Confirmed Speakers

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Eithne Treanor

 Eithne is an independent professional conference moderator and facilitator, media trainer and founding director of ETreanor.com Communications based in Dubai and London. Eithne has interviewed politicians, dignitaries and high-ranking business people and has written and reported for television, radio and print publications. Her TV experience spans major international networks including ABC News, Sky News, BBC World and Bloomberg. She is currently CNBC Europe’s Special Correspondent in the Middle East. Eithne is OPEC’s official on-air conference and web-cast moderator and works closely with their in-house media team. She is a regular contributor to many trade publications including Investor Relations Magazine, CorpComms, Forbes Media, Energy Risk and www.oilbarrel.com. With her expertise in oil, energy and business, Eithne is a sought-after conference speaker, moderator and Master of Ceremonies.

 DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS

Dr Alirio A Parra, Senior Associate, CWC Group Limited

 Dr Alirio A Parra was Venezuela’s Minister of Energy and Mines from 1992 to 1994 and head of its OPEC delegation. He is a past President of the OPEC Conference and of the Latin American Energy Organization (OLADE). As Minister of Energy and Mines he was Chairman of the Stockholders Assembly of PDVSA. As a member of the Presidential Commission on Oil Nationalisation in 1975, Dr Parra participated in the smooth transition of the Venezuelan oil industry to the then newly created Petroleos de Venezuela SA of which he became a founding Board Member. During Dr Parra’s 15 year tenure on the Board of PDVSA he helped shape the national oil company into a highly efficient entity that significantly increased the reserves position of the country and modernised the downstream including the revamping of the refinery sector in Venezuela and integrating abroad both into US and European markets. Dr Parra is a previous President of the International Association of Energy Economists (1988), and a past Chairman of the British Institute of Energy Economics (1997) and the Oxford Energy Policy Club (1984-95). He has also been a Member of the International Advisory Board of Total. He is currently a Director and Senior Associate of the CWC Group and chairman of the Advisory Board of the Energy Intelligence Group (EIG), Washington DC. He is a Vice-Chairman of the Anglo-Venezuelan Society, London.

Dr Rilwanu Lukman, Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources

Dr Lukman is an internationally known and respected figure in the oil and gas industry. Some of Dr Lukman’s key appointments have included Secretary General of OPEC (5 terms), President of OPEC (9 sessions), Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Special Adviser to the Nigerian President for Oil and Gas, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigerian Minister of Mines, and Founder and Chairman of the African Petroleum Producers Association. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Royal College of Mines, Imperial College in London and follow-on diplomas, including doctorates, from prestigious institutions including the University of Leoben in Austria, McGill University in Montreal, University of Bologna in Italy, Ahmadu Bello University and the University of Maiduguri in Nigeria.

H Odein Ajumogobia, Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources

 H Odein Ajumogobia (SAN) is the Minister of State for Petroleum. Between 2003 and 2007 he was Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, River States. In 1984 he became a founding partner of Ajumogobia & Okeke, Barristers and Solicitors, which is the largest full service law firm in Nigeria with over 400 full time lawyers in offices in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. He left this position in 2003. Before that, he was a Legal Consultant with Nigerian LNG Consultants.

Dr Mohammed S Barkindo, Group Managing Director, NNPC

 Mohamed S Barkindo is Group Managing Director at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation – NNPC. He was formerly acting for the Secretary General at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna since January 2006. Prior to that, he was the National Representative to OPEC for the Government of Nigeria, where, as a member of the Economic Commission Board, he oversaw the technical work of the Secretariat for 14 years. Dr Barkindo is also an associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Management; a member of the Institute of Petroleum in London and a member of the American Finance Association. He holds a BSc in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, an MBA from South-eastern University in Washington DC and a postgraduate Diploma in Petroleum Economics and Management from Oxford. Dr Barkindo has served as General Manger, NNPC London, Head International Trade, NNPC London, Managing Director, Hyson/Calson (International Trading Company), Group General Manager, Investments, NNPC, Deputy Managing Director, NLNG and as a member of several private sector and banking boards.

Ann Pickard, Regional Executive Vice President, Shell Exploration and Production Africa

 Ann is the Regional Executive Vice President for Africa within Shell’s Exploration and Production organisation and oversees all of Shell’s E&P, Gas and LNG activities in Sub-Sahara Africa. Prior to this Ann was Director, Global Businesses & Strategy and a member of the Shell Gas and Power Executive Committee, with responsibility for Global LNG, Power, and Gas and Power Strategy. She was also a member of Shell’s Exploration and Production leadership team, representing Gas and Power. Previously, she was President, Southern Cone Gas & Power based in Rio de Janeiro, overseeing Exploration, Production, Gas and Power in the region. Ann came to Shell in 2000, leaving Mobil upon the merger with Exxon. At Mobil, Ann had various assignments in both E&P and Corporate. Ann is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and has an undergraduate degree from University of California in San Diego.

Andrew Fawthrop, Chairman/Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited

 Andrew Fawthrop is a 1973 graduate of geology and chemistry from the University of London also has a Master's degree in marine earth science. He joined Unocal, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation in 1977 as a Geophysicist. Mr Fawthrop has put over 32 years into Chevron's Upstream and Commercial operations and has held numerous technical and management positions of increasing responsibility around the world. These include President and Managing Director of Chevron Bangladesh, with responsibility for India and Bangladesh; Vice President of International Operations, South Asia Unicol; and Vice President, Unicol China. In his position as Chairman/Managing Director, he has responsibility for directing Chevron's oil and gas operations in the Mid Africa region covering Nigeria, Ghana, Chad, São Tomé and Príncipe, Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.

John Aboh, Managing Director/CEO, Oceanic Bank   

John Aboh was appointed Managing Director/CEO of Oceanic Bank International Plc in August 2009. Prior to this he accumulated 28 years’ experience in the financial services sector where he served as Executive Director, First Bank of Nigeria Plc until December 2008 and also worked in other large Nigerian banks such as Wema Bank Plc. John holds a BSc Finance from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka; an MBA in Finance and Accounts from the University of Jos; and an AMP from Harvard University in Boston. John is also an Alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School.

A O Oniwon, Group Executive Director Refining and Petrochemicals, NNPC

Mark Ward, Lead Country Manager, ExxonMobil Companies Nigeria

 Mark R Ward is Chairman and Managing Director for ExxonMobil Subsidiary companies in Nigeria. Prior to this appointment, he was the Executive Director, Production and Exploration, Mobil Producing Nigeria and Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited (EEPNL). Mark joined ExxonMobil in 1980 as a Process Engineer and in 1988 was assigned to Mobil Oil Indonesia as Area Production Superintendent where he worked in various operations and project roles. Later he was assigned to Mobil headquarters as Business Advisor and Planning Advisor from 1991 to 1993. Mark worked as Manager, Production Engineering and Capital Projects, Mobil Producing Nigeria, between 1995 and 1998. He was later assigned to Calgary, Canada as Vice President Exploration and Production, ExxonMobil Canada-West and thereafter moved to Caracas Venezuela in 1999 as Vice President Exploration and Production ExxonMobil Venezuela. He was then made President and General Manager, ExxonMobil Venezuela before becoming Vice President, Planning and Asset Enhancement in our corporate offices, ExxonMobil Production Company, Houston, Texas.

Guy Maurice, Managing Director/Chief Executive, Total Upstream Company of Nigeria

 Appointed as Managing Director/Chief Executive of Total E&P Nigeria Limited in September 2008, he came to Nigeria with an extraordinary zeal and experience in the exploration and production business, having held important positions of responsibility with the Group in the past 21 years. Guy Maurice was reservoir engineer between 1986 and 1993 in Total China and Total E&P, Indonesia and was later appointed Head of the Planning Department of Total, Austral in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 1993 to 1996. He had a brief stint between 1996 and 1997 at Total E&P Branch in Paris as Head of Pre-Projects department and later worked with Technical Division Zone I in Abu Dhabi, UAE between 1997 and 2001. From 2001 to 2004 he was Director of Sincor Upstream Project within the E&P Division. In 2004, Guy became Managing Director of Total’s subsidiary in the Congo where he confirmed his rating as manager and leader for four years before his appointment as Managing Director/Chief Executive of Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria.

Chima Ibeneche, Managing Director, Nigeria LNG Limited

 Chima Ibeneche holds a degree in Electronics & Electrical Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, sixteen of which have been in senior leadership positions. Chima drilled the first horizontal well in Shell’s operations in Nigeria and he served as the Petroleum Economist for Europe and Africa at Shell International Headquarters in The Hague, Holland from 1994 to 1999. In 2004, Chima became the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo). He joined NLNG in 2008 as the first Nigerian Managing Director from SPDC.

Engr Oluwafemi Odumabo, General Manager, Policy, Government & Public Affairs, Chevron Nigeria Limited

 Engr Oluwafemi Odumabo is a 1982 first class graduate of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Lagos and also holds a Masters degree in Mechanical/Production Engineering. He joined Chevron in 1984 as a Petroleum Engineer, holding several positions of increasing responsibility, including director for the $6 Billion Agbami Deepwater Project with estimated production capacity of 250,000 barrels of oil per day. In that job, he contributed immensely to developing a leadership position for Chevron in Nigeria Content development. He is an executive director of Chevron Nigeria Limited amongst others, and a distinguished member of many professional organisations in the US, UK and Nigeria. In his current role, Engr Odumabo has responsibility for building and sustaining Chevron’s reputation to support its Joint Venture, Deepwater and Gas development operations in the Nigeria - Mid Africa region.

Godwin Billy-Agha, Director, Department of Petroleum Resources

Mr Agha is the Director of Petroleum Resources. As a young geologist from University of Benin, he was employed into the NNPC in 1978. He grew from a senior geologist to an Assistant Director Exploration in DPR, a Deputy Director Safety and Environment in DPR, a Deputy Director of Gas Regulation and Monitoring Division in DPR, and is currently the Director of DPR. Billy has served as member of the Oil and Gas Implementation Committee in Nigeria and is presently the Chairman of the Board of Governors of West African Gas Pipeline Authority, and Executive Board member of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum. Mr Agha is also Fellow of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists and Chairman of the Stratigraphic Committee of the Niger Delta.

Prof Yinka Omorogbe, Company Secretary and Legal Advisor, nnpc

Prof Yinka Omorogbe is the Company Secretary and Legal Adviser of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Prior to her appointment in January 2009, she was Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Prof Omorogbe was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1979. She commenced her teaching career at the University of Benin in 1983 and moved to the University of Lagos in 1990. She has been at the University of Ibadan since 2002. Her main areas of specialisation and research are in the areas of energy, natural resources and international law. She teaches various international law subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels such as international law, international economic law, refugee and migrant law, human rights and international humanitarian law. Professor Omorogbe was Secretary General of the Nigerian Society of International Law for several years and is presently Deputy President II of the Society. She is presently a member of the Council for Legal Education, and the Board of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

Chris Offokansi, Country Manager, Human Resources, Halliburton

Chris Offokansi works for Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited as Country Manager, HR, based in Lagos, Nigeria. He has over 20 years experience working in human resources, 12 of which have been in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy. Chris holds a BSc degree in Business Management from the UK, a Masters degree in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management, a Masters in Energy and Petroleum Economics (both in Nigeria) and a Doctorate degree in International Business from the United States. He is a member of both the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Management.

Peter Ntephe, Chief Operating Officer and Acting CEO, ERHC Energy

Peter Ntephe has been the Chief Operating Officer of ERHC Energy since 2008. Mr Ntephe joined ERHC in 2001 and has been part of the company's executive management in various capacities. His key roles have included the negotiation and securing of many of the company's oil and gas interests in the Gulf of Guinea. As Chief Operating Officer, he oversees the general administration of ERHC Energy and its subsidiaries. He is responsible for ensuring that the group's strategic objectives are met. He is currently leading ERHC's growth strategy which involves, among other things, the expansion of ERHC's asset portfolio in West Africa. Mr Ntephe has had a career spanning over 22 years. He has several degrees, in law and in management, including from the University of Oxford, University of London and Brunel University.

Dr Bayo Adaralegbe, Partner, Energy & Extractive Group, Babalakin & Co.

Dr Adaralegbe is admitted to practice law in Nigeria. He has an LL.M (with Distinction) in Petroleum Law and Petroleum Policy and a PhD in International Investment Law from the CEPMLP, University of Dundee, Scotland. He is Fellow of the Energy Institute UK and a member of the Association of Independent Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN) as well as the IBA Section on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Infrastructure Law. Dr Adaralegbe speaks regularly at international and local conferences and has published articles in leading international journals in his areas of expertise. He is a pioneer member of the editorial team of Journal of World Energy, Law and Business and is part of the editorial team of Oil, Gas and Energy Law Intelligence.

John Simpson, Author, Journalist and BBC World Affairs Editor

 John Simpson was appointed BBC world affairs editor in 1988 following periods as diplomatic editor and presenter of the Nine O’clock News. In a BBC career spanning more than 30 years, John has earned a reputation as one of the world’s most experienced and authoritative journalists. He has reported from more than 100 countries across the globe, from 30 war zones, and has interviewed numerous world leaders. John has faced many dangerous situations including being shelled in Afghanistan, attacked with poisonous gas in the Gulf and dodging bullets in Tiananmen Square. During his career he has also worked as a correspondent in South Africa, Brussels and Dublin. He has received numerous awards including a CBE in the Gulf War Honours in 1991, three Baftas and an International Emmy award for News Coverage for his report on the fall of Kabul for the BBC Ten O’clock News.

Philip Chukwu, Group Executive Director Exploration and Production, NNPC

Philip Chukwu is currently the Group Executive Director, Exploration and Production of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He graduated from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) with a BSc in Applied Geophysics and holds post graduate Degrees in Petroleum Engineering from the IFP-School, France and the University of Port Harcourt. Mr Chukwu started his career in NNPC in 1979 and rose through the ranks to his current position. He was at various times Technical Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources, Group General Manager, National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) and Managing Director, National Engineering and Technical Company Limited (NETCO). He is a fellow of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorations and a Fellow of the College of Petroleum Studies at the University of Port Harcourt.

Ledum Mittee, President, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People

Ledum Mitee is a lawyer from the Ogoni village of Kegbara Dere, in Rivers State Nigeria who has been involved in human rights activism since the 1980’s. His early involvement was as a founding member of the Civil Liberties Organisation in Rivers State which swiftly progressed to involvement in issues directly associated with the Ogoni area. He became the legal advisor to MOSOP, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni people which was launched in 1990. He was made deputy President of MOSOP in 1994 and became acting president of MOSOP in 1996- a period in which he alternated between operating in exile and making underground trips to Nigeria. After the end of military rule in 1998 he was elected as President of MOSOP which resumed operating in public under civilian rule. Ledum Mitee has been a prisoner of conscience under Amnesty International and in 2000 was a leading member of their international campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Hon Timipre Sylva, Executive Governor, Bayelsa State

Born on July 7, 1964, Timipre Sylva schooled at Ajeremi Central Primary School, Lagos, Government Secondary School, Brass and the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He was elected into Rivers State House of Assembly in 1991, later appointed Political Adviser to Bayelsa State Governor and also Special Assistant to Former Minister of State for Petroleum. He was elected Governor of Bayelsa State on May 29, 2007, the election was annulled and he was re-elected on May 27, 2008. Prudent, intelligent, a good manager of human and material resources with an insatiable appetite to serve, Sylva is married with three children.

Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Executive Governor of Rivers State

Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi graduated from the University of Port Harcourt in 1987 and in 1988 took the role of public relations officer for PAMO Clinics and Hospital Ltd. Towards the end of his time here he became secretary, National Republican Convention (NRC) Ikwerre LGA before becoming, in 1992, the special assistant to the deputy governor of Rivers State and member, board of directors, West African Glass Industry Plc. In 1996 he was state secretary of the Caretaker Committee of Democratic Party of Nigeria and then chairman of the Conference of Speakers of the State House of Assembly in Nigeria in 1999. Also from this time and until 2007 he was a speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly at which time he became the governor of Rivers State.

Donu Kogbara, Writer and Broadcaster and Director of
Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority Board

Ms Donu Kogbara is a writer, broadcaster and consultant. She grew up in the UK and used to work for distinguished British media outlets such as the BBC, Economist Intelligence Unit and Sunday Times newspaper. She moved to Nigeria l0 years ago and now has a weekly column in Vanguard (a leading Nigerian publication). Donu was a founding member of the Presidential Oil/Gas Reform Implementation Committee (which is chaired by Dr Rilwanu Lukman, the Minister of Petroleum Resources). She is from the oil-producing Niger Delta region and is a Board Director of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, a body that was created by the Right Honourable Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, the Governor of Rivers State. GPHCDA's raison d'être is to create a brand new, world-class city.

Anita Omoile, Principal, Deep Blue Energy Services

Anita was educated at the University of Benin and the University of Lagos and holds a Bsc and an MILR. She has close to 15 years of industry experience, working with indigenous owned services companies (Teape Limited) and multinational IOCs (Shell Petroleum Development Company) within the community development and business development group. She had over 10 years experience with Foster Wheeler, where she rose through the ranks to the position of Vice President of Sub-Saharan Africa and Director of Foster Wheeler Nigeria Limited before she left in April 2009 to set up Deep Blue Energy Services Limited (DBESL).She joined Deep Blue Energy Services Limited (DBESL) in May 2009 as the Principal and CEO.

Tony Attah, Manager Social Performance & Community Affairs,
Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited

Tony Attah is General Manager of Sustainable Development and Community Relations for the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC). Prior to this job in January 2009, Tony was in the Netherlands as the Regional Operations Readiness and Assurance Manager for EPG Africa and the Sakhalin Project in Russia. He has also worked in Nigeria in various capacities as a Maintenance and Production engineer, Production superintendent in charge of a major gas operation and Head of JV economics in the commercial directorate of SPDC. Tony holds a BSC Degree in Mechanical engineering from the University of Ibadan and a MBA from University of Benin Nigeria.

Dr Emmanuel Egbogah P Eng, OON, Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum Matters

Dr Emmanuel O Egbogah, P Eng OON has over 36 years of diversified geological and petroleum engineering experience in consulting, teaching and research & development, project planning and implementation in Canada, North America, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia. He is a Distinguished Member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers International (SPEI) a Member of the Petroleum Society of Canada, American Society of Engineering Education, International Society for Rock Mechanics and New York Academy of Sciences. Dr Egbogah started his oil and gas industry career with Phillips Petroleum Canada, served as Technical Advisor and Technology Custodian for Petronas Malaysia. In Libya, he was the Enhanced Oil Recovery Advisor for the Libyan National Oil Corporation. He was the Senior Consultant and Vice President Engineering for Applied Geoscience and Technology Consultants Limited, Alberta, Canada. He was Vice President Engineering for Amerigo International in both Calgary and Houston, and Vice President International Production for Niko Resources Ltd, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dr Egbogah is the current Director, Africa Region for SPEI. He is currently serving as Special Adviser to the President on Petroleum Matters, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Jacques Marraud des Grottes, Senior Vice-President, Exploration and Production Africa, Total

Jacques Marraud des Grottes, is Total’s Senior Vice President, Exploration & Production in Africa. He is a member of the Total Group Management Committee. Until his appointment, in 2008, Mr Marraud des Grottes was the Managing Director of Total E&P Nigeria Limited. He holds a Master’s Degree in Law and a diploma from the ICG business school. He began his career with Airbus Industries as an administrator and negotiator in the Contracts Department. He joined Elf Aquitaine in September 1982, where he held the position of Technical Contracts Engineer in France, then in Gabon. From 1988 to 1992, he led the Associations Division in Gabon, then the Nigeria Delegation in Paris. In 1993, he was assigned to Angola as Deputy Managing Director, before being named Managing Director of Trinidad and Tobago Exploration & Production subsidiaries in 1997. He headed Elf Gabon from 2001 to 2004, then served as Managing Director in Nigeria before was appointed Senior Vice President, E&P Africa in September 2008. He is also a holder of the French National Order of Merit Award.

Aminu Baba-Kusa,

Supo Shadiya, Director Joint Ventures, Chevron Nigeria Limited

Supo Shadiya, a University of Nigeria, Nsukka scholar, was the best graduating Geology student in 1979 and recipient of the Shell-BP Prize. He also has a Masters degree in Geophysics, the Diploma Membership of Imperial College (DIC) and an MBA degree. He has 30 years experience in the oil and gas industry working in Shell, Agip Energy and Natural Resources, Western Geophysical Company of America in London and Chevron in the last 27 years. As the Director, NNPC/Chevron JV, he oversees key functional areas including production operations, exploration and asset development and major capital projects and facilities engineering. 

Sean Smith, Regional General Manager, Honeywell Process Solutions - Africa

André van Niekerk, Chief Executive Officer, LADOL

 André joined the Southern Oil Exploration Corporation (SOEKOR) in 1982. During 24 years with SOEKOR and PetroSA he was involved in most aspects of oil field technology. He soon managed Drilling Support Services, providing cement and mud services, drilling and well testing programmes to SOEKOR’s semi-sub drilling rigs. He co-developed South Africa’s first oil production project, responsible for the acquisition of a floating production platform, all the subsea work and went on to become the Production Manager for this project. After the merger between SOEKOR and MOSSGAS to form PetroSA, André was appointed as Operations Manager responsible for all South Africa’s offshore oil and gas production, a gas producing platform, two floating oil producing projects, ongoing drilling operations and a logistics support base. After having consulted for GRML for over two years, he joined the Management Team of GRML as Chief Executive Officer.

David Ige, GGM and Special Advisor to the GMD, NNPC

David Ige is a Group General Manager and Senior Technical Adviser to the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). He has been responsible mainly for the development of the Nigerian Gas Masterplan and advises the Group MD on broad upstream issues. Dr Ige holds a PhD in Engineering from Cambridge University UK and an MBA from the University of Aberdeen. He started his career with the Shell Group as a Petroleum Engineer in 1993. In 2000, he joined the Global Energy Practise of the consultancy firm, Accenture, in London where he worked as a Strategy Consultant. He joined NNPC in 2005 as General Manager, Executive Strategy and now Group General Manager and Adviser to the Group MD.

Osten Olorunsola, Regional Vice President Gas, Sub Saharan Africa, Shell

Osten is currently Vice President for Shell, based in Lagos, Nigeria where he oversees all of Shell’s Gas and Power activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to this job, he served as Strategic Business Adviser to the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources in Abuja. Osten joined Shell in 1990 from Agip where he sojourned in Lagos, Port Harcourt, San Donato, Milanese – Italy and Sophia Antipolis, Southern France, trained, developed and worked as Reservoir & Petrophysical Engineer, as well as Production Geologist. Since joining Shell in June 1990, Osten has had various assignments in Port Harcourt, Lagos and the Netherlands covering a wide spectrum of the E&P business. Osten graduated with an Honours degree in Geology from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. He is married to Victoria with whom they have three children.

Dr Ayo Balogun, Group General Manager, NAPIMS

Dr Ayo Balogun is Group General Manager, NAPIMS, where he was previously Head of Strategic Planning. Before this he was Group General Manager of the London Office of the NNPC before becoming GGM, New Businesses, in the Commercial & Investment Directorate. He was GM and Senior Technical Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources, between 2004 and 2006. Prior to this Dr Balogun worked from 1981 – 1983 as Special Assistant (Research) in the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs, Lagos before joining the NNPC in 1984. In 1992 he attended the College of Petroleum Studies, Oxford, UK in 1992 and was appointed the Commercial Manager of Hyson/Calson, London Office where he stayed until 1995. Dr Balogun has a Bsc (Hons) and a PhD in Economics from the University of Ibadan.

Engr Voka Mukoro, Co-ordinator Gas & Power Directorate, NNPC

Wale Tinubu, Group Chief Executive, Oando Plc

Mr Wale Tinubu is the Group Chief Executive for Oando PLC. He has successfully steered Oando from a traditional marketing company to an integrated energy solutions provider with strategic investment in gas, exploration international supply and trading and energy services. Today the company has a dual listing on the Nigeria Stock Exchange and the JSE Limited, South Africa. He was selected as a Young Global Leader (Business) for 2007 by the World Economic Forum. Wale has a Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB) from the University of Liverpool, England and a Master of Law degree (LLM) from the London School of Economics.

Scott Aitken, CEO, Seven Energy

Vincenzo Di Lorenzo, Managing Director, Brass LNG Limited

Mr Vincenzo Di Lorenzo holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters in Advanced Technology in the oil industry. He assumed duties as Managing Director of Brass LNG Limited in November 2007 from his position as Managing Director of Eni UK Limited. He worked in Nigeria between 1993 and 1996 as District General Manager of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and has held several key positions in Eni’s operations around the world. Between 2001 and 2003 he was President of Eni Oil de Brasil. Furthermore, between 2003 and 2006, he was Vice-President Production and Business Area Planning and Control at the Company’s Head Office.

Dr Bright Okogu, Director - General, Budget Office of the Federation

Dr Bright Okogu is presently Director General, Budget Office of the Federation (since December 2007). Previous positions include Senior Economist, IMF, Washington, DC, Senior Operations Officer at the OPEC Fund and Market Analyst, OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, Austria. He also served as Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance (2004 to 2007) and was also the pioneer Executive Secretary of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI). As Special Adviser to the Finance Minister, he played a key role in the Economic Team in the formulation and implementation of the economic reform program that culminated in the debt relief. Dr Okogu holds BSc and MSc degrees in Economics from the London School of Economics, and a doctorate degree in Economics from the University of Oxford.

Emeka Onwuka, The Managing Director, Diamond Bank Group

Emeka Onwuka holds a BSc in Political Science and an MBA from University of Nigeria, Nsukka and University of Benin respectively. He holds a Fellowship of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He started his career in Arthur Andersen & Co., where he spent four years, leaving as a Senior Consultant to join Diamond Bank Plc. After joining Diamond Bank he became the bank’s Treasurer in 1996. From 1999 to 2001 he held several management responsibilities and then became a General Manager and Head of Commercial Banking. He has also been a member and chairman of many management committees in the last five years. Emeka Onwuka was appointed as Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank PLC in May 2005.

 Ola Olabinjo, Group Head Corporate Bank, Skye Bank Plc

Ola Olabinjo holds a Bsc (1988) and a MSc (2002) in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University (formerly University of Ife), Ille-Ife, Nigeria. He is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School. He has over 17 years of cognate experience garnered from insurance and banking in the areas of risk management, compliance and control, banking operations, treasury, corporate and investment banking. He currently holds the position of Head, Corporate Banking Group at Skye Bank Plc. A seasoned banker, he has presented various papers on the Nigerian Oil and Gas sector.

Bola Adesola, Executive Director, Lagos, First Bank of Nigeria Plc

Bola is the Executive Director, Lagos, at First Bank of Nigeria Plc. Before that, she was, for 6 years, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Kakawa Discount House Limited, a financial services institution. She also sits on the boards of FBN Capital Limited and First Trustees Limited. She also oversees the bank’s overseas Representative Offices. An alumnus of the University of Buckingham, the Harvard Business School, and the Lagos Business School, Bola was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985, and has over 21 years of banking experience with exposure both in local and international financial markets, 9 years of which she spent in Citibank Nigeria.

Ade Adeola, Managing Director Project & Export Finance, Standard Chartered Bank

Ade Adeola is Managing Director, Project and Export Finance at Standard Chartered Bank plc, responsible for project and export finance in Africa. He has over 20 years’ banking experience covering retail, commercial and investment banking roles. He has been actively involved in numerous project finance, structured export finance, acquisition finance and financial advisory mandates in oil and gas, power and infrastructure projects. He began his banking career with OBN Plc, a subsidiary of Middle East Bank Dubai UAE, in 1987. Prior to this he worked with Team Associates – Project Consultants. He joined Ecobank Plc in 1995 working in commercial, institutional banking and product development roles. In 1999, Mr Adeola joined Standard Chartered Bank and has functioned in product specialised roles in core geographies. Mr Adeola has served on public-private partnership committees including Presidential Specialised Committee on Port Reforms-Nigeria, Nigeria-British consultative process and has functioned as a resource person on International Trade to Trade Partners UK. He is a regular speaker on project finance at energy and infrastructure related conferences focused on Africa. He is a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and holds a MSc in Banking and Finance.

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