MOVERS AND SHAKERS | 70TH ANNIVERSARY nuclear leaders Celebrating
Along with celebrating the last 70 years, NEi is also highlighting just some of those individuals who have helped shape the industry of today and who will influence the nuclear sector of the future.
Dr Evgeny Adamov, Director, NA Dollezhal Scientific Research & Design Institute of Power Engineering (Nikiet) Dr Evgeny Adamov is Scientific Director of the Proryv (Breakthrough project) aimed at industrial realisation of a closed nuclear fuel cycle based on fast neutron reactors. He is the moving force behind Russia’s Brest- OD-300 reactor, the world’s first lead-cooled fast reactor. Adamov has promoted this project for more than 30
years, sometimes in face of overwhelming bureaucratic obstacles. Under the Proryv project, Brest is now the heart of a nuclear power complex that includes onsite fuel fabrication and fuel recycling engineered to showcase the reliable performance of systems crucial for closing the nuclear fuel cycle. In 2023, Adamov, who celebrated his 85th birthday in
2024, was awarded the Russian Federation State Prize in Science and Technology.
Jason Cooper, CEO, GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy Jason Cooper began at GVH in June 2025 as Advanced Nuclear CEO and was named CEO of GVH in January 2026. Joining GE in early 2022 as Chief Executive Officer for the Onshore Wind North America business. Before joining GVH, he also served as President and CEO of the heavy- duty turbine equipment portfolio within the GE Vernova Gas Power business. Prior to joining GEV he spent 13 years in a variety of
roles within the Linde Group. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialisation in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.
Bernard Fontana, Chairman and CEO, EDF France Bernard Fontana was appointed as Chairman and CEO of EDF in May 2025 following roles as Chairman of Arabelle Solutions and Group Executive Vice-President in charge of the Industry and Services Division of EDF. He is responsible for driving the new nuclear build-out programme for EDF in France and elsewhere. In 2015 he became Deputy CEO of AREVA NP and
Chairman of the Board and CEO of Framatome in the summer of 2016. He began his career in the chemicals, steel and construction materials sectors and holds a degree in engineering from the École Polytechnique and the École Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées in Paris. Fontana has been a member of the Council of the French Nuclear Energy Industry Group
GIFEN since its creation in 2018. He is a member of the High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Safety in France.
Tim Gitzel, President and CEO, Cameco Tim Gitzel has led Cameco as president and CEO since June 2011. Prior to that he served as senior vice- president and chief operating officer. Prior to joining Cameco, he was executive vice-president of the mining business unit for Orano where he was responsible for global uranium exploration and decommissioning operations in 11 countries. He holds bachelor of arts and law degrees from the
University of Saskatchewan and an honorary degree from Saskatchewan Polytechnic. He participated in an executive education programme facilitated by INSEAD in France. Among other roles, since 2023 he has served as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Standing Advisory Group on Nuclear Energy (SAGNE).
Dame Sue Ion, Hon President of the UK National Skills Academy for Nuclear Dame Sue Ion was first hired as a technical officer at BNFL in 1979 after gaining a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Science from Imperial College, London. In 1992, she became Executive Director of Technology at BNFL, a position she held until 2006. She spent over three decades in the nuclear sector and is credited with positively influencing UK nuclear policy in a number of governments. She is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Foreign Member of the US National Academy of Engineering. An advocate for more to be done to attract women into the field of engineering, she supports educational programmes that encourage all students to explore science and develop scientific skills.
Dr. Pravesh Patel, Scientific Director, Focused Energy Dr. Pravesh Patel earned his PhD in Physics from Oxford University in 1998 before embarking on a career at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where he spearheaded numerous scientific programmes for high-gain fusion. While there he served as the Program Leader for Fast Ignition Inertial Confinement Fusion among other roles. Dr. Patel is a Fellow of the APS and recipient of the
Excellence in Fusion Engineering Award and the Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics Research. ■
Jason Cooper Dr Evgeny Adamov
Bernard Fontana
Tim Gitzel
Dame Sue Ion
Dr. Pravesh Patel
www.neimagazine.com | April 2026 | 87
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