To succeed in its mission, BW Ideol's management team relies on innovative talents and high-level industry experts.
Paul de la Guérivière
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Paul is the CEO of BW Ideol since its creation in 2010, accompanying and transforming the company from the initial development of the Damping Pool product, to its implementation and the production of two demonstrators, then its positioning as one of the world leaders of floating wind. He structured all of the company's financing, its merger with BW Offshore and the IPO on Euronext Growth Oslo in March 2021. Paul draws on more than 20 years of experience in the field of renewable energies.
Paul holds a Master of Science from École des Ponts ParisTech and graduated from IHEDN.
Stéphane Toumit
ENGINEERING DIRECTOR
Stéphane has over 20 years’ experience in the design and FEA simulation of offshore structures such as risers, cables, mooring systems and pipelines. His technical background, which comprises hydrodynamics and structural mechanics (he graduated both in Hydrodynamics & Marine Technologies and in Structural Mechanics), led him first at Technip as Flexible Pipe Design Engineer. He then joined Principia, a French SME delivering engineering and R&D projects to the offshore, marine renewables energies, naval and nuclear industries, where he spent 14 years successively as Subsea Project Engineer, Lead Design Engineer, Engineering Project Manager and Riser & Cables Group Manager. In this position, he led a team of over 13 engineers mostly working on risers and cables design projects and to a lesser extent on global analysis of floating structures.
Laurent Verdier
CHIEF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Laurent brings 25 years of experience in successfully developing and delivering projects for major energy players, mainly in wind offshore, and industrialising newly proven technologies.
For the last four years, Laurent leaded SBM Offshore Renewables business line, that developed a portfolio of floating wind projects, both as codeveloper and as EPCI contractor, in Europe, US and Asia, among which the first French pilot floating wind farm Provence Grand Large, which is now operational in the Mediterranean.
Previously, as wind offshore project management office leader, he delivered the pilot projects and first commercial projects of General Electric Renewables Energy in Denmark (Osterlid), the United States (Block Island) and Germany (Merkur). He also played a key role in the development of commercial wind farms in France (St Nazaire).
Nicolas de Kerangal
CHIEF FINANCE & PARTNERSHIPS OFFICER
Nicolas de Kerangal joined BW Ideol in 2019 as Chief Finance & Partnerships Officer. Nicolas started his career in the M&A department of Credit Agricole Indosuez in 2001. In 2008, He joined Amyris (NASDAQ: AMRS) in California where he held various positions within the finance and strategy groups, including Head of Financial Planning and Analysis and Strategy Director, working mainly on fundraising activities, including the company IPO in 2010, and strategic partnerships. Since 2015, Nicolas was a Managing Partner at Sparkling Partners, a startup studio and diversified group of technology companies active across a wide range of sectors including food & agriculture, industrial IoT, healthcare and media.
Nicolas holds an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master in Management from Neoma Business School.
Ghislain Dufay
CHIEF PRODUCTS & OPERATIONS OFFICERAfter graduating as an Engineer with a specialisation in oil and engines, Ghislain joined Saipem 
in 2004. He started with a mission in Azerbaijan as a Planning Engineer on an offshore construction project. Back in France, he held positions related to tenders and became Business Development Manager in 2007, in charge of closing turnkey contracts.
In 2008, he joined a leading player in the construction industry, focused on major international engineering projects : Vinci. He then became Business Development Manager and initiated LNG projects in Europe, Russia, the United States and Australia.
In 2012, he got appointed Commercial/Construction Director. He had to lead and coordinate projects in the construction phase (planning, management of suppliers and partners, representation of Vinci towards the client). Playing a key role in the financial and operational phases, he accompanied all partners and business units, in order to successfully complete all the energy projects.
Sophie Fellah
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER
Sophie is a legal counsel specialized in international business law and has 10 years' experience in the industrial sector.
Before joining BW Ideol in 2021, Sophie began her career at AREVA as an international contract lawyer to support nuclear fuel transformation and sale operations, as well as the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. She then extended her expertise in transport activities with Transdev group, within which she managed the financing of large-scale projects, then of Necotrans group on behalf of which she negotiated all kind of contracts especially with Oil & Gas companies.
Sophie then joined VINCI Energies Oil & Gas group where she was in charge of all corporate aspects and contracts for more than 13 companies in France and abroad.
Holder of a Master's degree in International Business Law from the University of Tours, Sophie is multilingual.
Cynthia Moutier
CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER
Cynthia Moutier’s law studies first led her to hold the position of Legal and Social Relations Manager within large groups such as IBM and Texas Instruments. Passionate about the Human approach that accompanies her positions, Cynthia evolved towards Human Resources functions, also within start-up environments and SMEs with an international dimension in various sectors: biotechnology, agri-food, IT security.
During her fifteen years of professional experience, she has also took part in several strategic corporate projects, such as the change of ERP at the global level at Sartorius Stedim Biotech.
Before joining BW Ideol in 2022, Cynthia held the role of Human Resources Director at Bourbon Subsea Services, giving her a first approach of the floating wind industry.
The organization also benefits from the support and guidance of its advisory board of directors.
Its Board of Directors, whose role is to direct and control the strategic guidelines and BW Ideol's results, is made up of the following members :
Marco Beenen, Chairperson
Marco Beenen holds the position as Chief Executive Officer of BW Offshore. Mr. Beenen was appointed Chief Operation Officer of BW Offshore in 2016, responsible for the global operations and development of BW Offshore's fleet of FPSOs. He joined BW Offshore in 2012 as Vice President Business Development, followed by the position as Senior Vice President Fleet, responsible for operations in West Africa. Mr. Beenen is also on the Board of Directors of BW Energy. Prior to joining BW Offshore, Mr. Beenen has held executive positions in the Netherlands and USA as President of GustoMSC Inc and Vice President Engineering with SBM Offshore. He holds a Master’s Degree in Naval Architecture and Offshore Hydrodynamics of Delft University of Technology.
Yngvil Asheim, Board Member
Yngvil Asheim is the Managing Director of BW LNG and is responsible for BW's move into LNG infrastructure projects. She joined BW on 1 November 2010 as Managing Director for BW Fleet Management and became Managing Director for BW Shipping in October 2013; and Managing Director for BW LNG in November 2015. Asheim started her career at DNV as a surveyor in 1993 and held various positions within the classification society. In 2002, she joined Höegh Fleet Services, where she started as a fleet manager. After a year, she took on the role of President, responsible for all ship management activities for the Höegh Group. Subsequently, she was appointed as EVP of Höegh Autoliners responsible for global operation and ship management. She holds a Masters in Marine Engineering from the Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTNU). Asheim has also held several board positions and is currently a director of Gard P&I (Bermuda) Ltd.
Julian Brown, Board Member
Julian Brown is the Vice President and UK Country Manager for MHI Vestas. He has twenty years of experience from the renewables industry, including being chairman and co-founder of BVG Associates and 8.2 Aarufield Ltd, head of AREVA Wind in the UK and managing director of NEG Micon Rotors Ltd. Mr. Brown has a BSc in manufacturing studies from University of East London. He is also the non-executive chairman at Tekmar Group plc and a director of Renewable UK.
Jean Huby, Board member
Jean Huby is the Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Breeze Energy, owner and operator of the first commercial offshore wind park in Germany, BARD Offshore 1, since 2014. Mr. Huby has extensive experience in the energy sector, in particular as former CEO of AREVA Wind from 2011 to 2013 and as Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions, at AREVA group from 2008 to 2011. Mr. Huby holds an Engineering Degree of the Ecole Polytechnique and of the Ecole des Mines in Paris and a Master’s Degree in Economics of the Sorbonne University. He started his career in the European Commission, where he worked in the antitrust division and was an advisor to the Commissioner for Transport. Mr. Huby is independent from the Company's management, major shareholders and principal business associates.
