Jan-Hendrik Petersen has 25 years of experience in structuring, executing, and managing complex financing transactions, as well as advising or investing in young, innovative companies.

Jan-Hendrik spent most of his professional career in investment banking, where he held senior positions at Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Kleinwort, and Barclays Capital. During his 8-year tenure at Barclays Capital in London, he successfully led the global Structured Equity-Linked Financing business and was a member of the Equity & Funds Structured Markets Global Operating Committee. He evaluated more than 1,000 structured corporate finance and special situations transactions, executed more than 200 with a total volume of more than $15 billion. After his time in investment banking, Jan-Hendrik advised German and international companies on corporate finance related questions. In addition, he has repeatedly worked successfully with young companies in various roles.

Jan-Hendrik graduated with honors from RWTH Aachen with a degree in business administration, focusing on corporate finance, banking, and public finance. He lives with his family in Munich, is a road cyclist enthusiast, likes to travel the world, and is interested in politics and history.

Peter Smeets is the founder and CEO of 360 Asset Finance GmbH. He is an attorney at law at Bruski Smeets & Lange Rechtsanwälte Partnerschaft, where he has been advising clients in the areas of asset and structured finance for over 25 years. Additionally, Peter Smeets is qualified as a managing director of a credit institution by the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).

Peter Smeets studied law at the universities of Konstanz and Frankfurt am Main and earned his PhD from the University of Konstanz. After completing his studies, he began his career in 1995 at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In early 2001, he founded his own law firm Smeets Haas Wolff, which merged with the international law firm Paul Hastings in 2008. From 2008 to 2015, Peter Smeets was head of the Frankfurt office of Paul Hastings and a member of the firm’s global management committee. In 2016, he founded Bruski Smeets & Lange, and since early 2018, the firm’s advisory approach has expanded to include all relevant fields in the areas of sustainable finance, structured finance, and corporate finance services through 360AF.

André is a Partner at 8F Asset Management. 8F is an impact-focused PE firm that invests globally in vertically-integrated aquaculture facilities. The company tackles the global challenge of healthy and sustainable protein production while creating material positive social and environmental impacts and generating compelling returns for investors. 

André has over 25 years of experience in the finance industry, including 17 years at Deutsche Bank. There he held numerous senior positions in the Investment Bank incl. in Transportation, Infrastructure & Energy Financing. André also served as a member of the bank’s Corporate Banking and Securities Executive Committee Germany.  He is also Chairman of the Board of a Scandinavian technology company.

As a member of the Ashoka Support Network André supports the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. Furthermore, he is a mentor to German elite Olympic athletes at “Deutsche Sporthilfe” foundation.

Harald Dialer is Chief Commercial Officer and member of the Executive Committee of HCS Group, a pioneer in the field of renewable fuels and chemicals.

Harald has been passionately driving the development and commercialization of technologies towards defossilization in fuels and chemicals for more than 20 years. This comprises strategic business development, techno-economical analyses, project execution and advocacy with regard to regulatory and legal frameworks in the EU and member states. In close cooperation with partners from industry and research, he developed and commercialized technology solutions for the production of bio-based fuels and power-to-liquids (efuels), which are essential for the ramp-up of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

After his PhD in organometallic chemistry at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, he started his career in catalysis research and process development at BASF. Subsequently, Harald headed corporate strategy and business management positions at Scientific Design Inc. (US) and Clariant (DE/CH) and was inter alia responsible for the global Alternative Fuels & Energies business of Clariant AG.

Accomplished global Executive with 30 years unique international experience covering all continents, mostly in the aerospace (OEM & Airline) industry and Rail and Leasing (GOAL, Malta). Successfully result driven with a recognized broad experience in areas such as network planning, technical customer support, contract negotiations, strategy, communications, marketing and sales, procurement, technical developments, business acumen paired with a strong self-motivation and analytical approach combined with engaging leadership style empowering and mobilizing teams in a holistic manner.

Culturally astute to interact globally in various languages with a strategic view based on sound market knowledge and focus on sustainable business. A large network in the aviation industry, medias and politics with a solid and very positive reputation throughout the industry driven also through launching several programs. Leveraging that network beyond own capabilities for target achievement, coaching, board support and early market messaging drives the result quality.

Thomas Leidenberger has been successfully implementing corporate finance, project, and asset finance for over 25 years, and has extensive experience in asset management and restructuring of transactions.

Thomas Leidenberger is General Manager at Abo Wind AG responsible for Finance & Sales International. Before joining Abo Wind he was Managing Director at 360 Aircraft Finance GmbH. From 2014 to 2021 Thomas was responsible for alternative investments at Hannover Leasing and structured “real asset” funds (both debt and equity) for private and institutional investors. Prior to that, he headed the project and structured finance business at LBBW for almost 15 years, where he was responsible for a portfolio of around EUR 15 billion. After studying at the University of Mannheim, the business graduate began his career at KfW IPEX, where Thomas structured international export and project finance for 9 years, including a two-year assignment to the Federal Ministry of Economics where he was responsible for all “Hermes” guarantees for project financings and Airbus aircrafts.