Prof. Konstantin Papailiou

CIGRE President

Konstantin Papailiou, President of CIGRE, brings more than four decades of experience in the power systems sector. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of the Pfisterer Group and holds a Ph.D. from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich as well as a post doctoral degree (Dr. Ing. habil.) from the Technical University of Dresden, where he is honorary professor. Papailiou has published a number of books and over 100 papers and served as editor of several influential publications. His new role as President will see him guiding CIGRE's innovation and collaboration in power systems on a global scale.

Prof. Tang Guangfu

Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the director of Huairou Laboratory.

Tang is a recognized expert in the field of power electronics technology in power system. He has solved key technical challenges in areas such as power electronic conversion methods, driving and protection under intense electromagnetic environments, and equivalent test mechanisms. He led his team to complete the development of high-end equipment, including ±800kV LCC-HVDC converters, VSC-HVDC converters, and HVDC circuit breakers. He has successively implemented major projects and promoted the application of these technologies, with parameters ranking among the world's highest. His work has provided new means for realizing flexible and controllable power grids, long-distance large-capacity power transmission, and efficient integration of renewable energy.

Prof. Guo Jianbo

Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering

Vice President of Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering (CSEE)

Senior Consultant of State Grid Corporation of China

Prof. Guo Jianbo, Academician of CAE, CSEE Fellow, and senior member of IEEE, specializes in power system analysis and control. He has long engaged in all major aspects of power system analysis &control. As the principal investigator, he participated in Chinese National Programs for Three Gorges Power Transmission Project. He presided over the development plan for Chinese national grid interconnection project (from 2020 to 2050). He led his team to successfully develop the TCSC and UHV (1000kV) series compensator devices. Under his leadership, his team also developed the cross-regional AC/DC coordinated control system dramatically enhancing power grid's security, reliability and transfer capability in China. He also contributed remarkably to power grid security for wind power integration, in which he supervised the establishment of Chinese National Wind Power Integration R&D and Testing Center (NWIC), and provided a public R&D testing platform for electric power sector. He leads the research on the “Fundamental Theory of Human-in-the-loop Hybrid-augmented Intelligence for Power Grid Dispatching and Control”, a major project of Science and Technology Innovation 2030-“New Generation Artificial Intelligence”.

Dr. Bilel Jamoussi

Deputy Director of ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau and Chief, Study Groups & Policy Department (SPD)

Dr Bilel Jamoussi, a distinguished engineer and diplomat, is dedicated to establishing the international standards essential for ensuring global telecommunications and ICT interoperability, promote universal, meaningful connectivity and champion sustainable digital transformation.

Key achievements under his tenure have been important new standards, ensuring increased industry engagement, bolstering cooperation with other standardization bodies, as well as leading in emerging tech discussions and building strategic partnerships.

Before 2010, he held executive roles, including Director of Standards for Nortel, and contributed to over 90 international standards bodies. With a PhD in Computer Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, he is an IEEE Senior Member and has served on the IEEESA Board of Governors. A key voice in the global ICT arena, he is a regular keynote speaker at events like the Global Cybersecurity Forum and is frequently interviewed by top media outlets.

Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, with knowledge in Spanish and German, Bilel's global perspective has been shaped by living and working in Tunisia, Canada, the USA, and Switzerland.

Jingxuan (Joanne) Hu

RBJ Engineering Corporation, Co-Founder and Vice President, Canada Chair of CIGRE Study Committee B4 – DC Systems and Power Electronics

Ms. Hu is the Founder and Vice President of RBJ Engineering. She received her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1995 from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, and her master’s degree in computer and electrical engineering in 2001 from University of Manitoba, Canada.

Ms. Hu is a power system specialist with 30 years experience across broad range of areas including EHVAC/HVAC and HVDC systems, as well as FACTS devices. Her expertise spans from front end engineering and studies to equipment and system design review, factory testing and commissioning. She has collaborated with many utilities and suppliers worldwide, as a key or lead consultant on a variety of major projects.

She is actively involved in global power engineering society and organizations, including CIGRE and IEEE and has contributed to numerous working groups within both organizations, with her primary areas of interests and focus on HVDC, Power electronics devices and HV switchgear. She is member of CIGRE Technical Council and the chair of CIGRE Study committee B4 – DC Systems and Power electronics since 2020.

Ms. Hu initiated and led the development of a new IEEE standard, “Standard for High Voltage Direct Current Circuit Breakers (DCCB) Above 3200 Vdc”, which represents the first IEEE standard on HVDC breakers. She also served as the chair of IEEE FACTS Award Committee from 2020 to 2022.

She has authored/co-authored over thirty technical papers covering various HVDC/HVAC/FACTS topics. She received IEEE Standard Association International Award in 2021 and Cigre Women in Energy (WiE) Award in 2022.