14, 45128 Essen

5-minute walk from the Sheraton/Mercure

Dress code: casual

Screenshot 2025-04-08 125438 Villa Hügel .png

Morning

Conference Part II

Zeche Zollverein, Kesselhaus

Gelsenkirchenerstr. 181, 45309 Essen

(for directions click here)

08:45 h Registration & Welcome

09:15 h INSEAD BoardCompanions
Nils Boeffel

09:30 h Aspects of the Transformation

Keynotes by

Stephen Guhr, Vonovia

Transformation in Real Estate

Goulnara Aguiar, Ormex

Carbon monetisation through Agriculture

Thomas Losse-Müller, Stiftung Klimaneutralität

Transformation Journey for Citizens

Sven Egenter, Clean Energy Wire

Media and Perception

Expert Panel "Global View"

moderated by Ivan Fillippov with

Sven Egenter, Clean Energy Wire

Thomas Perkmann, Westfalen AG and

Gisbert Rühl, Entrepreneur & Investor,

13:20 - 14:00/30 h Networking / Lunch

Bus transfer from the Sheraton Hotel Essen

Meeting: at 08:15 h in the Lobby

dress code: smart/casual

Afternoon

Time to Explore 1

Zeche Zollverein & in Essen

Guided tours and more at the

Choice of activities:

14:15 Welterbe-Lauf Zollverein

only 5 km distance please - register here

Guided Tours
14:00/30 Von Kohle Koks & harter Arbeit (2 h)

14:45 Grubenlicht & Wetterzug (1h)

16:30 Scavenger Hunt (1,5 h)

alt.: guided tour at the Folkwang Museum

return: Bus Transfer to Sheraton

Meeting point: Bus stop Fritz-Schupp-Allee um 16:00 und 16:45 h

Participants of Scavenger Hunt/guided tour Folkwang Museum are asked to take the bus at 16:00 h

dress code: casual

Evening

Evening in INSEAD Style

Edda Restaurant

Museumsplatz 1, 45128 Essen

19:45 h Reception and Dinner

at the

Restaurant Edda

walking distance from Sheraton/Mercure

dress code: smart casual

IAAG General Assembly

members only

08:30 - 09:30 h

The Sheraton Hotel Essen

Huyssenallee 55

45128 Essen

Conference Room:

Philharmonie III (ground floor)

Time to Explore 2

10:30 h Folkwang Museum

Permanent Collection

11:00 h Margarethenhöhe

11:00 Domschatz

Bus transfer to Margarethenhöhe

for the guided tour at Margarethenhöhe

at 10:15 h from the Sheraton Essen

for Folkwang Museum and Domschatz to Margarethenhöhe

at 12.30 h from Kahlstr. near Folkwang Museum

Meeting Point: Sheraton Hotel Essen

Farewell-Lunch

12:45 - 14:00 h Lunch

Margarethenhöhe

mintrops Stadthotel

Steile Str. 46

45149 Essen

dress code: casual

Retour to Sheraton via Hauptbahnhof

Morning

Company visit

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe
Tour of the Steelworks

Meeting Point: Visitor Centre
Kaiser-Wilhem-Str.100
47166 Duisburg

(directions here)

09:30/10:00h - 12:00/12:30 h

Transfer by bus

from the Sheraton Hotel Essen

Meeting point: 08:30

Dress code: special instruction for tour here .

Afternoon

Conference Part I

Evening

Global INSEAD Day Gala

Bildungszentrum

ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe
Franz-Lenze Str. 68
47166 Duisburg Bruckhausen

12:30 h Registration

Lunch Snacks

13:15 h Conference Part I
Opening & Welcome

13.30 h Keynotes - Setting the Scene

Dr. Marie Jaroni, Thyssen Krupp Steel Europe
Transforming the Industry

Julie Shaon, INSEAD
Lead(int.)/Senior Director of Operations, Advancement

Dexter Galvin, EcoVadis

The Issue in Numbers

Malte Kuss, RWE Engineering

Transforming Grid and Power Generation

Harsh Shah, Specialist

Green Hydrogen

Rocio de la Cruz Garcia, SPIE

Transformation Infrastructure Industries

Interview

Arthur van Dijk, ABN Amro

Financing the transition

17:00 h Wrap & End

Bus transfer to the Sheraton Hotel Essen

Dress code: smart/casual

Jagdhaus Schellenberg

Heisinger Str. 170 A,
45134 Essen

19.30 h - 0:00/0:30 h

19:30 h Welcome Drinks

20:15 h Dinner

Dinner Speech by

André Hoffmann, MBA'90D,
Founder of the INSEAD
Hoffmann Institute

followed by dancing

midnight end

Bus transfer from/to the Sheraton Hotel
Essen

Meeting point at 19:00 in the Lobby

Dress code: dark suit/dinner
jacket/Smoking
short/long dress

Contributors

Speakers

We are looking forward to inspiring sessions with the following contributors* to our Annual Conference 2025

Goulnara Aguiar, EMBA’19Dec - Ormex
Rocio de la Cruz Garcia EMBA’21Jan - SPIE Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Director Sustainability, Member of the Management Board
Arthur van Dijk - ABN AMRO, Head of New Energies, Corporate & Institutional Clients
Sven Egenter, Clean Energy Wire, Editor in Chief
Ivan Filippov, EMBA’11Dec, CGTS Center of Global Information Studies, Director
Dexter Galvin, EcoVadis, Climate Ambassador
Stephen Guhr, AMP’09Oct - Vonovia Engineering
André Hoffmann, MBA'90D - Roche Holding Ltd., VP Board of Directors/Founder of the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute
Dr. Marie Jaroni, ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, CSO & CTO
Malte Kuss, MBA’11D - RWE, Director Group Controlling & Risk Management
Thomas Perkmann, Westfalen AG, CEO
Gisbert Rühl, Entrepreneur & Investor, former CEO Klöckner & Co SE
Harsh Shah, EMBA’25Jan, Green Hydrogen Specialist
Julie Shaon, INSEAD Interim Lead / Senior Director of Operations/Advancement

as well as those who have contributed as organisers

Volker Bay, TGM F/A'13Feb
Olivier Bennett, MBA'16D
Christopher Kainz, MAP'23Oct
Huynjin (Rachael) Kim, MFIN'13Sep/CGM'22
Joost Schneider, MBA'98D

*Please revisit this page to follow our updates on speakers, panellists, and other contributors! If you have any questions regarding the Annual Conference 2025, contact us at info@insead.de or phone +49 151 7266 4258 or +49 151 6708 0476.

Hotels & more

Hotels

We chose two hotels close to each other, in order to make organisation smooth. Buses for transport needed for certain locations (Thyssen Krupp Steel Europe, Zeche Zollverein, Landgasthaus Schellenberg) will pick you up and drop you off at the following hotels:

Sheraton Essen Hotel, Huyssenallee 55, 45128 Essen (12-minute-walk from Essen Main Station)

The hotel is located in the heart of Essen. Please ensure you get one of the renovated rooms.

Classic room

Mercure Hotel Plaza Essen, Bismarckstr. 48 - 50 40128 Essen (1-minute-walk fromthe InterConti)

The Mercure Plaza Essen is located near the Folkwang Museum.

Superior room Deluxe room

There are lots of other hotels in Essen. If booking one of these, please note: Bus Transport is provided for rides to and from Villa Hügel, Thyssen Krupp Steel Europe, Landgasthaus Schellenberg, Zeche Zollverein, Margarethenhöhe from Sheraton Essen Hotel, which is in walking distance of the Mercure Hotel Plaza Essen.

We have not negotiated any prices as booking platforms or direct bookings at the hotels offer interesting rates or packages if you book well in advance. If you have any questions regarding the Annual Conference 2025, contact us at info@insead.de or phone +49 151 7266 4258 or +49 151 6708 0476.

Packages

Annual Conference Tickets*

Please get a ticket for each person attending!

Early Arrival Program Tickets** - Villa Hügel & Dinner

Members/Young Alumns Members/Non-members 50/50/80€
and their partners.

Full Conference Packages

1. Early Bird for members & partners/family 399€ (until July 1st)
2. Members & partners/family 449€ (after July 1st)
3. INSEAD Alumns Non-members & partners/family 700€

4. Young Alumns members (MBA'21D-25J & MiM)&partner

members 199€

The Full Conference Packages include

Friday Morning: Company Visit **
Friday Lunch: Snacks at Thyssen Krupp Steel Europe
Friday Afternoon: Conference Part I ***/****
Friday Night: Global INSEAD Day Gala Dinner at the
Landgasthof Schellenberg**
Saturday Morning: Conference Part II ***/****
Saturday Lunch: Snacks
Saturday afternoon: Explore the City I
Guided Tour/Scavenger Hunt
Saturday Night: Dinner at the Edda
Sunday Morning: Explore the City II Guided Tour***
Sunday Lunch: "Farewell Lunch" at the
Mintrops Margarethenhöhe

5. Friday Only Ticket*

Members & family/partners 300€ /

Non-member & family/partners 400,00€

The Friday-Only Ticket includes:

Friday morning Company Visit***
Friday Lunch: Minging & Snacks at ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe
Friday Afternoon Conference Part I ****
Friday Night: Global INSEAD Day Gala at the
Landgasthof Schellenberg

6. Saturday Only Ticket

Members & family/partners 270€

Non-member & family/partners 370€

The Saturday Only ticket includes

Saturday morning - Conference Part II ***/****
Saturday Lunch
Saturday Afternoon: Explore the City I
Scavenger Hunt /Guided Tour
Saturday Night: Dinner at the Restaurant Edda

8. Partner Ticket Friday

Global INSEAD Day Gala Dinner & Dance only

members/non-members' company 190€/€240

* Members are welcome to bring family, partners, or guests at the membership rate. Member is a member of one of the National INSEAD Alumni Associations or the IAA. Non-members are INSEAD Alumns without a membership at any NAA or IAA. Accommodation is not included in any of our tickets.
** not included in the Full Conference Packages!
*** Bus transfer from the Sheraton Essen Hotel included

**** Coffee break included

If you have any questions regarding the Annual Conference 2025, contact us at info@insead.de or phone +49 151 7266 4258 or +49 151 6708 0476.

Registration

Registration is open until September 5th. Please download and complete our registration form, and send it to the IAAG Office via e-mail or mail. Please read the information below carefully.

Guided Tours: Tours are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If the tour you have chosen in the registration form is already fully booked, we will contact you after registration to note your preferences regarding the tours still available.

Cancellation and cancellation fees: 50% until September 1st, thereafter, 100%. Replacement by another participant is generally possible.

Travelling to Essen: Essen can be reached within a few hours by train from all major German cities. Book train tickets and accommodation early to profit from better rates!

If you have any questions regarding the Annual Conference 2025, contact us at info@insead.de or phone +49 151 7266 4258 or +49 151 6708 0476.

The Organizing Team

Organizing Team

The Organising Team is looking forward to seeing you in Essen