FROM: Daesung Group

Daesung Group Chairman Younghoon David Kim to chair

2018 Executive Assembly of WEC in Milan, Italy

90 member nations to participate

- To preside over EA for 2nd straight year as Chairman of WEC
- Will give welcome speech at World Energy Leaders Summit

Younghoon David Kim, Chairman and CEO of Daesung Group, will preside over the 2018 Executive Assembly (EA) of the World Energy Council (WEC) from Monday, October 8 to Thursday, October 11 in Milan, Italy, the second EA that he will preside over since his inauguration as WEC Chairman in October last year.

With the participation of more than 90 member countries, the EA will feature programs such as the Plenary Session, the World Energy Leaders Summit (WELS), Energy Transition Summit and Italian Energy Day. Slated to attend are many global energy experts and figures including energy ministers, public officials and business leaders from member nations.

Participants will review the state of the global energy market by examining core agenda such as ▲energy resilience; ▲energy accessibility; and ▲new energy technologies/innovation. They will also discuss the future prospects of the energy sector in depth. 

Chairman Younghoon David Kim will chair the Plenary Session of the EA and give the welcome speech at the World Energy Leaders Conference, to be attended by global energy experts.

At the event, Chairman Kim will emphasize the need for active discussion and cooperation among leaders to promote proper responses to the rapidly growing demand for energy and the development of innovative energy technology. In addition, he will urge the WEC to play a proper role and fully assume its responsibilities to become a more influential organization in the transformation of the global energy sector.

“This Executive Assembly will be an informative event to discuss the impact of new technology such as block chain, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence by focusing on the huge changes in the world energy market caused by digitization, decarbonization and decentralization,” he said.

Chairman Kim also expressed high expectations for the EA, saying, "The event will serve as a prime opportunity to review preparations for the 24th World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in September 2019."

More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the EA and other related events, including high-ranking officials from the Italian government, energy ministers from major economies, and leading representatives from state-run energy companies in Bulgaria, Morocco, Russia and South Africa.

Appointed WEC Chair in October 2016, Chairman Kim will step down after his three-year term ends at the 24th World Energy Congress in September next year in Abu Dhabi.

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◇ World Energy Council
The World Energy Council (WEC) is the principal impartial network of leaders and practitioners promoting an affordable, stable and environmentally sensitive energy system for the greatest benefit all. Formed in 1923, WEC is the UN-accredited global body, representing the entire energy spectrum, with more than 3000 member organizations located in over 90 countries and drawn from governments, private and state corporations, academia, NGOs and energy related stakeholders. WEC informs global, regional and national energy strategies by hosting high-level events, publishing authoritative studies, and working through its extensive member network to facilitate the world’s energy policy dialogue.

◇ WEC Executive Assembly
The WEC’s annual EA brings together more than 90 member countries to discuss the council’s activities and organizational management as well as its direction. This event generally takes place in conjunction with the Plenary Session, World Energy Leaders Summit and other energy-related happenings of the host country. In 2013, Korea hosted the EA along with the World Energy Congress. The 2018 Executive Assembly will take place in Milan, Italy, and it will feature a wide range of discussions on the energy sector’s role and direction and other related issues. Energy VIPs such as high-ranking officials, CEOs of multinational corporations, academics and other figures will attend.