Sir Andrew Wood served as a member of the British diplomatic service in: Moscow 1964-6, 1979-82 and 1995-2000 (the last as Ambassador); Washington DC, 1967-70 and 1989-92 (as Deputy Head of Mission); and Belgrade, 1975-9 and 1985-89 (as Ambassador).

Since leaving Moscow in early 2000 Sir Andrew has returned regularly to Uzbekistan, as well as to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, acting on behalf of a number of Western companies. He is an Adviser to ITE Group plc, acted as Special Representative for BP from 2003 to 2014, was a Trustee for the Victor Zorza Hospice Trust from 2000 to 2012 when the Trust concluded its mission, and is the President of the King’s College (Cambridge) Association. He has been an Associate Fellow of Chatham House since 2008.

Andrew Wood was born in Gibraltar on 2 January 1940, and has an MA in history from King’s College, Cambridge (England). He is married to Stephanie (nee Masset). They have three children, and live in London and Jersey (Channel Islands).

In 1992, he graduated from Azerbaijan State Oil Academy where he majored in Oil & Gas Economics and Management.

In 1990, he launched his career as a practicing diplomat at the Department of International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

In 1992-1996, he worked as an attaché at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany. In 1996-2001, he held several positions (Assistant Secretary, First Secretary, Department Head and Deputy Head) at the departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Europe, the USA and Canada.

In 2001-2005, he worked as the Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Austria, where, later on, he was appointed as the Charge d'affaires.

In 2005, he became the Chairman of The OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC).

In 2005, he was appointed the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany and worked in this capacity until 2016.

 In 2016-2017, he worked as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Later, he was appointed as the Minister of Energy of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the 12^th of October 2017.

He is fluent in Azerbaijani, Russian, English and German.

He is married and has two kids. 

Mr Rovnag Ibrahim Abdullayev was born in Nakhchivan on 3 April 1965. In 1982, he joined Azerbaijani Civil Engineers Institute. From 1983-1985 he undertook military service in the army. In 1985 he was sent to the V. V Kuybishev Moscow Civil Engineering Institute, from which he graduated in 1989 and began to work on the “Oil Rocks”. From 1990 he worked as an engineer at the 28 May Oil and Gas Production Department. From 1991-1997 he worked as a head of department and senior engineer  at the XazarDenizNeftQazInshaat Trust. Since 1997 he has been the director of the Trust. In 2003, he was appointed as the director of the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery. Since 9 December 2005 he has been the president of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic. On 14 March 2008 he was elected president of the AFFA (Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan). He was elected a member of the National Parliament on its third convocation in 2005 and on its fourth convocation in 2010.
He is married and has a son and a daughter.
 

Melih Han Bilgin is currently President and CEO of TPAO, Turkish national oil & gas company. Prior to TPAO, Bilgin was CEO of CNK Aerospace.

Mr. Bilgin earned his BS in Aeronautical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ).

He is married, with two children and fluent in English.

Elshad Mustafa Nassirov was born in 1960 in Baku. In 1982 he graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He worked from 1981 to 1982 at the USSR’s embassy in Afghanistan, from 1982 to 1985 at the Institute of Oriental Studies at the USSR Academy of Sciences, and between 1985 and 1989 in various roles in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. From 1989 to 1992 he worked at the USSR’s embassy in India. As Azerbaijan gained its independence, from 1992 to 1995 Mr Nassirov worked in the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the UN, and in 1995 was promoted to the position of head of department in the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan. From 1997 to 2003, Mr Nassirov worked as head of the Foreign Economic Operations Department, and from 2003 to 2005 as head of the Marketing and Operations Department of SOCAR. By Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on 28 December 2005, he was appointed as vice-president of SOCAR for investments and marketing. Since 2003 Elshad Nassirov has also been the Vice President of the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan. In 2010, he was made a member of the Shohrat (Glory) Order by Decree of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. He speaks Russian, English, Persian and Hindi.

Mr Nassirov is a member of the New Azerbaijan Party.

James E. Hogan is the managing partner of the Baku office of the international law firm Dentons.

Active in international practice since 1984, Mr. Hogan has concentrated exclusively on corporate, commercial and natural resource matters relating to the CIS and Eastern Europe since 1988. He is particularly active in structuring, negotiating and implementing petroleum, mining and other natural resource projects in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and elsewhere in the CIS. His experience includes providing advice on PSAs, service agreements, concessions, oil-field service and drilling contracts, licensing, pipeline and marine transportation issues, including the sale and transportation of LNG. 

He has advised major international companies on investment strategies, the establishment of joint ventures and cooperation structures, project finance, infrastructure development, privatization, licensing and related tax, currency, customs, environmental, governance and other matters. He also frequently advises financial institutions, development banks and investment funds in the areas of investment and secured lending.

Mr. Hogan graduated from the University of Michigan (A.B. with distinction, in Russian and East European Studies, 1979), the Pushkin Institute, Moscow (1980 1981) and the University of Texas (J.D., with honors, 1984). He was admitted to the District of Columbia bar in 1984, qualified to practice in France as conseil juridique in 1991 and became a member of the Paris bar in 1992. Mr. Hogan speaks English, French and Russian.

He has published numerous articles on foreign investment and energy in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine and is a frequent speaker at international conferences. Mr. Hogan is a Member of the Boards of the International Tax & Investment Center (ITIC) and La Chambre de commerce France-Azerbaïdjan (CCFAz ) and is listed in Chambers Global, Legal 500 (Hall of Fame), Who’s Who Legal – Energy  and Who’s Who Legal-CIS, as well as Best Lawyers-Azerbaijan.

Bahram Bahlul oglu Huseynov graduated from Azerbaijan Oil and Chemistry Institute, faculty of  geophysical methods of field exploration and  appraisal in 1983. Since January 1983, worked in the position of field geologist and senior geologist at the Gum Island Offshore Drilling Department, in 1988 was transferred to the position of senior geologist in oil and gas exploration in head office of “Caspian offshore Oil and Gas” division, from 1992 to 1993 he worked as a deputy head of geological department. In 1993-1994, participated in a joint project of Amoco Research Center in Tulsa, US. By return, he continued working in “Caspian offshore Oil and Gas” division. In May 1995, joined Azerbaijan International Operating Company as an advisor of vice president and in June 1997 started working as a senior geologist at the geology department. In June 1998, he became manager of subsurface exploration group in BP-operated Shah Deniz project. From March 2000 to December 2002, was on the   business trip in BP London office in the position of subsurface team leader (TL) for the 2nd and 3rd phases of Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) development planning project. From December 2002 to January 2011, was the head of subsurface operation group TL of ACG project, new well planning TL, base management TL and new well delivery TL in “Azeri” field. In 2009, awarded “Tereqqi” Medal by the Order issued by the   President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. Since January 2011, moved to the position of deputy first vice president on Geology and geophysics of SOCAR. According to the Order issued by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on April 18, 2016, Bahram Huseynov was appointed to the position of vice-president on Geology and geophysics of SOCAR. He is a member of New Azerbaijan Party.

Mikhail Novikov is a graduate of Moscow Institute of Foreign Languages, a linguist, ethnologist and sociologist by education, earned a PhD in History at the USSR Academy of Sciences. He is a translator of fiction and scientific and technical literature, speaks several foreign languages. Has a large experience of academic research and practical work in the field of conflict prevention, teaching, including in American universities and other educational institutions in the US and Russia. He was engaged in the organization of exhibitions, conferences, contests and festivals of mass media, he was publisher and chief editor of magazines on computer subjects, led business development departments and software development companies, including education software, actively participated in professional associations of publishers, developers of software and information technologies. Since 2011, he runs the EAGE Regional Office in Russia and the CIS.

Yashar Latifov was born in Baku on June 16, 1965. In 1987 graduated from Moscow Oil and Gas Institute named after Gubkin, majoring on technology and complex mechanization of oil and gas field development. Started his career in Baku in the position of operator and then foreman at the oil production site No.2 of “Binagadi” Oil and Gas Production Division of “Azneft”. Since 1989 held various long-term international project assignments in Vietnam, Russia, UK, Turkey. Since 2012 served in the capacity of advisor to SOCAR President, and Executive Director of SOCAR Upstream LLC., responsible for management of SOCAR’s interest in Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli and Shah-Deniz assets. According to the Order issued by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on April 18, 2016, Yashar Latifov was appointed to the office of SOCAR Vice President for Field Development.

Omar is a practice. Has about 24 years of professional experience in dozens of assets, mostly Upstream and Midstream, across 4 continents. Has served most of the International Oil Companies and about 20 National Oil Companies in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

In 1994 graduated from the Buenos Aires Institute of Technology as Industrial Engineer, with honors. That same year started his professional career in a global consulting and professional services firm, in Buenos Aires. In the years 1999-2002 he co-led a complete operational transformation in one of South America’s largest and most mature onshore oil fields. This mature field revitalization program resulted in impressive production increases as well as cost containment and capex efficiency and considered a world class transformation in mature assets. In 2002 he moved to Russia to work as an advisor in a green field operational and transformation program, including both hydrocarbon accounting solutions as well as back office and finance.

From 2004 until 2009 he led the CIS Oil & Gas Consulting practice of a global consulting and professional services firm. In 2009 he moved back to Latin America to lead the regional Oil & Gas Consulting practice of a global consulting and professional services firm. In March 2018 he moved back to Russia to join EY as Senior Partner in charge of Oil & Gas Advisory

He is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Russian.