Koen Peters

Koen Peters has been GOGLA's Executive Director since 2014. He has more than 20 years of international work experience, of which more than 12 years in relation to energy access. He gathered insights from many different perspectives and organizations, including government, consulting, start-up businesses, and international finance organizations.

Prior to joining GOGLA, Koen worked as renewable energy expert within the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In this capacity, he focused on development assistance programmes promoting access to energy in Africa – with a specific focus on private sector cooperation and development finance instruments. Here he worked with the leading international development finance organizations, donor governments, and international NGOs active in the field of sustainable energy in developing countries.

Earlier, he worked for about ten years as a consultant, supporting start-up businesses with business planning, project management, and fundraising – in particular in relation to energy access business initiatives in developing countries. During this period he co-founded and co-managed a solar PV company in Tanzania – then (in 2001-2006) the first company to focus mainly on providing solar energy solutions to poor people in rural communities. He was also project manager of one of the first projects aimed at solar mobile phone charging solutions, in Uganda.

His experience in the private sector came after several years in the public sector: for the Dutch government on international cooperation; for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on donor cooperation on international climate investments; and for the British Department for International Development.
Koen has a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Wageningen University and a Master's in Business Administration jointly from Nyenrode University and Kellogg School of Management. He is married and has two children.