MARCOGAZ General Assembly Elects New President and Vice President
18 June 2026 | Press releases
Warsaw, 18 June 2026. MARCOGAZ held its General Assembly on 18 June 2026 in Warsaw, Poland, where Members elected Mr. Diego Modolell as President and Mr. James Burchill as Vice-President. Mr. Modolell succeeds Mr. Alexander Schwanzer; Mr. Burchill succeeds Mr. Modolell.
The elected President, Mr. Modolell, has served as Vice-President of MARCOGAZ since June 2024. He is Vice-Director of the Swiss Industry Association for Water, Gas and Heat (SVGW), where he leads the area of gas and district heating, with a strong focus on developing the technical knowledge and standards needed to decarbonise the gas sector.
MARCOGAZ’s new President, Mr. Modolell, stated, “I am honoured by the trust placed in me by MARCOGAZ Members. The gas industry stands at a defining moment: our existing infrastructure is one of Europe’s most valuable assets for delivering a secure, affordable and climate-neutral energy system. Over the coming term, I want MARCOGAZ to keep providing the rigorous technical expertise that turns that potential into reality; cutting emissions, integrating renewable and low-carbon gases, and keeping the energy transition both ambitious and achievable.”
The elected Vice-President, Mr. Burchill, is Chief Engineer at Gas Networks Ireland, the company that owns and operates the natural gas network in Ireland and serves over 720,000 homes and businesses. His work supports the company’s transition towards a repurposed and fully decarbonised gas network, including the integration of renewable gases such as biomethane and green hydrogen.
MARCOGAZ’s new Vice-President, Mr. Burchill, stated, “I am pleased to serve MARCOGAZ as Vice-President at such a pivotal time for our industry. Reaching net-zero will take close collaboration right across the European gas community, and I look forward to working with our Members and partners to support the wide-ranging technical work that keeps Europe’s gas systems safe, efficient and sustainable.”
In handing over his duties as President, Mr. Schwanzer, head of the Certification Body at the Austrian Association for Gas and Water (ÖVGW), asserted that “It has been a privilege to lead MARCOGAZ over the past two years. Together with our Members and the Secretariat, we have strengthened MARCOGAZ’s voice on the technical challenges of decarbonising Europe’s gas systems. I am confident that under Mr. Modolell’s leadership, MARCOGAZ will continue to champion the role of gas infrastructure in Europe’s energy transition. My heartfelt thanks go to our Members and the Secretariat for their trust and support during these years.”
In welcoming the elected President and Vice-President, Mr. Manuel Coxe, Secretary General of MARCOGAZ, concluded: “I am grateful to Mr. Schwanzer for his outstanding leadership throughout his presidency and for his invaluable support to the Secretariat. Together, we have achieved important milestones. I am confident that, under the leadership of our newly elected President and Vice-President, whose vision closely reflects MARCOGAZ’s mission, we will continue to build on this success in support of our Members and the wider industry.”
The terms of office for the elected President and Vice-President are two years, starting on 18 June 2026 and running until the General Assembly of 2028.
