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Home / News & Events / Inside WANO Magazine / BGM 2017: Leading Nuclear Safety in a Changing World

BGM 2017: Leading Nuclear Safety in a Changing World

Event Report
Vol 25 No 3 2018
15 November 2017

Keynote speaker Matthew Syed

​​Every two years, WANO members meet at the Biennial General Meeting (BGM) to elect a new President, receive an update on WANO activities and progress, listen to and share information with delegates from across the worldwide nuclear industry and to renew their commitment to nuclear safety.

Journalist, writer and broadcaster Matthew Syed opened this year's BGM with his keynote speech. Matthew talked about the importance of considering how leaders create the culture in organisations. Drawing on positive and negative examples from various industries, he conveyed the importance of learning from mistakes at a leadership level and creating a culture whereby staff can follow this example for the betterment of the organisation.

Panel session one, entitled Corporate leadership in a changing world, was moderated by Gaetan Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of New Brunswick Power, this session explored the critical role of corporate leadership and the impact this leadership has on nuclear safety, especially during economically challenging times. The panel session speakers were:

  • Brian Cowell, Generation Managing Director, EDF Energy

  • Satoru Katsuno, President, Chubu Electric Power Company Inc

  • Tiina Tuomela, Executive Vice President, Fortum Corporation

  • Robert Willard, President & Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations

Panel session two, Assisting each other in the pursuit of excellence, was moderated by Dr Naoki Chigusa, WANO Tokyo Centre Director. This session focused on the importance of mutual support, particularly the importance of support from the better performing plants to those plants furthest away from excellence. The session highlighted that everyone can learn from this experience.

The panel session speakers were:

  • Stane Rozman, President of the Management Board, Krsko Nuclear Power Plant

  • Syed Yusuf Raza, Member (Power), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission

  • Hossein Ghaffari, Director, Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant

  • Bill Pitesa, Senior Vice President & Chief Nuclear Officer, Duke Energy

The discussion in panel session three was focussed on Refining our programmes to more effectively support delivery of our safety mission. Moderated by Ingemar Engkvist, WANO Paris Centre Director, this session explored some of the areas that WANO's long-term plan, Compass 2018-2022, will focus upon in support of the WANO vision and mission while recognising that many members are experiencing economically challenging times.

The panel session speakers were:

  • Peter Prozesky, Chief Executive Officer, WANO

  • Marian Serban, Chief Nuclear Officer, SN Nuclearelectrica SA, & Site Director, Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant

  • Liao Weiming, General Manager of Liaoning Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Co

  • Mohamed Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation

Panel session four, Safe and reliable start-up of new units was moderated by Peter Tuominen, Vice President for Nuclear Safety Oversight, Fortum at Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant, and saw leaders from new entrants and new units sharing their experiences of the challenges of preparing an organisation to safely operate a new nuclear power plant.

The panel session speakers were:

  • KiYoung Suk, Vice President of Safety Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co

  • Lin Chuanqing, Deputy General Manager, Fuqing Nuclear Power Company

  • Didier Ohayon, Taishan Project Director, EDF China

The final panel session of the day, Building stronger relationships amongst members and like-minded organisations, was moderated by Maria Korsnick, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute, and focused on the importance of mutual support, particularly the importance of support from the better performing plants to those plants furthest away from excellence. The session highlighted that everyone can learn from this experience.

The panel session speakers were:

  • Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General & Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy, International Atomic Energy Agency

  • Denis Janin, President, International Youth Nuclear Congress

  • Adrienne Kelbie, Chief Executive Officer, Office for Nuclear Regulation

  • Agneta Rising, Director General, World Nuclear Association