ESCP celebrates the Executive Master in Future Energy Class of 2026

On Friday 16 October, ESCP celebrated the graduation of the Executive Master in Future Energy (EMFE) Class of 2026 at Burgh House, a historic venue in Hampstead, UK.

The ceremony marked the end of an 18-month academic journey for executives from more than 20 nationalities and a wide range of professional backgrounds. It also offered the cohort an opportunity to reconnect and reflect collectively on the challenges and opportunities shaping the energy sector.

Preparing leaders for a complex energy landscape

Opening the ceremony, Professor Marie Taillard, Dean of ESCP London Campus, highlighted the importance of the programme within ESCP’s Bold and United strategy. She emphasised the central role of alumni and the responsibility graduates now carry as leaders in a sector undergoing profound change.
 

The keynote address was delivered by Temistocles Rojas, Principal Geoscience & Petroleum at Baker Hughes. Drawing on more than two decades of international experience in energy technology and innovation, Rojas examined the tension at the heart of the global energy trilemma: balancing energy security, affordability and environmental sustainability.

He noted that the energy transition requires an integrated approach rather than a shift from one energy source to another. The future is likely to involve the expansion and integration of multiple forms of energy, supported by technology, effective policy and professionals who can work across disciplines.

Highlighting the value of EMFE’s holistic curriculum, which connects governance, finance, technology, strategy and regulation, Rojas urged graduates to apply an integrated perspective to complex challenges throughout their professional journeys.

“You are entering this challenge at exactly the right moment,” he told the graduating class, encouraging them to act with integrity and recognise the far-reaching impact of their decisions.
 

Leading through uncertainty

Professor Spiros Papaefthimiou, Academic Director of EMFE, reflected on the distinctive context in which the graduates completed the programme.

They studied energy during one of the most turbulent periods in the sector’s recent history, influenced by geopolitical tensions, disruptions to global supply, and ever changing trading patterns, which have placed energy security back at the heart of the international agenda, alongside long-term decarbonisation and electrification goals.

As the graduates finish their ESCP journey, Papaefthimiou encouraged the cohort to continue combining their systems thinking and technical rigour with a global strategic mindset to face the operational reality of the energy transition, which requires pragmatic and forward-looking leadership.
 

A journey shaped by shared experience

Representing the graduating class, valedictorian Aziza Alaoui Kacimi, Chief Operating Officer, MENA at Aryam Adaptive & Regenerative Solutions, reflected on her transition into the energy sector after 15 years in asset management.

She described how her transferable analytical skills, combined with EMFE’s interdisciplinary framework, supported her move towards sustainable innovation and lower-carbon initiatives. She also praised the collaborative nature of the programme, where participants from engineering, finance, policy and management brought different perspectives to complex challenges.

Her co-valedictorian, Mouhamadou Fall, spoke about the social dimension of the energy transition and the role of energy access in economic development and reducing inequality. He described EMFE as a platform for high-level debate, professional growth and lasting relationships built around a shared sense of purpose.
 

With their studies complete, the EMFE Class of 2026 now joins ESCP’s international alumni network of over 95,000 professionals, ready to lead sustainable change across the global energy value chain. Congratulations to all our graduates! Photos from the event are available here.