Iraq Petroleum 2020

H.E. Thamir Ghadhban

Deputy Prime Minister for Energy & Minister of Oil

Federal Government of Iraq

Mr. Thamir Abbas Al Ghadhban is the current Deputy Premier of Iraq for Energy and Minister of Oil, he was a former Iraq Oil Minister and was the Energy adviser to the Prime Minister of Iraq.  In recent years, Mr. Al Ghadhban served as a member of the National Assembly in Iraq and was a member of the committee tasked with drafting the new constitution for Iraq. He served as Chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Prime Minister between 2007 and 2015.

Mr. Al Ghadhban represented Iraq on the Executive Bureau of OAPEC, led Iraq’s post-war delegation to the OPEC ministerial meeting in 2004, was awarded OAPEC Scientific Prize in 2000 and is a three-time holder of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil scientific award for excellence. His career in Iraq’s oil sector spans over three decades, starting in the field as a petroleum engineer, then at the Ministry of Oil headquarters as Director General of Reservoir and Field Development, and later as Director General for Planning before becoming Minister of Oil. He played a leading role in rehabilitating the severely damaged oil industry after the fall of the regime in 2003. Mr. Ghadhban has been a frequent lecturer and keynote speaker at international conferences and seminars on the state of the global oil industry and particularly on the role of Iraq in the global energy sector. In May 2016, Mr. Al Ghadhban was awarded the "Order of the Rising Sun, Golden and Silver Star" from the Emperor of Japan for his outstanding contribution in enhancing economic relations and promoting friendship between Iraq and Japan. Mr. Ghadhban was awarded in April 2017 the award of Iraq Energy Forum 2017 for his significant contribution to the development of Iraq's Energy Sector.

Ambassador Dr Salih Husain Ali

Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the United Kingdom

London

H.E. Dr Salih Husain Ali, Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the UK since July 2015. H.E. Dr Ali was appointed as Ambassador at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 2009, and was appointed as the Iraqi Ambassador in Khartoum-Sudan before his post here. H.E. Dr Salih Ali, graduated with BSc in electrical & electronic engineering, that encouraged him to pursue his postgraduate studies earning an MSc & PhD in electrical engineering and information technology, which led to, him chairing the (IT Department) alongside the Cisco Academy at the university of technology in Baghdad. He has published several papers & studies in various academic scientific & political areas in Arab and Iraqi magazines. H.E. Dr Ali, believes that there is great convergence between academia and diplomacy, in that analysis, research, exchange of ideas and visions, along with conducting meeting and seminars are required for both roles.

Ambassador Jon Wilks CMG

Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Iraq

Baghdad

Jonathan Wilks has been Ambassador to Iraq since November 2017. This is his third posting to Baghdad (previously 2003, 2009/10). He was Ambassador to Oman 2014-2017, Special Representative for Syria 2012-2014 and Ambassador to Yemen from 2010-2011. He joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1989 and through that developed his connection with the Middle East, learning Arabic 1991-1993 in London and Cairo as well as postings to Khartoum, Riyadh and Dubai.

He has an MA (Distinction) in Middle East Politics from Durham University (2000) and an MPhil in International Relations from St Antony’s College, Oxford (2002). He completed the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Military Staff College, Shrivenham (2012).

Dr Fatih Birol

Executive Director

International Energy Agency, IEA

Dr Fatih Birol has served as Executive Director of the International Energy Agency since September 2015. He was re-elected in January 2018 for a second four-year term, which will begin in September 2019. Under his leadership, the IEA has undertaken its first comprehensive modernisation programme since its creation in 1974. This effort focuses on three pillars: opening the doors of the IEA to include major emerging countries, such as Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa who have joined the IEA Family, thus increasing its share of global energy demand from 38% to almost 75%; broadening the IEA’s security mandate to natural gas and electricity as well as oil; and making the IEA the global hub for clean energy technologies and energy efficiency.

HE Nafaa Abdulsada Ali Al-Hmidawi

Senior Deputy Minister

Ministry of Electricity, Federal Government of Iraq

Mr Al Hmidawi holds a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering  and attended a number of courses related to power and energy both in Iraq and abroad, the last in 2016 is the United States program (IVLP) entitled “Increasing Energy Efficiency”, he held several posts and these include Director of Rusafa Operation Department, Director of Control and Communications department, Assistant General Manager of Baghdad Distribution, Director General of Baghdad Electricity  Distribution, Director General of Energy  Distribution Office, and for the present time Director General of Training and Development Office.

Jeffrey T. (Todd) Levy

President

Chevron Europe, Eurasia and Middle East Exploration and Production

Todd Levy assumed the role of President, Chevron Europe, Eurasia and Middle East Exploration and Production in January 2014. Based in London, he is responsible for the oversight of Chevron’s upstream interests in the region. Levy’s previous assignment was as vice president Upstream from 2010 to 2013. Prior to that assignment, Levy served as general director of the Tengizchevroil Kazakhstani joint venture from 2006 to 2010. Other management positions included general manager Operations, Gulf of Mexico Business Unit and general manager of the Eurasia Business Unit in Kazakhstan. In 1982, Levy began his career as a chemical engineer in the Gulf of Mexico Business Unit in Louisiana. Since joining Chevron, he has served in positions of increasing responsibility in management, engineering, projects, operations and commercial in Kazakhstan, Angola, Australia
and the United States.

Levy received the Chevron Chairman’s Award for leading the corporation’s operational excellence program development. Levy was honored with the Dostyk Order, which is awarded by the president of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Levy was born in Oklahoma in 1959. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University in 1982.

Michael Townshend

Regional President

BP Middle East

30 years in BP covering engineering, project management, operations, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions. Posts range from projects in Alaska, Australia, Holland, Indonesia, Nigeria, FSU and Washington. In 2002 appointed CEO the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline managing BP’s onshore business in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey including the South Caucasus gas pipeline, two further operating pipelines, three terminals, rail and shipping operations. Moved to Oman in 2007 to run the tight gas appraisal of Block 61and then became BP President of Middle East and Pakistan. Appointed President of BP Iraq in 2009 with BP’s successful bid for Rumaila.

Michael Townshend holds an honours degree in Engineering and an MBA with distinction.

Gati Saadi Al-Jebouri

Adviser on Middle East

LUKOIL

Mr AL-JEBOURI is the MD of LUKOIL. Mr AL-JEBOURI was born on February 11, 1969, in Pleven, Bulgaria. He is a Bulgarian Citizen. Graduated from Bristol University, he continued his education in the largest professional accountancy body in Europe – ICAEW. He started his career with KPMG UK, as Audit Manager and 4 years later he joined KPMG team in Bulgaria as Head of Audit and Accounting. LUKOIL Europe Ltd located in London invited Mr AL-JEBOURI to take over the position of Director of Investments and Finance in 1998. After 3 years of working on various investment projects, including the acquisition of two refineries in Eastern Europe, he left the company in 2001 to assume the position of Deputy Minister of Energy’s Office in Bulgaria and subsequently was appointed to the post of First Deputy Minister of Finance.

In October 2003, Mr AL-JEBOURI took up the position of Chief Financial Officer of LITASCO SA, head quarter of LITASCO Group in Geneva and 2 years later, in June 2005, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company. LITASCO SA (LUKOIL International Trading and Supply Company) is the exclusive international marketing and trading company of the LUKOIL Group. In February 2010, Mr Gati Al-Jebouri took up the position of Executive Director of LUKOIL MID-EAST Ltd., which is the Operator of West Qurna (Phase II) (Iraq). On December 29, 2012, Mr Gati Al-Jebouri was appointed Senior Vice President of LUKOIL Overseas Service B.V. then moved to be the MD of Lukoil Mid East Limited.