HE Ihsan Abduljabbar Ismaael Al-Saade

Minister of Oil

Ministry of Oil, Federal Government of Iraq

Mr Ismaael succeeded as the DG of the South Gas Company and brings more than 17 years of experience into the role.

He joined the SOC as an Operation and Shift Engineer at a Gas compressor station, then became a Technical Member in Commercial and Technical Committee at the SOC and afterwards he became the Director of Coordination Office for the Iraqi Ministry of Oil for the South Region. He then made it to Manager for Technical and Coordination in the Department at the SGC and then received the same position at Green Fields Project Department at the BGC. Later on Mr Ismaael made it to the Deputy Director of Project and Engineering Commission at BGC and then became a Member in JMC for Majnoon Field between (2012-2013). Afterwards then he became a member in the Gas Consultant Committee/South Region, before he became the Basra Gas Power and Investment Advisor and Head in Multi Commercial and Technical Committees for the last 10 years. After that position Mr Ismaael became the Basra Gas Company Project Manager between 2013 and 2015. He then became the South Gas Company Director General Assistant from 2015 until 2016 before he joined the South Gas Company as a Director General.

Mr Ismaael graduated with a Chemical Engineering Degree from Basra University in Iraq, achieved and completed a number of training programmes and researched a number of technical papers at the SGC. He speaks both Arabic and English.

Matthew M. Zais

PhD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Office of International Affairs, US Department of Energy

Matthew Zais is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of International Affairs at the Energy Department.  Previously, Dr Zais served for two years in the White House as a Director on the National Security Council where, among other responsibilities, he coordinated U.S. interagency efforts to deliver energy independence and advocate for competitive energy markets across the Middle East.  Prior to this role, he served for over two decades as a career Army officer and strategist and his experience includes strategic roles in combating weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, chemical and biological), cyber, and Middle East policy.  He is the co-author of the two-volume official history of the United States Army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He previously served as an Assistant Professor of International Relations and American Foreign Policy at the United States Military Academy and is currently an adjunct Professor in the Security Studies Program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Dr Zais holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the United States Military Academy at West Point and an MPA and PhD (Security Studies) from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

HE Matthew H. Tueller

U.S. Ambassador to Iraq

United States Embassy, Iraq

Ambassador Tueller, of the State of Utah, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service.  His other overseas assignments have included Ambassador to Yemen, Ambassador to Kuwait, Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Cairo; Political Minister Counselor at Embassy Baghdad; Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Kuwait; Political Counselor at Embassy Riyadh; Chief of the U.S. Office in Aden, Yemen; Deputy Chief of Mission at Embassy Doha; Political Officer at Embassy London; and Political Officer and Consular Officer at Embassy Amman.  His Washington assignments have included Deputy Director in the Office of Northern Gulf Affairs and Egypt Desk Officer.

Ambassador Tueller holds a B.A. from Brigham Young University and a M.P.P. from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.  He was confirmed by the Senate to be Ambassador to Iraq on May 16.  Ambassador Tueller is married to DeNeece Gurney of Provo, Utah and they are parents of five children.

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.