International Gas Research Conference 2024May 13-16, 2024
As an IGRC2024 delegate, you will have access to strategic sessions, plenaries, and powerful lunch keynote speakers on how gas innovation is vital for an energy secure world. You will also uncover breakthrough research, leading practices, and transformative insights in the technical sessions and poster presentations. Witness some of the innovative technology on display by our exhibitors and experience Canadian culture during the three networking receptions.
IGRC2024 is thrilled to unveil our extraordinary speakers promising an unforgettable experience as we bring together a diverse group of thought leaders and industry experts who will ignite and inspire innovation.
See full program here
Timothy M. Egan became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Gas Association in September 2010.
Prior to his appointment he was President of High Park Group (HPG), a public affairs consulting firm. He has an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Ottawa, and common and civil law degrees from McGill University. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1995.
Mr. Egan is publisher of the Energy Regulation Quarterly, and editor of the magazine Energy. He also serves as Canada’s representative on the International Gas Union (IGU), sitting on the Executive Committee and serving as North American Regional Coordinator.
He is married to Patricia (nee Armstrong) and they have five daughters.
Ms. Li Yalan has over thirty years of experience in the gas industry. She is a well-known expert in the gas industry in China.
Ms. Li is the current IGU President and a former Chairperson of the Board of Beijing Gas Group and the former vice Chairperson of China Gas Association. She is listed as one of 40 Energy Leaders in the 40 Years Reform and Opening Up, as a representative of the Chinese energy industry.
Li Yalan holds a bachelor’s degree of Engineering from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture, majored in Thermal Engineering, and she holds an MBA degree from Renmin University of China. She started her career working in the Public Utilities Bureau of Beijing Municipal Government and then Beijing Gas Group. Since 2001, she has worked as Chief Engineer, Deputy General Manager and General Manager of the Company. She was appointed as Chairperson of the Board of Beijing Gas Group in 2014. She served as chairperson of Beijing Gas Group for nine years and was vice Chairperson of China Gas Association for an extended period of time.
Ms. Li has extensive experience working in the gas industry. She is a renowned expert in the Chinese gas industry and has contributed to the rapid development of the gas industry development in Beijing, with annual gas consumption volume increasing from 180 mcm to 18 bcm over the past two decades. She has organized the study and implementation of the natural gas development plan for Beijing; carried out a large number of coal-to-gas conversion projects; headed the compilation of Natural Gas Development Plan of Beijing from the 9th Five-Year Plan period to the 13th Five-Year Plan period and the Development Strategy Study of Beijing Gas Group; completed several town gas acquisition projects; and successfully led LNG procurement among other strategic cooperation of the group company. The company acquired equity from a major gas field overseas and achieved both economic progress and strategy synergy for the company.
In the field of technology and innovation, Ms. Li is the first person to win the Zhan Tianyou award, the most important award in the national civil engineering industry. Under her leadership, Beijing Gas has become the first high-tech company in the gas industry in China.
Ms. Li serves as the IGU President for 2022-2025 triennium and will become the immediate past President of IGU for 2025-2028.
Magatte Wade is an entrepreneur, speaker, and visionary leader in the role of African entrepreneurship and innovation as a foundation of African prosperity. Her uncompromising focus on African prosperity has led to a vocal advocacy of African access to affordable and reliable energy, including ongoing access to fossil fuels. Her publications on this theme include "The COP26 Plan to Keep Africa Poor" in The Wall Street Journal, "The 100 billion dollars obtained by Macron only reinforces climate colonialism" in L'Express Magazine, and "The Climate Paradox," on the paradox of asking the poorest region in the world to halt the use of fossil fuels when they are needed for economic development, a whitepaper for Jordan Peterson's Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC)
Magatte has been named a Forbes “20 Youngest Power Women in Africa,” a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum at Davos, a TED Global Africa Fellow, and “Leading Woman in Wellness” award winner by the Global Wellness Summit. Magatte has spoken at the World Economic Forum, United Nations, Aspen Institute, Clinton Global Initiative, Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, Yale, MIT, and the TED mainstage. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, the BBC, CNN, Fast Company, Fortune, and the Huffington Post.
She is one of the most popular guests of all-time on both Jordan Peterson and Lex Fridman’s podcasts, with over 10 million views. Her passion for the role of free markets in overcoming poverty and the power of enterprise to tackle social issues and promote entrepreneurial education make her a sought-after speaker and thought leader at major conferences, events, and universities around the world.
Dr. Bjørn Lomborg researches the smartest ways to do good. With his award-winning think tank, the Copenhagen Consensus Center, he has worked with hundreds of the world’s top economists and seven Nobel Laureates to find and promote the most effective solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, from disease and hunger to climate and education. He is a visiting fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution and is a frequent commentator for outlets including the Wall Street Journal, CNN, FOX, National Post and a monthly column syndicated in all five continents. His optimistic tone on humanity’s potential to manage challenges like climate change distinguishes him from the “doom and gloom” outlooks that often dominate much of the public dialogue. Dr. Lomborg’s numerous books include 'Best Things First', 'False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet', 'The Skeptical Environmentalist', 'Cool It', and 'How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place'
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Vaclav Smil does interdisciplinary research in the fields of energy, environmental and population change, food production, history of technical innovation, risk assessment, and public policy. By June 2023 he published 47 books and more than 500 papers on these topics. He is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy), and a Member of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Paula Gant is President and CEO of GTI Energy, a technology development organization focused on designing and scaling low-carbon, low-cost energy transition solutions. She leads a diverse, agile, and mission-driven team that is instilling positive impacts in our environment, economy, and communities. Dr. Gant has a passion for building collaborative teams, aligning innovation with impact, and convening diverse stakeholders to pursue solutions to consequential energy system challenges.
Previously, she served as GTI Energy’s Vice President of Strategy & Innovation, where she advanced solutions that enable safe, efficient, clean, reliable, and affordable energy systems. In previous private and public sector roles, Dr. Gant focused on the intersection of global trends in technology, markets, and policy, and the solutions needed to transition energy systems.
As Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oil & Natural Gas for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), she led regulatory and R&D programs to deploy science, analysis, and technologies that leveraged the prudent production, environmental stewardship, and efficient use of America’s natural gas resources. As Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, Dr. Gant oversaw DOE’s efforts to enhance U.S. energy security and accelerate global adoption of clean energy technologies with key international governments.
She has also held leadership roles for the American Gas Association and Duke Energy Corporation.
Dr. Gant has a BA in economics from McNeese State University in Louisiana and a PhD in economics from Auburn University in Alabama. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Energy Leadership Institute and has served on the economics faculties of the University of Louisville and Louisiana State University.
Andrea has +25-years’ experience in the energy and gas sector in strategic, development, commercial, regulatory and transition matters.
He started his career at Eni E&P and thereafter he actively promoted the liberalization process, leading UGS regulatory and business development.
He was one of the founders of Gas Storage Europe and has served several years as GIE Board member.
Since 2010, he moved to Snam where he has been leading infrastructure development and international M&A activities. Among these, he had a primary role in fostering the Southern Gas Corridor development.
When heading Snam Strategy, he was the initial promoter of the Gas for Climate 2050 initiative and launched the CNG/SSLNG and biomethane activities.
He then led the Snam Global Solutions business unit, founded to support gas markets development and optimization worldwide and, in specific, the set-up of Snam cooperation in China.
He is currently a Senior Advisor to Snam and is serving as International Gas Union Vice President and incoming 2025-2028 President.
Emeka C. Ene is the CEO of the Oildata Energy Group, which includes Oildata Energy, Xenergi, Xenoil, the Enpower Free Trade Zone, and other companies. Emeka is a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria, the current Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council Board of Trustees (BOT), the Chairman (E&P Committee) of the International Gas Union (IGU) for the 2022 – 2025 triennium, and a member of the board of other companies in the Oil and Gas industry. Emeka has also served in various capacities on a voluntary basis. He was the Vice Chairman (E&P Committee) of the International Gas Union (IGU) for the 2019 – 2022 triennium, a past director on the board of the World Free Zones Organization (WorldFZO), the Chairman of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria (PETAN) for four years, a past Chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Nigeria Council, Chairman of SPE Port Harcourt section 103 and was a member of the Presidential Task Force on Refineries reform. As part of Emeka’s contribution to the body of technical knowledge and best practices in the Oil Industry, he has published several technical papers in the areas of trade and entrepreneurship, Local content, Rigless Well Intervention, Reservoir Monitoring and Well Conformance Technology. Emeka pioneered the MIND AFRICA Foundation (www.mindafrica.org), a non-profit initiative working with rural children ages 10 to 15 years in the Niger Delta. MIND is involved in developing leadership and life-long learning, computer based education and hands-on skills. He is married to Nkechi Ene and they have three lovely children.
Prof. Brenda Shaffer is an international energy and foreign policy specialist, focusing on natural gas trade and foreign policy, Caspian energy, energy security policies, European energy security, critical energy infrastructure protection policy, and Eastern Mediterranean energy. She is a faculty member at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Prof. Shaffer is also Senior Advisor for Energy at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) think tank and a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center in Washington, DC. Brenda recently published the book-- Iran is more than Persia: Ethnic Politics in Iran. She is co-author of the forthcoming book, Operational Energy, which will be used in courses on energy in the US Department of Defense.
Prof. Shaffer is the author of several other books: Energy Politics (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2009), Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity (MIT Press, 2002), Partners in Need: The Strategic Relationship of Russia and Iran (Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 2001). Energy Politics is used as a textbook in over 200 university courses around the globe. She has also served as the editor of Beyond the Resource Curse (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012) and Limits of Culture: Islam and Foreign Policy (MIT Press, 2006).
Prof. Shaffer frequently provides research and expert counsel to international institutions, governments, energy companies, financial institutions, and regional security organizations. Shaffer has served as an advisor to Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Energy on policy related to the major natural gas discoveries in Israel. She has advised several companies involved in Caspian energy production and export. She has given testimony to several committees of the US Congress, including the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and to the European Parliament. Brenda frequently appears on n major news outlets worldwide to provide insight on developments in global energy markets and trends.
Self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur, Chris Wright serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Liberty Energy. Chris is a dedicated humanitarian with a passion for bringing the benefits of energy to every community in the world. This passion has inspired a career in energy working not only in oil and gas but fusion, solar, and geothermal. Chris embraces all sources of energy if they are abundant, affordable, and reliable.
Chris has become a bold advocate, bringing rational thought to the energy dialogue. He has spoken on energy and the merits of the Shale Revolution to the UK House of Lords, and state and federal lawmakers, with multiple appearances on network TV, documentaries, and podcasts. Recently, Chris’ #ThankYouNorthFace campaign went viral with over 5 million views, forcing a sober discussion on the multiple uses of oil and gas in products.
Chris completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT and graduate work in Electrical Engineering at both UC Berkeley and MIT. Chris founded Pinnacle Technologies and served as CEO from 1992 to 2006. Pinnacle created the hydraulic fracture mapping industry and its innovations helped launch commercial shale gas production in the late 1990s. Chris was Chairman of Stroud Energy, an early shale gas producer, before its sale to Range Resources in 2006. Additionally, Chris founded and serves as Executive Chairman of Liberty Resources and Liberty Midstream Solutions and also sits on the Board of Directors for Urban Solutions Group, and the Federal Reserve Bank, Denver Branch.
Chris grew up and currently lives in Colorado with his wife, Liz. He is a passionate father, skier, cyclist, climber, and outdoor enthusiast. He serves on the board of numerous nonprofits including PERC, ACE Colorado, ACE Montana, PRI, and the YCCF.
John Adams serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of NGIF Capital, which is the venture capital division of NGIF. NGIF Capital manages Cleantech Ventures Fund I, an industry-driven $55 million venture capital fund focusing on early-stage investments in emerging startups. John is the Managing Partner of this fund. NGIF Capital will also manage all forthcoming venture funds.
John is also the President and CEO of NGIF Accelerator, the not-for-profit division of NGIF that operates NGIF’s technology and innovation programs, including Industry Grants and the Emissions Testing Centre.
John is rooted in over 30 years of experience in financing, cleantech, investment, energy, venture capital, and portfolio management. In addition, he holds positions on the following boards:
John has been a part of numerous selection juries, including for the International Gas Union’s Research, Development, and Innovation Committee, for Natural Resources Canada, and for Emissions Reduction Alberta.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Toronto and completed the Berkley Venture Capital Executive Program. John is currently pursuing the ICD (Institute of Corporate Directors)-Rotman Directors Education Program to achieve his ICD. D certification.
He received notable awards including Canada’s Clean50 in 2022.
Crystal Smith has served the Haisla people for 12 years through her work with Haisla Nation Council, starting as Executive Assistant to the Chief and Council from 2009 to 2013, then being elected Chief Councillor in 2017.
She holds a Diploma in Business Administration from Coast Mountain College and a Business Skills Certificate from Thompson Rivers University.
In November 2019, she was named Chair of the First Nations LNG Alliance, a group committed to encouraging First Nations development of the LNG industry to provide employment and other sustainable benefits for BC’s aboriginal people.
She advocates for Haisla Nation-owned joint venture partnerships which allow for participation in major projects in Haisla territory. Using those opportunities provides a doorway for members to find rewarding work and educational opportunities to enhance their skills and improve social conditions in Haisla communities.
Ultimately, she wants the work done today by her and all of the Council to benefit today’s 1700 Haisla people but future generations as well.
Chief Trevor Makadahay has been Chief of Doig River First Nation since 2015. Since then, Doig River has demonstrated notable successes in governance, leadership, administration, and economic development. In 2017, Doig River was awarded the AFOA Canada Community Award of Excellence in part due to its exceptional financial performance ratios and low dependency on federal program funding and the establishment of their Economic Development Corporation Uujo Developments, a separate entity from the Nation’s administration.Doig River was also awarded for its work with industry and the province to clean up orphan wells in its traditional territory by the Environmental Managers Association of BC, and in 2022, DRFN successfully completed the First Nations Financial Management Board System Certification.
Under Chief Makadahay’s leadership the community has completed its Treaty Land Entitlement Claim, established the first Urban Reserve in northeast British Columbia and will embark in a land code vote in June 2023. Chief Makadahay and his council are very committed to restoring and asserting Doig River’s jurisdiction over its lands for the benefit of its members. Grassroots, community engagement and participatory decision making are the cornerstone of Doig River’s culture and governance. Chief Makadahay is highly regarded as a collaborator with the neighbouring communities of Fort St. John, Dawson Creek the Peace River Regional District, with other government officials and industry partners. Doig River is an active contributor to the Fort St. John Salvation Army, Women’s Resource Centre, community sports and events.
Prior to being Chief of Doig River, he was a Band Councillor in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s and the Nation’s first Lands Manager. When not on Council, he was employed in the oil and gas and transportation sector including owning and operating his own business, Renegade Construction successfully for many years.
Chief Makadahay’s vision is to support a healthy and prosperous community and is committed to working with government and industry to protect treaty rights and the environment while fully participating in the local economy.
In his free time, the Chief is active on the land base, hunting, trapping, and using his cabin with his family and community members.
Bernadine Coleman was elected to O’Chiese First Nation Council in 2021. Bernadine’s background is of Anishnaabe heritage and she speaks her traditional language, Saulteaux.
Bernadine achieved her Bachelor of Arts, with a Major in Criminal Justice. Prior to being on the O’Chiese Council, she was the O’Chiese Economic Development Officer. Bernadine transfers her acquired skills, abilities and knowledge to advance her communities’ goals of long-term sustainability.
Bernadine is passionate about increasing First Nations negotiation powers, international profiles and her own business expertise. She is focused on sharpening her own knowledge regarding the energy sector, including the scientific, technical and financial nuances. She has an active role on the Board of O’Chiese Energy, a 100% O’Chiese owned growth-oriented energy company, with equity interests in natural gas and liquids production.
Bernadine’s interests include family, lifelong learning and making positive impacts
An energy and sustainable development professional with over 15 years of experience that includes the upstream oil and gas industry, Indigenous relations and the municipal sector. She is motivated by the strong conviction that energy is about people and that abundant, affordable, low-emission energy is a pre-condition for growing the middle class, protecting the environment and in Canada, advancing reconciliation.
Ms. Joseph spent close to 10 years in progressively senior roles at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, including as Senior Manager of Research and Development with its Green Municipal Fund and as the founding Director of the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, a $75 million capacity building and granting program focused on climate change mitigation and adaption at the community level. Most recently, Ms. Joseph served as Vice-President, Government Relations and Indigenous Affairs for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). She led work related to federal policies affecting Canada’s upstream oil and natural gas industry. An important part of this work involved building relationships with Indigenous organizations in support of ongoing economic reconciliation in Canada.
A member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec, Ms. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McGill University and Master of Applied Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto. Ms. Joseph has served on the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Environmental Grantmakers Network (now Environmental Funders Canada) and the Energy Council of Canada and was a member of the Advisory Council for the University of Ottawa’s Positive Energy initiative.
Chief Ian Campbell is a hereditary Chief of the Squamish Nation. He served 16 years as an Elected Councillor and 22 years as a Lead Negotiator for the Squamish Nation. Chief Campbell was instrumental in establishing the Squamish Nations independent environmental assessment of the Woodfibre LNG project, which yielded 25 legally binding environmental conditions and an impact benefit agreement that allows the Squamish Nation to participate as partners for the life of the project. Chief Campbell was also involved in forestry acquisitions, 9 clean energy projects, ski hill development, and major land acquisitions forming substantive partnerships and investments. Chief Campbell has an MBA from Simon Fraser University and is the proud father of four beautiful children.
Damjan KRNJEVIĆ MIŠKOVIĆ is a veteran Serbian and UN diplomat who has served as a senior political strategist, adviser, and crisis counselor, gaining more than a decade’s worth of executive-level policymaking experience before reaching 40 years of age.
Since 2020, Mr. Krnjević has resided in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he is Professor of Practice at ADA University; Director for Policy Research, Analysis, and Publications at the Institute for Development and Diplomacy (the university’s in-house think-tank); and Co-Editor of ADA’s flagship English-language quarterly policy journal Baku Dialogues. Concurrently, he is a Fellow at the Germany-based Agora Strategy Institute and serves as a Member of the Board of Editors of Orbis, published by the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute. In March 2023, he was a Ludovika Visiting Scholar at the University of Public Service-Ludovika (Budapest).
Mr. Krnjević’s previous appointments include:
A dual citizen of Canada and Serbia, Mr. Krnjević holds a B.A. (cum laude) in political science from Middlebury College and is an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, where he received a fellowship from the Kokkalis Foundation. He is also an alumnus of the Bucerius Summer School on Global Governance and the China Executive Leadership Academy (CELAP). He has published over 50 book chapters, peer-reviewed articles, policy essays, and op-eds in leading English-, French-, and Serbian-language publications and delivered nearly 100 invited lectures and conference papers at renowned universities and think tanks on three continents. He has also conducted scores of executive education training sessions on various subjects to diplomatic and corporate audiences around the world.
A well-known regional veteran, entrepreneur, a Global Voice of Gas and a significant key figure of the Energy industry, Eng. Khaled brings 38 years of diverse and successful achievements in the gas industry, playing a key role in the development of the Gas and Power private sectors in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East regions.
In the past few decades, Eng. Abubakr co-founded and led several successful energy entities. In 1998, with his family and ENI, they co-founded CITY GAS and House Gas, the first private gas distribution companies in Egypt. In 2006 he Co-founded TAQA Arabia with several Gulf & regional funds by acquiring merging, reconstructing, and consolidating 22 existing companies operated by BG, ENI, Edison and AMEC.
TAQA Arabia is the leading private energy distribution group in Egypt, Through its 4 divisions (Gas, Power, Petroleum & Water) and its 3400 professional employees in more than 50 cities, TAQA serves more than 1.7 million customers with more than 7.5 BCMY of gas, 1300 MW of contracted power capacities, 64 retail/fuel stations as well as a state-of-the-art 65MW Solar Energy in Benban – “Aswan”, one of the largest renewable energy complexes on the planet. TAQA Arabia developed and operates now more than 105MW of renewable energy projects serving the residential, touristic, agriculture clients.
He is also a Co-founder and Chairman of Master Gas, a leading company in converting and fueling vehicles with clean Natural Gas, with more than 61 CNG Stations and 13 Car conversion centers across the country. Master Gas pioneered the “CNG Mobile” Services (Virtual Pipelines) in Egypt serving remote customers off the gas grid.
Eng. AbuBakr serves as the Chairman of the Egyptian Gas Association since 2012. He has been active within the IGU organization for the last 20 years and became a visible global voice for gas industry from the region. He served four times in the IGU Executive Committee for the 2012/2015, 2015/2018, 2018/2021 and 2022/2025 trienniums. He was appointed as IGU Regional Coordinator for Africa & Middle East in the same trienniums. Eng. AbuBakr represented and advocated for the IGU globally and participated in IGU’s technical committees and task forces, having attended 8 WGCs starting from 1997 and was a speaker at WGC 2006, 2009, 2012 and 2015.
He is also President of the Italian Egyptian Business Council since 2012 and served 4 terms as Vice-President of the American Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of its Energy Committee, along with serving as Board member in several significant listed companies listed in EGX such as (Suez cement, Olympic, AC company & Maridive.
Eng AbuBakr has been bestowed the decoration of “Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d’Italia” by the Italian president Sergio Mattarella in recognition of his significant contribution and efforts in consolidating economic ties between Italy and Egypt.
Eng. Abubakr, graduated from the “CSF – Jesuites” School and holds B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from Cairo University and an MBA in Management of Oil and Gas companies from the HEC at Montreal University. He completed the “Reform and Privatization Program” at Harvard University and a Diploma in “International Oil and Gas Financial Management” from the University of Texas at Dallas.
She is a lawyer from Universidad del Rosario, specialized in tax law. She has been associated with the mining and energy sector for more than 18 years.
She served as Vice President of Promotion and Allocation of Areas of the National Hydrocarbons Agency, where she promoted foreign investment in the country, with a particular focus on the development of offshore hydrocarbon exploration and production. She was also Exploration Manager of the same entity.
She worked in Ecopetrol for eight years as a tax advisor for the entire value chain of the business. She participated in the entire process of determining the value of the share for the stock going into the market, as well as in the internationalization process of the company.
She was Executive Director of her legal consulting firm with emphasis on environmental, social and business aspects for the development of projects in the mining and energy sector.
She is currently President of Naturgas, an association that brings together the 29 main natural gas producing, transporting, distributing and marketing companies in Colombia.
Khairulanwar Zakaria joined the Malaysian Gas Association (MGA) as the Secretary General in September 2023. MGA is the nation’s lead advocate for the natural gas industry, playing a prominent role in promoting engagement, discourse and dialogue with key stakeholders to develop a vibrant and sustainable gas industry, fuel Malaysia's socio-economic growth and ensure pragmatic energy transition towards a low carbon economy.
Prior to joining MGA, Khairulanwar Zakaria (KZ) served PETRONAS for 32 years since 1991 upon completion of his Bachelor’s degree from City University, London, United Kingdom. With a career spanning over three decades in the oil and gas industry, KZ has worked internationally and accumulated extensive knowledge and experience in gas related activities and business. In the early to mid-nineties, he was involved in supporting the development of the integrated petroleum complexes in Kerteh and Gebeng which entailed the development of Gas Processing Plants, various petrochemical plants as well as the supporting infrastructures and facilities.
He worked at the company’s Corporate Planning Division in 1997 and was involved in the development of strategic business plans, performance monitoring and resolving corporate issues. In 1999, he was seconded to the Malaysian Prime Minister Department’s Economic Planning Unit (EPU) as PETRONAS representative; his key roles during the three-year stint at EPU were assisting the Government in formulating and executing energy-related policies, managing and handling Parliamentary questions as well as representing PETRONAS during selected Government meetings.
In 2002, he pursued a one-year Executive Master of Business Administration Program (MBA Energy) under PETRONAS’ Scholarship in HEC Montreal, Canada. Upon completing his MBA in 2003, he was involved in the company wide Corporate Strategy Study/Integrated Transition Program (CSS/ITP). His main role was formulating and executing PETRONAS’ expansion strategy in gas related activities.
He undertook the business development role for Gas Business in 2004 and was involved in numerous commercial activities. He was handpicked to join the IGU Gas Market Integration Working Group and was a speaker at the World Gas Conference 2009 (Buenos Aires).
In 2009, he was promoted to the position of General Manager, Business Development. Among notable achievements during his tenure as the Head of Business Development were concluding Gas Sales Agreements (GSAs) in Singapore, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, formulating Gas assets in Canada.
He assumed the position of General Manager of Fleet Management in 2012. His main roles were managing the operation of 23 LNG ships serving PETRONAS Group of companies’ requirements, overseeing the safety aspect of LNG cargo delivery operation, providing advice on technical and marine operation (related to LNG ships) as well as determining the LNG shipping capacity requirement for PETRONAS Group of companies. In 2013, he was involved in the conclusion of Ship Building Contract for 4 new LNG ships.
He was appointed as the Head of LNG Marketing Korea, China and Taiwan in May 2015. His areas of responsibilities involve all types of LNG sales (spot and term); where he concluded numerous LNG supply deals (more than 8 mtpa), contract repackaging and price review exercises in those countries. He led a few “breakthrough” initiatives in LNG contracts and operations such as China Truck Market Price Index, AECO Index, Ship To Ship (STS) LNG transfer, LNG ISO Tanks deliveries and multiple discharge port deliveries (China).
Dr. Tilak K. Doshi is Managing Director at Doshi Consulting. Dr. Doshi is an industry expert with over 30 years of international work experience in leading oil and gas companies and think tanks.
His previous appointments include Visiting Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore; Chief Economist, Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore; Senior Fellow and Program Director, King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Executive Director for Energy, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC, UAE); Specialist Consultant, Saudi Aramco (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia); Chief Asia Economist, Unocal Corporation (Singapore); Director for Economic and Industry Analysis, Atlantic Richfield Corporation (ARCO, Los Angeles, U.S.).
Dr. Doshi is the author of many articles and three books on energy economics, the most recent of which was “Singapore Chronicles: Energy” (Straits Times Press, 2016). He is a Forbes contributor. He has published op-eds in the Straits Times (Singapore), Asia Times, The Spectator, South China Morning Post, Jerusalem Post, Business Standard (India), RealClearEnergy and elsewhere.
He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Hawaii on a scholarship provided by the East-West Centre. He was granted the 1984 Robert S. McNamara Research Fellow award by World Bank, Washington, D.C., and he received a Distinction for MA in Economics at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Camilo Morales is an international business administrator from Universidad de la Sabana and a specialist in Mining and Energy Law and Sustainable Development from Universidad de los Andes. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Energy Policy at the University of Sussex, UK. Camilo has 9 years of experience in public, commercial and international affairs in the energy, oil and gas sector. He served as Energy, Oil and Gas Officer at the British Embassy in Colombia, where he designed and executed the UK's political and commercial positioning strategy on energy issues.
Subsequently, he oversaw the international management of the Colombian National Hydrocarbons Agency and the strategic promotion of the areas available for exploration and production. Additionally, he served as advisor to the Mayor's Office of Barranquilla, leading Barranquilla to become the first energy capital of Colombia.
He is currently General Secretary of Naturgas, from where he contributes to consolidate natural gas as an energy source for the transition, the country's competitiveness and the quality of life of Colombians.
Estha Nulty completed her Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in Mechanical at Griffith University Gold Coast Australia. She is currently employed by GPA Engineering, a multidisciplinary engineering and management firm based in Brisbane. The projects Estha is involved in are predominantly in the Oil & Gas and Hydrogen sectors. In her early stages of her engineering career, she brings a fresh perspective to the energy industry - with her prior background being in optical dispensing and hospitality. Estha is a member of the Australian Gas Institute Trust (AGIT) and has recently been involved in the AGIT Gas Speak colloquium. With a passion for nature, Estha is eager to play a positive part in the ever-changing energy balance.
Xi WANG was born in January 1985. She graduated from the University of Birmingham (UK)with an MSc. in International Accounting and Finance.
As a senior Engineer, she serves in the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, CNPC and is currently a member of the IGU Strategy Committee. She has engaged in research on oil and gas market and strategy of oil companies since 2009. She also focus energy transition for oil companies in recent 3 years and is one of the principal authors of the book 'Pathways to Carbon Neutrality for international oil companies'.
She has published 29 academic articles related to oil and gas strategy research in International Journal of Systems Science, Petroleum Exploration and Development, International Field Exploration and Development Conference, etc. She attended CERA WEEK 2017 and served as Moderator of the Youth section of the International Petroleum Technology Congress.
Director General for International Affairs at Ludovika University of Public Services. Scholarship holder of the Japanese government programme MIRAI Politics&Security. Co-author of the report “Energy Poverty – Situation of Households in 2021”. Former president of think tank Warsaw Institute. Member of the foundation council of the Central and Eastern Europen Council. Reserach assistant at Krakow University of Economics. Member of The Polish Economic Society. Alumna of International Business from the Krakow University of Economics and Energy Studies at the Warsaw School of Economics. She finished Energy Within Environmental Constraints at HarvardX and Energy Economics and Policy at MITx. Liliana Śmiech has gained professional experience in the European Parliament and in major multinational corporations. Her main interests are energy transition, sustainable development and geopolitics. Privately, she is sailor, beekeeper, judge and coach of rhythmic gymnastics.
Chief William (Billy) Morin Nahtokitopi Sacred Rider was elected in 2015 as the youngest Chief in Enoch Cree Nation’s modern history; he served three consecutive terms.
Chief Morin has been a strong advocate for working together in all sectors with Canadians, as was the original spirit and intent of Treaty Six. This has led to many successes in business for Enoch totaling nearly $ 1 billion in investments during his time as Chief, inclusive of commercial development, carbon capture, gas power projects, and unprecedented community infrastructure investment that also helped end a long-term drinking water advisory. His leadership in bridge building resulted in his appointment as Grand Chief of the 17 First Nations of the Confederacy of Treaty Six in 2020.
During this time, Chief Morin co-led the first Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corp. project, a $93 million transaction to secure equity ownership in the Cascade Power Project for Enoch and five other First Nations. Currently, Chief Morin serves as Managing Director at Axxcelus Capital Advisory, Canada’s leading firm dedicated solely to championing indigenous equity ownership in resource projects.
Amir Foster worked as a Senior Energy Analyst in Israel's financial market. In 2012 he established the "Foster Consultancy Group" which focuses on the energy sector in general and natural gas in particular. Among the company's clients were gas companies, government ministries, and various organizations from Israel and abroad. In 2016 Mr. Foster was appointed as the Head of Strategy and Research at the Israeli Natural Gas Trade Association, and since 2019 he has acted as the Executive Director.
Since August 2022, Amir has been the chairman of the Strategy Committee in the International Gas Union (IGU).
Amir holds an MSc in Finance from Tel Aviv University.
During more than 20 years spent in the oil and gas industry Mr. Laszlo Fritsch has gained extensive professional knowledge from various fields of the energy sector. He started his career at Shell Gas Hungary where his professional expertise has been broadened in various positions held in several European countries. Later he joined E.ON Gas Storage as CFO and from 2013 to 2020 he held the position of CEO and Chairman of the Board of Hungarian Gas Storage. In order to gain in-depth knowledge also in the technical operation Mr. Fritsch has successfully completed a reservoir engineering course in Houston. Since 2020 he is appointed CEO of MVM CEEnergy (formerly Hungarian Gas Trade). With his extensive knowledge of the energy and natural gas industry, Mr. Fritsch actively contributes to the domestic and international development of the sector as the chairman of the Hydrocarbon Mining Section of the Hungarian Mining Association and a member of the International Gas Union (IGU).
Recently retired from the University of Queensland, Professor and Director of Centre for Natural Gas, Prof. Garnett is one of the most well-known gas industry experts in Australia. Formerly with Shell International EP and Schlumberger Carbon Service, he has over 25 years of worldwide experience with conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon exploration, appraisal and development projects. Prior to joining The University of Queensland, Andrew consulted widely on oil and gas developments, most notably those with high greenhouse gas emissions.
He advises industry and governments, and has been a regular contributor to many government consultations and inquiries related to the gas sector and the broader energy transition. He has authored books and journal articles on everything from well integrity to CCS, from integrated policies for reducing GHG emissions to scaling up CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. Previously he was a Director on the Australian Gas Industry Trust (AGIT) Board however as of 18th September was appointed to the position of Chair of the Board.
A lawyer from the University of Valparaiso in Chile, with an MBA from the Adolfo Ibanez University Business School in Chile and a LLM in Natural Resources, Law and Policy from the University of Dundee in Scotland. He has also completed the PADE Senior Management Program at the Universidad de Los Andes in Chile.
He is currently the Executive Chairman of the Chilean Natural Gas Association (AGN), a trade organization that has grown significantly over the years and now represents the main players of the local natural gas industry (importers, LNG terminals, pipelines, traders, distributors, and major customers). In this role, he actively participates in the development of the regulatory framework for the gas sector in Chile; and works with a range of organizations, including government and regulatory authorities, trade associations, technical committees, and the media to promote the use of gas and seek opportunities for it to continue serving as a clean energy source in the energy transition. In addition, he was a member of the consulting committee which created and updated the Chilean Energy Policy (in 2016 and 2021).
Cortés-Simon has led the involvement of AGN in the International Gas Union (IGU), the largest and most influential natural gas organization worldwide, and has represented the Chilean Gas Industry at many international events around the world since 2014. From 2021 onwards, he has been the IGU Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Heather Exner-Pirot is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environment program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and a Special Adviser to the Business Council of Canada. She is a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, the Research Advisor for the Indigenous Resource Network and the Managing Editor of the Arctic Yearbook. Exner-Pirot is also a Coordinator at the North American and Arctic Defense and Security Network and sits on the Boards of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network and Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation. Dr. Exner-Pirot obtained a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary in 2011.
Michele is responsible for the overall leadership and operations of Ontario-based Enbridge Gas Inc., as well as Gazifère, which serves the Gatineau region of Quebec. Prior to assuming her current role, Michele was the Chief Operations Officer for Enbridge’s Gas Transmission & Midstream (GTM) business
unit, based in Houston, Texas. She is a principled safety leader and has been integral to Enbridge’s safety performance journey in her time with the company.
Michele has more than 25 years of experience in the energy value creation chain including the upstream, midstream, downstream, retail and oil and gas services sectors. Before joining Enbridge in 2014, Michele worked for Shell for 16 years in roles of increasing responsibility, including General Manager of Shell’s Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Ontario.
Michele has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and a law degree from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
She has successfully combined her engineering, legal and business background to become a strategic leader with a demonstrated track record in successful business and operational transformations. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Oil & Gas by the National Diversity Council (US).
Michele is based in Toronto and she and her husband have two children and two dogs.
Dr. Yang is a well recognized energy policy expert. He has dedicated himself to promoting clean energy transition, oil and gas sector reform and China’s participation in global energy governance.
Dr. Yang served as the Senior Advisor to Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of IEA from 2016 to 2019. Prior to that, Dr. Yang had been working at the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration (NEA) for almost 15 years, during which he served as Deputy Director General of the Oil and Gas Department at the NEA from 2012 to 2016.
Dr. Yang earned his Ph.D. from China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and his B.S. from Northwest University.
William Jordan was appointed Executive Vice President and General Counsel in July 2019. Will served as an advisor to the Rice Investment Group from May 2018 until July 2019. Prior to that, he served as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Rice Energy and Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Rice Midstream Partners LP. From September 2005 through December 2013,Will practiced corporate law at Vinson & Elkins LLP representing public and private companies in capital markets offerings and mergers and acquisitions, primarily in the oil and natural gas industry. He is a graduate of Davidson College with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and earned a Juris Doctorate from the Duke University School of Law.
View our Spotlight Interviews with leading voices of the international gas industry. IGRC2024 will be hosting strategic sessions and panel discussion on the positive effects of gas innovation to the industry and societies around the world.
László Fritsch, CEO
MVM CEEnergy (Hungary)
Emeka Ene, CEO
Oildata Energy Group (Nigeria)
Luz Stella Murgas
President, Naturgas (Colombia)
Khaled Abubakr, Chair and Co-founder
TAQA Arabia (Egypt)
Abdul Aziz Othman, President
Malaysian Gas Association (Malaysia)