H.E. Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu

Federal Republic of Nigeria

Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu is the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources of The Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He was nominated and subsequently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to represent his state of origin, Delta State in the President’s cabinet to oversee the daunting task of reforming and institutionalising transparency, accountability and productivity in the Nigerian oil and gas sector. As cabinet minister working directly under this key Ministry headed by the President himself, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu’s responsibility encompasses working in synergy with the President to evolve innovative strategies and formulation of policies aimed at sanitizing the petroleum sector of the country and returning it to a profit generating sector that would positively impact the economy of Nigeria.

Preceding his nomination and confirmation as an Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria serving in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, in August 2015 he was appointed to the position of Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) where he set in place the process leading to the on-going transformation at NNPC through the implementation of a thoroughbred strategic plan focused on transforming and reviving the beleaguered the state owned Oil Company into a major revenue and profit making enterprise for the nation. He served as Group Managing Director (GMD) for eleven (11) months and in that period under his leadership the NNPC was returned to profitability thereby turning the curve and this feat landmark feat meant that for the first time in more than a decade the National Oil Company was declaring profit. On 4th July, 2016 when he was elevated to the position of Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) where he superintends over the affairs of the corporation.

Dr. Kachikwu while working as Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation came to office with a clear sense of the need for reform and did not lose time to initiate the process of change. The restructuring of NNPC saw the Corporation re-organised into five Autonomous Business Units and a lean Corporate Headquarters. The Four Autonomous Business Units (ABUs) are Upstream, Downstream, Refineries and Gas & Power Units. The lean Corporate Headquarters is made up of the Ventures Unit, GMD’s office, Finance & Accounts and Corporate Services. Clear performance targets – both financial and operational were set to accelerate the growth and profitability of the new Business Units. Emphasis is on a clear focus on commercialising the Units and making the Corporation Focused, Accountable, Competitiveness, and Transparency (FACT) based.

Prior to his appointment as Group Managing Director of the NNPC, he was Executive Vice Chairman of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited and General Counsel for ExxonMobil Nigeria affiliate Upstream and Downstream Companies in Nigeria. In his position as Vice Chairman and General Counsel of ExxonMobil in Nigeria, he oversaw the compliance programs of ExxonMobil in Nigeria and offered advice on issues related to adherence with compliance regulations and anti-corruption laws for the company in Africa.

This role afforded him the opportunity to set major policy plans on, government relationship, investment policy and corporate governance for ExxonMobil in Africa as well as Influence investment from ExxonMobil Group into the continent and in extension Nigeria to the tune of over $15 billion. Having played significant roles in the oil sector for over thirty (30) years, Dr. Kachikwu has developed solid working relations in the Global Energy Sphere with contacts to most CEOs of large Petroleum Corporations, and Secretaries of Energy for key National Country players. His experience in the sector culminated in him being appointed the Lead Negotiator on diverse issues for ExxonMobil in Africa including conclusion of Lease Renewal Negotiations for Mobil Producing and also membership of many highly influential policy and investment teams for ExxonMobil Corporation in the process negotiating and delivering multi-billion dollar contracts for licenses, PSCs, JVs and oil contractual operations all over Africa.

Dr. Kachikwu has shown extraordinary competence in handling responsibilities in the past and this capability he modelled in his ability to efficiently manage and oversee seven (7) companies under him when he was appointed Executive Director ExxonMobil Group of Companies in 2003 as well as in 2001 when he held the forth as General Counsel/Secretary to Board Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited. Between 1992 and 2001, his excellence and depth in leadership was proven beyond any reasonable doubt as evidenced in his remarkable capability to set up, manage and exponentially grow diverse business concerns of his own in key areas of downstream petroleum, law practice, consultancy and publishing. Some of the companies which he served as Chairman & Chief Executive include Flame Petroleum & Gas Company Limited, Intel & Data Consultants Limited, True Tales Publications Limited (Publishers of Hints Magazine) and Beverly Cops & Security Company Limited.

Before his foray into managing these multibillion Naira business concerns, he was General Counsel/Legal Adviser, Texaco Nigeria and Texaco Overseas Petroleum Company, a position he held for ten (10) years spanning through a period from 1984 -1994 overseeing various company divisions including Texaco Nigeria Limited, Texaco Overseas Nigeria Petroleum Company and Texaco Agro Industries Nigeria Limited. In that period, his invaluable leadership experience was identified by three (3) well respected companies who invited him to sit on their boards in advisory capacity on secretarial and legal matters.

Dr. Kachikwu’s wealth of experience and excellence in service delivery has not gone unnoticed as he has been honoured with numerous awards which include NOPA Evergreen Icon Award (2012), The Exemplary Leadership Award PENGASSAN (2010), Humanitarian and Service to Humanity Award JCC (2011), Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award Ubulukwu Development Union (2012), Nigerian Role Model Award by NROMA (2010), Alma Mattar Alumni Award for Exemplary Support, University of Nigeria Nsukka (2009) just to mention a few. Of note in all these recognitions is Dr. Ibe Kachikwu being listed in the “Who is Who Africa”.

A legal luminary of great repute who has worked as an investment attorney in the United States of America (USA), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu is a world renowned expert in petroleum operations, legislation and policy issues and as a testament to this his numerous legal articles as well as some of his non-legal plays/novels have either been published or accepted for publication. He also authored several law books including the best seller – Nigerian Foreign Investment Law and Policy. Some of these publications by Dr. Kachikwu have received worldwide commendation thereby placing him as a respected leader by peers within and outside the oil industry globally and in his chosen legal profession.

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu is a distinction graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Nigerian Law School. He bagged First Class degree in Law and was best graduand and multiple awards winner from both Institutions. He bagged a Masters in Law (LLM) with special focus on Energy and Petroleum Law and Investment and a Doctorate Degree with specialization on Petroleum and Investment Law Strategies from Harvard Law School, USA where he was the best graduate with Distinction and in the process set a record time for completing Doctoral Thesis.

He also has a Higher Diploma .T.L (H.DIP.T.L) from Georgetown, USA. He was Director, Institute of Petroleum Law Afe Babalola University, Nigeria and also Visiting Professor of Law to several Universities including Harvard Law School, USA and Nigeria Law School. Dr. Kachikwu’s prestigious fellowships include the following; Fellow, Society for Corporate Governance (FSCG); Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitration (FCIArb); Fellow Chartered Institute for Petroleum Policy (FCIPP).

At the 168th Meeting of the Conference of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) held in Vienna, Austria, on Friday, 4th December 2015, the Conference officially released a statement to congratulate Dr. Kachikwu who was the then President of OPEC on his appointment as Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum Resources by His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari. He was until March 2016 the President of the African Petroleum Producers Association (APPA). His international diplomacy has placed Nigeria at the forefront of discussions between OPEC and Non-OPEC member countries and these consultations have greatly contributed to stabilizing the falling oil prices internationally and effectively enhanced the image of the Nigeria positively amongst the committee of nations. At the 169th meeting of OPEC member countries, Dr. Kachikwu played a key influential role in the negotiations and strategic mediation which led to the appointment of a Nigerian as the current Secretary – General of OPEC.

Dr. Kachikwu has a flair for Literature and Creative writing which has led to the churning out of ideas for magazines like Hints, Family, Beauty Box and Complete Fashion magazines. He is a titled Chief with various influential titles which include Isagba of Ezechime Clan conferred on him by twelve (12) villages in Delta North, Gbadegun of Owo, Owo Kingdom and Odogwu of Onicha-Ugbo. Dr. Kachikwu is married with children.

H.E. Dr. Abdalrahman Osman Abdalrahman

Minister of Petroleum and Gas, Republic of Sudan

Mr. Abdalrahman Osman Abdalrahman is the minister of petroleum and gas for the Republic of Sudan. He joined the staff of University of Khartoum in 1974, and served for over eight years as a lecturer in production-related mechanical engineering subjects, including engineering design, engineering drawing, workshop technology, metallurgy, and metrology. He was the head of the engineering section in ADNOC’s Ruwais refinery in Abu Dhabi in 1981, and in 1989 was called by the Sudanese Government to head the General Petroleum Corporation. During this period, the Sudan Petroleum Resources Act was amended, the Sudan model agreement for oil exploration and production was developed, and the Sudan Petroleum Corporation was reorganized. Mr. Abdalrahman established the consultancy Ben Barkhiya in 1994, providing assistance to the energy sector and various national and international companies in the oil sector, and also directs their training center. In 1996, he was re-called to head the Sudanese government to lead the government team in establishing the consortium in blocks one, two, and four, of Sudan’s oil concessions. He is a 1967 graduate of the University of Khartoum in mechanical engineering and earned his PhD from the University of Birmingham, England in 1974.

Bader Al Lamki

Masdar

Mr. Bader Al Lamki manages Masdar’s clean energy business unit to achieve performance excellence in green field development, investment (mergers and acquisitions), and operations of renewable energy utility scale projects, carbon capture utilization and storage, waste to energy, and industrial energy efficiency solutions. A UAE national, Mr. Al Lamki brings over nineteen years of energy sector experience to Masdar, and is executing a plan that has delivered nearly 1.5 gigawatts of clean energy already deployed or under development globally, while also positioning Masdar’s clean energy business for future growth. Prior to joining Masdar, Mr. Al Lamki led a multi-disciplinary team at ADMA-OPCO (an Abu Dhabi based offshore exploration company) tasked with increasing oil production to nearly one million barrels. Mr. Al Lamki also worked for the French oil major TOTAL, and was the chairman of Shams 1 Company, a joint venture company between Masdar, TOTAL, and Abengoa Solar operating the first CSP plant in the MENA region. He also sits on the board of Spain’s Torresol Company, was a member of the SPE Industry / University Advisory Committee from 2006 to 2008, and the co-chairman of the Vision program for the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He also chaired the Zayed Future Energy Prize (ZFEP) selection committee for three years. Bader holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the UAE University.

Tayba Al Hashemi

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

Ms. Tayba Al Hashemi is the undeveloped reservoirs (UDR) projects unit manager, within the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Upstream Directorate. The UDR project’s unit unlocks offshore and onshore hydrocarbon reserves to achieve, sustain, and increase gas production in sustainable and economic qualities to meet the ADNOC 2030 strategy through the implementation of an ultra sour gas hub. A UAE national, Ms. Al Hashemi established and executed ADNOC’s exploration strategy, aligned with ADNOC’s 2030 growth strategy, and developed and executed the company’s ultra sour gas hub strategy, focused on developing future sour gas opportunities onshore and offshore. Ms. Al Hashemi has worked in ADNOC and its group of companies since 2002, including two years as exploration unit manager in ADNOC’s exploration and production directorate. She has also held various engineering and management positions within ADNOC Onshore, and is a member of ADNOC Sour Gas’s board of directors, chairman of ADNOC Sour Gas audit committee, and is member of various upstream company committees. Ms. Al Hashemi holds a bachelor’s degree from the UAE University, Al Ain. She is a member of ADNOC’s Women’s Committee and a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Sarah Akbar

Kuwait Energy

Ms. Sara Akbar is a renowned professional and personality in the oil and gas industry, both in Kuwait and internationally. She has over thirty years of experience in the oil and gas industry, having worked in several positions in Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) and Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC). In 2005, Ms. Akbar’s entrepreneurial interests drove her to be a co-founder in establishing Kuwait Energy, one of the few successful independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East today. In 2017, Ms. Akbar was officially elected as a member of the Supreme Council in Kuwait’s Ministry of Planning and Development led by the Prime Minister Sehikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, which further contributes to her prominence not only in the oil and gas industry, but also as a politically and socially active and conscientious citizen. Ms. Akbar was rnamed by Forbes Middle East as among the top 100 Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen of 2017. Ms. Akbar holds a bachelor’s of science in chemical engineering from Kuwait University.

Mohamed Al Hammadi

Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation

Mr. Mohamed Al Hammadi is the chief executive officer of Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC). He is responsible for directing activities required to facilitate the deployment of nuclear energy plants in the United Arab Emirates, incorporating the development of plans for a peaceful nuclear energy program, and the development of non-regulatory infrastructure. Al Hammadi has also been appointed as a member of the World Association of Nuclear Operators’ Governing Board of its Atlanta Center. Prior to joining ENEC, Al Hammadi was general manager of the Federal Electricity and Water Authority. Earlier in his career, Al Hammadi served as project division manager of the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company. Prior to this, he was a project engineer with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority. In addition, he was project manager at Mubadala Development Company (now Mubadala Investment Company). Al Hammadi is a member of the American Nuclear Society, the Project Management Institute, and is a certified project management professional. He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the International Council on Large Electric Systems, the Engineers Association of the United Arab Emirates, and the Emirates Project Management Association. Al Hammadi obtained his BS in electrical engineering and his MS in engineering management, both from the Florida Institute of Technology.

H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber

United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber is the minister of state for the United Arab Emirates. He also serves as the chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), a position he has held since February 2016. Dr. Al Jaber previously served as the chief executive officer for energy at Mubadala Development Company (now Mubadala Investment Company) and chief executive officer and managing director of Masdar until March 2014. He oversaw DB Masdar Clean Tech Fund LP., Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, and Masdar Venture Capital. He spearheaded the launch and establishment of Masdar in 2006. He was appointed United Arab Emirates special envoy for energy and climate change in 2010. Previously, he held various positions within ADNOC and Abu Dhabi Gas Company. He has been the chairman of the board at Masdar since March 2014. In 2013, Dr. Al Jaber was appointed United Arab Emirates minister of state and member of the federal cabinet. He is also a member of the executive committee of Masdar Clean Tech Fund, LP. He holds a PhD in business and economics from Coventry University and an MBA and BS in chemical engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Musabbeh Al Kaabi

Mubadala Investment Company

Mr. Musabbeh Al-Kaabi is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Petroleum and Petrochemicals at Mubadala Investment Company. Mr. Al-Kaabi was previously the CEO of Mubadala Petroleum, having joined the company in 2013 as chief growth officer, responsible for new business development, mergers and acquisitions, and exploration. Previously he enjoyed a sixteen-year career with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). He joined ADNOC in 1997 and rose to manager of the exploration division. His achievements include leading ADNOC’s first ever offshore high pressure/high temperature deep gas reservoir mechanical fracturing project, initiating and leading efforts to assess the unconventional resources in Abu Dhabi, and leading recent negotiations with international oil companies to conclude a number of joint venture agreements in Abu Dhabi. He also undertook an overseas assignment with Shell, where he was part of a team specializing in reservoir surveillance. His areas of expertise include geophysics, petroleum geology, field development, unconventional resources evaluation, and petroleum economics. He has been an active participant in a number of professional bodies and event-related executive committees, and served as an advisory board committee member for the National Drilling Company, and as an executive committee member of newly established Joint Ventures in Abu Dhabi. Mr. Al-Kaabi holds a BS in geophysical engineering from Colorado School of Mines and an MS in petroleum geoscience from Imperial College, London.

Dr. Ahmed Al Mazrouei

EmiratesLNG

Dr. Ahmed Al Mazrouei is the chief executive officer (CEO) of EmiratesLNG, a position he has held since 2011. Prior to this role, Dr. Al Mazrouei served as vice president of new business development, marketing and commercial at Mubadala Petroleum. Previously, he was seconded by Mubadala Development Company (now Mubadala Investment Company) to Dolphin Energy as vice president of marketing and commercial from 2005 to 2010. While at Dolphin Energy, Dr. Al Mazrouei played a dynamic role in transforming Dolphin from the project to operational phase and restructured the Marketing and Commercial Division.

H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei

Minister of Energy and Industry, United Arab Emirates

H.E. Suhail Al Mazrouei was appointed as United Arab Emirates (UAE) minister of energy on 12 March 2013. Minister Al Mazrouei has experience in corporate administration in different sectors including ship building, defense systems, oil and gas services sector, and real estate development. His career at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company spanned ten years before he moved to Mubadala Development Company (now Mubadala Investment Company) in 2007. During his career at Mubadala, he expanded the company into Bahrain, Oman, and Kazakhstan. He was responsible for the development of new projects as well as investments in exploration and production in Middle Eastern countries and Africa. Minister Al Mazrouei graduated from the University of Tulsa in the United States with a BS in petroleum engineering.

H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak

Mubadala Investment Company

H.E. Khaldoon Al Mubarak is Mubadala Investment Company’s managing director and group chief executive officer. He is responsible for ensuring the company’s business strategy is aligned with Abu Dhabi’s economic diversification efforts. He is chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, which provides strategic policy advice to the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, of which he is also a member. He is also chairman of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, the Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority, and Emirates Global Aluminium; vice chairman of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council; and a board member of First Gulf Bank. H.E. Al Mubarak also sits on the Board of Trustees for Zayed University, New York University, and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology. He is also a Global eHealth Foundation ambassador.

Dr. Matar Al Neyadi

Ministry of Energy, United Arab Emirates

Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Energy, holds a PhD in international law from the University of Edinburgh (1997). He has professional experience in leadership, international cooperation, international maritime law, management of international negotiations, climate change, rationalization of energy and water consumption, impact of the prices of unconventional sources on oil and gas prices, the State’s sovereignty on its natural sources and drafting legislations.

In May 2014, Dr. Matar assumed the position of chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority. Dr. Matar is also the UAE’s executive member in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, member of the Executive Office of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, member of the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and member of the Board of Trustees of H.E. the Minster of Interior’s Award for Scientific Research.

Dr. Matar is also the chair of the Gasoline and Diesel Prices Follow-up Committee; deputy chair of UAE’s National Committee at the World Energy Council; chair of the Clean Development Mechanism Executive Committee; member of the Emirates Green Development Council; member of the Steering Committee of the UAE Ecological Footprint Initiative, and a member of the Advisory Board of the College of Law.

Dr. Matar has authored a number of legal books which notably include ‘Maritime Zones of the UAE,’ the ‘Rules of International Treaties in Public International Law,’ and ‘Documents in Public International Law’.

H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy

Ministry of Oil and Gas, Sultanate of Oman

H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy is the minister of oil and gas for the Sultanate of Oman, a position he has held since 1997. He is the chairman of the board of directors of Oman LNG, LLC, and the chairman of Petroleum Development Oman, LLC. Prior to his appointment as minister, Minister bin Hamad Al Rumhy held academic faculty positions in petroleum engineering and served as assistant dean of engineering at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. He has also served as the chairman of Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company LLC and the vice chairman of Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. He earned both his BS and PhD degrees in petroleum engineering from the Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London. Additionally, Minister bin Hamad Al Rumhy holds an MS degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma.

H.E. Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, United Arab Emirates

H.E. Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi was appointed as minister of climate change and environment for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in February 2016. Previously, he served as permanent representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency from 2010 to 2017. He also was the director of the Department of Energy and Climate Change within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2016. Minister Al Zeyoudi first began his career as a reservoir engineer at the Abu Dhabi Marine Oil Company and then moved to Masdar, where we worked on advancing renewable energy technologies and solutions. Minister Al Zeyoudi played a major role in the UAE’s successful campaign in 2009 in hosting International Renewable Energy Agency, the first international organization dedicated to renewable energy. In 2015, Minister Al Zeyoudi was awarded the first Gulf Cooperation Council Prize for Excellence in recognition of his pioneering efforts in renewable energy. He is a member of several committees, including the ‏Emirates Green Development Council, as well as the audit and selection committees of Zayed Future Energy Prize. Minister Al Zeyoudi holds a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from the Tulsa University, an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology, an MSc in project management from the British University in Dubai, and a PhD in strategy, program, and project management from SKEMA Business School in France, where he received the Sheikh Rashid Award for Scientific Excellence for holders of doctorate degrees.

H.E. Eng. Fatima Al-Foora Al Shamsi

Ministry of Energy, United Arab Emirates

H.E. Eng. Fatima Al-foora Al Shamsi is the assistant undersecretary for electricity, clean energy, and desalination of water at the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Energy. Her background ranges from electrical engineering and renewables, to business development and project management. She worked as the vice president of the privatization and business development in Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and as an executive director for electricity in the Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA). Before joining the Ministry of Energy, she was leading the Mohammed Bin Rashid Solar Park Project, IP(W)P projects in Dubai, DEWA private investment portfolio development, DEWA corporate strategy team, and research and development related to the business development of DEWA. She is now leading the electricity, clean energy, climate change, and water desalination-related activities at the Ministry of Energy. Ms. Al Shamsi graduated from the United Arab Emirates University with a BS in electronics engineering and holds an MBA in financial management.

Ahmed Al-Ibrahim

Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority

Mr. Ahmed Al-Ibrahim is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA). He has been with GCCIA for ten years since he joined in 2007 as director of operations and maintenance. He has almost thirty years of experience in power systems and infrastructure operation and planning, previously working as CEO of Sintegro International, and earlier as manager of operations and control in the Bahrain Ministry of Electricity. Al-Ibrahim holds an MBA from DePaul University, an MSc in electrical power engineering from the University of Strathclyde, and a BSc in electrical power engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He also completed the Gulf Executive Development Program II from Darden Business School at the University of Virginia. He is a board member of the GCC HV Lab company, board member and technical committee chairman of GCC Cigre, and member of Cigre Study Committee SC C5 “Electricity Markets and Regulations”.

H.E. Mohamed Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa

Ministry of Oil, Kingdom of Bahrain

H.E. Mohamed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was appointed as the minister of oil for the Kingdom of Bahrain in June 2016. Prior to serving as minister of oil, Minister Al-Khalifa was appointed chief executive of the Oil & Gas Holding Company in 2011. Minister Al Khalifa has served in Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance since 1999, and most recently held the position of director of government shareholdings after being appointed in 2005. During his tenure at the Ministry of Finance, he worked on the privatization of power plants, Seef properties IPO, and Muharraq STP. He is a former board member of the Bahrain National Gas Expansion Co. and Lulu Tourism Co. He is currently a board member of the National Oil & Gas Authority and the Central Bank of Bahrain. Minister Al Khalifa is the chairman of the Bahrain Petroleum Company. He graduated with honors from the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals with a BSc degree in electronics. He completed his higher education in the United Kingdom with a master’s degree from the University of Cambridge and an advanced master’s from the Imperial College of Science. He also holds an MBA from DePaul University, Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

Dr. Luay Jawad Al-Khatteeb

Iraq Energy Institute

Dr. Luay Al-Khatteeb is the founding director of Iraq Energy Institute, Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy (Columbia University-SIPA) and a former Foreign Policy Fellow at Brookings Institution. His professional experiences span over twenty years in business development and public policy with executive capacities as director and senior advisor to various multilateral institutions, international oil companies, commercial banks and management consulting firms. He is a frequent commentator on issues related to energy security, economics, and politics in the Middle East. He is working on two books, the first addresses the comparative energy policy frameworks in federal systems, and the second on the political economy of Iraq post 2003. His writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, Brookings Institution, Harvard University, Columbia University, The National Interest, The Huffington Post, Al-Monitor, CNN, MEES, the Petroleum-Economist and The National among others. Dr. al-Khatteeb earned his Ph.D. in Political Economy from the University of Exeter.

H.E. Jabar Al-Luaibi

Ministry of Oil, Republic of Iraq

H.E. Jabbar Al-Luaibi is the minister of oil for the Republic of Iraq, a position he has held since August 2016. Prior to this position, Minister Al-Luaibi served as the advisor to the minister in the Ministry of Oil from 2009 to 2010. He was the director general of the South Oil company from 2003 to 2009. From 1973 to 2003, Minister Al-Luaibi held various positions within Iraq National Oil Company and the South Oil Company. He holds a BSC in chemical engineering and a post-graduate degree in engineering management.

Wafaa' Al-Za'abi

Kuwait Petroleum Company

Ms. Wafaa’ Al-Za’abi is a managing director at the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and is a board member of Kuwait Oil Company. Her proficiencies in the oil industry include reorganizing and restructuring the oil sector as well as oil pricing policies and mechanisms. Ms. Al-Za’abi was previously a board member of Al Sour Fuel Company and the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the College of Petroleum and Engineering at Kuwait University.

Adnan Amin

International Renewable Energy Agency

Mr. Adnan Amin is the director general of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), currently serving his second term. He joined IRENA in 2010 as the interim director general of the Preparatory Commission for IRENA. In April 2011, he was elected as the agency’s first director general. During his tenure, IRENA has become the global authority on renewable energy. Prior to joining IRENA, Mr. Amin served as head of the United Nations (UN) System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) Secretariat. He was responsible for overseeing the Secretariat supporting the CEB in its UN system-wide policy coordination under the chairmanship of the UN secretary-general and comprising the executive heads of UN system organizations. Previously, Mr. Amin served as the director of the New York Office of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and special representative of the UNEP executive director. In this function, he played the lead role in supporting the ministerial-level intergovernmental process to review International Environmental Governance and UNEP’s participation in the World Summit on Sustainable Development. He was also a trustee and member of the Board of Directors of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre based in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Becky Anderson

CNN Abu Dhabi

Becky Anderson is one of CNN International's highest profile anchors. She hosts "Connect the World with Becky Anderson.” Ms. Anderson is based in CNN's Abu Dhabi bureau, allowing her a distinctive regional perspective on some of today's most important news stories, including the deepening humanitarian crisis in Syria and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Ms. Anderson is a skilled interviewer, adept at close questioning and has interviewed many of the world's leading politicians, decision-makers, and thought-leaders, including Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Tammam Salam, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She is equally at home quizzing the world's A-listers, including George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey. Ms. Anderson has extensive business journalism experience including posts with the UK's ITN, CNBC Europe, and Bloomberg. She began her career in journalism as a print reporter with various business publications, after gaining a Master of Mass Communication from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

Dr. Robert Armstrong

MIT Energy Initiative

Dr. Robert Armstrong directs the MIT Energy Initiative, an Institute-wide initiative at MIT linking science, technology, and policy to transform the world’s energy systems. A member of the MIT faculty since 1973, Dr. Armstrong served as head of the Department of Chemical Engineering from 1996 to 2007. His research interests include polymer fluid mechanics, rheology of complex materials, and energy. In 2008, Dr. Armstrong was elected into the National Academy of Engineering for conducting outstanding research on non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, co-authoring landmark textbooks, and providing leadership in chemical engineering education. He received the Warren K. Lewis Award and the Professional Progress Award in 1992, both from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and the 2006 Bingham Medal from the Society of Rheology, which is devoted to the study of the science of deformation and flow of matter. Dr. Armstrong was a member of MIT’s Future of Solar Energy study group and co-edited Game Changers: Energy on the Move with former Secretary of State George P. Shultz.

Ayman Asfari

Petrofac Ltd.

Mr. Ayman Asfari graduated with an MSc in civil and urban engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980. In 1991 he jointly established Petrofac International, of which he was chief executive officer. He became group chief executive officer in 2005 when he led the successful initial public listing of the company. Mr. Asfari has more than thirty-six years of experience in the oil and gas industries. He is a member of the board of trustees for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a member of the board of trustees for the American University of Beirut. Mr. Asfari also serves on the Chatham House panel of senior advisors and is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Ahmed Ali Attiga

Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (APICORP)

Dr. Ahmed Ali Attiga is the chief executive officer of Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (APICORP). Before joining APICORP, he worked at the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, and was responsible for investment and advisory services activities in the Middle East. Dr. Attiga has served on the Board of Executive Directors of the World Bank Group in Washington, D.C as well as a manager of a private equity fund for the state of Wisconsin. He also advised Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on privatization and restructuring strategies. In his early career, he held teaching and research positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

Dr. Attiga is a board member of the Emirates Development Bank and has served on the Royal International Commission to evaluate Jordan’s privatization program. He is a trustee of the Al Aman Fund for the Future of Orphans, and a member of the Arab Thought Forum. Dr. Attiga holds three graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Ph.D. in finance and development, MBA, and MS in International Economies. He obtained his BA in Economics (Summa Cum laude) from Kuwait University.

Rainer Baake

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Federal Republic of Germany

Mr. Rainer Baake was appointed state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in January 2014. Born in Witten in 1955, he studied economics in Marburg, graduating as “Diplom-Volkswirt”. From 1985 to 1991, he served as first district councilor for Marburg-Biedenkopf, before being appointed state secretary at the Ministry for Environment, Energy, and Federal Affairs of the state of Hesse. In 1998, he moved on to become state secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. From 2006 to 2012, he was the federal managing director of the NGO German Environmental Aid, and then worked as executive director of the think tank Agora Energiewende before rejoining the government.

Dr. Christina Back

General Atomics

Dr. Christina A. Back is the Vice President of Nuclear Technologies and Materials at General Atomics. She is an internationally recognized expert in both fission and fusion energy research, with over 25 years of experience leading research in private industry and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) laboratories.

At General Atomics, she is responsible for the fission energy portfolio, which includes advanced nuclear reactors, Accident Tolerant Fuel, and medical isotopes. She leads the advance of nuclear technologies through the development of innovative materials and nuclear processes. Prior to her work in fission, she led fusion research at General Atomics and at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). At LLNL, she gained recognition for performing foundational experiments in radiation transport for the Department of Energy Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Energy Density (HED) Programs. She then, moved to GA, where she significantly expanded the high energy density research and increased diversity and production of high-precision targets that are critical to the international ICF and HED programs. She also spent two years as a CNRS scientist at the Ecole Polytechnique in France. Dr. Back earned a B.S. in physics from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in plasma physics from the University of Florida. Dr. Back has received awards from DOE and LLNL for her research, and was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Notably, she has participated in the White House Summit on Nuclear Energy, and provided testimony to U.S. Congressional Committees. Professional activities include serving committees for academia, national laboratories, DOE, and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

H.E. Mohammad Barkindo

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

Mr. Mohammad Barkindo was appointed as secretary general of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

(OPEC) on June 2, 2016. From 2009 to 2010, he was group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Before that, he served as deputy managing director of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas, a joint venture between NNPC, Shell, Total, and Eni. Earlier in his career, he was special assistant to former Minister of Petroleum Resources and OPEC Secretary General Dr. Rilwanu Lukman. Mr. Barkindo worked in several roles at OPEC between 1986 and 2010. In 1986, he was appointed to Nigeria’s delegation to OPEC, and from 1993 to 2008, served as Nigeria’s national representative on the Organization’s Economic Commission Board. In 2006, he served as acting secretary general of OPEC, and represented Nigeria on OPEC’s Board of Governors from 2009 to 2010. Mr. Barkindo received his Bachelor’s degree in political science from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, gained a postgraduate diploma in petroleum economics and management from the College of Petroleum Studies at Oxford Univeristy, and a Master’s degree in business administration from Southeastern University in Washington, DC

Kamel Ben-Naceur

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

Dr. Kamel Ben-Naceur is the ADNOC chief economist, based in Abu Dhabi since 2017. He has more than thirty-five years of experience in the energy and industry sectors. He was previously director at the International Energy Agency, in charge of sustainability, technology, and outlooks. In 2014, Dr. Ben-Naceur was appointed minister of industry, energy and mines in the Tunisian Government which led the country through its first fully democratic elections, leading major changes in the energy subsidies, and developing a new legislative package on renewable energy. Dr. Ben-Naceur has previously several international senior management positions with the Schlumberger group, including group chief economist. He is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique (Paris) and Ecole Normale Superieure (Paris).

Randolph Bell

Managing Director, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council

Randolph Bell is the managing director of the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center (GEC), where he has oversight of the budget and revenue of the Global Energy Center, including GEC research and programs in Washington and elsewhere and its affiliated conferences, the Atlantic Council Istanbul Summit, and the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum. From 2014–2016, Randy was director of business development and new ventures at the Atlantic Council, where he led the Council’s Global Energy Center launch campaign and oversaw the Council’s corporate and individual giving. From 2011–2014, Randy was managing director at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)–US, where he had overall responsibility for the operations of the IISS’s Washington, DC office, including coordination of finance, administration, programming, and fundraising. From 2010–2011, Randy was manager of national security at the Markle Foundation, where he worked on cyber security, intelligence community information sharing, and technology policy issues. He has published on African, South Asian, and cyber security issues. He has an MPP from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was a Public Service and Belfer International and Global Affairs Fellow, and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College.

Dr. Fatih Birol

International Energy Agency

Dr. Fatih Birol became executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2015, twenty years after first joining as a junior analyst. Prior to assuming his current duties, he held the positions of chief economist and director of Global Energy Economics. Dr. Birol has made a significant contribution to the international policy debate on energy and climate change. Dr. Birol has been named by Forbes Magazine among the most powerful people in terms of influence on the world’s energy scene. He is the chairman of the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board and serves as a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on “Sustainable Energy for All.” Prior to joining the IEA in 1995, Dr. Birol worked as an oil market analyst at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna. He earned a BS in power engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul. He received his MS and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna. In 2013, Dr. Birol was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science by the Imperial College of London.

Jason Bloom

Invesco PowerShares

Mr. Jason Bloom is the global market strategist representing the Invesco PowerShares family of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). In this role, Mr. Bloom is responsible for providing the overall macro market outlook across all asset classes globally, in addition to leading the team’s specialized efforts in commodity, currency, and alternatives research and strategy. He joined Invesco PowerShares in 2015. Prior to joining PowerShares, Mr. Bloom served as an ETF strategist with Guggenheim Investments for six years and then River Oak ETF Solutions where he helped launch several funds focused on both energy and volatility related strategies. Previously, he spent eight years as a professional commodities trader specializing in arbitrage strategies in both the energy and US Treasury markets. Mr. Bloom earned a BA degree in economics from Gustavus Adolphus College and a JD from the University of Iowa College of Law.

The Hon. Dan Brouillette

US Department of Energy

Mr. Dan Brouillette is the deputy secretary of the US Department of Energy. Mr. Brouillette has three decades of experience in both the public and private sector. Most recently he was the senior vice president and head of public policy for United States Automobile Association (USAA). Before joining USAA, Mr. Brouillette was a vice president of Ford Motor Company, where he led the automaker’s domestic policy teams and served on its North American Operating Committee. At Ford and USAA, he was part of senior management teams that helped bring to market innovative technologies like auto collision avoidance and remote deposit capture, a technology invented by USAA that allows the use of smart devices to deposit funds into our banking accounts. Before his transition into the private sector, Mr. Brouillette held numerous positions in government. He was chief of staff to the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has broad jurisdictional and oversight authority over five cabinet-level federal agencies. He also served as assistant secretary of energy for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs from 2001 to 2003. In addition, he is a former state energy regulator, having served as a member of the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board from 2013 to 2016.

Neil R. Brown

KKR Global Institute

Mr. Neil R. Brown is the director of policy and research in the KKR Global Institute. He is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Brown served on the senior staff of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senator Richard G. Lugar, and he was a senior adviser at Goldwyn Global Strategies. As the lead for international energy in the senate, he spearheaded major laws and strategic initiatives in energy security, infrastructure, transparency, and US Department of State reorganization. Mr. Brown serves on the boards of The Lugar Center, US Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative advisory committee for the US Department of Interior, Merton College Charitable Corporation, and Association of American Rhodes Scholars. Mr. Brown graduated with a BA from Harvard University and MSc and MPhil from Oxford University, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar.

William Cannon

Sumimoto Corporation of Americas

Mr. William Cannon is senior vice president and general manager of the Environment & Infrastructure Group for Sumitomo Corporation of Americas (SCOA), a global trading and investment company and Fortune 500 company. With over twenty years of experience in the development, acquisition, sale, and financing of thermal generating assets, renewable energy assets, nuclear assets, regulated utilities, water projects, ports, and other infrastructure assets, Mr. Cannon is primarily responsible for overseeing business development and asset management within his group. Under his leadership, Mr. Cannon’s team finds projects to develop, acquire, finance, and ultimately own and operate in wind, solar, and other renewable assets throughout the Americas. Mr. Cannon also focuses on water and waste water treatment projects and low emission gas-fired projects in the Americas.

Mark Carson

Renault

Mr. Mark Carson is director of customer service and quality for Renault Middle East, covering fourteen countries throughout the MENA and Levant region, and has been based in the Dubai office for the past six years. Mr. Carson originally joined Renault Middle East as general manager of field quality and support in 2011 from Renault UK, where he was head of network field quality and government liaison. He was actively involved in the introduction of Renault’s electric vehicle program into the UK market. As quality director, Mr. Carson is responsible for the testing of all new products under local conditions to ensure the products meet regional requirements and has during the past four years overseen the rigorous testing of Renault’s electric vehicle range carried out in the UAE, with a focus on the extreme heat and humidity conditions during the summer months. In addition, Mr. Carson has developed and implemented the dealership standards at all levels to ensure electric vehicles are managed and maintained correctly with a focus on safety and customer education. Mr. Carson is a fully qualified engineer and has worked for Renault in numerous roles within the business for over thirty years.

Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang is a professor of material science and engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and one of the top battery researchers in the world. He previously co-founded American Superconductor and A123 Systems, has published more than 200 scientific articles and holds more than sixty patents. He also co-founded Baseload Renewables, Inc. as well as 24M Technologies, Inc. He serves on numerous government and academic advisory committees.

Maria Colangelo

The Vanguard Group

Ms. Maria Colangelo is a senior analyst at the Vanguard Group. She is the primary fundamental energy analyst in the taxable research group and supports all Vanguard funds with energy holdings. Ms. Colangelo joined Vanguard in November 2016, after ten years at Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC Private Limited. At GIC Private Limited, Ms. Colangelo was a portfolio manager and covered global energy and industrials across the capital structure for both the equity and credit total return groups. Additionally, she was included in deal teams for identifying and analyzing potential infrastructure and private equity investments. Previously, Ms. Colangelo worked at hedge funds, ELCO Management and Jemmco Capital, again covering energy across the capital structure. Ms. Colangelo also worked as a sell-side equity analyst for UBS. She earned a BS degree from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Linden Coppell

Etihad Aviation Group

Ms. Linden Coppell is the head of sustainability at Etihad Aviation Group. She currently implements initiatives for emissions and waste management, supports the development of alternative sustainable fuels, manages the charity and humanitarian program, and works to develop a culture of environmental and social awareness throughout the business. Ms. Coppell has over twenty years of environmental and corporate social responsibility experience. She has developed carbon management strategies, prepared tailored environmental management systems, and prepared corporate social responsibility reports. Ms. Coppell joined Etihad Airways in 2009 with the responsibility of developing the airline’s overall sustainability strategy. Prior to joining Etihad Airways, Ms. Coppell served as the environmental manager of Cathay Pacific Airways from 2003 to 2008. Ms. Coppell represents Etihad Airways on the Environmental Committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Environmental Policy Group of the Arab Air Carriers Association. She is the chair of the IATA Environment Committee Wildlife Taskforce.

Dr. Helima Croft

RBC Capital Markets

Dr. Helima Croft is a managing director and global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. She specializes in geopolitics and energy, leading a team of commodity strategists that cover energy, metals, and cross-commodity investor activity. Dr. Croft is a member of the National Petroleum Council, a select group of individuals who advise, inform, and make recommendations to the secretary of energy with respect to any matter relating to oil and natural gas. She also is a CNBC contributor, a member of the channel’s exclusive family of experts, and is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Croft joined RBC Capital Markets from Barclays, where she was a managing director and head of North American commodities research. Prior to that, she worked in Lehman’s Business Intelligence group, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Central Intelligence Agency, where she focused on geopolitics and commodities. Dr. Croft has received many industry accolades throughout her career, including Breaking Energy’s Top Ten New York Women in Energy and received her PhD in economic history from Princeton in 2001.

John Defterios

CNN Abu Dhabi

Mr. John Defterios is the emerging markets editor for CNNMoney and is based in CNN International’s Abu Dhabi bureau. His reporting focuses on the top business stories from emerging and BRIC economies. Mr. Defterios is also the anchor of CNN Marketplace Middle East, a weekly business program featuring in-depth analysis and top newsmakers from across the Middle East, and “One Square Meter,” a segment which explores urban planning and property development in emerging markets. He has more than two decades of financial news and current affairs experience covering some of the landmark events, including the Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the World Trade Center bombings, and G8/G20 summits from his postings in London, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Rome, and the Middle East. He is a World Economic Forum media leader and member of the Global Agenda Council on the Arab World. He has also served as chairman of the Business Week Leadership Forums in London, Beijing, and New York; and the World Islamic Economic Forum, among others. Prior to CNN, he worked for Reuters Television as a European correspondent, West Coast correspondent, and special series producer in a joint venture with The Nightly Business Report on PBS-TV. Mr. Defterios graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in journalism and political economics.

Hiba Dialdin

Saudi Aramco

Ms. Hiba Dialdin is a petroleum engineer consultant at Saudi Aramco. Her twenty-five years of work experience spans technical areas in upstream, upstream research, and process and control systems. Her responsibilities have included leading numerous projects on reservoir simulation, production technologies, and distributed control systems as well as building then heading the training function of the Petroleum Engineering admin area, and technical consulting on the corporate strategic transformation effort. She also had a role advising top management on energy industry events and issues. After working on one of the IPO development projects and subsequently on downstream business development ventures, Ms. Dialdin took on the performance and reporting division of a newly formed department responsible for globally marketing the company’s base oils and finished lubricants. Ms. Dialdin joined the Investor Relations office of the company at the start of 2018.

Ms. Dialdin has had a number of positions in addition to her Saudi Aramco work responsibilities. She was an elected board member of the national Saudi Council of Engineers and is a registered consultant engineer in Saudi Arabia. She served on the Society of Petroleum Engineers Saudi Arabia board for four years, including a one-year tenure as chairperson marking the first time in fifty years a woman had assumed that leadership role. During her tenure, the section won the President's Award for section excellence and membership grew 20 percent. Over the last decade, Ms. Dialdin has been invited to speak on the BBC radio, MBC TV, in other various media outlets as well as at conferences and workshops on energy topics, the role of women in energy, as well as perspectives on personal development. Ms. Dialdin is passionate about women development and poverty reduction around the world. Ms. Dialdin holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Amb. Paula Dobriansky

Harvard University

Ambassador Paula J. Dobriansky is a senior fellow in the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard University’s JFK Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. During more than twenty-five years in government, she held high level positions including under secretary of state for Global Affairs; president's special envoy to Northern Ireland (received the secretary of state's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal for her contributions); director of European and Soviet affairs at the White House National Security Council; deputy assistant secretary of state for human rights and humanitarian affairs; and deputy head of delegation to the 1990 Copenhagen Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Ambassador Dobriansky was also global head of government and regulatory affairs at Thomson Reuters and served as senior vice president and director of the Washington Office of the Council on Foreign Relations and the first George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies. She received a BSFS summa cum laude in International Politics from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and a MA and PhD in Soviet political/military affairs from Harvard University.

Dr. Rabia Ferroukhi

International Renewable Energy Agency

Dr. Rabia Ferroukhi joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2011 where she is currently the deputy director of the knowledge, policy, and finance division. She also leads IRENA’s policy unit, which is responsible for work on a range of renewable energy policy issues including design, socio-economic benefits, and integrated resource management. Dr. Ferroukhi has twenty years of experience in the fields of energy, development, and environment. She worked in both the public and private sector, including with governments in the Middle East and North Africa, energy companies in the Mediterranean region, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and other international institutions. Dr. Ferroukhi holds an MS in applied economics and a PhD in economics from American University in Washington DC.

Anatol Feygin

Cheniere

Mr. Feygin joined Cheniere in March 2014 as senior vice president, strategy and corporate development. Mr. Feygin currently serves as executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Cheniere Partners and as a director of Cheniere Holdings. Prior to joining Cheniere, Mr. Feygin worked with Loews Corporation from November 2007 to March 2014, most recently as vice president, energy strategist, and senior portfolio manager. Prior to joining Loews, Mr. Feygin spent three years at Bank of America, most recently as head of global commodity strategy. Mr. Feygin began his banking career at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. as senior analyst, for natural gas pipelines and distributors. Mr. Feygin earned a bachelor’s of science in electrical engineering from Rutgers University and an MBA in finance from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at NYU.

H.E. Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, UAE

His Excellency Dr. Anwar Mohammed Gargash was appointed in 2006 as minister of state for federal national council affairs. In February 2008, H.E. Dr. Gargash was given the additional responsibility of minister of state for foreign affairs.

His Excellency holds a number of positions in addition to his ministerial positions as he is the chairman of the National Elections Committee, overseeing the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s first elections, which took place in 2006, and the subsequent elections in 2011 and 2015. He is also the chairman of the National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking, the chairman of the board of trustees of the Al Owais Cultural Foundation, member of the board of trustees of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy, and leads the UAE team for the Human Rights Periodic Review.

Dr. Gargash received his PhD from King's College, Cambridge and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in political science from George Washington University.

Meg Gentle

Tellurian Inc.

Ms. Meg Gentle is the president and chief executive officer of Tellurian, Inc., leading the company since August 2016. She previously served as executive vice president of Marketing at Cheniere Energy, Inc. While at Cheniere, she served as senior vice president of marketing, senior vice president and chief financial officer, senior vice president of Strategic Planning and Finance, vice president of Strategic Planning, and manager of Strategic Planning. Before Cheniere, Ms. Gentle spent eight years in energy market development, economic evaluation, and long-range planning. She conducted international business development and strategic planning for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, and energy market analysis for Pace Global Energy Services. Ms. Gentle received a BA in economics and international affairs from James Madison University in 1996. She received an MBA from Rice University in 2004.

Dolf Gielen

International Renewable Energy Agency

As director of the IRENA Innovation and Technology Centre in Bonn since 2011, Mr. Dolf Gielen oversees the agency’s work on advising member countries in technology status and roadmaps, energy planning, cost and markets, and innovation policy frameworks. Before joining IRENA, Mr. Gielen was chief of the energy efficiency and policy unit at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Previously, he was a senior energy technology policy analyst at the International Energy Agency. Mr. Gielen has a PhD in energy and materials modelling from the Technical University of Delft. He graduated with a master’s of arts in environmental sciences at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.

John Giordano

Archer

Mr. John Giordano is a partner with Archer, P.C., a law firm headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. Giordano's practice focuses on government law and regulatory affairs, with an emphasis on energy, environment, and transportation. Prior to joining Archer, Mr. Giordano served as deputy general counsel on the presidential transition committee of President Donald J. Trump. During this time, he also served as one of only ten people on the US Department of Energy landing team. Earlier in his career, Mr. Giordano was a federal prosecutor, and a senior official with the US Department of Energy and the US Department of Justice's environment and natural resources division. Mr. Giordano is a lecturer in law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and a faculty advisor at The Wharton School’s Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership.

David Goldwyn

Atlantic Council

Mr. David Goldwyn is president of Goldwyn Global Strategies, LLC, an international energy advisory consultancy, and chairman of the Atlantic Council Energy Advisory Group. He is the co-editor of Energy & Security: Strategies for a World in Transition. Mr. Goldwyn served as the US State Department’s special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs from 2009 to 2011, where he conceived and developed the Global Shale Gas Initiative and the Energy Governance and Capacity Initiative and led ministerial level energy dialogues with the developing world. Mr. Goldwyn previously served as assistant secretary of energy for international affairs (1999-2001) and as national security deputy to US Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson (1997-98). Mr. Goldwyn is a member of the US National Petroleum Council. Mr. Goldwyn has been published extensively on topics related to energy security and transparency. In 2015, Mr. Goldwyn was the co-director of an Atlantic Council task force chaired by Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Warner, which culminated in a report, “Empowering America: How Energy Abundance Can US Global Leadership” (Atlantic Council 2015). Mr. Goldwyn is the author of “Drilling Down: The Civil Society Guide to Extractive Industry Revenues and the EITI” (Revenue Watch Institute 2008).

Amos Hochstein

Tellurian

• Mr. Amos Hochstein joined Tellurian in 2017. Prior to joining Tellurian, Mr. Hochstein served as the US special envoy for international energy affairs and led the US Department of State's bureau of energy resources. As the US "Energy Diplomat," Mr. Hochstein oversaw global US energy foreign policy engagement and advised the secretary of state and the vice president of the United States on global energy markets. As special envoy, Mr. Hochstein led the engagement to strengthen Europe's energy security through diversification of natural gas resources; authored the White House Caribbean Energy Security Initiative; chaired the president's US - Caribbean and US - Central America Energy Security Task Force; led US efforts to promote global fuel switching to natural gas and develop stronger natural gas markets throughout Asia and South Asia; and, working closely with the Department of Defense, Mr. Hochstein led the US efforts to diminish ISIS and other terrorist groups' profits from energy assets. Prior to serving in the State Department, Mr. Hochstein served in a variety of senior level positions on Capitol Hill and advised energy companies entering and developing new markets.

David Hobbs

King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center

Mr. David Hobbs is vice president of research at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). Prior to joining KAPSARC, he was both chief energy strategist and head of research at what is now IHS Markit. Since starting out at British Gas, Hobbs has accumulated more than thirty years of experience in global energy industry structure and strategies and has directed projects in Asia, South America, North America, and the North Sea, along with leading major international investment and asset commercialization programs. He has also advised on several projects relating to topics such as the Canadian oil sands, clean energy and national energy strategies. Hobbs is an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary, participating in the Global Energy Executive MBA program at the Haskayne School of Business. He is the author of several studies and analyses on important energy issues, ranging from the oil value chain and the problem of assessing oil and gas reserves, to the impact of natural gas supplies on energy markets and technology and the effect on job creation and economic growth of energy industry investment activities. Hobbs holds a degree in petroleum engineering from Imperial College London.

Karl Hopkins

Dentons

Mr. Karl V. Hopkins is a partner and Dentons global chief security officer. He is responsible for the firm's global security. Mr. Hopkins counsels the firm on international strategic, business, and political intelligence, security and threat analysis. His practice concentrates on providing strategic advice to clients in relation to their global operations, including due diligence and compliance investigations, physical and cyber security assessments, country and political risk assessments, and threat analysis. Mr. Hopkins also concentrates on the development of international energy and infrastructure projects. In addition to advising clients in the United States, Mr. Hopkins has represented clients on matters in more than fifty countries. He has experience managing matters relating to large asset-based transactions, including the sale of oil and gas interests and the development of both onshore and offshore oil and gas production facilities, pipelines, refineries, terminals, and related infrastructure projects. In addition to his transactional experience, Mr. Hopkins has represented clients in various arbitration tribunals including the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

Hunter Hunt

Hunt Consolidated Energy, LLC

Mr. Hunter Hunt is the president and chief executive officer of Hunt Consolidated Energy, LLC, and co-chief executive officer of its holding company, Hunt Consolidated, Inc. He oversees the operations of Hunt Oil Company, Hunt Power, and the other energy activities of the Ray L. Hunt family of Dallas, Texas. Hunt Oil Company was founded in 1934 by H. L. Hunt and is one of the largest privately-owned energy companies in the world. Mr. Hunt established Hunt Power in 1998 to develop and invest in entrepreneurial opportunities in the electric and gas utility infrastructure industries. In 1999, he created Sharyland Utilities, LP, as a regulated electric utility within Texas. Prior to joining Hunt Consolidated, Mr. Hunt worked with Morgan Stanley for eight years. He also took a leave of absence from the Hunt organization to work on the George W. Bush campaign for president, where he served in the policy group focusing on energy, taxes, and the budget. Mr. Hunt graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) summa cum laude, earning bachelor of science degrees with honors in both economics and political science. He serves on the Executive Board of the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering at SMU. He is also co-founder of the Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute of Engineering and Humanity, which focuses on bringing innovative technological and business solutions to the global poor.

Bina Hussein

Atlantic Council

Ms. Bina Hussein is an associate director with the Energy Diplomacy Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and joined the Council in 2013. In this capacity, she focuses on energy security in Europe, oil and gas developments in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and diversity and inclusion in the energy sector, and assists in managing the agenda for two of the Council’s annual flagship initiatives, the Istanbul Summit and Global Energy Forum in Abu Dhabi. Previously, Ms. Hussein worked for the United Nations Development Programme as a junior consultant in the Private Sector Development Programme in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (2012). From 2009 to 2011, she worked as a social worker for documented refugees and as a paralegal for undocumented immigrants at the Dutch Refugee Organization in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She received an LLB from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in 2011 and holds a master’s degree in international studies with a focus on human rights, energy security, and the Middle East from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver (2014). Ms. Hussein was a 2016-2017 Penn Kemble Democracy Forum Fellow with the National Endowment for Democracy.

Majid Jafar

Crescent Petroleum

Mr. Majid Jafar is the chief executive officer of Crescent Petroleum, the Middle East’s oldest private oil and gas company, and vice chairman of the Crescent Group of companies which includes interests in port management, logistics, contracting, private equity, and real estate. He is also managing director of the board of Dana Gas, the leading publicly listed natural gas company in the Middle East, in which Crescent is the largest shareholder. His previous experience was with Shell International’s Exploration and Production and Gas and Power Divisions. In addition, Mr. Jafar is the founder and chairman of the Centre for Economic Growth in partnership with INSEAD Abu Dhabi, and serves on several boards, including Queen Rania Foundation, the Arab Forum for Environment and Development, and the Iraq Energy Institute. He sits on the Middle East Advisory Council for the World Economic Forum, the Carnegie Endowment, and Harvard Business School. He is a member of the GCC Board Directors Institute and the Young Presidents Organization, an accredited director of the Institute of Directors Mudara, and has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Mr. Jafar attended Eton College and graduated from Cambridge University (Churchill College) with a BA and an MA in engineering. He also holds an MA (with Distinction) in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, and an MBA (with Distinction) from the Harvard Business School.

Robert Johnston

Eurasia Group and Atlantic Council

Mr. Robert Johnston is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. He became chief executive officer of the Eurasia Group in 2013 after seven years as head of the firm's Global Energy and Natural Resources Strategy Group. Mr. Johnston is responsible for directing firm strategy and leads oversight of research, sales, and operations teams across five offices. Prior to joining Eurasia Group, Mr. Johnston served as managing director of equity research at Medley Global Advisors. He was previously a research director at UBS Warburg Energy, working directly in support of energy trading. Mr. Johnston has also directed internal research teams supporting oil, LNG, metals, and FX trading at Enron Global Markets. Prior to holding these positions, Mr. Johnston worked at ArmorGroup and directed political risk research for corporate clients in a variety of markets including China, Russia, Colombia, and Indonesia. He also has published several contributions, including to the World Economic Forum, the World Energy Council, the National Petroleum Council, the International Gas Union, and more. Mr. Johnston holds a doctorate in international relations from American University.

GEN James L. Jones, Jr. USMC (Ret.)

Jones Group International and Atlantic Council

General James L. Jones Jr., USMC (Ret.) is the founder and president of Jones Group International and the interim chairman of the Atlantic Council. He also serves as chairman of the Atlantic Council’s Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security. As the former commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, he led all military operations for NATO and later, as national security adviser, he brought clear vision and steady leadership to America’s mission in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, and the country’s interests around the world. Gen. Jones graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and was commissioned into the Marine Corps in January 1967. He served in Vietnam as rifle platoon and company commander. On returning to the US he pursued a career in the Marines, attending the Amphibious Warfare School in 1973 and the National War College in 1985, and serving as Marine Corps liaison officer to the US Senate. He was also commanding officer of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Northern Iraq and Turkey on Operation Provide Comfort; chief of staff, Joint Task Force Provide Promise, for operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia; and commanding general, 2nd Marine Division, Marine Forces Atlantic. He also served as military assistant to the secretary of defense from 1997-99. He became the 32nd commandant of the United State Marine Corps in July 1999. During his NATO assignment, he advocated energy security and the defense of critical infrastructures as a core part of NATO’s future missions. Upon retirement in February 2007, the combat veteran became the president and chief executive officer of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy and, in 2008, served as the State Department’s special envoy for Middle East regional security. From 2009 until 2010, he served as President Obama’s national security adviser at the White House.

Frederick Kempe

Atlantic Council

Mr. Frederick Kempe has held the position of president and chief executive officer of the Atlantic Council since December 1, 2006. He comes to the Council from a long and prominent career at the Wall Street Journal, where he won national and international recognition while serving in numerous senior editorial and reportorial capacities. His latest book, BERLIN 1961: Kennedy, Khrushchev and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth (foreword by Gen. Brent Scowcroft) was published by Putnam in 2012 and is a New York Times bestseller. Mr. Kempe was for seven years the longest serving editor and associate publisher ever of the Wall Street Journal Europe, simultaneously functioning as European editor for the Global Wall Street Journal from 2002 to 2005. In 2002, the European Voice, a leading publication following EU affairs, selected Mr. Kempe as one of the fifty most influential Europeans, although he is American, and one of the four leading journalists in Europe. Mr. Kempe is a graduate of the University of Utah and has a Master’s Degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where he was a member of the International Fellows program in the School of International Affairs. Mr. Kempe speaks German and is the son of German immigrants who came to the United States before World War II.

Melanie Kenderdine

Atlantic Council

Ms. Melanie A. Kenderdine is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center and a principal of the Energy Futures Initiative. Previously, Ms. Kenderdine concurrently served at the US Department of Energy (DOE) as the energy counselor to the secretary and director of the Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis from May 2013 to January 2017. Prior to serving in those roles at DOE, Ms. Kenderdine worked for six years as the executive director and associate director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI). Before joining MITEI, Ms. Kenderdine served as the vice oresident of Washington Operations for the Gas Technology Institute from 2001 to 2007. From 1993 to 2001, Ms. Kenderdine served as a political appointee in President Bill Clinton’s administration. Ms. Kenderdine has also served on a Council on Foreign Relations Task Force to develop a national energy strategy, on the Consumers Energy Council of America Working Group on Distributed Energy, has published articles in the World Energy Forum magazine, co-authored a chapter in Energy Security in the 21st Century: A New Foreign Policy Strategy, and is a frequent lecturer on energy issues. In July 2014, Ms. Kenderdine was named one of the top five women in Washington shaping energy policy by the National Journal.

Younghoon David Kim

World Energy Council

Mr. Younghoon David Kim is the chair of the World Energy Council. He has been chairman and chief executive officer of the Daesung Group, one of South Korea’s oldest energy conglomerates, since 2000. Mr. Kim was previously co-chair and vice chair for Asia Pacific and South Asia for the Council. Mr. Kim was also the co-chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2013 World Energy Congress. He was awarded the Seo Sang-don Award in 2014. Mr. Kim served as co-chair of the Organizing Committee for the 2015 World Water Forum. Mr. Kim also has served on the Energy Council of Korea, advising the government on national energy policy and securing energy resources. The Mongolian government awarded Mr. Kim the Order of the Polestar, its highest honor for a foreign national in 2008, in recognition of his work addressing desertification. Mr. Kim served as president of the Daesung Group from 1994 to 2000, after serving as vice president, beginning in 1988. Prior to joining the Daesung Group, Mr. Kim worked at Citibank in Seoul, beginning in 1981. Mr. Kim holds a BL from Seoul National University, a MCL and MBA from the University of Michigan, and a ThM from Harvard Divinity School.

David Koranyi

Atlantic Council

Mr. David Koranyi is the director of the Energy Diplomacy Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. He has been a nonresident fellow at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Centre for Transatlantic Relations since 2010. Mr. Koranyi speaks and publishes on the geopolitics of energy, and Hungarian, European, and US foreign and energy policy. Mr. Koranyi served as undersecretary of state and chief foreign policy and national security advisor to the prime minister of the Republic of Hungary, Gordon Bajnai (2009-2010). He worked in the European Parliament as chief foreign policy adviser and head of cabinet of a Hungarian member of the European Parliament (MEP) (2004-2009). Previously, he was a political adviser at the Hungarian National Assembly and a junior researcher at GKI Economic Research Institute in Budapest, Hungary. Mr. Koranyi is a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations, the Pacific Council, the Hungarian Europe Society, and a Concordia Adviser. He was a recipient of the French Foreign Ministry's Personalities of the Future Fellowship (2012) and of the German Marshall Fund's Marshall Memorial Fellowship (2010). He is also an Aspen Institute Socrates Fellow (2011), and a member of the Hungarian NATO Strategic Concept Special Advisory Group (2009). Mr. Koranyi obtained his master's degree in international relations and economics, with a major in foreign affairs from Budapest Corvinus University.

Philip Lambert

Lambert Energy Associates

Mr. Philip Lambert is chief executive officer of Lambert Energy Advisory Ltd (LEA), one of London’s leading mergers and acquisition (M&A) and strategic advisory firms, having been advisors on over $60 billion of energy M&A transactions in the last few years. LEA is headquartered in London and has senior representation in Oslo, Kuala Lumpur, Moscow, and Tokyo. LEA gives strategic and M&A advice to a select group of the world’s leading NOC’s, IOC’s, independents, and utilities. Since 1991, Lambert has worked extensively in the Russian energy sector. In the 1990’s, he advised Gazprom on their international privatization and their alliance with Shell. Since 2001, LEA has advised on several significant initiatives in Russia and LEA was a lead advisor on the $28 billion sale of BP’s stake in TNK/BP to Rosneft (whereby BP also became a 20 percent shareholder in Rosneft).

Thomas Marchetti

Energy Intelligence

Mr. Thomas Marchetti is the president of Energy Intelligence and has extensive energy experience in the financial services industry, including investments and research in equities, commodities and fixed income. Mr. Marchetti was formerly the global energy strategist and a managing director at Credit Suisse and Jefferies. For over twenty-five years, Mr. Marchetti has worked closely with research teams, institutional investors, and capitals markets at investment banks. He has provided analytical support for investments by assessing markets, valuations, and geopolitical risk. Mr. Marchetti was previously a portfolio manager with Lehman Brothers Equity Management. He managed equities and commodities at Jefferies in asset management. Mr. Marchetti has also served as chief financial officer of Raimund Commodities, and as financial analyst in the J. Aron Commodities division of Goldman Sachs. Additionally, while at KPMG Peat Marwick, he specialized in the finance industry. Mr. Marchetti holds a BS in business administration in accounting and finance from Bucknell University. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Ken Murray

Saudi Arabian Parsons Ltd.

Mr. Ken Murray is a general manager for Parsons in Saudi Arabia. As general manager, Mr. Murray is responsible for all operations and projects for Parsons in the Kingdom. Parsons is primarily an infrastructure company, and is heavily engaged in the transformation activities ongoing with organizations such as the Public Investment Fund. Prior to joining Parsons in 2016, Mr. Murray was engaged in the energy and resources industries for twenty years in both the Middle East and North America. Mr. Murray has a bachelors of engineering from Memorial University of Newfoundland and a master’s of business administration from the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary.

Dr. Carole Nakhle

Crystol Energy

Dr. Carole Nakhle is an energy economist, specializing in international petroleum contractual arrangements and fiscal regimes, petroleum revenue management and governance, energy policy and investment, and global oil and gas market developments. She has expertise in the government and private sector. Dr. Nakhle worked with oil and gas companies, governments and policy makers, international organizations, academic institutions, and think tanks. She is a regular contributor to Geopolitical Intelligence Services on energy matters, a program adviser to the Washington-based International Tax and Investment Centre, and is active on the Advisory Board of the Natural Resource Governance Institute. Dr. Nakhle also founded the not-for-profit organization Access for Women in Energy in 2007, with the aim of enhancing opportunities and enriching dialogue within the industry. She is also the author of two books: Petroleum Taxation: Sharing the Wealth published in 2008, and Out of the Energy Labyrinth (2007), co-authored with Lord Howell. She is currently working on a new book: Petroleum Fiscal Regimes and Wealth Management.

Dr. Elsa Olivetti

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Elsa Olivetti is the Atlantic Richfield assistant professor of energy studies in the department of materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research focuses on improving the environmental and economic sustainability of materials using methods informed by materials economics, machine learning, and techno-economic analysis. She has received the National Science Foundation career award for her experimental research focused on beneficial use of industrial waste materials. Dr. Olivetti received her BS degree in engineering science from the University of Virginia. Her PhD in materials science and engineering from MIT was focused on development of cathode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Ana Palacio

former Foreign Affairs Minister of Spain

Ms. Ana Palacio is an international lawyer specializing in international and European Union law. Presently, she serves on the Council of State of Spain. She is a member of the Board of Enagás (Spanish gas system), Pharmamar (biotechnology), and AEE Power (energy infrastructure). She sits on the international advisory boards of Investcorp (alternative investments) and OCP (fertilizers) and she serves on the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Council Board of Directors, on the external advisory board of the Energy Futures Initiative and on the board of trustees of the Institute for Human Sciences. Ms. Palacio served as minister of foreign affairs of Spain (2002-2004) and was a member of the Spanish Parliament (2004-2006) where she chaired the Joint Committee of the two Houses for European Union Affairs. She has been senior vice president and general counsel of the World Bank Group and secretary general of ICSID (2006-2008). From 1994 until 2002, she was a member of the European Parliament where she chaired the Conference of Committee Chairs. She has been a member of the executive committee and senior vice president for International Affairs of AREVA (2008-2009). She maintains a monthly column at Project Syndicate. She is a visiting professor at the Edmund E. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and she is also a recurrent participant and speaker at international conferences and fora, most recently giving evidence before the UK House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union.

Nandita Parshad

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Ms. Nandita Parshad is the managing director of Energy and Natural Resources at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Ms. Parshad oversees ninety staff who work in EBRD’s energy and natural resources sectors across all countries of operation. She has thirty years of experience in financing and investing in the energy sector in a diverse set of emerging economies. Ms. Parshad has also held supervisory board and board of directors memberships in investee companies. She is a director on the International Board and a trustee of the United World Colleges. Ms. Parshad joined the EBRD in 1992. There, she has led several project financings involving debt, equity, syndications, and intensive policy dialogue with domestic and international strategic investors and at the highest levels of government. From 2007 to 2016, Ms. Parshad was the head of the power and energy utilities team. During that time, she quadrupled the EBRD’s business in volume and in the number of power sector deals, particularly of renewable energy projects. Prior to starting at the EBRD, Ms. Parshad held a consultant position in the finance department at the World Bank in Washington, DC from 1986 to 1987. In 1988, she transitioned to a project officer position at the World Bank’s Energy Sector in New Delhi, where she worked until 1992. Ms. Parshad holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Amb. Carlos Pascual

IHS Markit

Ambassador Carlos Pascual is the senior vice president, Global Energy at IHS Markit and a fellow at the Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. As the special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs, Ambassador Pascual established and directed the US Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources and was the senior adviser to the secretary of state on global energy diplomacy (2011-2014). Ambassador Pascual has served as US ambassador to Mexico from 2009 to 2011. While at the Brookings Institution, Ambassador Pascual was vice president, director of Foreign Policy Studies, and launched the Brookings Energy Security Initiative (2006-2009). He created the position of coordinator for reconstruction and stabilization (2004-2005), establishing the State Department’s first civilian response capacity to conflicts, served as the State Department’s coordinator for US assistance to Europe and Eurasia (2003-2004), and US ambassador to Ukraine from 2000 to 2003. Ambassador Pascual served as special assistant to the president and successively as director and then senior director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia at the National Security Council (1995-2000). He held leadership roles at the US Agency for international Development (1983-1995), including as deputy assistant administrator for Europe and Eurasia, chief of policy and strategy for Africa, and in field postings in Mozambique, South Africa, and Sudan.

Barry Pavel

Atlantic Council

Mr. Barry Pavel is senior vice president, Arnold Kanter chair, and director of the Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security at the Atlantic Council, focusing on emerging security challenges, defense strategies and capabilities, and key European and global defense issues. Prior to joining the Atlantic Council, he was a career member of the Senior Executive Service in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy for almost eighteen years. From October 2008 to July 2010, he served as the special assistant to the president and senior director for defense policy and strategy on the National Security Council (NSC) staff, serving both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. Before that, Pavel was the chief of staff and principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity conflict and interdependent capabilities. Previously, Pavel led or contributed to a broad range of defense strategy and planning initiatives for both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. He led the Clinton administration's development of the Defense Planning Guidance and the defense planning for the first round of NATO enlargement. Pavel holds an MA in security studies and an MPA in international relations from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, and a BA in applied mathematics and economics from Brown University.

Daniel Poneman

Centrus Energy Corp.

Mr. Daniel Poneman is president and chief executive officer of Centrus Energy Corp. since 2015. From 2009 to 2014, Mr. Poneman was the deputy secretary of energy, and served as the chief operating officer of the US Department of Energy. Prior to this, Mr. Poneman served as a principal at the Scowcroft Group, providing strategic advice to corporations in a variety of strategic industries. In addition, he was a partner at Hogan & Hartson and an associate at Covington & Burling, advising clients on regulatory and policy matters. Mr. Poneman also served as a White House fellow and as director of defense policy and arms control for the National Security Council. From 1993 through 1996 he was special assistant to the president and senior director for nonproliferation and export controls at the National Security Council. Mr. Poneman is a senior fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School, a distinguished fellow at the Paulson Institute, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Poneman received AB and JD degrees from Harvard University and an MLitt in politics from Oxford University.

Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi

Office of the President, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Dr. Mohammad Humayon Qayoumi is president emeritus of San Jose State University and chief adviser for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the areas of infrastructure, human capital, and technology. Prior to this, Dr. Qayoumi served as twenty-eighth president and a professor of electrical engineering at San José State University in the heart of Silicon Valley in California. Before that, Dr. Qayoumi was the president of California State University East Bay. Dr. Qayoumi holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the American University of Beirut and four graduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati: a master’s in nuclear engineering, a master’s in electrical and computer engineering, an MBA in finance, and a doctorate in electrical engineering. Dr. Qayoumi has over forty years of engineering and administrative experience in several universities. He served as an engineer on a variety of projects in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia including two years as the project electrical engineer in building the Umm Al Nar Power Plant in 1970s. Dr. Qayoumi is an APPA fellow and the recipient of two APPA Meritorious Awards, APPA President Award in addition to NACUBO’s Distinguished Business Officer Award. He serves chair of cybersecurity for the US Department of Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council. A senior fellow with California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), he was inducted to Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015.

Dominique Ristori

European Commission

Mr. Dominique Ristori is director-general of the Directorate-General for Energy within the European Commission. He has been working in the European Commission since 1978 where he has held several positions. Prior to his current position, he was director-general of the Joint Research Centre from 2010 to 2013. Between 2006 and 2010, Mr. Ristori was deputy director-general of the Directorate-General for Energy. From 2000 to 2006, he was director of general affairs and resources at Directorate-General for Energy and Transport and was responsible for inter-institutional relations, enlargement and international relations, coordination of energy and transport research, internal market, state aids, infringements and public service obligations, passengers' and users' rights, and central management of human and budgetary resources. Between 1996 and 1999, Mr. Ristori was director of European energy policy at Directorate-General for Energy. Mr. Ristori played an important role in the preparation and adoption process of the first two directives on the internal market for gas and electricity. He also launched the Florence and Madrid Forum on electricity and gas at the origin of the regulatory process in the energy sector. From 1990 to 1996, Mr. Ristori was in charge of transnational cooperation between SMEs at the Directorate-General for Enterprise policy. Mr. Ristori graduated from the Institute of Political Studies of Paris in 1975.

Dr. Mattia Romani

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Dr. Mattia Romani is managing director for economics, policy, and governance at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). He is also senior visiting fellow at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics. Before joining the EBRD in 2014, he was the deputy director general and chief economist of the Global Green Growth Institute, an international organization based in South Korea created to support developing and emerging countries in their green growth plans. He was previously with McKinsey and Company, where he worked as a senior expert until 2009. He served as Lord Nicholas Stern’s deputy on the United Nations Secretary General High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Finance in 2010. Between 2007 and 2009, he worked as the lead economist on the Stern Review team in the United Kingdom Government. He was previously at Shell International working on long-term scenarios. Between 1999 and 2003, he worked at the World Bank in Washington DC. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Oxford and a MS in development studies from the London School of Economics.

Dr. Christof Rühl

Abu Dhabi Investment Authority

Dr. Christof Rühl is the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority’s (ADIA) first Global Head of Research. In this new function, he is responsible for establishing, managing, and leading ADIA’s first global research team, as well as providing economic and geopolitical underpinning to the fund’s strategic and commercial decisions. Dr. Rühl has a distinguished track record in business, academia, and economic policy making. From 2005 to 2014, he served as group chief economist and vice president of BP plc. Prior to BP, he was at the World Bank (1998-2005) where he served as the Bank’s chief economist in Russia and Brazil. Before that, he worked in the Office of the Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. Dr. Rühl began his career as an academic economist, first in Germany, and from 1991 as professor of economics at the University of California in Los Angeles. Dr. Rühl has also held visiting professorships at academic institutions worldwide. His areas of specialization are macroeconomics and energy economics. He is widely published and quoted in these fields. Dr. Rühl also currently holds the position of a visiting professor at University College London, Australia, and is an independent board director of Halyk Bank, Kazakhstan.

Dr. Urban Rusnák

International Energy Charter

Dr. Urban Rusnák became secretary general of the International Energy Charter in January 2012. Prior to his appointment with the Energy Charter Secretariat, Dr. Rusnák worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic and was the leader of the Project for Slovakia's External Energy Security. From 2005 to 2009, he was extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Ukraine. From 2003 to 2005, Dr. Rusnák was head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Political Analysis Division. He also held the position of executive director of the International Visegrad Fund in Bratislava from 2000 to 2003, and of director of the Slovak Institute for International Studies from 1999 to 2000. He was deputy head of mission at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Turkey from 1994 to 1998 and Ministry of Foreign Affairs desk officer for South Caucasus, Central Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States, and South East Europe. Dr. Rusnák graduated from the Moscow Institute of Oil and Gas in 1990 with an MSc and received his PhD from the Ankara University Institute of Social Sciences in 1998. Dr. Rusnák also has held an honoris causa doctorate from the Kiev Slavonic University since 2009.

Sue Saarnio

US Department of State

Ms. Sue Saarnio is the acting special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs for the Bureau of Energy Resources at the US State Department. Ms. Saarnio is a career foreign service officer with over thirty years of experience on international trade and economic issues. She previously served as senior advisor in the Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. Prior to that, she was deputy assistant secretary of state for Canada, Mexico, and regional economic policy in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Ms. Saarnio served as director of Canadian affairs at the State Department and as the minister counselor for economic affairs at the US Embassy in Ottawa. Previously, she served in the State Department’s Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Bureau as deputy special representative for commercial and business affairs and director for multilateral trade affairs. She was the US special advisor for conflict diamonds, representing the US government in the multilateral Kimberley Process and leading implementation of the US Clean Diamond Trade Act. She has also served at US embassies in Mexico City, Panama, and at the US Consulate General in Jerusalem. She is a graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and attended the American University in Cairo, Egypt.

Summer Said

The Wall Street Journal

Ms. Summer Said is a Middle East energy and Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries correspondent for the Wall Street Journal in Dubai. She assumed this position in 2012 after working as a Saudi Arabia correspondent for the Wall Street Journal since 2009. Before joining the Wall Street Journal, Ms. Said was an account director at the Brunswick Group. From 2005 to 2008, she was a commodities and energy correspondent for Thomson Reuters. Ms. Said began her career as a staff reporter for the Cairo Times in 2002 while also contributing as a freelance journalist to publications such as Arab News, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Middle East Times, Cairo Magazine, and the Daily Star. Ms. Said received her bachelor of arts in English literature and history from Cairo University in 2005.

Ellen Scholl

Atlantic Council

Ms. Ellen Scholl is an associate director at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center. Ms. Scholl has worked on a range of energy issues throughout her career, most recently as a Robert Bosch fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and the Federation of German Industries (BDI). She also has over five years of energy-related legislative experience, having handled an energy portfolio as committee staff for the US Congress and Texas Senate. Her work on energy and geopolitics and energy governance has been published by SWP, and other work has appeared in the Berlin Policy Journal, Foreign Policy, and Lawfare, among others. Ms. Scholl also worked on energy issues as a student fellow with the Robert S. Strauss Center on International Security and Law, and as a member of the inaugural cohort of the US Foreign Service Internship Program, during which she worked in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and at US Embassy Ankara. Ms. Scholl received her master’s degree in global policy studies, with a certificate in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies, from the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she was a Powers fellow. She earned a BA in humanities and government from the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with highest honors.

Boris Schucht

50Hertz Transmission GmbH

Mr. Boris Schucht joined 50Hertz Transmission as chief executive officer in 2010. 50Hertz is the northeastern transmission system operator for one third of Germany. As chief executive officer of 50Hertz, Mr. Schucht is committed to a sustainable energy transition by maintaining supply security while integrating large amounts of volatile renewable energies, by facilitating the development of the European power market, and by extending the transmission grid if necessary. The reliable integration of wind and photovoltaics is one of the biggest challenges for the company – as their share in the 50Hertz control area amounted already up to 48 percent in 2016, steadily increasing. Previously, Mr. Schucht was a member of the management board of WEMAG. Prior to this position, he was authorized officer of Vattenfall Europe. He is a member of the assembly of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity.

Dr. Jean-Francois Seznec

Atlantic Council

Dr. Jean-Francois Seznec is a nonresident senior fellow with the Global Energy Center at the Atlantic Council. He is also an adjunct professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies. He teaches classes on finance, energy, and politics in the Persian Gulf. He holds an MIA from Columbia University (1973), a MA and PhD from Yale University (1994). He has published and lectured extensively on chemical and energy-based industries in the Gulf, and their importance in world trade. He is interviewed regularly on national and international television, radio, and newspapers. Dr. Seznec has twenty-five years of experience in international banking and finance, of which ten years were spent in the Middle East. Dr. Seznec is managing partner of the Lafayette Group, a US-based consulting and investment company. His research centers on the influence of the Arab-Persian Gulf, as well as political and social variables on the financial and oil markets in the region.

Greg Sharenow

PIMCO

Mr. Greg Sharenow is an executive vice president in the Newport Beach office of PIMCO and a portfolio manager focusing on real assets. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2011, he was an energy trader at Hess Energy Trading, Goldman Sachs, and DE Shaw. Mr. Sharenow was previously senior energy economist at Goldman Sachs. He has eighteen years of investment and financial services experience and holds bachelor's degrees in mathematical methods in the social sciences and in economics from Northwestern University.

Aida Sitdikova

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Ms. Aida Sitdikova is the director of energy and natural resources, Russia, Caucasus & Central Asia at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), where she heads a team covering a diverse group of transition countries with a focus on power utilities and extractive sectors including oil and gas and mining. Ms. Sitdikova has over eighteen years of experience in emerging market economies working with both the private and public sectors and leading complex financings involving debt, equity, syndications and policy dialogue with governments and reputable domestic and international investors. The EBRD is a major investor in the Central Asia and Caucasus power and natural resources sectors, where Ms. Sitdikova has led projects with a specific focus on energy and resource efficiency, renewables and energy infrastructure, responsible mining, and upstream oil and gas all underpinned by the bank’s mandate of supporting the transition to lower carbon economies and promoting private sector development. Ms. Sitdikova is spearheading the policy engagement with the respective governments to assist with establishing the national regulation in the area of subsoil use, renewables, cost reflective tariffs and commercialization of regulated sectors, gender and inclusion. She holds an MBA degree in International Finance from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, a CFA designation and a bachelor’s of arts in Linguistics from the Kazakh State University of Foreign Languages.

Dr. Xiansheng Sun

International Energy Forum

Dr. Xiansheng Sun became secretary general of the International Energy Forum (IEF) on 1 August 2016. Prior to his election, Dr. Sun was the president of China National Petroleum Corporation’s (CNPC) Economics and Technology Research Institute (ETRI) where he led a team of over 370 staff members. Reporting to the Chinese leadership on energy policy decision making, including energy security strategies, “3E” (Energy, Environment, Economy) program development, low-carbon energy mix optimization, “three steps” of Chinese gas pricing reforms, and international energy cooperation. Dr. Sun was deeply involved in the Chinese energy five-year planning process and many other major policies. Dr. Sun also served as chief editor of ETRI’s “Oil & Gas Industry Development Report” and the first “China Energy Data & Statistics” reports. With over thirty years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Dr. Sun has accumulated practical industry experience in oil and gas production, trading, and pipeline construction. In previous roles he has served as director of the Legal and Contract Department of CNPC International Cooperation Bureau, vice president of CNODC, chairman of JOC, president of Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company CNPC, and as president of PetroDar company. He was also chairman of Saining Corporation CNPC and served as chairman of the CNPC subsidiary companies in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, as well as as Chairman and Chief Negotiator of China Kazakhstan Oil Pipeline Co. Moreover, as a representative of the Chinese government, Dr. Sun participated in the dialogue with OPEC and worked as chief coordinator in setting and revising production sharing contracts both for crude oil and unconventional gas for CNPC. Dr. Sun holds an LLM and PhD from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy, University of Dundee, United Kingdom.

Peta Tarlinton

BP

Ms. Peta Tarlinton serves as BP’s geopolitical adviser for the Middle East and a member of BP’s Intelligence Analysis Unit (IAU). Based in the UAE, Ms. Tarlinton provides in-depth threat analysis with a focus on the business impact of geopolitical and security developments across the Middle East. As part of her role, she is also IAU’s lead in developing and using new technology platforms to drive holistic, innovative approaches to security threat and risk management globally. Ms. Tarlinton was previously based in Iraq, where she built and ran BP’s Iraq Intelligence Team in Basra and Baghdad. Prior to joining BP in 2011, she was a policy and security adviser to both the Australian Government and US military leaders. Between 2004 and 2010 Ms. Tarlinton undertook numerous operational deployments in the Middle East and received several military and public service commendations for her roles in intelligence provision, hostage recovery support and operational leadership. Ms. Tarlinton holds degrees in law, international relations, and an MA in Middle Eastern studies.

Dr. Harry Tzimitras

Atlantic Council

Dr. Harry Tzimitras is a nonresident senior fellow with the Global Energy Center at the Atlantic Council. He is also the director of Peace Research Institute Olso (PRIO) Cyprus Centre. Before joining PRIO, Dr. Tzimitras held a post at Istanbul Bilgi University, where he was the director of the international relations master's program and the director of the Turkish-Greek studies division. Dr. Tzimitras has served as an adjunct professor of international law at Koc University. Educated at the London School of Economics and the Panteion University of Athens, he has held positions at the University of Cambridge and the Institute of International Relations, Athens. His teaching, research, and policy interests lie primarily in the fields of public international law, the law of the sea, foreign policy, energy geopolitics, the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey, and he has published extensively in these areas.

Eithne Treanor

E. Treanor Media

Ms. Eithne Treanor is the managing director of E. Treanor Media, a specialist media consultancy based in Dubai. She is a professional conference moderator, facilitator, media and communications trainer, as well as a seasoned energy industry commentator. Ms. Treanor also acts as the OPEC’s official on-air conference and webcast moderator. She is also a special consultant at CNBC Arabia and has worked as an international television journalist for ABC News, Sky News, BBC World, Bloomberg Television, and CNBC Europe. She has interviewed numerous politicians, dignitaries, energy ministers, and high-ranking business people around the world and is a guest presenter on Dubai Eye radio on the Business Breakfast show. She has moderated at many other conferences including the International Energy Forum, Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, World Energy Forum, the Excellence in Energy Awards, and the 2014 and 2015 Africa Global Business Forums. She studied politics and sociology at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and has a degree in broadcast communications from Columbia College in Chicago and a post-graduate diploma in international relations from the London School of Economics.

Andrew Walker

Cheniere

Dr. Andrew Walker is the vice president for strategy and communication for Cheniere Energy. Dr. Walker is located in London and is responsible for Cheniere’s strategy and market outlook, reporting into the chief commercial officer. Until October 2015, Dr. Walker was vice president for global LNG - and prior to that head of LNG strategy - at BG Group, where he worked for over twenty years before joining Cheniere. During his career in LNG, Mr. Walker has been located in Singapore, Egypt, the United States, and the United Kingdom (UK), and has worked on numerous LNG projects including Atlantic LNG in Trinidad and Tobago, Egyptian LNG, and Dragon LNG in the UK. Dr. Walker has a doctorate in geology from Imperial College, University of London.

Dr. Dennis Whyte

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Dennis Whyte is director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Plasma Science and Fusion Center, professor and head of the Nuclear Science and Engineering department, and Hitachi America professor of engineering. Dr. Whyte conceived and commissioned a new plasma/fusion research facility, DIONISOS (Dynamics of IONic Implantation and Sputtering on Surfaces), which features a unique combination of in-situ MeV ion beam surface analysis, simultaneous with high-power plasma bombardment. In 2012, a research team led by Dr. Whyte demonstrated the first-ever real-time, spatially- mapped in-situ measurements of plasma-facing surface properties. This represented the culmination of four years of research on the AIMS (Accelerator-based In-situ Materials Surveillance) experiment conceived by Dr. Whyte. Dr. Whyte is an acknowledged expert on issues regarding the design and operation of material surfaces in burning plasma experiments, such as plasma-surface interactions and disruption mitigation, as well as surface analysis of materials using high-energy ion beams. Dr. Whyte has over three hundred peer-reviewed publications on nuclear fusion research topics such as plasma spectroscopy, disruption mitigation, erosion of plasma-facing surfaces and boundary plasma physics. Dr. Whyte was leader of the Boundary-Plasma Interface Topical Group of the US Burning Plasma Organization. He is a US core member of the SOL /Divertor expert group for the International Tokamak Physics Activity and US PFC steering committee. He served on the ITER Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee, the National Academies Panel for Reviewing US Participation in ITER and the National Academies Panels on Prospects for Inertial Fusion Energy. For his research contributions to plasma-surface interactions and disruption mitigation in magnetic fusion, Dr. Whyte was elected as a fellow of the American Physical Society in 2006.

Damon Wilson

Atlantic Council

Mr. Damon M. Wilson is the executive vice president for programs and strategy at Atlantic Council. From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Wilson served as the special assistant to the president and senior director for European affairs at the National Security Council. He managed interagency policy on NATO, the European Union, Georgia, Ukraine, the Balkans, Eurasian energy security, and Turkey, and planned numerous presidential visits to Europe, including US-European Union and NATO summits. Mr. Wilson has also served at the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq as the executive secretary and chief of staff; at the National Security Council as the director for Central, Eastern, and Northern European affairs; and as deputy director in the Private Office of NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson. Prior to serving in Brussels, Mr. Wilson worked in the US Department of State in various positions and served in Rwanda with Save the Children. He is a graduate of Duke University and completed his graduate studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs. Mr. Wilson also worked with the Unaccompanied Children in Exile refugee program in Croatia and Turkey

Mechthild Wörsdörfer

European Commission

Ms. Mechthild Wörsdörfer is a director at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy (DG Energy), responsible for renewables, research and innovation, energy efficiency. Between 2014 and 2017, as a director in the same directorate-general, she was responsible for energy policy, international relations, legal aspects and economic analysis. In that position, she managed the development of the Energy Union Framework Strategy, specifically the governance and external aspects. Prior to her work on the Energy Union Framework Strategy, Ms. Wörsdörfer worked as head of the policy unit in DG Energy on the 2030 energy and climate framework. She held several positions at the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry, working on competitiveness and small and medium entreprise policies. Between 1999 and 2004, Ms. Wörsdörfer worked in the cabinet of Erkki Liikanen, the European Commissioner for Enterprise Policy and Information Society. Ms. Wörsdörfer studied economics at the University of Heidelberg and at the University of Montpellier. She holds a masters in European economics from the Free University of Brussels. She speaks German, English, French, and Spanish.

Dr. Kang Wu

King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center

Dr. Kang Wu is the program director for markets and industrial development at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). His ongoing research covers a variety of issues related to economic, energy, and environmental developments in China and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Prior to joining KAPSARC in April 2017, he was vice chairman of Asia at FGE, an international consulting company, for over three years. Before that, he worked at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawaii as a senior fellow. He is the author and co-author of numerous company studies, journal articles, research papers, project reports, books, book chapters, and other publications. He holds both a PhD and MA in economics from the University of Hawaii and a BA in international economics from Peking University.