H.E. Khalid A. Al-Falih is Minister of Energy, Industry, and Mineral Resources for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Board of Directors. Mr. Al-Falih was appointed Minister by Royal Decree in 2016. In this capacity, he oversees the kingdom’s energy and minerals sectors, activities related to industry and electricity, and the National Industrial Clusters Development Program. He concurrently chairs the boards of Saudi Aramco and the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology, the King Abdullah City of Atomic and Renewable Energy, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Saudi Fund for Industrial Development, Saudi Industrial Property Authority, Saudi Geological Survey, and the Saudi Export Development Authority. Previously, Mr. Al-Falih served as Minister of Health for the kingdom and Chairman of Saudi Aramco, positions to which he was named in April 2015. He serves on the boards of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (founding member); Prince Mohammad bin Fahd University; and American University in Sharjah. Mr. Al-Falih also served on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) International Business Council and chaired WEF’s Oil & Gas Community; the Asia Business Council; and the J.P. Morgan International Council. He holds an honorary doctorate from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and in 2009 was awarded Saudi Arabia’s highest civilian honor, the King Abdulaziz Medal (First Class), for his service to the nation. Mr. Al-Falih holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals.

HE Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is a Minister of State of the United Arab Emirates and a member of the federal cabinet. As minister, he is responsible for handling strategic portfolios. As CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Dr. Al Jaber oversees its operations and growth. Prior to taking on the leadership position at ADNOC, Dr. Al Jaber was the CEO of Energy at Mubadala—the Abu Dhabi government’s strategic investment arm and principal agent in the diversification of the Emirates’ economy. There he drove strategic energy investments across two portfolio companies, Mubadala Petroleum and Masdar. As Chairman of Masdar, Dr. Al Jaber continues to drive the company’s strategic direction after spearheading its launch and establishment in 2006 as its Chief Executive. Dr. Al Jaber holds several board and advisory positions and counsels on issues related to energy, sustainability, and economic diversification. Dr. Al Jaber serves as Chairman of the UAE National Media Council and the Abu Dhabi Ports Company. He also serves as a member of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy Board of Trustees and on the board of Emirates Global Aluminum. Since 2011 Dr. Al Jaber has served on the United Nations Secretary General’s High Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All. In 2012 he was recognized as a "Champion of the Earth," the United Nations’ award for leaders in the fields of policy, science, and entrepreneurship. In 2013 Dr. Al Jaber was also appointed an honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As Executive Director of Refining & Petrochemicals at Mubadala Investment Company, Khalifa Al Suwaidi oversees the company’s interests in the sector within its petroleum and petrochemicals platform.  Prior to this role, Khalifa held various senior management positions including, most recently, leadership the Abu Dhabi National Chemical Company (Chemaweyaat) as its Acting CEO. Previously, as Senior Vice President of the Service Venture Unit of Mubadala Development, Khalifa was instrumental in the establishment of the Logistics Company Agility Abu Dhabi, which he chaired, and developed the Geospatial Mapping Services company, Bayanat Limited.  Khalifa began his career with Borouge in 2000.  He led and successfully delivered a number of successful projects including establishment of the order to cash process, distribution and global customer service across Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Hong Kong, and subsequently headed the Borouge 2 supply chain management function. Khalifa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, majoring in Marketing, from California State University and an EMBA with Distinction from Zayed University. 

Abdulaziz M. Al-Judaimi has been appointed as senior vice president of Downstream, effective May 1, 2017, having previously served as acting Business Line Head for the business line.  He had previously served as the vice president, Power Systems, an assignment he took on in September 2014. Prior to that, Al-Judaimi held similar leadership positions with Corporate Planning, Chemicals and New Business Development. He was appointed vice president – Northern Area Oil Operations (NAOO), in April 2007, after being elevated to executive director of NAOO in September 2006. He joined the company in January 1994, following the merger of  the Saudi Arabian Marketing and Refining Co. (SAMAREC) with Saudi Aramco. Al-Judaimi began working for SAMAREC in 1983 at Riyadh Refinery, after graduating from King Fahd University of  Petroleum & Minerals with a B.S. degree in Petroleum Engineering.  He later obtained an M.S. degree in Business Administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management, in 2001. Al-Judaimi served as superintendent of the Berri Gas Plant Maintenance and Berri Gas Plant Engineering divisions before taking an assignment with Northern Area Producing Operations Engineering, eventually becoming Manager in November 1997. From 1998 to 2003, he held management positions with the Berri Gas Plant,  Shaybah Producing, Ras Tanura Producing, Gas Ventures Development and Rabigh Project Execution departments. In September 2006, he was named Executive Director of NAOO, until his appointment to Vice President in 2007. Al-Judaimi is chairman of  the  Board  for  Motiva  Enterprises  LLC  (Motiva)  and  Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company (Petro   Rabigh); and is the shareholder representative on the Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemical Company (SATORP) and the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) boards. From April 2004 to June 2006, Al-Judaimi was president & CEO of Aramco Gulf Operations Co. Ltd. in al-Khafji.

Abdulaziz Alhajri is an accomplished executive with more than 30 years’ experience leading downstream businesses. Currently the Downstream Director of ADNOC, one of the leading oil, gas and petrochemicals companies in the world, Mr. Alhajri is responsible for driving profitable growth of ADNOC’s downstream operations. Alhajri has a compelling track record in executive management, operations and technical services within ADNOC and its Group of Companies.  Prior to joining ADNOC, he was Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Polymers Company Ltd (Borouge), a leading provider of innovative and value creating plastics solutions, and a joint venture between ADNOC and Borealis AG. Prior to joining Borouge, he held several positions at ADNOC Gas Processing (Ex-GASCO), including Habshan & Bab Plant Division Manager and Assistant General Manager (Technical).  He is a member of the Board of Directors of several ADNOC Group Companies, a member of the Board of Directors of NOVA Chemicals, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University for Science and Technology. Alhajri holds a Bachelor Degree of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas in the United States.

Atul Arya, Senior Vice President and Chief Energy Strategist, IHS Markit, is responsible for integrating energy content, analysis, and insights across the entire energy value chain and for c-suite client engagements. The Energy division has an international presence, with over 500 colleagues and office locations on five continents. Legacy product brands including CERA, Herold, Purvin & Gertz, McCloskey, and EER are now part of the Energy business. Dr. Arya’s areas of expertise include business strategy, commercial analysis, oil markets, energy technologies, climate change, and renewables. He has previously led Energy Insight, Research and Analysis and Energy Research teams at IHS Markit. Dr. Arya has over 30 years of leadership experience in the energy industry, including senior posts with BP. His international career spans a diverse array of energy fields from strategy development and business planning to field operations and technology commercialization. His experience includes leadership in solar energy development as well as the oil and gas sector. Dr. Arya has previously served on boards of several companies and institutions, including Tata BP Solar, Green Mountain Energy, and National Council for Atmospheric Research. He was a member of the World Economic Forum’s Agenda Council on the Future of Oil and Gas and Adjunct Senior Fellow at Council on Foreign Relations in the United States. He is a regular speaker and moderator at public conferences, company boards, and at CERAWeek. Dr. Arya holds doctorate in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mr. B. Ashok, is currently the Chief Executive Officer, Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd., a Joint Venture Company of the three major Oil Marketing Companies in India.  The Venture is implementing an integrated Refinery & Petrochemical Project in the State of Maharashtra, India at an estimated cost of around US$ 45 billion.  This Project is in the initial phase and is slated for completion by the middle of the next decade and is potentially the largest Project of its kind in the world. Mr. Ashok was earlier the Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. between July, 2014 and May, 2017, the largest commercial undertaking in India and the highest ranked Fortune Global Major in the country.  Concurrently, he was also the Chairman of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., an IndianOil subsidiary and IndianOil Tanking Limited, a Joint Venture with Oiltanking GmbH of Germany. In addition, he was the Vice President of the Paris based World LPG Association, the authoritative voice of Global LPG Industry, Chairman of Petroleum Federation of India and Chairman of CII’s Council on Central Public Sector Enterprises. An alumnus of College of Engineering, Madras University, majoring in Mechanical Engineering, he is also a Post Graduate in Management from MDI, Gurgaon.  His experience in the Oil & Gas Industry spans nearly four decades. Mr. Ashok has been a speaker in several international meets such as the World Petroleum Congress, IHS CERA Week, Houston, Microsoft CEO Summit, World LPG Forum, Oxford Energy Seminar-UK, Asia Oil & Gas Conference-Kuala Lumpur, PETROTECH, India-Africa Hydrocarbon Conference etc. He has been part of several Indian Ministerial delegations abroad and has contributed to policy making in the hydrocarbon sector at both National and International levels. He has been an industry leader in the implementation of transformational LPG initiatives in India, besides several others. Mr. Ashok has been conferred with the SCOPE Award for excellence and outstanding contribution to Public Sector Management in individual leadership category, an award received from the Hon’ble President of India.

His Excellency Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo of Nigeria began his tenure as Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on 1 August 2016. Over the years he also worked in several key roles at OPEC. In 1986, he was appointed to Nigeria’s delegation to OPEC, and from 1993 to 2008 he served as Nigeria’s National Representative on the Organization’s Economic Commission Board. In 2006, he was Acting OPEC Secretary General, and represented Nigeria on OPEC’s Board of Governors from 2009 to 2010. From 2009 to 2010, he was Group Managing Director and CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Previous to that, he served as Deputy Managing Director of Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas. Earlier in his career, he held the role of Special Assistant to former Minister of Petroleum Resources and OPEC Secretary General, HE Dr. Rilwanu Lukman KBE. Mr. Barkindo has also been the leader of Nigeria’s technical delegation to the UN climate change negotiations since 1991. He served as Chair of the Group of 77 and China at the UNFCCC and was elected to serve three terms as Vice President of the Conference of the Parties—COP13 (Bali, Indonesia), COP14 (Poznan, Poland), and COP15 (Copenhagen, Denmark), where he chaired the opening session. Since his assumption of office as Secretary General, he remains a leading voice in the long-standing quest for more OPEC and non-OPEC cooperation for stable oil markets on a sustainable basis.

Ashok Belani has served as Executive Vice President of Technology at Schlumberger since August 2011. Mr. Belani is responsible for Schlumberger Research, Engineering, Manufacturing, Technology Lifecycle Management, Software Technology, and Information Technology. Since 2013 he has also led the marketing, sales, and account management functions for Schlumberger. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Belani served as President, Reservoir Characterization, and earlier as Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Belani joined Schlumberger as a Field Engineer in 1980 and worked for 10 years in different field positions in operations, sales, and management. He then transferred to product development and held positions in engineering, marketing and technique, and technology management. He served as Vice President of Marketing and Product Development for Wireline and later as Vice President of Marketing and Product Development for Oilfield Services. He later held the position of Chief Information Officer of Schlumberger Limited. Between 2000 and 2004, Mr. Belani managed the Schlumberger semiconductor equipment business in California, where he led a leveraged buyout to a private equity firm, listed the company on Nasdaq as Chief Executive Officer, and then sold it to Credence Systems. He serves on the Advisory Board for the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University, and the Board of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. Mr. Belani studied electrical engineering in India and holds a graduate degree in petroleum engineering from Stanford University.

Tom De Vleesschauwer is Senior Director and Transport and Mobility Practice Leader at the Auto Industry Analysis practice at IHS Markit. He is responsible for both market research and business consulting projects in the mobility sector globally. Recently, his work has included carbon dioxide forecasting evaluations, future mobility outlooks, and the Reinventing the Wheel mobility study. Prior to joining IHS Markit, he was with the Automotive Group of Standard & Poor’s DRI. Mr. De Vleesschauwer has more than 20 years' experience in the international automotive industry. He has contributed to many special projects assessing technical, business, regulatory, and societal trends to help senior management improve their decision making. He has also assisted automotive manufacturers, global suppliers, nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies, including the European Commission and Parliament. He is the author of numerous contributions to automotive publications, including Automotive Agenda—Urbanisation Special: What is the role of the car in the city of tomorrow. He is frequently quoted in the media, including Automotive News Europe, Automobilwoche, Vehicle News, Detroit Free Press, and BusinessWeek. Mr. De Vleesschauwer is certified by the Institute of the Motor Industry and holds an HBO from IVA Driebergen, a BBA from Northwood University, and an MBA from the Cardiff Business School at the University of Wales.

Christian Deiss is Managing Director, Investment Banking division, and Head of Oil and Gas, Utilities and Chemicals coverage for Asia Pacific for Credit Suisse. Prior to moving to Hong Kong in 2011, he worked in the New York office of Credit Suisse with the Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Group, focused on M&A transactions in the oil and gas sector. Mr. Deiss joined Credit Suisse in 1998 and has also worked in offices in London, Palo Alto, and San Francisco. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland and the Community of European Management Schools (CEMS) after studying at Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) in France. 

Bob Dudley became Chief Executive of BP in 2010.  He joined the oil and gas industry in 1979 and has held a variety of engineering, commercial and strategy posts in the US, the UK, Russia and China. In 2009, Bob was appointed to the BP Board with accountability for the Americas and Asia. From 2003 to 2008 Bob served as President and CEO of TNK-BP in Moscow. Following BP’s sale of TNK-BP in Russia and acquisition of ~20% of Rosneft, he joined the Rosneft board in 2013. Previous executive roles include Alternative and Renewable Energy activities and responsibilities for BP’s upstream business in Russia, the Caspian region and Africa and BP’s Gulf Cost Restoration activities. Bob’s external roles include membership of various Business Councils and Advisory Boards and he chairs the Oil & Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI).  He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Bob has a Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Illinois, a Masters in International Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.  

Following his studies which commenced with a bachelor’s degree in geology from Newcastle University in 1979 and then a petroleum geology master’s degree from Imperial College London in 1983, Martin was employed by BG Group plc and its predecessor companies, retiring after 32 years in February 2014 as chief operating officer and a member of the board of directors. He’s managed all forms of enterprise in the energy industry, has established a strong external reputation in the international gas business and is largely credited with being the key architect of BG Group’s world class Liquefied Natural Gas ( LNG ) business. In recognition of this, in 2011 he was the first recipient of the CWC Group LNG Executive of the Year award. He was previously (2004 – 2009) a non - executive director of Severn Trent plc, an integrated environmental company. He is a former director of SIGTTO, the international organization representing gas tanker and gas terminal operators worldwide. From to 2014 he was a vice president and board member of the International Group of Liquefied Natural Gas Importers (GIIGNL). Between 2015, and 2018 he was the chairman of TPH International, a boutique investment bank based in Houston, Texas. In January 2014, he was appointed as a non-executive director of BUPA, an international healthcare group. He sits on the nominations committee and is chairman of the remuneration committee. In June 2014, he was appointed a non-executive director of CCC Energy, a private E&P company with 40,000 bbl/d oil production in Oman. In February 2016, he co-founded Tellurian Inc. with Charif Souki and is now the vice chairman. Tellurian is developing a 27.5 mtpa LNG export project in Louisiana. In March 2017, Martin was appointed as vice-chairman of Hakluyt North America a company which provides independent, strategic advice to the world’s leading multinationals and financial institutions on complex issues. In March 2018 he was appointed by Moelis and Company as Chairman of its global energy group.

Martin’s other activities include:

• Council member of the National Petroleum Council of the United States of America
• Fellow of the Geological Society of London
• Member of the Development Committee of the Royal Opera House of London
• Member of the advisory board of the Global Energy Policy unit at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, New York.
• Member of the advisory board of Radia Inc.
• Chairman of the advisory board of Praxis

Gauri Jauhar is a Director, India Consulting and Research, in the IHS Markit Energy-Wide Perspectives group. Ms. Jauhar’s primary responsibilities include conceptualizing and leading consulting projects related to Indian energy policy development, advocating for market opening, and utilizing global energy best practices to create a competitive Indian energy sector. She mentors a growing team of researchers across the energy value chain and represents IHS Markit in various industry bodies. Prior to joining IHS Markit, Ms. Jauhar was a commercial advisor at BP in India, where she was the gas policy lead for a multidisciplinary team leading BP’s gas reform advocacy efforts in India and represented the company in industry associations. She also created a system for tracking key stakeholders in the gas-consuming sectors and the policy and opinion space and was part of the multidisciplinary team that prepared BP’s India Strategic Framework. Prior to joining BP, Ms. Jauhar was a senior consultant at PFC Energy (now IHS Markit), leading the company’s business in India and Singapore. Her focus was on upstream and gas markets, country risk, and strategy projects. In her analytical roles, she led financial and strategic analysis of key oil and gas players. Previously, Ms. Jauhar was a research associate at the National Council of Applied Economic Research in New Delhi. She coauthored a paper for the Asian Development Bank, "India’s Macro-Stabilization Policy in 1990s: A Review and Assessment," published in the book The Indian State in Transition. Based in New Delhi, Ms. Jauhar holds an MBA from The Johns Hopkins University, an MS from Radford University, and an MA from the Delhi School of Economics.

Dr. Ajit Kumar Jindal is Vice President in Engineering Research Center at Tata Motors Ltd and leading the development of xEV and Defence Vehicles. During the last decade, Dr Jindal has led various projects involving technology development, meeting various regulatory as well as product upgradations required for domestic as well as international markets and has developed vehicles with Automated Manual Transmission, Hybrid and Electric as well Fuel Cell Buses.  Safety technologies such as ANCAP, Collision Mitigation and Lane Departure Warning etc. have also been incorporated in the vehicles. Under his leadership, Tata Motors has continuously improved the products for fuel efficiency and enhanced performance through various innovations, light weighting and development of new generation aggregates. Prior to Tata Motors, he has worked in senior positions at Swaraj Mazda Ltd and  Eicher Motors in the areas of vehicle and engine design. Dr Jindal holds a PhD in IC Engines, and is an active member of various industry forums. He has authored many technical papers for national and international journals. He is also a Chartered Engineer and a fellow of I Mech E. and Member of Society of Automotive Engineers, USA.

Paul Markwell is Vice President, IHS Energy, for the upstream oil and gas consulting practice in Europe. He also oversees upstream technology research and for 10 years has led various research and consulting teams, overseeing content and consulting on strategy, opportunity screening and characterization, unconventionals, and technology and innovation. Mr. Markwell has over 30 years of experience in the upstream oil and gas industry as well as management consulting expertise covering operations, acquisition and divesture strategic planning, asset management, and energy policy development. Prior to joining IHS Mr. Markwell worked for over two decades in the upstream oil and gas industry and subsequent consulting-related roles. He held posts at McKinsey and Company as an upstream expert consultant and as European Petroleum Practice Manager, as an expert advisor to oil and gas consulting teams. Previously Mr. Markwell spent 18 years in international exploration and production companies, most recently as General Manager for British-Borneo’s business in Pakistan, overseeing the commercialization and development of the company’s gas assets. He also worked in business development roles with Hardy Oil and Gas and with Shell UK and led numerous oil and gas acquisition and divestment projects. Mr. Markwell first joined the industry as a petroleum engineer with Shell International and worked in a number of operational and team leader positions in the Netherlands, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. He is a lay member of Brunel University Council in the United Kingdom. Mr. Markwell holds a BS with honors from Imperial College, London and an MBA from Henley Management College. He is based in London.

As CEO of Cairn Oil & Gas, Sudhir Mathur has been instrumental in defining the organisation’s strategy and its growth story. Domestic exploration and production of oil and gas has been an imperative for the Indian economy, and Cairn is working to support the government’s vision to move towards self-sufficiency. Sudhir is leading the effort to increase Cairn’s contribution to India’s domestic oil and gas production to 50 percent. Sudhir brings to Cairn more than 32 years of rich expertise and experience in finance and strategic planning, supply chain management, as well as regulatory affairs. He has a proven track record in deploying large capital to enable value creation for companies. Prior to joining Cairn in September 2012, Sudhir was CFO and Head of the Netco Business for Aircel Cellular Limited. He has formerly held several leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Delhi International Airport Limited, Idea Cellular, Ballarpur Industries Limited, and Price Waterhouse Coopers, India. Sudhir is an Economics graduate from the Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, and earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from Cornell University, New York. A former basketball player, Sudhir lives in Delhi with his family, and enjoys cricket, and reading books. 

Arjun N. Murti is a Senior Advisor to the Energy Group at Warburg Pincus. He also serves on the Board of ConocoPhillips and RS Energy Group and is an Advisory Board member for Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.  Prior to this, Mr. Murti was Co-Director of Americas Equity Research, Business Unit Leader for Commodities & Industrials, and Equity Research Analyst at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Global Investment Research division. He joined Goldman Sachs in 1999 as a Vice President, served as a Managing Director from 2003 to 2006, and Partner from 2006 until his retirement in 2014. During his time at Goldman Sachs, Mr. Murti worked primarily as a sell-side equity research analyst covering the energy sector in addition to his leadership responsibilities. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Mr. Murti was a Vice President and Equity Research Analyst at J.P. Morgan Asset Management from 1995-1999. His career began in 1992 at Petrie Parkman & Co, a Denver-based oil & gas boutique investment bank, where he was a Research Associate.

Sunita Narain is a Delhi-based environmentalist and author.  She is currently the Director General of Center for Science and Environment (CSE) and Editor of the fortnightly magazine, Down To Earth. Dr. Narain plays an active role in policy formulation on issues of environment and development in India and globally. She has worked extensively on climate change, with a particular interest in advocating for an ambitious and equitable global agreement. Her work on air pollution, water and waste management as well as industrial pollution has led to an understanding of the need for affordable and sustainable solutions in countries like India where the challenge is to ensure inclusive and sustainable growth. She was a member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change and has been awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour. In 2005, the Centre for Science and Environment, under her leadership was also awarded the Stockholm Water Prize. In 2016, Time magazine selected her as one of the most influential people in the world. She received “The Order of the Polar Star” award from the Swedish Government in 2017. Penguin has recently published her new book Conflicts of Interest, in which she has written about CSE’s campaigns from air pollution to colas to tigers. She continues to serve on national and international committees on environment.  

Ravi Narayanaswamy, Senior Director, IHS Energy, has over 23 years of international oil industry experience. Based in Singapore, he heads the downstream energy research and analysis team covering Asia Pacific and the Middle East at IHS. Mr. Narayanaswamy’s extensive experience includes working with senior executives on trends in the oil markets and other strategic/commercial issues, particularly in those two regions. Prior to joining Purvin & Gertz in 2005 he was with ExxonMobil for over 11 years in a number of strategic, commercial, and technical positions. Previously Mr. Narayanaswamy worked for HPCL Mumbai. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Bangalore University and an MBA from the University of Southern Illinois.

A graduate of École Polytechnique and a Chief Engineer of France’s Corps des Mines, Mr. Pouyanné held, between 1989 and 1996, various administrative positions in the Ministry of Industry and other cabinet positions (technical advisor to the Prime Minister – Édouard Balladur – in the fields of the Environment and Industry from 1993 to 1995, Chief of staff for the Minister for Information and Aerospace Technologies – François Fillon – from 1995 to 1996). In January 1997, he joined TOTAL’s Exploration & Production division, first as Chief Administrative Officer in Angola, before becoming Group representative in Qatar and President of the Exploration and Production subsidiary in that country in 1999. In August 2002, he was appointed President, Finance, Economy and IT for Exploration & Production. In January 2006, he became Senior Vice President, Strategy, Business Development and R&D in Exploration & Production and was appointed a member of the Group’s Management Committee in May 2006. In March 2011, Mr. Pouyanné was appointed Deputy General Manager, Chemicals, and Deputy General Manager, Petrochemicals. In January 2012, he became President, Refining & Chemicals and a member of the Group’s Executive Committee. On October 22, 2014, he became Chief Executive Officer of TOTAL S.A. and Chairman of the Group’s Executive Committee. On May 29, 2015, he was appointed by the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting as director of TOTAL S.A. for a three-year term. At its meeting on December 16, 2015, the Board of Directors of TOTAL appointed him as Chairman of the Board of Directors as of December 19, 2015 for the remainder of his term of office as director. Mr. Patrick Pouyanné thus became the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TOTAL S.A.

Hon. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan is the Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India. He was first elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament, in 2012 to represent Bihar State. During his term he has served as a member of the Parliamentary Committees on Rural Development, Government Assurances, and Agriculture. Previously, from 2004 to 2009, Mr. Pradhan was a member of the Lok Sabha, or lower house, representing the Deogarh constituency of the State of Odisha. He first entered public life as a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from 2000 to 2004. Mr. Pradhan has worked on issues concerning youth, such as unemployment and a lack of skilled education, as well as the rehabilitation and resettlement of farmers, displaced persons and other backward classes. He has played a major role in mobilizing youth for politics and promoting better leadership. He enjoys studying history, politics, and changing social trends. Mr. Pradhan holds a post-graduate degree in Anthropology from Utkal University in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Nitin Prasad is a dynamic and accomplished business leader  with  20+years  of cross-cultural professional experience spanning  industries from  technology  to  energy and geographies from USA, Singapore to India. Nitin, a Fortune 40 under 40 awardee, has a proven track record of managing large diverse global teams, developing/implementing strategy, innovating and leading change across cross-functional and multi-jurisdictional roles. He is passionate about Shell’s purpose of powering progress together for better and cleaner energy and believes collaborations and partnerships are key to solving country-wide growth challenges. Nitin did his schooling from the Doon School, India before completing an engineering degree from  Georgia  Institute  of  Technology,  USA  and thereafter  went on  to complete his MBA from INSEAD. He succeeded Dr. Yasmine Hilton on October 2016 as the Chairman of Shell Companies in India. Prior to the current role, Nitin was the Managing Director for Shell Lubricants for the cluster of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, which combined is the 3rd largest lubricants market in the world. This role was preceeded by several  other  roles  in  Shell  across verticals  of strategy,  marketing, project delivery and supply chain in geographies of APME, APACMEA, China, South East Asia and USA. Nitin is an avid sports enthusiast with an interest in golfing, sailing, skiing and diving. He enjoys traveling,  listening  to jazz  and  collecting  wines.  He currently lives in  New  Delhi with his  two children and his wife. Shell in India Shell has been present in India since 1928, when Burmah Shell set up operations in the country. Today, Shell is one of the most diversified international energy company in India with over 7000 employees, 200,000 retail customers and a 250 -strong distribution network. It brings world-class energy solutions across traditional, new energies and its derivatives including crude oil, refined products, chemicals and technology to individuals and enterprises. India is recognized as one of Royal Dutch Shell’s innovation hubs globally. It is home to world class centres hosting operations, information technology and innovation mandates in Bangalore and Chennai that are creating value for Shell and India. The company is nurturing a vibrant ecosystem in India to accelerate energy innovations with the Shell E4 programme for startups, Shell Eco-marathon and investments in companies like Husk Power that are expanding access to energy. Shell remains committed to making positive contributions to the communities in which we operate through our NXplorer that promotes the pursuit of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, Access to Energy and Road Safety across India. Follow @shell_India @makethefuture@shell_ecomar to know how we are redefining the energy space.

Keisuke Sadamori was appointed Director of the Energy Markets and Security Directorate on 3 September 2012. Prior to joining the IEA, Mr. Sadamori, a Japanese national, held many senior positions at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and most recently was Deputy Director-General at the Minister;s Secretariat. Mr. Sadamori served as executive assistant to Prime Minister Kan in 2011 when the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan, causing the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Accident. Before this, he worked on international energy affairs and was the representative of the Government of Japan in such for a as the IEA Governing Board in 2008 and 2009. He also served as the chief negotiator for trade and investment agreements with Asian countries in 2009 and 2010. Mr. Sadamori received an LL.B. from University of Tokyo in 1983, and an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University in 1990.

Dev Sanyal is Chief Executive, Alternative Energy and Executive Vice President, Regions of BP plc. He is a member of the Group Executive Committee. Dev Sanyal joined the BP Group in 1989 and has held a variety of positions globally. He has been General Manager, FSU and Eastern Europe; Chief Executive Officer, BP Eastern Mediterranean Fuels; Chief Executive Officer, Air BP International; Head of the Group Chief Executive’s Office; Group Treasurer and Chairman of BP Investment Management Ltd. During this latter period, he was also accountable for BP’s aluminium business. He was appointed to the Group Executive Committee on 1st January 2012 and was Executive Vice President, Strategy and Regions prior to his current appointment on 31st March 2016. He is an independent non-executive director on the board of Man Group plc, Vice Chairman of Centre for China in the World Economy at Tsinghua University, a member of the Accenture Global Energy Board, Member of the International Advisory Board of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, and a member the board of advisors of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Economics and Politics.

Shri Dinesh Kumar Sarraf born on 3 September, 1957, Shri Dinesh Sarraf graduated in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi and did his post-graduation from the same University. Shri Sarraf is an Associate Member of Institute of Cost Accountants of India and Institute of Company Secretaries of India. He has experience of three-and-a-half decades in the oil and gas industry, having started his oil and gas career in Oil India Limited and worked there until 1991 where he inculcated the experience in various facets of E&P at oil field level. Thereafter he joined ONGC and handled various key assignments at corporate offices. These included, converting ONGC from a statutory commission into a commercial corporation, its financial restructuring and valuation.  During the years 1997-2000, Shri Sarraf worked in Oil Coordination Committee of the Government of India where he got the industry-wide experience on Indian oil and gas sector. He played a major role in drafting the map for deregulating Indian oil and gas sector.  Shri Sarraf worked in ONGC Videsh Limited as Director (Finance) during February 2005 to December 2007. During this period, Mr Sarraf played key roles in negotiation and conclusion of significant acquisition transactions in Syria, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Egypt and Myanmar. ONGC Videsh experienced significant increase in its activities, production, revenue and profits during this period.  During December 2007 to August 2011, he worked as Director Finance of ONGC and its Group CFO. He introduced robust governance systems in ONGC and led several systematic improvements. In recognition of his achievements, he was given the Best CFO Award in Indian Oil & Gas sector by CNBC in 2009 and 2011.  Shri Sarraf assumed the charge of Managing Director and CEO of ONGC Videsh Limited in September 2011. As MD & CEO, ONGC Videsh Limited, he institutionalized systems and processes to ensure attainment of the committed targets. He introduced the concept of 'zero-based risk review' mechanism for risk assessment in major acquisitions and mitigation of the risks. He led company's major acquisitions, like Block BC-10 Brazil, NEMED Block Egypt, AFPC Project Syria, MECL Project Columbia, Rovuma Area I Block in Mozambique offshore etc.; and guided the negotiating team for other acquisitions, resulting in substantial savings. He was awarded the CEPM-PMA fellowship on December 2, 2013 by the Project Management Associates - India (PMA - India).  During March 2014 to September 2017, Shri Sarraf was the Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC and Chairman of its Group companies – ONGC Videsh Ltd; Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd; ONGC Petro-additions Ltd; ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Ltd; Mangalore SEZ Ltd; ONGC Tripura Power Company Ltd. and a director on the Board of Petronet LNG Ltd. He was also the President, Global Compact Network India and Chairman, Petrotech Society and Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry.  He is a member of the Governing body of CSIR – Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.  He led the ONGC in one of the most difficult periods of low oil and gas prices, did not let the fresh investments in the business slow down, led formulation of several mega projects and their implementation, revived declining production trend, led increase in organization-wide efficiency, kept the morale of the employees high even in otherwise difficult environment, gave emphasis on encouraging start-ups, research and development and industry-academia collaboration, etc. Shri Sarraf was conferred Honorary Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) Degree by the Amity University in 2017.  Shri Sarraf joined PNGRB as the Chairperson on 4th December, 2017.

Nirmal Shani, Country Manager & Executive Director – South Asia, manages the business for all solution groups of IHS Markit in the Indian Sub-continent (primarily India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and also Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives)
IHS Markit (NASDAQ: INFO) is a global information leader, providing critical information, decision support tools and related services, organized in the following verticals:
- Energy & Natural Resources (Oil & Gas Upstream, Midstream, Refining, Petrochemicals, Climate & Carbon, Power, Gas, Coal, Renewable Energy)
- Transportation (Automotive, Aerospace Defence & Security, Maritime & Trade)
- Consolidated Markets (Engineering & Product Design, Technology Media & Telecom, Economics & Country Risk)
- Financial Markets
Prior to joining IHS Markit in 2011, Nirmal was the Business Head with Dun & Bradstreet India (NYSE: DNB). He spent Nine years at D&B across sales, operations, data architecture and general management, setting up and growing the business for multiple product-lines Nirmal holds an MBA in Marketing, is a meditator, actively involved with charitable organizations and is passionate about scuba-diving.

Shri Shashi Shanker is Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Company and also the Chairman of ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) and Joint venture companies namely Mangalore SEZ Limited, ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited, ONGC Petro-additions Limited, ONGC Mangalore Petrochemicals Limited and a Director of Petronet LNG Limited. Before elevated to the position of CMD, Shri Shashi Shanker was serving as the Director (T&FS) of the Company.  Shri Shashi Shanker is a Petroleum Engineer from Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad and holding MBA degree with specialisation in Finance. He has also received Executive Education from prestigious institutes  like IIM, Lucknow and ISB, Hyderabad.  Shri Shashi Shanker is an industry veteran with more than three and half decades of experience in diverse E&P activities. He has progressed through senior management roles in various work centers viz. Institute of Drilling Technology, Dehradun; West Bengal Project; Assam Project and Deep Water group at Mumbai.  He was acclaimed for his performance in spearheading the deep/ultra-deep water campaign of the Company which was christened as ‘Sagar Samridhi’. Under his leadership, ONGC drilled the deepest deep water well covering a water depth of 3174m - a world record till date. Shri Shashi Shanker successfully spearheaded the HPCL acquisition of 51.11% Govt. stake to improve ONGC’s downstream portfolio.  Under his leadership, ONGC Videsh made a successful entry overseas acquiring 10% stake in one of Abu Dhabi’s biggest offshore oil concessions (Lower Zakum). The agreement was signed by Shashi Shanker on behalf of Indian consortium at Abu Dhabi in the presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. Through this acquisition, India has secured a share in the Emirate’s crude production for the first time. Under his guidance, ONGC led the delivery of cutting-edge IT solutions that drive growth, streamline performance and promote efficiency. Various path breaking initiatives were taken to strengthen the IT platforms like SCADA, ERP(ICE), EACS etc. He conceptualized an ambitious company wide project called “DISHA” for creation of a paperless office platform, which is under implementation.  Shri Shashi Shanker  is also a member of the High Powered Steering Committee for the flagship initiatives of Govt. of India viz. “Make-in-India” and “Start-Up-India”.  He is also a part of various other national and international bodies like FIPI, GCNI etc.   His vision and dynamic attributes have helped in making numerous operational and policy initiatives and steering the Company though many milestones. His priority is towards developing the East Coast discoveries, rejuvenating the mature fields of Western Offshore and Onshore and improvement in Reservoir Management.

Scott Sheffield, a distinguished graduate of The University of Texas with a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering, is Chairman of Pioneer Natural Resources. The son of an ARCO internati onal executive, Scott attended high school in Tehran, Iran. After graduating from the University of Texas in 1975, he began his career as a reservoir engineer with Amoco Production Company. In 1979, Scott became the fifth employee of Parker & Parsley Petroleum Company in Midland, Texas. By 1985, he was CEO of Parker & Parsley and became its Chairman in 1991. Under Scott's leadership, Parker & Parsley merged with MESA, Inc. in 1997 to form Pioneer Natural Resources Company. He became the company’s founding Chief Executive Officer and assumed the posiion of Chairman of the Board in August 1999. Today, Pioneer is a large independent E&P company with reserves of approximately 10 billion barrels equivalent of total resource, an enterprise value of $32 billion and approximately 3,500 employees. Pioneer is considered a leader in developing oil-rich shale plays and was ranked as one of the most active operators in the United States. Pioneer is committed to grow its net production to over 1mm boepd from the Permian Basin over the next 10 years. Pioneer consistently ranks as one of the best places to work in America. In 2016, Indeed.com ranked it the fourth top company to work for in the country, The Dallas Morning News named it the number one employer in North Texas, and Forbes and the J.U.S.T. Foundation announced Pioneer as the “most just” company in the oil and gas industry. After 31 years as CEO, Scott retired in December 2016 while retaining the position of Chairman. He serves on various industry-related and education-oriented boards, including the Williams Companies, the Maguire Energy Institute of the SMU Cox School of Business and Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. The Permian Basin Petroleum Association recently honored Scott as the recipient of its prestigious Top Hand award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership within the oil and gas industry and the Permian Basin community. He is also a 2013 inductee into the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum Hall of Fame, memorializing those whose achievements and outstanding contributions to the industry helped build the Permian Basin. Scott received the ADL’s Henry Cohn Humanitarian Award in Dallas, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Hope Award in Midland and the Frank Pitts Award for Energy Leadership from SMU.

Prabhat Singh is MD&CEO, Petronet LNG Ltd. since September, 2015.  He  is an Engineering graduate from IIT, Kanpur, and having around 36 years of relevant experience in the Hydrocarbon Industry both in MNC (British Gas) and Maharatna PSUs (GAIL, NTPC, EIL) etc. He is a vastly experienced professional having worked his way up in diverse areas including Project Planning, Execution & Management, Exploration & Production, Training & Organizational Reforms and Business Development Marketing.   Prabhat has been Director of Marketing of GAIL (India) Limited and also served as (i) Chairman of Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private Limited (RGPPL) erstwhile Dabhol Power Company and during his tenure has commissioned the 5 MMTPA LNG regasification terminal at Dabhol and (ii) Chairman of GAIL Global Singapore Pte Ltd. (GGSPL) - a global trading arm of GAIL at Singapore, which is currently creating value & managing India's pioneering efforts towards global LNG business. Prabhat has been instrumental in putting the country on the world gas map, India being one of the first countries to have sourced LNG (based on Henry Hub) from the US. His major contribution has been the execution of world's longest exclusive LPG pipeline from Jamnagar to Loni. The project was recognized by Asian Development Bank as the "Best Managed Project" of the year. He was also instrumental in ushering in the "Open Access Common Carrier Principle" in India. Prabhat is one of the core contributors to the concept of gas pooling for power & fertilizer sector which is under successful implementation.  Prabhat is instrumental for successful negotiations in the various International Contracts. Prabhat has also been a member of National Auto Fuel Policy of MoPNG & member of the Governing body of Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Petroleum and Technology, Rai bareily.  IIT, Kanpur honoured him with Distinguished Alumnus Award in November, 2016 for his professional excellence.  Times Ascent presented him a CEO with HR Orientation Award in February, 2017.  Today, Prabhat is recognized as a visionary professional in the Industry for having a great business sense with a human touch & excellent communication skill.

Michael Stoppard, Chief Strategist, Global Gas, IHS Energy, and Vice Chair of IHS Energy CERAWeek, is a member of the Energy Research Council overseeing thought leadership across global energy and is a 20-year specialist in the international gas business. He is responsible for the development and coordination of the IHS global and interregional coverage of gas markets and liquefied natural gas. Previously Mr. Stoppard led the global gas team at IHS (formerly CERA). He is the author of numerous IHS Energy reports, including Challenge and Change in the EU-Russia Gas Relationship; The Energy Investment Imperative in Europe; and Methane Hydrates Breakthrough: The next game changer or a major step on a longer road? He was a coauthor with Daniel Yergin of “The Next Prize,” published in Foreign Affairs. Before joining IHS Mr. Stoppard was a research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. In addition he served as a Parliamentary Special Advisor on energy regulation for the House of Commons Trade and Industry Committee in the United Kingdom. Mr. Stoppard holds an honors degree from the University of York.

Shri B.C.Tripathi carries an experience of over 35 years in India’s Natural Gas business and has a unique distinction of having hands-on expertise across the segments of Hydrocarbon project management, operations and Strategy formulation & Business expansion. Shri Tripathi has been a founding employee of GAIL and has shaped GAIL to be a premier ‘Maharatna’ corporation in India. GAIL has won wide acclaim and recognition in various categories under his leadership and in recognition to his efforts of steering GAIL’s strategy to globalize and ensure LNG security for India, he was conferred- ‘Best LNG Executive’ at the 14th World LNG Summit, Paris.  Mr. B.C. Tripathi concurrently serves as Chairman of the Boards of GAIL’s subsidiary companies dealing in City Gas and Petrochemicals. Earlier, he also helmed and mentored as Chairman of India’s leading city gas companies- Mahanagar Gas and Indraprastha Gas and as Director on Board of Petronet LNG. Currently, Shri Tripathi’s efforts are dedicated to building GAIL’s global scale capability for handling LNG and natural gas portfolio with midstream infrastructure expansion of over USD 3 billion to support Government of India’s endeavor for developing green energy economy fueled on Natural Gas. 

Daniel Yergin is a highly respected authority on energy, international politics, and economics. He is Vice Chairman of IHS Markit and co-founded Cambridge Energy Research Associates®. In selecting Dr. Yergin as one of the “hundred people who mattered” worldwide, Time Magazine said, “If there is one man whose opinion matters more than any other on global energy markets, it’s Daniel Yergin.” Fortune said that he is “one of the planet’s foremost thinkers about energy and its implications.” A Pulitzer Prize winner, Dr. Yergin is the author of the bestseller The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World. The Quest has been called “a masterly piece of work” by The Economist. Dr. Yergin is known around the world for his book The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil Money and Power, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. It became a number one New York Times best seller and has been translated into 17 languages. Of Dr. Yergin’s book Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy, which has been translated into 13 languages, The Wall Street Journal said, “No one could ask for a better account of the world’s political and economic destiny since World War II.” Both The Prize and Commanding Heights were made into award-winning television documentaries for PBS and BBC. Dr. Yergin was awarded the United States Energy Award for “lifelong achievements in energy and the promotion of international understanding.” The International Association for Energy Economics gave Dr. Yergin its 2012 award for “outstanding contributions to the profession of energy economics and to its literature.” In 2014 India’s Prime Minister presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2015 he was awarded the first James Schlesinger Medal for Energy Security by the US Department of Energy. Among other positions, he is a trustee of the Brookings Institution, a director of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of the advisory board of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank and of the National Petroleum Council.