Maria Angela Capello

Dr. Kamel Ben Naceur

“As a result of major transformations in the global energy framework, that will take place in the next decades, renewables and natural gas will be the winners in the race to meet energy demand growth until 2040”. This is an assessment contained in the November 2016 edition of the World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s flagship publication.

Maha Mulla Hussain

Women are scarce in the oil and gas industry, but even more in the downstream sector, the one related to refinery and distribution and marketing of the products. But in Kuwait, one woman, Maha Mulla Hussain, has reached the highest ranked role of the entire petrochemical industry, as Chairperson and Managing Director of PIC, the Petrochemical Industries Company of Kuwait. This fact catapulted her to be top role model in the downstream sector of the oil and gas industry.in the Middle East, and in many ways, in the world.

Olivier SoupaOpen image in new window

When you need support in the executive workflows related to the optimization of organizational structures, you call a consulting firm. There are many consulting firms, especially for the oil and gas sector. But when you need a good consultant you call him or her by name. Olivier Soupa is one of those advisors who executives in the energy sector call by name.

Dr. Behrooz Fattahi

Volunteers in professional societies are the very heart of the organization, shaping the activities, the governance, and its future. Some volunteers are best at propelling change, envisioning new futures, establishing liaisons and bridges where there were none, and advancing the membership to new levels.

Fareed Abdulla Open image in new window

There is one event in oil and gas that grew from a country-scale technical conference to become the largest conference and technical exhibition in the world. That is the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), and Fareed Abdulla is a key engine propelling ADIPEC towards success in its latest editions. It is very difficult to imagine the modern ADIPEC without thinking of Fareed, as in 2016 he was the technical program chair.

Dr. Ramona M. GravesOpen image in new window

There are people who innovate with every step they take. There are people who easily motivate everyone around them. And there are people who push you to be the best you can be. Ramona Graves is a special kind of person who encompasses all these kinds of people in one being.

Nader H. Sultan

There are crises very similar to storms, where an anchor is a salvation. The State of Kuwait has navigated through several storms. The top one without any doubt was the invasion the country suffered on August 2nd, 1990. The country was hit in many ways, with its oil industry, in particular, being affected in unconceivable ways. In those dark days, from the regional headquarters of KPI in London, Nader Sultan became one of the valuable Kuwaiti anchors. Among the leaders of the wonderful collective effort, Nader Sultan was a key strategist, who was crucial in the efforts to manage both the Kuwait oil assets abroad in its worst moments, and assist in the planning for the return to Kuwait.

Dr. Pinar Oya Yilmaz

The external face of ExxonMobil in international liaisons is a woman, Pinar Yilmaz. To say that Pinar knows all the main executives of the most important operating and production companies in the world is an understatement. Pinar knows not only the executives, but also the key people who can clear roadblocks for difficult deals or who may add their technical insight, so that decisions are made with a “win-win” approach for all stakeholders involved.

Sami Fahed Al-Rushaid

The State of Kuwait has produced oil and gas for over 70 years. And it has also produced an extraordinary lineage of leaders to steer the destiny of its oil and gas industry.

Sheikh Faisal bin Fahad Al-ThaniOpen image in new window

Sheikh, also spelled Sheik or Shaikh, is an Arabic title of respect dating from pre-Islamic history. It is currently used for the royal families of the Middle East, as is the case of the leader we are about to know better in this chapter. Sheikh Faisal Al-Thani is from Qatar, one of the giant oil and gas exporting countries of the Arabic Gulf.