Aleksandar Kovačević started his professional career in 1986 with the Federal Productivity Institute of the former Yugoslavia, having graduated with a degree in energy economics from Belgrade University. He is principal author of the energy–poverty analysis ‘Stuck in the Past’ (UNDP, 2004), co-author of the Western Balkans energy policy survey (IEA/UNDP, 2008) and the Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (PEIR) for Serbia and Montenegro (World Bank, 2003), and author of a number of papers, lectures, and media contributions. For over 20 years he has provided strategic advice, complex energy efficiency solutions, and emergency situation assistance to major institutional, financial, and private clients including assistance to UN OCHA to coordinate rapid reconstruction of the Serbian energy infrastructure after the Kosovo War. He was affiliated to PlanEcon before 1992, project manager for Tagarnrog Development project in Russia (1992–8), and a contributor to the Black Sea and Central Asia panel at the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. Aleksandar is a member of the Advisory Board to the Russian Power Conference since 2002 and ongoing, and of the UNECE Group of Experts in Sustainable Energy, as well as a regular consultant to the World Bank and contributor to the Oil and Gas Economy and Law (OGEL) network. He won an Innovation Award at the Power-Gen Europe Conference in 2002. He contributes to the Energy Community process in South Eastern Europe as well as the infrastructure development analyses in the region and climate change/economic development/security linkages. Aleksandar comments on SEE energy and transport infrastructure to international and local media. He was involved in the drafting of major Regional Economic Development Strategy for the region with OECD, RCC, EU and other international institutions. The Strategy was adopted by Ministers of economy from the region at the beginning of 2014 and is now operational. He has also been involved in the process of reshuffling the Energy Community Treaty as well as to discussions related with the South Stream project.